Top 10 Minus 1 - Kimberley Locke Performs!

Chikezie is first up and clearly nervous. He correctly anticipates being in the bottom three.

Brooke White sticks to her guns about adding in the orchestra. She's safe.

Carly Smithson is safe.

David A. is safe.

David C. is safe.

Syesha is in the bottom three despite the judges' praise. Apparently America agrees with Bo.

Michael is safe.

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Kimberley Locke sounds good and looks great!

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Ah. The 76 million bought more than just mosquito nets. My mistake.

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Ramiele is safe.

Jason and Kristy are last. Will Kristy follow her trend from the last elimination and be in the bottom? No. She's safe and Jason is in the bottom three.

Jason is safe, leaving Chikezie and Syesha as the bottom two.

I'm thinking Chikezie may be leaving, as Syesha did better than him last night, but who knows?

Syesha is safe, justifying Randy's and Paula's approval of her performance last night.

Chikezie is out, but he'll do well with his personality and talent.


See you next week!

Top 10

I know. I'm a little behind. Someone's already been booted, but it's on TiVo and my sweetie is across the street getting goodies at the grocery store because I love to eat at night while we watch our shows. Anyway, I'll keep it short.

Ramiele Malubay (“Alone” by Heart)
I've tired of her. I love this song, but it's so not right on her. "Alone" is the one song I liked on Carrie Underwood, however. This girl seems so fake-babyish and immature. Her pouty lip irritates me. I'm bored and annoyed with her--bad combo.

Jason Castro (“Fragile” by Sting)
I really like this kid. A lot. I'd like to see him go far because I like him and because he's unique (unlike Syesha who is so not). This wasn't that great, but I hope he sticks around.

Syesha Mercado (“If I Were Your Woman” by some diva, right?)
She sang well, but I don't like her. She's good, but not unique. I get annoyed by her high praise (which she seems to relish--that girl does not take criticism well). I'm reminded of how I've felt about LaToya London. Good, but boring and not at all unique. I won't be sad when she's booted. I'm only sad that it's taking so long, even though she's doing well.

"Cheesy" Chikezie (“If Only for One Night” by Luther Vandross)
Oh dear. Don't. Do. Ballads. He may be in trouble. I like him, but yikes.

Brooke White (“Every Breath You Take” by The Police)
Ah, the stalker song. So creepy. I haven't ever liked this song. I love Sting, but I don't love this song by the Police. And I'm glad she toned down the talking during judgment. I love what she did on that Pat Benetar number but 2 of the judges back then jumped on her for not building it up using the band. So she does this time and they don't like it. That has got to be frustrating for the contestants. I dig her and an instrument a la Carly Simon. I'd like to see her stick around because she's a billion times more interesting than our resident diva, of whom I've tired.

Michael Johns (“We Will Rock You”/“We Are the Champions” medley by Queen)
I LOVE medleys on him! Phenomenal. I loved it. Like a total rock concert professional. Fantastic! I like it and I like him and I've been wanting to see him do well!

Carly Smithson (“Total Eclipse of the Heart” by hmmm, not quite sure)
Good, but not very memorable. I almost forgot what she sang. I like her and I want her to do well. Poor girl is so slammed for song choice. I feel for her--I hope she chooses something really great soon (like she has once? so far).

Little David Archuleta (“You’re the Voice” by some Australian dude)
I actually know this song! Though I'm not sure how. He is REALLY into political activism in song, isn't he. This kid is sort of stinking it up in the top 12. I mean, he's good, but he's doing worse, not better, on the big stage.

Kristy Lee Cook (“God Bless the USA” by Lee Greenwood)
I like this song and she did a very good job and I'm glad for her. She strikes me as a bit naive so I think Simon is giving her way too much credit for song choice. She probably doesn't even know about what's been going on in Iraq this week.

David Cook (“Billie Jean” by Michael Jackson)
Wow! That was impressive! I thought the judges would either love it or hate it. Thankfully, they seem to love it!

Tops for me for them: Michael Johns and David Cook
Bottoms for me for them: The others, but especially Ramiele (though I think she has a big voter base, unfortunately)
Being Celebrated Home: Chikeze? Why, oh why did he blow it?

Am I really this old?

These "year of your birth" weeks usually provide enough variety to keep the show quite interesting, so I'm glad that's what went on last night. As my wife pointed out on many occasions, however: "So this kid was born just before I went into high school?"

RANDOM THOUGHTS: I don't like the new set with it's opening in the center of the backdrop. The contestants always look cramped when they come out and they also never look quite sure when to start walking. The people on the ends nearly always run into the set as it opens. Awkward. Also, I'm seeing more and more why A.I. is not quite Emmy quality. They never stop tinkering. I'm all for good tinkering, like letting contestants play instruments. Brilliant. Having Ryan walk behind the contestants while he was introducing them, not so brilliant. What was he trying to hide? Mostly I found it distracting, like Paula's gloves. Ricky Minor sure seems happy in the crow's nest. Or maybe we're just seeing him more often in his new digs. Some weeks Randy is just so annoying and devoid of insight. Guess which week this was. Mosh pit? Can we get rid of it now. They clap off the beat, sway their hands all over the place with no attempt at coordination, and set up performers like Chikezie for silly antics and the subsequent criticism from the judges. I liked the interviews this week. They were actually enjoyable.

Ramiele Malubay: I'm so bored with her. She's trying too hard to be likable and it's not working. Mostly she seems way too immature and not quite exciting enough. We've seen you before in past seasons. I think Ramiele still has a strong enough following to buy her time, though.

Jason Castro: Jason has a great style that will help him in the end. Simon was right: the guitar work was sloppy and the audience couldn't find the beat. I'm not sure the two are connected, but the performance was a little off, although it was solid enough to justify his existence in this competition. It didn't hurt that he picked a great Sting selection.

Syesha Mercado: I will agree this is probably her best week to date, but I still find her boring. We don't need another diva--we've got enough in the world. Syesha doesn't seem to have a devoted following and we'll test that theory in the next week or two.

Chikezie: He just couldn't walk by and not reach into the crowd, could he? Foiled by the evil plot of the powers that be, Chikezie slipped yet again.

Brooke White: Mistake or no, she did great. So, no band this time? I saw Brooke biting her tongue on that one. The bottom line is that Brooke is at her best when it's her and her instrument. She's that kind of singer. This wasn't her best, but it was very solid.

Michael Johns: Great selection by the Aussie. At one point I saw him look at the mosh pit and stop himself from reaching in, as if his inner voice told him, "Remember Chikezie." This was his best week and shot him back to the top.

Carly Smithson: I think this is her style. She has a very strong rock edge and should be singing songs like this. It wasn't her best week, but still better than most of the rest.

David Archuleta: Simon articulated what we were all thinking. I think it was a strange pick and now all I can see is David with all the Disney characters romping about behind him. He did well, but still seems to pick those Star Search-y songs.

Kristy Lee Cook: Best week so far. I don't know if it will keep her around, but I'm glad she had a good week and got some honest to goodness positive critique from the judges. She's earned it.

David Cook: I wasn't sure I heard him right. Billie Jean? Really? But I loved it. This guy has enough creativity for the whole lot. He is already an incredible talent and will definitely be a successful artist.

MY TOP THREE: David Cook, Michael Johns, Brooke White
MY BOTTOM THREE: Chikezie, Ramiele Malubay, Kristy Lee Cook
PACKING IT IN EARLY: Chikezie (not my personal choice, however)

Top 10 Perform!

Ramiele - Big song. She does okay by it, but it's maybe a bit bigger than her tonight. Oh, she's somewhat sick. Randy calls her on it. Paula is understanding. Simon is actually encouraging, and argues with Randy.

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My favorite song through most of the competition is the one by Yael Naim in the MAC notebook advertisement:

"I'm a new soul; I came to this strange world hopin' I could learn a bit 'bout how to give and take.
I'm a young soul in this very strange world hopin' I could learn a bit 'bout what is true and fake."

Gotta love it. La la la la, la la la la la la, la la la la la la la la la la la la la.

Especially good for those prone to forgetting lyrics... ; )

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Jason - I love this song, 'How Fragile We Are'. He does okay by it - good but not great - a bit too tentative. Randy agrees. Paula is supportive. Simon is much less forgiving than he was with Ramiele.

Syesha - I don't know this song, but she seems to be on top of it with some powerful vocals. She seems to be building from last week's success. Randy calls it her best ever. Paula agrees it flipped her into dark horse contender. Simon notes she was pushing her limits to her detriment at times.

Chikezie - Picks a ballad despite judges' past feedback. Another enjoyable performance, but no showstopper. Randy calls it "old school". Paula liked it. Simon calls it cheesy (Cheesy Chikezie?) and unoriginal, lacking his unique personality.

Brooke - A by ear piano player, like me - yeah! She sings Phil Collins' 'I'll Be Watchin' You' - a normally powerful song made unique via piano solo - ambitious. A false start is handled well. She does well by it, making it her own. Randy and Simon didn't like when the band kicked in, spoiling the piano solo and making it more traditional than unique.

Michael - 'We Are The Champions' - Ambitious take on a huge song, but he owns it very nicely. Randy and Paula call it his best to date. Even Simon acknowledges seeing star potential in him for the first time.

Carly - 'Turn Around' - Another huge song. She's true to the original, but can't top it, realistically. She tries to do so on the last note, but it just looks desperate, and is pitchy, to boot. Randy agrees. Paula is supportive. It didn't quite work for Simon, either.

David A. - An unfamiliar song to me, but he is certainly competent and infectious, and the end is very good. The judges note the odd song choice, but Randy and Paula give it props. Simon didn't like it at all, calling it a "theme park" performance. I don't think he'll lose any fans over it, but, for me, it was only at the top of the middle performances tonight.

Kristy - Another odd song, patriotic this time. She's competent with one tiny pitch problem and one timing fault, but overall, well done. Randy and Paula agree, noting the pitch. Simon thought it was an excellent song choice.

David C. - 'Billie Jean' - He throws an amazing, unique twist on it and OWNs this song. Randy loved it. Paula can't sit from a standing ovation. Simon praises the excellent results of a huge risk.


Tops and Props: David C., Michael, Syesha. Add in David A, and everybody else did about the same.

Bottoms: Everybody else.

Leaving: I have't a clue. As for past trends, Kristy redeemed herself, so that may leave Chikezie.

The Top 10 are announced

So, Amanda leaves. I haven't really liked her much at all, though I feel badly since our son likes her. I'm surprised Kristie didn't leave, but glad with the Top 10! And I guess Amanda will be selling tickets to her concerts in, what was it, Butte? LaFayette? Somethin'?

YES, John, ELLIOTT!! I LOVE ELLIOTT!! Now THAT was a nice part of the show! What a great guy--my 2 favorite idols (Elliott and Fantasia) . . . very cool!

Top 11 minus 1 - Kellie Pickler Performs!

Wow. The Beatles medley just solidified my feeling that what was missing from so many of the solo performances was the harmony. They sounded great together, and their harmony brought the songs alive.

So...will the Doctor be prescribing a new song for this years winner?... ; )

And Neil Diamond as a mentor? Wonderful!

Brooke White is safe - there is a God.

Carly Smithson in the bottom three? Insane. Is Simon's negative opinion really having that much influence on the results? I hope America can do better with the next president.

David Archuleta is safe - no surprise.

Michael Johns is safe - good.

David Cook is safe - good.

Kristy Lee Cook is in the bottom three. No surprise.

Jason Castro is safe.

Ramiele Malubay is safe.

The caller questions were pretty entertaining.

It's a delight to see and hear Kellie Pickler again. She does a heart good, plain and simple.

I know Bo's all misty-eyed watching Elliot tear up over having a baby named after him.
$76 million to deliver 8 million nets. That's $9.50 per net, if anybody cares.

Syesha Mercado is safe.

Looks like I called the bottom three except for Carly, assuming Chikezie and Amanda being the last pair to pick from means Chikezie was in the bottom four.

Chikezie is safe, Amanda is in the bottom three.

Carly is safe, thank God.

Kristy is safe.

Amanda is finally gone...back to the U.S.S.R.

Did I have to hear her sing again? It's the first time I've felt like turning the TV off before the end of the show.

See you next week...

Predictable and a bit boring, if I'm being honest

Wow. What the hell happened?? Is week 2 always this bad? How can I both enjoy the competition of the show and simultaneously sense my gag reflex kicking into gear every time Ryan mentions an iPhone? Or when he introduces Jason Castro with a French accent? Or, heaven help us all, when he does that horrible Macy's Day Parade exchange (complete with repetitive mention of their names, scripted pauses and smiles, and goofy talking directly to the camera/TV audience rather than to each other) with Randy every single week:

Ryan: So, Randy, I saw Mariah and she says "Hi!" by the way.

Randy laughs while shaking his shoulders.

Ryan: So, Randy, what do you think these contestants need to do?

Randy: Well, Ryan, I think they really need to bring it. You know, sing the song. Ha. Ha. Ha.

Ryan: So, Randy, they need to sing. Yes, I can see what you mean and I think you're right, Randy. Ha. Ha. Ha. (Ryan's voice lifts slightly in intonation.) And might I say those are great shoes you're wearing and I really like your Coke glasses that you 3 drink out of every week!

All 3 judges raise their big, red Coke glasses to their cheeks, smile cheesily (with teeth sparkling . . . I think I even heard a "ding" during the glint of the sparkle), and give 3 cheery thumbs up.

Randy: You know, Ryan, these songs are copyrights. It's the Beatles, you know? So, Ryan, yes, they really need to bring it. And sing it. Ha. Ha. Ha.

Ryan: Thank you, Randy, for telling us all such important information. Now, let's hear from our contestants and hope they bring it! Ha ha ha.

*GAG* When did Ryan turn so geeky and awkward??

Okay, so aside from the silly banter, horrible product placement (and thank goodness Jim Carrey didn't make a repeat performance this week), and the ridiculously inappropriate Freudian slips from contestants and host alike (it's a family show, people!), the show also had performances.

Amanda Overmeyer (“Back in the USSR”)
Ugh. Just read John's recap. It's essentially the same as mine. I'm unclear how she ever made the top 12. Same old, same old. And really, Paula? A ballad? You know, while watching the show yesterday I thought it a horrid idea. Now, I rather like it as I think it would expedite her exit. I'm bored with you now. Goodbye.

Smug? Yes.

Kristy Lee Cook (“You’ve Got to Hide Your Love Away)
Oh, that interview with awkward photo props was so painful. Cute dog. Cute horse. Okay, we get it. Gag. So what really bugs me about this performance is she didn't ever hit the note when she said "hide!" And it left us all hanging in a very bad way. It didn't really resolve. It was just . . . awful. And dull. She was strutting around the stage all comatose and bored like. But hey, at least she got a shout out from Paula for looking pretty. That's a step up from week 1 when she didn't even get that.

Smug? No. At least she's got that going for her.

David Archuleta (“The Long and Winding Road”)
Hurrah! A good night for him and no flubbed lyrics! He's fantastic and I love him on slow ballads. I think he does too many runs and things, but it's still very good. He runs the risk of being a one-trick pony and he has yet to wow us with a fast song (and not forget the lyrics), so I'm curious to see if he can. But this was very good and I'm glad. I wish I hadn't seen those old videos of him doing Star Search as 6-year-old because when 6-year-olds sing, no matter how well, it always seems pageant-ish and precocious, so it can almost sort of ruin it for me. But as a 17-year-old, it's credible. And fantastic.

Smug? Impossible.

Michael Johns (“A Day in the Life”)
I actually really like this song choice for him and I thought he did well. I think the judges were awfully harsh. I like these rhapsodies on him. And, like Magistra says, he really is so pretty. It was a touching sentiment, but I think the contestants really hurt themselves with the picking-songs-for-other-people "a la Ramiele."

Smug? No, but pretty, yes.

Brooke White (“Here Comes the Sun do do do do”)
Oh dear. The yellow can-can dress should have told me what she was singing but when they said the title, I just cringed. And to think that this week a friend of ours is tuning in just to see what all the Brooke hoopla is about. Ugh.

I like Brooke, I do. But, the awkward dancing (is that what she was doing?), the nervous not-shutting-up during the judges' comments, the goofy and unchallenging song choice is all wrong, wrong, wrong. And she "Whoo!"-ed right in the middle complete with that ditzy, painful-to-watch leg kicky thing that Haley Scarnato, some girl that already got kicked off this season who I can't recall, and even Katharine McPhee all do that I so dislike. It has got to stop! I'd say the choreographers need to warn them, but then again the choreographers are busy encouraging like antics in the Up-With-People group numbers, so that wouldn't work. She's very kinetic and ephemeral and those 2 traits don't usually go together, so you know it doesn't work.

Smug? No, but incredibly awkward.

David Cook (“Day Tripper”)
I loved it! I really like this guy!! I love his arrangements, I love his performances. He's a true rocker and I really like him. Great song for him, great performance. He's actually really good. Not sure why the judges weren't digging it more (though I knew Simon wouldn't like that voice thingy and it distracted me-why is there a 2nd microphone sitting there??), but I thought his performance was great. He could take a few notes from Daughtry on mixing it up a bit while still being the true resident rocker (Amanda isn't even a fake rocker--I don't know what she is). Daughtry pulled off that wonderful "To love a woman" ballad with the Spanish guitar. David could do something along those lines.

Smug? A little. And he needs to watch that, because he's more endearing when he humbles himself more.

Carly Smithson (“Blackbird”)
Holy range! She is amazing. I loved it! And she has beautiful eyes and such passion when she sings. She's cute and endearing and grateful to be on the show and has a nice balance of fun, humility, and gratitude. I like her. She's gracious and lovable.

Smug? Nooooo, noot at all. (Irish accent, in case you couldn't tell)

Jason Castro (“Michelle”)
I love his video intro! I really like how endearing and honest and real this kid is. I'm so glad he's stuck around. I don't know that he can't sing without his guitar (he did well with "Hallelujah"), but this one got cheesy and he seemed to be sort of laughing while he sang it instead of being passionate about it. I think Paula hit it spot on when she said it turned polka-like.

Smug? Neh. Just cute in a sort of goofy way.

Syesha (“Yesterday”)
Oh, I really don't like her but I can still say she did a good job (and I totally agree that Brooke should've sung this song--I think it would've been cool if they'd have BOTH sung it for comparison's sake--the diva and the folksy girl, at least the folksy is more original). I'm so with Mark on this--all so contrived and cliche: the gown, sitting down, the expressions. Nothing about it seems sincere to me. And I don't like insincere. And I don't like divas.

Smug? Omigosh, yes.

Chikeze (“I’ve Just Seen a Face”)
I like him. He makes me smile. It might be that I feel like I'm watching Turk (from "Scrubs") perform, but I don't care. I like Turk, too. Chikeze is likable and talented and fun. And he's a good performer and singer. His song was a bit all over the place for me for him, but not horrible. Go Chikeze!

Smug? No. He's eased up a lot since his first week in the Top 24 (thank heavens).

RamieleMalubay (“I Should’ve Known Better”)
Ugh. I'm not liking her any more for all the reasons Mark has mentioned, so please refer to his post.

Smug? No. Silly? Yes.

Tops: The Davids and Carly
Bottom: I'd like to say Syesha, but probably Ramiele and Kristy and, ugh, Brooke (though I hope Brooke's earlier stuff carries her).
Packing her pictures and going home to her horses: Kristy

Deja Vu All Over Again

Before Simon said anything I had a bad feeling about doing a repeat theme. Sure last week was the Lennon-McCartney songbook, this week was The Beatles. Not much of a difference in my mind. Last night's show had such a low impact on my night that I almost forgot to review it today. Well, I am happily anticipating the sun this morning, but that's about all that stuck.

RANDOM THOUGHTS: This set just isn't doing it for me. It all seems a bit Season 1 to me. I could tell Simon was unenthusiastic about a repeat of The Beatles before we even got started so his criticism later was not too shocking. The nice thing about changing genres each week is the contestants get a chance to do something new and interesting each time even though Randy thinks they just need to sing well each week. Is it me, or has product placement gotten worse this year? And what's with grabbing random people out of the crowd to stand with Ryan while he says goofy stuff? It's still goofy, even if you've got Grandpa standing uncomfortably next to you.

AMANDA OVERMYER: Didn't I get this last week? And the week before, and before? A ballad? Yeah right, Paula! Last weak was tolerable because she did quite well. This week she was off and overconfident. It's old already.

KRISTY LEE COOK: Her arrangement was much better this week, but the singing was not. She is not one that has been done right by The Beatles. Unfortunately we may never get a chance to see anything else from her.

DAVID ARCHULETA: Back to the ballads and predictably it was much better. He was definitely someone who stood to gain a lot by repeating the theme. Can't get much worse than last week for him.

MICHAEL JOHNS: I think the judges were a bit too harsh on this one. The arrangement is tough since, like "Bohemian Rhapsody," the song is all over the place, but it suited his voice and style. Contestants do need to stop picking songs for other people, though, even though the sentiment on this one was touching.

BROOKE WHITE: Ouch. So corny. So awkward. So "too much." See, she stood to lose a lot this week after her brilliance last week, and she even said as much. Maybe that's where she went wrong--picking a song she even thought she had no hope of doing well.

DAVID COOK: I'm starting to see a little of his arrogance returning. This was something that turned me off to him in the very beginning. With that said, he is still a great performer and did a great job. Even though Simon called it predictable, I still think he'd prefer this to much of what he saw last night. Simon mostly has issues with smugness.

CARLY SMITHSON: Whatever her reasoning on this selection is was great. You can definitely see Simon's boredom by this point in the show because his criticism was a bit harsh if you ask me. Carly chose a great song, showed incredible range on it, and proved why she's a solid pick to take it to the finals.

JASON CASTRO: From his song selection alone I have to give him the "No, No, don't do that, no, no" award this week. He's a nice kid that is genuine and unique, but this performance was borderline awful. Simon was right on in his criticism this week, and Paula's right about the guitar. I wouldn' t mind if he brought it out routinely. It is who he is.

SYESHA MERCADO: This week was one of her best weeks vocally. I'm not a Syesha fan, but I wanted to get that honest praise out of the way first. Now, on to what I didn't like. It was all a bit contrived in my opinion. She had all the cliches going tonight: nice gown, sitting on the edge of the stage, gently guitar accompaniment, looking down at the stage for dramatic effect, picking "Yesterday" for goodness sake. I felt like I was watching an actor put on a front, not a singer performing from the heart.

CHIKEZIE: I was afraid of the return of the jugband. It was a pretty good performance overall, but he stood to lose a lot after a breakout performance last week. The harmonica was an interesting choice, and not as bad as Simon thought it was, but he should ditch those ideas in the future.

RAMIELE MALUBAY: She strikes me as those silly high school girls that do that fake pout and whine, thinking acting 3 or 4 years younger is adorable. It's not. I'm not seeing anything special from her and haven't for a while now. She's still a solid middle-of-the-pack performer for me.

MY TOP THREE: David Cook, Carly Smithson, David Archuleta
MY BOTTOM THREE: Amanda Overmyer, Kristy Lee Cook, Brooke White
LOOKING AS THOUGH YESTERDAY'S PROBLEMS ARE HERE TO STAY: Kristy Lee Cook

Top 11 - The British Invasion!

I copied the headline straight from last year. Do they realize they've duplicated the theme? Is it a tradition now?

Randy does a pre-show yawn. Paula wants gumption. Simon wants skillz.

Amanda Overmyer - Arghh. More unintelligible screaming. Even the audience sounds better than her, with their screaming afterward, but I just don't get what they're screaming about. I am so bored with this one-trick pony. Randy and Paula give her some props, but Simon gives it to her straight, though much more gently than I would have expected. I just don't understand how she got in the top 12.

Kristy Lee Cook - First note is off and the soft beginning is shaky. She gets better as she ramps it up, and ends on a very good note, but the arrangement was pretty dull. Randy agrees. Paula notes how great she looks this week, and she does. Simon tells it true. I think she has talent, but she's blooming too slowly to win, unless she gets to stay another week and really, really brings it.

David Archuleta - The Long and Winding Road - absolutely perfect song choice for him. I get serious chills early on. This is my Idol, right here. Everybody else can leave now, and I'll just get to listen to him for the rest of the show. The judges all agree. Simon even calls it "master class."

Michael Johns - A Day in the Life - Good choice if he can shorten it properly. Tight performance, rhythmically. Well done, though there were spots where he wasn't quite true enough, such as to the sexy vocal tremolo at the end of the "I'd love to turn you on" section in the original. The judges didn't like it as much as I did. Another song dedication that didn't work for the performer, it seems.

Brooke White - Here Comes the Sun - She starts sitting, anticipating an Idol moment? A big part of the original, for me, was the exceptional harmony. Performing it solo is a bit risky, to me. She does the melody justice, but it lacks the thrill of the original for me, and I can't help but compare. Randy felt she never connected with the song. Paula noted, and I agree, that she's still a pleasure to watch. Simon didn't like anything about it. Brooke is incredibly quick to agree with all the criticism. She asserts she'll get back to what she does best next week, if she gets to stay.

David Cook - Day Tripper - Excellent song choice, right up his alley. He handles it with excellent nuance, faithful to the original, and even throws in some original voicebox effects, which worked pretty well. Randy liked it, Paula thinks he's ready to sell records, Simon didn't like it. I agree with Paula, for the most part.

Carly Smithson - Blackbird - One of my favorite songs, and a good choice for her voice. I get teary-eyed with her beginning, and then she powers it up another notch, and personalizes the ending like a pro. Wonderful! Okay, she can stay with David A. The judges like it except for Simon, inexplicably. The man has no heart.

Jason Castro - Michelle - Not a great showcasing song. He does a decent job with it, for someone who didn't know that "ma belle" was French (not the phone company), but it was just okay for me. Randy agrees. Paula nails the polka, singsong style he fell into. Simon liked it because he could see the performer, and thought his facial expressions fleshed the performance out, versus hearing it on the radio - a good point, but it seems clear that he's seeing dollar signs when the girls in the audience scream, hence the slack he gives him.

Syesha Mercado - Yesterday - Another sitting start. Ambitious, but she handles the soft and slow beginning without pitch problems - bravo! It's a decent performance, but lacked the power of the original. Still, possibly her best performance. Simon says the same. Randy and Paula both liked it. It may, as Simon notes, keep her alive for awhile yet.

Chikezie - I've Just Seen a Face - A tough song, and he's gonna pick up the harmonica for the first time? He slows the song down to a country ballad to start, which works okay. Then he does some 'monica and kicks it into a hoedown tempo, closer to the original, but still unique. It works pretty well, for me, but doesn't blow me away. Still, very entertaining. Paula liked it as a showcase for his scope. Randy and Simon were unimpressed. I don't think it will hurt him.

Ramiele Malubay - I Should Have Known Better - Not the best showcase song for a solo. Again, the group dynamics made the original. She does well by it, but it doesn't quite get there for me. Randy and Paula give her props, but didn't love it. Simon essentially agrees.





Tops and Props: David A. - Carly Smithson (a tie), David Cook, and, yes, Syesha, for tonight.

Bottoms: Amanda, Kristy, Chikezie.

Leaving: Amanda, please, though the audience response contradicts the likelihood.

So many thumbs

It seems The Boy and The Girl are getting a bit more discriminating, but the thumbs were flying all over the place again this week. We're actually watching it after the elimination so they can see the performances and say good-bye all in one day.

Syesha Mercado: two thumbs up (with a bonus from tThe Boy: "I just like the way she sings it")
Chizezie: two thumbs up (another bonus thumb from The Boy)
Ramiele Malubay: one thumb up, one thumb down
Jason Castro: two thumbs up
Carly Smithson: two thumbs up (bonus from The Boy: "I love her")
David Cook: two thumbs up (the expected bonus from The Boy for all the rock and roll)
Brooke White: two thumbs up + two more
David Hernandez: one thumb up, one thumb down
Amanda Overmyer: one thumb up, one thumb down (bonus from The Boy as usual, and the customary eye roll from The Girl)
Michael Johns: one thumb up, one thumb down (7-year-old girls apparently don't dig him like they dig David A.)
Kristy Lee Cook: two thumbs up (one bonus from The Boy, and an "oooh" during the recap)
David Archuleta: two thumbs up (plus the bonus from The Girl)

Top 12 Minus 1 - Katharine McPhee Performs!

Seems they're having the bottom 3 sing off before they're eliminated - much better!

Syesha is in the bottom 3 - no surprise. Her performance is pitchy and unimproved since last night.

Amanda is not even in the bottom 3! I knew the audience reaction was indicative that she probably wouldn't be going.

Kristy is in the bottom 3. I didn't pick her either to stay or to go, so I'm not attached, but, though the arrangement was a failure, I didn't think her skillz sucked enough to take her out.

---

The live questions portion was interesting. Sort of...

---

Katharine McPhee! My girl! She still gives me chills! - even if she did flub the lyrics at one point...LOL! At least she did it very professionally... ; ) And what a great ending!

David A. is safe, thank goodness.

Brooke is safe. No surprise.

Ramiele and David H. are the final picks... David H. makes the bottom 3. Good. I'd rather watch Ramiele another week than him.

Syesha is safe, leaving Kristy and David H.

David H. hits the road. That suits me, though he might have saved me from hearing Amanda for another time.

See ya.

Top 12 -- Keeping it Short

I like Ryan but he was hyper and I was uncomfortable--he can't get away with words like "baby" and "dude" and "bring it" without making me shift nervously in my chair and without making my nausea flare up. He seems SO gay (in the 80s sense of that word, NOT in the 21st century bigotry sense of the word).

The new set is nice but again I was disturbed and distracted by Ryan's introduction of it.

Here we go:

Syesha - SNORE! Why is she here? I've had enough. 3 weeks ago. And something about her reminds me time and time again of "The Cosby Show" though I can't put my finger on it--is it the hair? Is it the off-the-shoulder shirt with tank top underneath? I don't know.

Chikeze - I loved it! I feel like I'm watching Turk (SCRUBS) sing in his apartment. He's great, he's fun. I dig it.

Ramielemulabay - Her name is fun to say as all one word. But I'm bored to tears and I've tired of her personal tribute songs. She's becoming forgettable. Oh, and camera angles from the top down? Not good on someone who is 4 foot 6.

Jason - I love this guy. He's so James Blunt. I like his folksy, not-perfect sincerity and purity. Love him. He is unique so I look forward to and enjoy every performance. He's sort of my Elliot for this season, but yet not even close, if that makes any sense.

Carly (of "What's that Irish Girl's Name" fame) - I like her. She's likable. She's cute. She did a smashing job!

David Cook - I LOVE THIS GUY!! I've liked him for a long time and I personally dig that he's a smart and wordy nerd kind of rocker. The best kind if you ask me. He's fantastic and unique and I love love love what he does with his songs (a la Blake). Again, I always look forward to and enjoy every performance. He is this year's Daughtry and Simon sees dollar signs for sure. I really like this guy.

Brooke - Love her. She's great, folksy, fun, sweet, and good to boot! I like her style. Again, I say, she's unique and so I look forward to and enjoy every performance. Sensing a pattern?

David Hernandez - Yuck. I miss Danny. And now, after weeks of wondering WHO DOES HE REMIND ME OF?!?!, I've figured out that he's Eddie and so now I'm further disturbed. As if the stripping wasn't enough. I'm bored by him now.

Amanda - I tired of her week 1. She always sounds the same no matter what she does. I don't understand her either so it's not a British thing. She's this year's Bucky and a sucky bucky at that. Glad to see her smile, look pretty, and embrace where she is for a change, but I'm bored now.

Michael Johns - Hubba hubba and all of that. He's good. "I'm not jum'pin' out o' my chai'r" but it was very good. Sure, not a wow moment, but I enjoy him. I don't think he's terribly unique but he's certainly not bad either!

Kristy Lee Cook - Yikes. Now, that was uncomfortable. Horrible! And no one said how cute she looked to at least lessen the pain of the harsh judgment? You just don't do that to a Beatles' song, sorry. Yikes yikes yikes. No, no. No.

David Archuleta - Eek! He messed up the lyrics! Several times! Part of me wonders if he's been reading the press and blogs that say he's gotta mess up once or twice so we don't get complacent about how great he is. I still say the kid's making it to the tops, but this was a rough week.


They can all go home and it's fine with me: Syesha, Amanda, Kristy, and David Hernandez
Unique and I like them time and time again: Jason, Brooke, and David Cook
Unique or not, I like them: David A, Michael Johns, and Carly
Let's see, who have I forgotten?: Ramiele and Chikeze

TOPS for me tonight: David Cook, Brooke, Chikeze, and Jason
Going Home: Probably Syesha (PLEASE!) but could be any of the other ones I've listed.
Safe due to weeks of greatness: Michael Johns, David A, and that Irish girl

Beatlemania and a little regular mania

Finally! The Top 12 are here, and I feel the pain of the 6 guys, 6 girls format, although if we could just get rid of the first 3 or 4 now and give the rest some exhibition weeks I'd be more than happy. The Lennon-McCartney songbook, predictably, came off wonderfully for some contestants and destroyed some others. Not everyone can do The Beatles. OK, on to last year's format. . . .

RANDOM THOUGHTS: That's an impressive set, complete with mosh pit and the backdrop with a secret entrance. What the hell was going on with Ryan last night?! It was like he was drunk or on some drug or something. Last night was the first time I've actually considered this thought: Bring back Dunkelman. It was a oh so very brief moment. It occurred to me that Ryan, as much as I enjoy him as host, is a complete attention seeker, so the new set, the hype, the fancy lights, Band-in-the-Stand, Brooke's shoes, etc., just had him drooling. Simon's right: Paula is disrepectful to him while telling him to be respectful. The banter is interesting but sometimes they just gotta let him speak. Interesting that they put Chikezie and Amanda in the Brand-name Cola Chair for interviews. Of all the contestants they could use the positive attention the most. OK, brief comments on the contestants.

Syesha Mercado: Snore. You're a working actress (Ouch to all of you "aspiring," a.k.a. "out-of-work" actors out there) and have done commercials on the beach. Blah blah. I was unimpressed.

Chikezie: I thought his southern jug band thing worked. Loved the interpretation. The pogo stick impression after the performance was a little much, but luckily The Great White Hope made him look "normal."

Ramiele Malubay: No more songs with personal meaning. We're not getting it. She's starting to slip quite a bit in my mind.

Jason Castro: Welcome back Mr. Six String. Solid performance from this one. Jason is definitely one of Simon's $$$ projects. He has a recordable voice and distinctive style, Simon's kind of package.

Carly Smithson: I don't know that this was exactly the "moment" Simon was looking for, but it was her best so far. The style suited her and she seemed to eat up being on The Big Stage 2.0.

David Cook: Wise decision to drop the guitar this week and prove he's The Man. Simon's praise is not misplaced, and he is a Daugtry-esque money machine if he can make it as far, which Simon is already trying to help along.

Brooke White: Her voice was off a touch at times this week but her complete love for the music and the experience is why she is so incredible on stage. The tears are real because she is the music. She is the lyrics. She comes off as the consummate performer. Brooke is definitely one of the few this year that really believes this is the greatest experience (not just career jump-start) of her life.

David Hernandez: No, no. No. Don't do that. No. The Small Stage--Circular Version. No. Danny would have been more interesting, that's for sure. It doesn't help that my wife has finally pegged who he looks like. "Hey, man, check it out. I got some great stuff to dehydrate here. I got some grapes, I got some apricots... I thought it would be really cool to see what happens with these water balloons. "

Amanda Overmyer: At least she seems like she wants to be on AI at this point. This is a vast improvement. Aside from being the "authentic Amanda," I didn't really like the performance. I don't find myself wondering what she'll do each week and will it work. She could provide some interesting entertainment on the tour, however so I can persevere for two more weeks.

Michael Johns: I largely agree with Simon on him. I liked the performance a lot. He definitely has a career in the music business, but he's not bringing a whole lot of "wow" to the table right now. He'll step it up soon once the dead weight is trimmed from the Top 12.

Kristy Lee Cook: I feel badly for this girl. She did what she thought the judges said to do. They are not always the clearest in their critiques.
"Dawg. You gotta, y'know, bring it. IT. Bring dat. YaknowwatImsayin'? Paula?"
"You're so beautiful. You need to exude this inner beauty and be the butterfly rising above the
cocoon. You know I love you."
"You'd be great doing country."

What is she supposed to get from this? She did country, but did it poorly. I think the arrangement had a strong back beat, and she was somewhere between on the beat and off. My instincts say she'll be back another week, but she needs to actually stop listening to the judges and just do what she wants.

David Archuleta: I was afraid of this. His youth hurt him on this one because he wasn't too aware of The Beatles and then picked a version by The Greatest Singer in the Known Universe(TGSitKU) (Randy's opinion, not mine). It came off like a Star Search performance and he came through as young, not "young and great." He'll be back. He'll stop singing Stevie Wonder, except for TGSitKU Week. He'll emerge again as a front runner.

MY TOP THREE: Brooke white, David Cook, Chikezie
MY BOTTOM THREE: David Hernandez, Kristy Lee Cook, Syesha Mercado
YOU SAY GOODBYE . . . AND SO DO I: David Hernandez

Top 12 Perform Lennon - McCartney!

Syesha Mercado - Got To Get You Into My Life - Very pitchy start for an Idol contestant. She risks an updated arrangement, which may get her a few points, but not really great. Randy likes the arrangement and calls her on early pitch problems. Surprisingly, Simon thinks it was better than last week. For me, it was two pitchy performances in a row - enough for me to drop her.

Chikezie - She's A Woman - With a hillbilly interpretation - I like it! Then he turns on the grunge and takes it home. He be havin' fun! Very exciting! I surely liked it! Randy's like, who knew? Paula loved it. Simon is surprised that he agrees with Randy and Paula.

Ramiele Malubay - In My Life - I love this song. She suggests that it's about all the people that pass through our lives and then adds that that includes people voted off the show. I'm telling you, she had/has a crush on Danny Noriega! She starts it very well, though she's a bit tentative further on when she could be building it, then depends entirely on the final note to bring it home. Randy agrees that it "just laid there." Paula starts by complimenting her looks, so you know she didn't love it, and felt the same as Randy. Simon agrees but finds it necessary to add insult to injury. Who knew?

Jason Castro - If I Fell - He plays guitar, the audience claps. He does some original runs to make it his own. His charisma may save him, but, for me, the vocals were mediocre. Randy didn't love the original runs in the falsetto range. Paula felt his charisma overrode that. Simon stuck with boring, maybe left over from his review of Ramiele. Ryan lands a good one on Simon and then pitches Jason's dreads to the listeners.

Carly Smithson - Come Together - a song she performs regularly. She does it pretty traditionally to start, and owns the song and the audience. She adds a little grunge and closes it well. Randy loved it too. Paula saw her as a star. Simon says this is (finally!) the right song choice for her. High praise all around.

David Cook - Eleanor Rigby - a tough song to do well, but he knows it and thinks he's up to it. His husky voice has a little trouble bringing power into the softer parts, but when he goes to high gear, he nails it! The final note is a triumph. The audience loves it. Randy calls him on the shaky start, but loved it when he took it over. Simon calls it brilliant.

Brooke White - Let It Be - Can she come up to David Archuleta's memorable version? - big risk, plus she plays piano which could take some needed attention away from her vocals. It's a pretty standard good performance, but no fireworks, for me, but I still love her heart, and maybe the audience feels the same way. All three judges do feel that way, and I'm mildly but happily surprised.

David Hernandez - I Saw Her Standing There - His voice seems to suffer when he runs through the audience. It's a competent performance, but doesn't really grab me. Both Randy and Paula think he overdid it for this relatively simple song. Simon calls it corny and desperate.

Amanda Overmyer - You Can't Do That - a song she only just learned. She tries her own spin, but it just sounds like yelling. Her performance lacks any of the melodious nature of the original.
She gets a lot of applause from the audience, but I thought it sucked. Surprisingly, the judges gave her props for filling her unique slot, though Simon did call it a bit "shouty."

Michael Johns - Across The Universe - A solid performance, though nothing unsual. Both Randy and Simon agree that it needed something else. Paula thought it was brilliant.

Kristy Lee Cook - Eight Days A Week - country style. A risk, but she does does well by it. Again, nothing spectacular until the final note, but a decent peformance. None of the judges liked it very much, but Simon pounds nails into her coffin. A failed risk, perhaps, but not as technically poor as some others tonight.

David Archuleta - We Can Work It Out - He says he's nervous about it. Wow! He forgets lyrics at a couple of points. He seems to be more focused on his original riffs, which, of themselves, are fine, but he ended up thinking instead of fully feeling it. Randy agrees. Paula agrees. They're willing to let it slide based on his past. Simon is less forgiving.


Tops and Props: David C., Carly, Chikezie, Michael

Bottoms: Amanda, Syesha, David H., David A., Jason, Ramiele,

Leaving: It should be Amanda, but audience and judges' reactions indicate differently. If the judges hold sway, it could well be David H., though Syesha seems more deserving, to me.

Top 12 Revealed!

Good to hear from Blake Lewis!

David Cook is safe - no surprise.

David Archuleta is safe - no surprise.

Jason Castro is safe - no surprise.

Brooke White is safe - no surprise.

Syesha Mercado is safe - I'm a little surprised, unless Amanda takes her spot on the flight out.

Kady Malloy gets the boot - no surprise. Her parting performance truly sucks, but that may just be emotions (though tearless).

David Hernandez is safe - no surprise.

Michael Johns is safe - no surprise.

Luke Menard gets the boot - no surprise. But if he buys a puffy-sleeved shirt, he'll have a career for sure.

Ramiele Malubar is safe - no surprise to me.

Carly Smithson is safe - no surprise.

Amanda Overmyer is safe - I'm surprised.

Kristy Lee Cook and Asia Epperson (acknowledging Bo's rant) are left. I think Kristy may get the boot over Asia, but we shall see. Their last performances were pretty even. Asia gets the boot! That's the first one that's bothered me, but only a little. I'd rather hear another week of her than of Amanda.

Danny Noriega and Chikezie are left. Danny gets the boot - not a surprise for me.

So three out of four predictions ain't bad... ; )

See you next week!

More thumbs . . .

As is expected, the boy and girl were incredibly complimentary and positive. Here are their somewhat predictable ratings.

Asia'h Epperson: two thumbs up (bonus from the boy--must be the truck driver's gear change at the end)
Kady Malloy: one thumb up, one thumb down
Amanda Overmyer: one thumb down, one thumb up (bonus from the rock-and-roll boy)
Carly Smithson: two thumbs up (one extra from the boy since she's a bit rock-and-roll)
Kristy Lee Cook: one thumb up, one thumb down (the girl is feeling the "positivity")
Ramiele Malubay: two thumbs up (bonus thumb from the boy since "she's awesome")
Brooke White: two thumbs up + 2 more (big smiles from both throughout, and "she's awesome" too)
Syesha Mercado: two thumbs up

According to the thumbs, Kristy Lee Cook and Kady Malloy will bid us farewell tonight.

The girls pick songs as well as David Hernandez . . .

. . . Picks his nose, and listening to his embarassing moment the other night you know how well that is. Honestly, how can one group of people pick so many bad songs. I feel like I've heard the phrase "song choice" way too many times. And everyone seems to have some very personal or touching reason for picking the songs. Great reasoning for a video tribute. Poor reasoning for a singing competition. I sing the typical Daddy repertoire pretty well (ABCs, Rubber Duckie, etc.). I could not sing anything by The Dave Matthews Band even though I like it.

Again, people wasted the 1980s. This was a decade with a lot of great music across a lot of genres. With a few exceptions I felt like I was listening to a who's who of American musical crap. There I go again. Song choice. Rant off.

Randy gave more love to the Other Dawg Pound this week than he's given to his usual Dawg Pound, and even Paula's talking like Randy. If I were the AI doctor I'd do an overhaul on Paula's medications. And check the Coke cup. What was with the judges this week? They messed around so much that they didn't say anything to Syesha, who deserved more of an assault than she got. Whitney? Are you kidding me? Why the woolly scarves and short sleeves on the guys. I don't know if I can get on board with that style. Danny Noriega looked like someone's Abuela with those glasses on. Can I boot 3 girls and keep an extra guy this week? (Sorry Luke, you're gone either way.)

OK, rant on again. Why do people insist on picking songs (and not even the best ones) by such artists as Whitney Houston? Don't they know that only one of two things is likely to happen. Number 1, it is an adequate replica of the original, which means nothing. Number 2, there is no way to even come close to the original (this is more common, by the way) and thus it is a catastrophic failure and waste of a minute and a half. Sure, other things can happen: they can do an original arrangement, which ends up falling into category 2 more often than not. They can actually "slay" the song, but I've seen that maybe one time in 7 seasons. It just doesn't happen. That's why those divas have a lot of hits and millions of dollars and why these contestants had to go through the cattle call auditions and subject themselves to public scrutiny and ridicule. Phew! Rant off, I think.

We'll have another matching test for the girls this week. There will be two versions so stay sharp!

1. Asia'h Epperson
2. Kady Malloy
3. Amanda Overmyer
4. Carly Smithson
5. Kristy Lee Cook
6. Ramiele Malubay
7. Brooke White
8. Syesha Mercado

a. Missed the memo on singing anything Scott Savol did, among many, many, many other idols.
b. Did her best with it, but just doesn't have "it."
c. Along with David Cook, performed the most original arrangement this week, and was (shockingly) one of the most entertaining.
d. Missed the memo on singing anything done by anyone who can be identified by one name only.
e. Missed the memo on singing anything done by anyone who can be identified by one name only.
f. Gave her best performance so far, but is so uninteresting I don't know if I can stand it any longer (it doesn't appear that she can either).
g. Picked a very strange song to "countrify," but was obviously looking for a few dawg treats.
h. Still proves she is the one to beat, even if she hasn't found "her song."

Key: 1-d or 1-e, 2-b, 3-f, 4-h, 5-g, 6-a, 7-c, 8-e or 8-d


Top 8 Girls for Dummies

1. Asia'h Epperson
2. Kady Malloy
3. Amanda Overmyer
4. Carly Smithson
5. Kristy Lee Cook
6. Ramiele Malubay
7. Brooke White
8. Syesha Mercado

a. Tops for the night with an original performance.
b. Actually could give the guys a real contest.
c. Blah, blah, blah. Ordinary. Adequate. Poor song choice. Blah. Blah. Blah.

Key: 1-c, 2-c, 3-c, 4-b, 5-c, 6-c, 7-a, 8-c

MY TOP THREE: Brooke White, Carly Smithson, ???
GOING WHERE SONG CHOICE DOESN'T MATTER: Kady Malloy, Syesha Mercado
EARLY EXIT ALERT: Amanda Overmyer

* * * * * * * * * *

EARLY PREDICTIONS UPDATE

Here's another look at my early Top 12 picks based on basically nothing. People already gone in bold. Predicted to go are underlined. No italics yet.

David Archuleta
David Cook
Michael Johns
Robbie Carrico
Chikezie
Danny Norriega

Asia'h Epperson
Brooke White
Carly Smithson
Kristy Lee Cook
Ramiele Malubay
Joanne Borgella

* * * * * * * * * *

I'm on pins and needles here! I wonder what the group will sing tonight, and whether or not Amanda will look like she just had a root canal.

Moth Balls and Melon?

Sigh. To be blunt--the girls, collectively, suck compared to the guys. However, there are a couple of bright shining stars in this group of x-chromosomes. The entire group, collectively, is full of unique talent, too, so let's hope *that* is who makes it into the oh-so-coveted Top 12!

Asia'h - Her name is pronounced like the continent. Why is there an apostrophe and an "h" in her name? I'm with "The Troll" who posted on our blog today--"I feel if . . . mothers are going to throw together meaningless random combinations of vowels and consonants and call it a "name", I have no obligation to validate that inane decision." (edited for PCness) :) So, seriously, are the contestants deaf, stupid, or simply not listening? The judges say "Don't sing Whitney" and "Don't sing Celine" yet these divas consistently charge ahead. And for me, it's not just that they're stupid, it's that they're BORING. There are so many boring, boring diva songs. And I tire of them. "I Wanna Dance With Somebody" has got to be one of the most boring songs on the planet. So, this didn't do it for me. And I like Asia'h, so that's not good.

Kady - A Stepford Wife! Brilliant! Perfect description. I'm tired of her. I was tired of her 2 weeks ago and then again a week ago. As they say on Friends, "I'm bored with you now. Goodbye."

Amanda - Omigosh. Omigosh!! I'm so mind-numbingly bored with her voice and what happens? She does a good job. And the judges praise her to the hilt. Even during the credits. So, we have to sit through more. If you ask me, she was hoping to get booted 2 weeks ago. I was hoping she'd be done this week, but now I doubt it. I predict everyone tires of her rapidly when she's in the Top 12.

Carly - I like her. I like the way she says "Hoosband." And I think she's cute. And she can sing. And she's unique. And I feel like I'm watching World Idol when I watch her and Michael Johns, so it's fun. She'll sail through to the finals, methinks.

Kristy - They tell her to do country so she "countrifies" Journey?? I thought Randy would hate it, but maybe he was just excited to name drop. Again. Seriously, was he the only sober judge tonight? It was interesting and okay, but I don't think it was great. I'm a bit bored with her, too. Can we cut 4 girls and send more guys through?

Ramiele Malubay - Heh. Her name is fun to say. It sounds like all one word or like I'm fluent in Tagalog. "RamieleMalubay." Tee hee. Boring, boring song. And she's better than that. My gosh she's tiny! And way to prod, Seacrest. I love her answer. "ST-uff!" You go, girl.

Brooke White - I loved it! Best of the night, IMHO. She did a wonderful job. She's refreshingly original and fun and unique and she has a personality and good voice to boot. I love her. I love it. I want to see much more of her. Best of the night, no question (despite the judges' mad stupid praise of the nurse).

Syesha - (Reference The Troll). She's a diva and I've tired of her. I spent the entire time confused about her outfit--are those shorts? Is it a skirt? And is it made of a Hefty bag? I don't know why they raked Asia'h over the coals for singing Whitney and then gave her a "Good. Good. Predictable, but Good." Idiots. They were running out of time because we spent precious air time talking about mutts and moths and melon balls. Seriously, I do love Paula, but I think her meds are ridiculously off this week. Tonight at one point it was actually painful to watch and I had a visceral reaction to the extreme awkwardness. Why don't they stop her from talking? It was horrible. There simply isn't enough "positivity" to counteract the pain and discomfort.

Best of the night for me for her: Brooke White
Going Home: Kristy and Kady? Asia'h and Kady? I go with the first 2.

Top 8 Girls! - 80s Theme

Asia'h Epperson - Big song, but she handles it well. The judges agree but Simon is obligated to bring everyone down to earth. Again.

Kady Malloy - The song is unfamiliar to me, so I have no point of reference. She sings it pretty straightforwardly, and seems to do a fair job, though still weak in the softer notes. Randy agrees, Paula likes the softer spots. Simon calls her straightforward delivery "Stepford wifish and unemotional."

Amanda Overmyer - Another unfamiliar song in the rock genre - good for her vocal style, but confirming her narrow range of skill, for me, though she does it very well. Randy and Paula like it. Simon loves it. Apparently I'm of the belief that an American Idol should have a broader skillset. I'll try to let that go.

Carly Smithson - Another unfamiliar song. I'm very impressed with how professional her stage skills are, not to mention the power of her voice in every place she puts it. Brilliant! Randy calls it "picking off targets." Simon points out that it wasn't "the" song for her, and I agree, but it was very well done.

Kristy Lee Cook - Great song choice. It feels good right from the start. Not perfect, but well done. Both Randy and Paula (when Simon lets her surface from a strange hug) agree that it could be a country hit. Simon is less optimistic, but didn't not like it.

Ramiele Malubay - Huge song, but worth the risk. She's a bit too loose with the phrasing through the first half, but she brings it to a great climax and close. Randy chalks it up to lack of confidence and overthinking it. Paula eventually gets around to swishing her into the top 12. Simon is not impressed. Danny is wearing her glasses? She's in L O O O O V E! Perhaps that's the "stuff" she was thinking about during the song that's TMTH. They would make a too cute couple!

Brooke White - A sitting start for this big song. Will it be a moment? The beginning is skillful enough, but she never stands up and never changes gears, and was a little pitchy toward the end. The judges like it all for different reasons. I think adding the band later to build it up, per Paula, would have made it better, but Simon liked it mainly because she stuck with only the acoustic guitar. Due to my crush on her, I'm inclined to overlook the pitchiness.

---

I thought the girls would bring it tonight and offer some real competition to the boys last night, but it hasn't quite happened.

---

Syesha Mercado - Her voice is way off tonight, at least in the softer opening. She handles the louder parts okay, but this was not at all her night for me. Judges are mysteriously brief, perhaps due to time constraints, but they all give her top 12.


Tops and Props: Carly, Brooke, Ramiele, Kristy, Asia'h, and, okay, Amanda, roughly in order.

Bottoms: Well, that only leaves Kady and Syesha (and Amanda. Ha!)

Interesting site

I was looking for proof that David Cook did not borrow a cover version of Lionel Richie's "Hello" (inspired by Magistra's reference to Daughtry and his "accidentally" unreferenced Chile Peppers cover of "I Walk the Line") and came across this site. Looks as though none of the covers listed here would quite resemble David's. Dean, the winner of Begium's Idool 2007 even covered it recently, in case you were wondering.