Top 6 minus 1 - Leona Lewis Performs!

I'm glad Andrew had a chance to say that Brooke was flawless in rehearsal. Sadly, he also confirmed Jason's song choice as quite questionable (<-- q alliteration, or qualliteration).

The Davids are first on the spot. No mystery here.

Neil Diamond next week! I love that guy!

There's Leona Lewis! That bulge in Simon's pants is his wallet getting bigger. She certainly does have it all, though - what a performance!

Syesha and Brooke are next. Brooke is safe, and appropriately shocked! Syesha is in the bottom two. I guess there are other who feel as Bo does.

Jason and Carly are last up. Jason is rightfully nervous, but he is safe, leaving Carly in the bottom two. Judging by the audience's screams, Jason will have to do much worse before he's voted off.

Carly and Syesha both give great reduxes of their songs from last night. I'm glad to see that they both look happy, as well.

Carly is leaving. Deep breath, Bo. I can easily her succeeding on Broadway, or in some other venue.

See you next week...

Top 6 - Andrew Lloyd Webber Mentors!

Broadway music is an odd choice, and should make for some interesting performances.

Syesha - 'One Rock and Roll Too Many' - Her vamped up version is very nicely done. The judges all agreed that this is her element and it allowed her to display a lot of personality. Definitely one of, if not her best. Perhaps what Bo dislikes as her "acting" in some previous songs is precisely her strength with this type of music?

Jason - 'Memory' - A big song. I don't think he lets himself go with it, as Andrew had suggested. He did okay, but it felt a bit like riding on a bike with the tires low on air. Randy agrees it was too big of a song and calls it a trainwreck. Paula is supportive. Simon didn't like it, either. This may be the end for him, though on looks alone, he may yet have enough adoring fans.

Brooke - 'You Must Love Me' - A false start, but she handles it. She delivers a heartfelt rendition which is very believable for me. Randy thought her voice wasn't up to it. Simon says it was iffy, and she won't like it when she sees it back. It may well hurt her, but I didn't not like it.

David A. - 'Think Of Me' - Another fine performance of a difficult choice. Randy loved it. Paula calls it "perfect." Simon calls it "pleasant," but a weak, forgettable performance.

Carly - 'Superstar' - A better choice for her lungs, per Andrew, but not necessarily a good choice for this stage of the competition. She handles it quite well and the audience seems to like it. Randy liked it overall. Paula liked it. Simon calls it one of his favorites of the night, if "shouty" at times.

David C. - 'The Power Of The Music Of The Night' - Incredibly powerful performance. The judges all loved it, though Simon prefers his rougher side.


Tops and Props: David C., followed by David A. and Carly, in no particular order, and props to Syesha.

Bottoms: Brooke and Jason.

Leaving: I think Jason has a stronger following than Brooke, at this point, so I'll guess Brooke.

Top 6 - Bon Jovi Mentors!

I love Bon Jovi, as much, if not more, for his acting and personality as for his musical talent.

Phil Stacey - Opened with power and performed quite well. The judges agree, except Simon, but I can see the truth in what he said about Phil acting the part. He does have something about him reminiscent of The Great Pretender, a chameleon who can target what people want and is exceptional, if nauseating at times, at being the consummate people-pleaser. He has at least as much talent in that area as in singing - and maybe much more.

Jordin Sparks - I think this song might have been a poor choice. The lower register she starts in puts her voice in a bad light, but she has to start that low in order to be where she needs to for the higher registers, the key change, and the very powerful ending. Randy agrees with my analysis. Simon just rips into her with no pity. Realistically though, it was one of her worst, but it wasn't actually terrible.

Lakisha Jones - 'This Ain't a Love Song' - Mmmmm...she slinks into this song like she wrote it herself. Chills from the start which stay to the end. Sing it, girl! Simply an excellent performance...one of the best this season...recordable as it stands. This is the performance to beat tonight. Even Simon loved it and proves it by kissing instead of dissing her. Simon wiping his lips while continuing to talk, after Ryan's remark about her lipstick on his lips, is priceless.

Blake Lewis - 'You Give Love A Bad Name' - a brilliant, ultra-creative interpretation of a song that might be better than the original. It certainly highlighted his considerable skillz in beat-boxing. A HUGE success, and, as Randy said, the most original, personalized interpretation ever done on AI. Simply marvelous.

Chris Richardson - 'Wanted - Dead Or Alive' - Chris gets the requisite grunge in his voice to sing this song, and does a decent job, but it isn't on a par other performances tonight, which puts him in the middle, or worse. He may be in trouble if America favors Phil's improved performances tonight and for the past 3 weeks, which is quite conceivable, and doesn't think Jordin deserves to go based on tonight's borderline performance, which is also quite likely.

Melinda Doolittle - 'Have A Nice Day' - Melinda brings it very nicely, and tops Phil and Chris, though the stilted lyrics don't give her much opportunity to showcase her voice. It was a stretch for her, but she handled it well enough. Randy compares her to a young Tina Turner, which is accurate, and even Simon agrees with this. I don't think she came up to Blake and Lakisha tonight, but was closer than anyone else.

Tops - Blake and Lakisha (you choose), followed by Melinda.

Bottoms - For the night, Jordin and Chris.

Going home - dead or alive - I have to bet on Chris. Though his performance tonight was very good, I think Jordin's history will carry her through, and Phil's last three performances will keep him alive. If not, Phil will be people-pleasing elsewhere.

Top 6 (Again)

Well! THAT was a GREAT night! Save one poor song selection and very uncomfortable and under confident performance, everyone was fantastic!

Best to worst tonight for me for them:

Blake
Melinda and Lakisha (I can't decide)
Phil (I know. I surprise myself. I can give credit where credit's due.)
Chris
Jordin (UGH. This pains me.)

Phil started the show REALLY well and did a surprisingly good job, I must admit. I don't care for his mugging and kissing up, but he DID do a really good job tonight. I'm not sure it's enough to save him though, given his competition. And besides, he said he's going down in a blaze of glory, so you know . . .

Jordin realllllly did not pick the right song. It's the first time I've seen her do that (not pick the right song) and it was really rough. She looked totally uncomfortable and I was uncomfortable for her. I don't think it's enough to boot her. I still think she has a shot at winning it all, but it was WAY rough tonight. I do love that she admits it and doesn't go on and on about "having fun!" She calls a spade a spade. Good for her. I love how genuine she is. It's refreshing. It's marketable. Plus, her name is Jordin Sparks. I can't think of a name that could be more marketable than that one without making up a stage name. She's great! Rough night, but she's great. And for the record, I didn't think this past week's performance was THAT great. It was really, really good, but the praise was over the top--it wasn't her best, her vocals were strained, and it was a bit pitchy. That said, it was still GREAT, but not "the best ever" yadda yadda. But anyway, I think that considering the two weeks together, she's fine. (And for the record, I totally knew they wouldn't boot anyone this past week--I suspected before the show, felt it would be out of place if they had, and knew when Ryan said "biggest shocker ever" to start the show). So, neener neener.

Lakisha was FANTASTIC! Probably her best week ever. And I loved the interchange with Simon (who "llllllllloved" her at her audition, too). He kissed her! And said she has great lips! Now that's an idol highlight! She did a great job--very controlled, very powerful, not oversung. Kudos to Kiki. Smart song choice. It was phenomenal.

BLAKE DESERVES ALL CAPS BECAUSE HE WAS HOT HOT HOT AND PHE-FREAKING-NOMENAL! I LOVE THAT GUY. LOVE HIM. HE WAS "DA BOMB!" AND TOOK SUCH A GARGANTUAN RISK AND TOTALLY, TOTALLY PULLED IT OFF. LOVE THE BEAT BOXING, LOVE THE RECORD PLAYING, LOVE HOW HE MAKES IT HIS OWN. HE NEEDED TO BEAT BOX THIS WEEK AND IT WILL PAY OFF. HE'S NOT GOING ANYWHERE. HE HAS US ALL BEGGING FOR MORE. LOVE THIS GUY. I PREDICT THAT THAT WILL BREAK SOME SORT OF DOWNLOAD RECORD TONIGHT. THAT WAS ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC. LOVE BLAKE. BEST TONIGHT. HANDS DOWN.

Chris got more credit than I think it deserved, but it really wasn't bad. I think he's in danger. It wasn't horrible. It wasn't great. Overall, it was good. I like him. I don't think he's making top 3 or anything. I *do* think he's generally better than Phil, though. Curious to see how it plays out.

Melinda was SMOKIN' hot!! She is SO good, SO fun, SO amazing! She was phenomenal as well. (What a great night of performances!!) I love Melinda's sassy performances and she rocked it out with sass and attitude and I loved it! I really like her and do think she'll be in the top 2, if not winning it all. Way to go, Melinda. GREAT song choice.

I predict Chris and (urgh, this past week, I would've said Lakisha even though I think she did well with "I Believe" and the judges were harsh--though I totally agree that ABSOLUTELY NO ONE can touch Fantasia's performance of it and hers is one of my ALL TIME FAVORITE Idol performances EVER, but given the judges' comments, I thought she'd go). Anyway. I predict Chris and Phil.

Top 6 minus 1 - Idol Gives Back - Ellen Degeneres Co-Hosts - Too Many Stars To Name Perform!

This is going to be an awesome show!

Ryan starts by going for perfection on his opening announcement. That says how intent they are on making this the best show ever... or at leas he is... ; )

Earth, Wind and Fire - wonderful!

Randy's visit to New Orleans was just sad. That's Ellen's home state, too.

The top 6 did a marvelous job with Quincy Jones' 'It's Time to Share'.

Ben Stiller's singing is funny...

The video of Simon in Africa was quite revealing... he clearly does have a heart.

Melinda Doolittle is safe.

Paula's trip to the Boys & Girls Clubs was touching.

Il Diva's performance of 'Somewhere' was a little pitchy... ; )
But the accompany video was awesome.

Jack Black's spirit is wonderful! Simon's comment about him being better than Sanjaya was a riot, and Sanjaya took it well.

Blake Lewis is safe. I'm thinking they aren't going to divulge the bottom 2 or 3 tonight, so we may never know how close anyone came to being booted, but clearly, Blake pulled himself up a notch since last week.

Carrie Underwood's performance of 'I'll Stand By You' was simply excellent, and very moving.

Rascal Flats sounded great.

Excuse me while I dig my credit card out of the duct tape wallet I made the other night...

The 'Stayin' Alive' video montage was cool.

Phil Stacey is safe. That leaves Lakisha, Jordin, and Chris, meaning Lakisha and Chris.

Ellen donated $100,000. Typical Ellen 'the Generous'.

Josh Groban's 'You Lift Me Up' was just lovely, and the African Children's Choir was a beautiful touch. Very moving.

Kelly Clarkson's 'I've Been Up To The Mountain' was excellent.

Lakisha Jones is on the spot. She's safe, so there goes Chris. Will they make him, er... considering the quality of the other performances tonight, make that let him perform one last time?

Here comes the star duet. Celine Dion and Elvis Presley! Damn if that doesn't look and sound like the King! Was the look-alike lip-syncing to the real Elvis?

Annie Lennox sings 'Bridge Over Troubled Water'. Wonderful.

Jordin and Chris are both safe. Poor Jordin almost went into shock when Chris was announced to be safe before she was. That was pretty cruel, really. It's nice they didn't want to boot anyone on a charity night, but that was just harsh.

They all sound awesome in 'This Is My American Prayer'.

See you next week!

...John

Dr. Mark Gives Back

In the spirit of the evening, I've decided I should give back. And I don't just mean that I'm hooking up the power dialer and raking up those dime donations. I've decided to give only positive feedback to the contestants tonight. I'll give comments from the Paula school of thought this week, and it won't include anything about the idols' looks, wardrobes, or charitable tendencies.

RANDOM THOUGHTS: Simon must be giving back tonight because he was in an awfully good mood, and Mr. Tin Man seems to have finally met the Wizard based upon the video clips we saw. So Ryan decides that tonight is the night for facial scruff? Interesting. Did I miss Bono somewhere? Didn't they say he was the mentor this week?

CHRIS RICHARDSON ("Change the World"): Perfect song choice, and he actually did a good job of making it "his own" tonight. Plus, that guitarist is "da bomb!" I always love when they bring him out front.

MELINDA DOOLITTLE (Some inspirational song by Faith Hill): Great song choice and I could definitely hear the Melinda soul come through. She's great, and she's doing so much better with not looking surprised, even if it is tough to do.

BLAKE LEWIS ("Imagine"): So, a predictable song choice, but a great one. There's not much that needs to be done with a song like that. His voice is perfect for this song and he did a very good job.

LAKISHA JONES ("I Believe"): OK, so at first I thought doing another Idol winner song would be a mistake, but Lakisha did a great job. She should have gotten better praise from the judges, in my opinion. No one is Fantasia, but Lakisha's rendition was very good.

PHIL STACEY ("Change"): (I promised I'd be good.) This was an adequate performance, in the long-awaited appropriate genre for him. (That wasn't as hard as I initially expected!)

JORDIN SPARKS (I forgot to take notes, but it was something about being alone, or not being alone): This girl keeps getting better each week. Fantastic performance, on par with her other great ones. She's "in it to win it."

MY TOP 3: Melinda, Jordin, Blake
MY BOTTOM 3: I'll give back by not singling out the obvious
GIVING BACK THE BACKSTAGE PASS: Phil

So, there's my positive spin on the night. It's feels so weird being not sarcastic. I'm genuinely excited for tomorrow's 2-hour show. From the sounds of it over the past few weeks it should be a night to remember. Oh, and maybe we'll see Bono after all!

Top 6 - Idol Gives Back - Bono Mentors!

Yippee! An extended show that's worth seeing!

I talked to my ex recently, who has been to Africa. She was impressed not so much with what we can offer them, but what they can offer us - a point that will be familiar to Stacy - that they can teach us how to be happy with what we have. She was invited to talk on a radio show and happened to mention the predominance of healthy white teeth, perhaps due to the lack of sugary soft drinks. The host seized on that and completely glossed over her other points. Ah well...

I'll definitely be voting tonight.

Chris Richardson - I liked it, but I know the judges will think it was thin. Surprise! Randy and Paula both liked it. Simon even liked it! I didn't think it was all that much better than some of the other performances they dissed in the past.

I'm very glad to hear they're including America in their charity work.

Melinda Doolittle - A very apt song for this program, and, no surprise, she gives me huge chills. This song should be the theme for Idol Gives Back. She got me tearful with this one. She looks extraordinarily beautiful tonight. Randy loved it. Paula loved it. Simon praised it. Crown her now.

Blake Lewis - 'Imagine'. I thought, before the break, Ryan mentioned an upcoming song by Simon & Garfunkel, not John Lennon. Blake does this decently, but I can understand Randy's remark that he was expecting something a bit more. Simon's remark that the dynamics were a bit lacking was spot on, but it was sincerely and well done, as he added.

Lakisha Jones - A little yelly for me. The judges are finding it difficult to break the mood of the IGB special with anything that sounds remotely negative, but they manage to make their point, and Simon agrees about the shouting.

Phil Stacey - sticks with the country which got so much approval, and does a very good job that gave me a few chills at the end. I agree with Paula that this was his best. Now Simon wants nasally...or is there some other 'country' tone he's looking for?

Jordin Sparks - Ryan sets this up by announcing "a show stopper" before the break. That's interesting. 'You'll Never Walk Alone' - I guess it was a setup. Apparently the producers are pushing for this one. But she truly lived up to the promotion, and it was a show-stopper. She may have topped Melinda this time.

It's funny, and a little sad, that Simon had no idea about the people who use and volunteer at food banks, and had to ask for a hug because he's "never met nice people." Weird.

Tops - Jordin and Melinda (I can't choose, and will vote for both).

Bottoms - Per the judges, Lakisha, and I can't really disagree. If we go by last week's eliminations, Blake may join her. It will be interesting to see who the third is, if they disclose that, but I can't imagine.

Leaving - I really don't know.

See you tomorrow!

...John