Double Elimination on Idol

I'm going to keep it short and simple.

I loved the Paula dance stuff. I hate it when they lip sync. When you saw all 7 on stage--2 stood out as having true rhythm in their very bones: Matt and Adam. Whatever their singing abilities, those 2 have artistry and you can tell they actually feel their music. And they are the only two who can dance.

HATED the washed up disco medley. OMG, it was uncomfortable and painful. When I was a little girl, my mom used to take me to Miss Senior Sweetheart. It was a little like that for me, only this time, the talent, and I use that term incredibly loosely, sucked. Botoxed faces and tight dresses on people who shouldn't be wearing tight dresses (without slips to boot), old ladies who sounded AWFUL and looked like Big Bird if Big Bird ever wore something totally revealing and inappropriate, saggy breasts pushed up and out with a wonder bra that did no wonders unless a squished jello look is sexy, and washed up Vegas Lounge performers (KC, what the ??). What a horrible, horrible thing to inflict on us, the faithful Idol viewers. That was just cruel.

And little David Archuleta came out and sang and it wasn't good either. He apparently hasn't stopped smiling since starting the competition 2 years ago. It makes my cheeks hurt to imagine how it must hurt. Did you catch that his mom is in his band? That was her on the keyboards. Though she kind of looked like David Cook's mom, I'm not sure. I can't wait for the David Archuleta-Miley Cyrus duet! I mean, like, it's gonna be 2 kewl 2 rule.

But ding, dong, Lil is gone. And Anoop. I'm down with that. I love that Anoop sang his swan song with his hand in his pocket like he was hanging out at a bus stop. He has reminded me of Zach Braff for much of this competition and that just clinched it.

I'm quite pleased really. The top 5 who remain are awesome and it's always so nice to get rid of those barnacles that just cling on and on (and on and on) and move forward with a boatload of true talent. I'm excited.

Disco, disco, disco . . .

I am feeling a little cheated this week. No intro videos. No retrospective on disco and its relevance today. And more Lil Rounds. Honestly, I don't know why I watch this show sometimes! ;) I will go on the record, though, and say this is the best Disco Week I've seen on Idol in eight seasons. And the judges were fairly well behaved this week, and I see we're back to hearing from all of them after each contestant. I guess that's what skipping the intro videos can do.

Some other random observations: Ryan is very white. Just thought I'd mention it. I think Adam's pinky ring was the biggest ring I've ever seen in my life. It dwarfed Paula's ring by a mile. I'm so sick of any excuses starting with "I'm just . . ." Is it enough to have fun, or do you actually have to be good?! I'm surprised Simon missed a chance to associate shopping in the womens department with Ryan. And are we talking about ladies' underwear now? Randy really wanted to say this was a talented 6 rather than 7, but he was trying to be PC. There was some camera on the set this week that wasn't working right. The picture was jumpy during both Danny's and Allison's performances. So which guy from Saturday Night Live does Adam resemble?

Lil Rounds. I thought for sure she'd pick a Donna Summers tune, but Chaka Khan is close enough. How can Lil even think she was that original. I mean, she did try singing out of tune, and she did add a few runs here and there, but it was basically karaoke minus the scrolling lyrics at the bottom of the screen and a few drunk Japanese execs. And it's truly sad when Lil tries to defend herself by attacking criticism that wasn't even there. Here's how I remember it in my mind, and remember, I have perfect recall.

Lil: That was not karaoke and y'all are crazy if you think it was copycat.
Simon: We never said it was karaoke.
Lil: Well, I can see it in your eyes, fish 'n' chips, so cool it.
Simon: Your performance was hideous, but I didn't say "karaoke."
Lil: You want to, though. Don't you? Let's add lame, predictable, ridiculous, amateurish, out of tune, and nauseating while we're at it.
Simon: Your words. Not mine. Until now.

Even the outfit and hair extensions scream "I'm trying to be someone I'm not." I had enough 4 weeks ago. What do I have now?

Kris Allen. Again, my favorite of the night, although I could have used a bit better explanation of the song. This is the sound he keeps coming back to, and I think it suits him well. If I heard just a few bars of his guitar work I could probably say it belonged to Kris. I love the latin/carribean smooth jazz kind of sound he brings. His arrangements are so artistic and perfect. I always love when they bring Ricky Minor (obviously groovin' hard), Fidel the Cuban Washboard Guy, and Cesar Conga Dude up on the stage. For some reason it just feels good.

Danny Gokey. I think Simon was a little harsh with him, but I can see what's happening. Danny is kind of like Ruben Studdard was: steady and dependable. He's been outstanding this entire year but hasn't been able to muster a lot of originality to show growth. His interpretation tonight was different enough from the original to keep me interested, though. It doesn't hurt that I love Earth, Wind, and Fire either. Danny's another contestant that knows who he is and what he can do, so that keeps him competitive.

Allison Iraheta. Is that latex? And do they let minors buy clothes like this? Third straight performer with a well-defined style. I wasn't a huge fan of this performance, but man! This girl is great! Looking at her parents you'd never guess she can sing like this. I'm getting a little worried for her, though, since she's been hovering in or near the bottom 3 lately.

Adam Lambert. Apparently Adam is French tonight. The undeniable truth is that he is an amazing vocalist, and probably has the most talent of the bunch. It is incredible what he comes up with each week, even if he has help with the arrangements. Learning to survive in the music industry is learning to tap into resources in and around you. I didn't like his performance as well as Kris's, but I'm not going to lie and say it wasn't amazing. Randy's right: Adam is already there.

Matt Giraud. The hat is back and so is Matt. He gives off such an authentic R&B vibe up there it's unreal. This wasn't his best performance, but he was solid. I think we're approaching his competitive limit, though. He doesn't quite have enough to catch Adam, Kris, and Danny, but I'm glad to see him hold his own this week.

Anoop Dasai. I have a striped shirt from 1988 that will match Anoop's vintage, What Was I Thinking sweater. I think there's a skinny little tie to go with it, too. The bad news for Anoop is that the lyrics of his song do not bode well for his chances. Anoop's vocals were good, but the performance was sort of mediocre, and Anoop knew it. I did enjoy his father's half-hearted, "I really want to get into this but my manners prohibit it" kind of thumbs-down gesture.

BOTTOM 3: Lil, Anoop, Matt
DIMMING THE LIGHTS: Anoop
RETURNING CHAKA'S INNER GODDESS TO LOOK FOR HER OWN: Lil

Idol Does Donna Summer, I mean Disco

Oh when oh when is big band night?? So, Disco. Can't complain, thankfully. Except for a couple of things. I will complain about some things. Let's begin.

I must say, I was particularly clairvoyant tonight, predicting what Simon would say before he said it. And being spot on every time. Uncanny.

Dramatic opening (again, so much better than the old recaps they used to do), "THIS is American Idol," Ryan runs down the stairs, hurries through his cue cards lickety-split, introduces the judges as fast as he can (someone either read my blog or recognized on her own how stupid and tedious the stage entrance was for the judges), quick get the idols on stage, no mentors, no intro videos, hi, bye, everyone leave but Lil and GO! Pant, pant, pant . . . obviously Fringe viewers were ticked. Two weeks of going over. Clearly that ain't happening again this week, Idol Powers That Be. Nuh-uh.

Too bad we couldn't move that fast through the first performance.

Lil Rounds - ("I'm Every Woman" by Chaka Khan) She couldn't have chosen a more predictable diva choice. My clairvoyance began when I noted a couple of notes in that Lil was sick. Not that that excuses her bad singing on any other weeks. Or this one for that matter. And she's right, you know. That wasn't Karaoke. That was Karaoke on steroids at Disneyland. Except that it was bad Karaoke on steroids at Disneyland. Hell, she even looked like Donna Summer. Holy crap, it was bad. So so bad. So very, very bad. And she had to overtalk again. UGH. Why, oh, why did Ryan have to ask what her inner goddess was saying. We all want her inner goddess to shut up when on stage. Did she look ticked or what. Man, she was boring holes into the judges. They were spot on tonight--she has no idea who she is as an artist. But she had fun. Whoopee. The only positive thing I can say is that I don't like pantsuits and yet she looked nice. Yep, that's all I've got. She is the antithesis of original and her time is so far past up it's like watching a child who won't go to bed when it's bedtime. Done. Done, done, done. Two eliminations tomorrow? They should both be for her. For emphasis.

Kris - ("She Works Hard for the Money" by Donna Summer) Um, this guy is nothing short of brilliant. And cute brilliant at that. I loved it. LOVED it. For a second week in a row, I seriously preferred his performance to Adam's! Gasp. We suffered through an uncomfortable introductory interview by Ryan where we learned that Kris chose this song because a woman worked hard to make money. Riveting. How much does Ryan get paid to ask questions? Ryan's losing his edge as far as I'm concerned. I think it's in his closet somewhere. I think if he'd just step out and be authentic, it would be less uncomfortable because maybe he'd be less awkward. So, Kris. WOW! Brilliant performance. Fabulous arrangement. LOVED it. Loved it. Randy so totally went over the top in his compliments. You know why? Because he BLEW it last week. Idiot. Kris is fantastic. I don't care where he shops. Brilliant!

Did you notice all the extra Fringe commercials tonight, too? We saw several (as we zoomed through them on our TiVo). I think that was a big "Take that!" to the Idol producers.

And you know else is so uncomfortable to watch? Those stupid shots of the idols that are about to sing. You know, the ones where they're acting out goofy stuff to fill the time during the AI pre-commercial theme music like "Oh, I can't see very well" and what's that? Allison is wearing Danny's glasses? Oh! Hahahaha. Yeah, not funny. Just smile and wave.

Danny - ("September" by Earth, Wind, and Fire) The guy can sing, but my clairvoyance shined through again when I predicted that Simon would say it wasn't a great performance. Have you seen Earth, Wind, and Fire? The singer in that group is INSANE on stage. Danny looked like he was simply meandering around while singing the crud out of that sung (boy can sing). I don't have much to say on this other than that--good vocals, boring performance. Sing with the back up singers, stroll around the stage, sing with the back up singers, yadda yadda. Loved the shot of Danny's sisters, though. There were like a million of them. Reminded me of Joey Tribbiani. Paula yells out that she'll see him in the finals. I'm not sure what finals she's attending, but the rest of us will be enjoying Adam vs. Kris, methinks.

Anyone else notice the odd blond girl behind Simon that kept cheering during his criticisms? Very strange.

Allison - ("Hot Stuff" by Donna Summer) Again I ask, what was she wearing?? She was rather provocative tonight for a 16 year old. It was a bit odd to hear her rocking out about wanting some hot stuff and hot lovin' while dancing seductively on the stage. I'm guessing her mother has no idea what that means based on her sweet "where's my translator" smile from the audience. She's so cute. Gotta get me a mini one of those for my pocket. Allison is the only girl worth anything in this competition and always has been. Not my favorite performance for me for her, but still very good. She definitely needs to be the last girl standing in this.

Adam Lambert - ("If I Can't Have You" by the Bee Gees) His voice is beautiful, gorgeous, soothing, inspiring, pitch perfect . . . I love the tone of his voice. It was a great performance again, but of course he doesn't deliver anything less than amazing time and time again, so that wasn't surprising. I kind of wish he'd done something up tempo, truth be told. I don't want the unexpected, slowed-down fast songs to lose their ability to wow us and I fear they could if overused. That being said, he's still brilliant. And the tone of his voice combined with the passion he exudes pierces to the core. And his false, as always, is gorgeous. Love him. Paula was melting into a "pool of Abdul." I knew Simon would love it but not be jumping out of his seat over it. My foreknowledge strikes again. Paula, yet again, predicted that he'd be in the finals (well, duh). She has now predicted that 3 people will be in the finals. I don't think she's clairvoyant.

Matt Giraud - ("Stayin' Alive" by the Bee Gees) He looks so much like Justin Timberlake that it's almost distracting. I loved the funky vibe on this song and Matt's got some nice Timberlake-like moves, too. I liked it. Love his voice. He'd be even better in a studio, but dude has rhythm, style, and a serious mojo when it comes to music. And he has a falsetto that is out of this world. And artistry? The word of the season? Yeah, that. He has artistry.

Bowling, shopping, "Pauler" is on one tonight. Her plays on words are so fun. I'm going to put her in my pocket, too. And did some dope in the audience audibly cheer when Simon dissed the performance? Not very bright.

Camera cuts to Anoop doing a little "oh, I didn't shave!" routine. Ugh. Smile and wave. That's it. Ryan drinks out of Kara's glass. Honestly, grown up Hollywood types often remind me of everything I didn't like about high school. Blech.

Anoop - ("Dim All the Lights" by Donna Summer) Our resident frat boy. I like how he had some facial scruff to go along with the untucked shirt, making him look like he's late for math class this time. Man, he's really mixing it up. It was good, but why was that the last performance of the evening? They usually save the wow factor for the end and that was more like a slight snooze fest. I mean, dim the lights? Yikes.

And now a word about the save. STUPID save. So stupid. I've NEVER liked the idea. And I still don't. It's a STUPID ratings ploy. And it's stupid. When they introduced it, they did it all Idol-dramatic like talking about early exits like, GASP, Chris Daughtry and Tamyra Gray. Have I mentioned the word stupid? Because those were STUPID examples. Chris was in 4th place and so was Tamyra, so the stupid save wouldn't have done jack squat to save them. You hear me? Jack. Squat. The save can only be used up until the top 5. So it's really not a save at all, but more of a twofer. Two people get kicked off in one week instead of one at a time. So STUPID. So, you don't get the scare of the bottom 3. You know, those weeks where a favorite is inexplicably at risk of getting booted and people panic and vote like mad the next week to make sure that doesn't happen again? Yeah, can't do that this week. They're there. They're gone. STUPID. Stupid save.

Want more clairvoyance? That stupid save is going to do more harm than good. Someone who shouldn't be going home just might all because of that stupid save. Grrrrr.


Best to worst tonight:

Kris
Adam
Allison
Danny
Matt
Anoop
Lil
Lil (for emphasis)

Who should go home: Lil, twice over. Okay, Lil and either Matt or Anoop.
Who will go home because of the stupid save: Lil and someone who shouldn't (like pretty much anyone other than Matt or Anoop, though I could handle Allison or Danny as long as one of them accompanies Lil, because let's face it--the finale should be Adam versus Kris where it comes down to what style you prefer. Or I like them both, so who cares as long as they both do well). Stupid save.

Idol Top 7

My opinions tonight may surprise you. But I must start out by perhaps stating the obvious. How is it that 5 adults, several producers, and an entire crew can't rein it in to keep their show in the 1-hour time limit? And honestly, it's their eighth year, the judges should have clued in by now.

Here it is all nice and simple like: STOP TALKING SO MUCH. They go on and on and on and on and on with the first few Idols (and with each other) and then rush through the final 2 as if they're running out of air.

So what happens next? I can only assume that Fringe viewers wrote letters of protest that their show was cut off by Idol. Fox caught grief and passed it on to the Idol producers who then sufficiently scared Ryan into keeping it moving and the judges into quieting 2 of their team per performance, but who apparently didn't get the memo to Lil who felt the need, agaaaaaaain, to argue back to the judges trying to justify why her songs still suck.

And they still went over!! You know what would've saved some time? If they'd STOP TALKING SO MUCH. Why must we sit through such ridiculous numbers of hyperbolic adjectives to describe each judge? We see them twice weekly on every show of every year. Randy, Kara, Paula, Simon. We get it. Hell, the 7 Idols we hardly know barely get a cursory walk on stage with maybe enough time to smile or wave. Take note, Ryan. STOP TALKING SO MUCH.

First off, Kara? Provocative? How exactly? Do you even know what that means? And did we need to spend so much time on Paula's bejeweled ensemble? Or Randy's yellow stripe? Vibrant? Congenial? Are you kidding me?! I don't think you even know what those words mean.

iTunes, Coke, AmericanIdol.com . . . we get it already. And, newsflash, we TiVo these shows. So besides skipping the commercials, we fast forward all the in-show commercial advertising, too. Except the blatant, giant red cups. We just ignore those while the judges don't STOP TALKING SO MUCH. My word, even their explanation of why only 2 of them can talk this week instead of 4 took far too long.

So tonight we got to sit through all of that PLUS the insufferable Quentin Tarantino. Didn't like him when he was on the show before. I was only marginally more impressed this time. Either way, I still don't get why he ever even has a role in this setting. He has no place judging or coaching musical contestants. He's a movie director! Now, maybe if he'd been directing tonight's show instead of "coaching" the contestants, they wouldn't have run over. Who knows. It's just insane that they presented a several minute bio about this guy when they don't have time!! Argh. He's so . . . weird! He's like kinda shifty-eyed psycho, kinda over-the-top manic, and kinda Marty McFly in a bowling shirt all at the same time. Not sure how he pulls that off, but it's odd and a little uncomfortable.

So, songs of the cinema. Or cheese, cheese, and more cheese. Here we go.

Allison Iraheta (Don't Want To Miss A Thing):

Quentin's sage advice: Sing it while I sit in a chair.

This theme week is just not complete unless someone sings this most-overplayed Idol song. This song was too low for her. But despite that this was not at all her best week (and I liked the song even less than I thought I would on her), she finally got the praise she deserved. Let's just hope her number one position tonight doesn't hurt her in the voting. Tonight's song notwithstanding, her performances until now should propel her forward. I have no idea why this girl has even ever set foot in the bottom 3. She is the best girl they have and has been all along. And Simon finally said it tonight. Girls' only hope indeed. Rock on.

Anoop Dawg (Everything I Do, I Do It For You):

Quentin's invaluable advice: Rough it up. (What the . . . ??)

Dude, that was AWESOME. I loved it. Wanna know how much I don't like this song? My first boyfriend held my hand for the first time during this movie and I still don't like this song. And I've grown so very tired of this song over the years that I always switch the station when it comes on the radio. And despite all that, I loved this song on Anoop tonight, Dawg. That was hot! I like it better than the original! By a mile. If this performance were on the radio, I wouldn't switch it like I would the original. It was in key, sung well, and performed well. I really liked it. Not sure it'll save him from the bottom 3, but I'm digging the rumpled up, math geek, Indian, frat boy singer.

Adam Lambert (Born To Be Wild):

Quentin's wise advice: None really. He likes Adam, "only got a taste," and he liked it. (Funny coincidence--I just read a comment on YouTube today where someone wondered what Adam tastes like. What an odd question. I don't know. Pop rocks?). Methinks Mr.Tarantino was a little starstruck with Adam.

If anyone can pull off any song, it's Adam. He was, yet again, freaking amazing. This was not at all my favorite performance by him, but that's mostly because I don't like this song either. Yes, that's 3 for 3 for those keeping score at home (actually, I like the Aerosmith song; it's just so very overdone on Idol). That said, I've got nothing but praise for Adam. I LOVE this guy and think he is one of the hottest, most likable, most talented Idols they've ever had. Ever. Perhaps Paula said it best yet again when she explained that Adam "dares to dance in the path of greatness and fortune smiles on him" or something like that. I like the Monkees wool cap he wears when he meets with the guest mentors. Nice. And his falsetto is insane. INSANE! This guy is supernatural. There is no other explanation for that kind of freaking raw talent.

Matt Giraud (Have You Ever Loved A Woman):

Quentin's shrewd advice: Don't lose the lyrics.

After what Daughtry did with this song, no one should ever touch it again. Including Bryan Adams himself. Because, yes, it's another overdone, overplayed song. And another one I don't really like. But you know what? Matt was awesome tonight (except for that one little part in the bridge where he hit that really wonky note). I loved it! I love his look, his easy manner, his madskillz on the piano, his voice, his arrangement, his touch of soul on songs like this . . . I think it was great. He went into his false when I didn't expect it and I liked it. I'm totally worried for him. If we have another pre-Lil casualty, I might just scream. And it wasn't nearly as bad as the 2 judges said it was. Ugh.

Danny Gokey (Endless Love):

Quentin's prudent wisdom: Put your hands in your pockets. Honestly, I don't know how the Idols would've ever pulled off this week without him.

Urgh. Yes, you guessed it. Not this song! This song is normally a duet. Rickey Smith did this song in Season 2 and it was HOT! Watch:



He did BOTH parts. Danny did a good job with this song, but it wasn't great. It was good. It was copycat (but with a harp). He looks so much like my cousin Little Johnny that it distracts me, especially this week without his funky glasses. But I digress. I don't know. It was just . . . okay. Heartfelt, good, well done, yes. But just okay. And yet again, he didn't follow the mentor's advice. His hands weren't in his pockets. I saw them.

Kris Allen (Falling Slowly):

Quentin's inspiring counsel: Have you thought about playing an instrument? Think about it, but it doesn't matter either way. Aren't you glad I'm here?

Dude, this was DA BOMB TONIGHT!! I loved this performance. WOW! I actually liked it even better than Adam's! I'm telling you, this song during the right love scene in the right movie would MELT me. Day-um! DAY-UM! I really loved this! What a gorgeous song!! Fabulous. Beautiful. Wonderful. I loved it. Kris is utterly adorable and has such a great look and manner. I really, really like this song. It's hauntingly, deeply gorgeous. It started out well and got better throughout and it was raw and it was pure and it was GOOD. Randy was wrong. Kara was SPOT ON! He DID have moments in there. She felt it. I felt it. It was AWESOME.

Lil Rounds (The Rose):

Quentin's most inspiring advice: Commit to singing it straight so that when you switch to gospel, it really soars (this was actually the best advice of the night, even if Lil Diva ignored it completely).

Argh. Does it matter anymore? You know why they had her sing last and had Simon critique her? So we can finally be rid of her. It'll stick in people's memories more to NOT vote for her. I actually like this performance on her more than any of her previous ones and at least she didn't do Whitney or Celine (we had predicted The Bodyguard for sure), but it's too little too late. And she's just not as original as so many of the others this season. She has already overstayed her welcome. I would've preferred a little more Lite FM singing from Scott to this drivel. I'm done with Lil. But of course you already knew that since I was done with her like 7 weeks ago. It's so passe already. What did Paula say to her? The road is long? What? Simon was right. And her back talk is intolerable. And she must be frustrated after weeks and weeks of not getting what they're saying, I'm sure. But she's not getting it and it's time to be done.

And still . . . 3 minutes over.

Fringe fans are renewedly mad. Can't say that I blame them. Now that Simon can't blame the girls, who will he blame? Maybe Mr. Tarantino has some suggestions? Sit in a chair, put your hands in your pockets, and don't lose the lyrics.

Heaven help us tomorrow when we have to suffer through a Miley Cyrus performance. Have I mentioned we have TiVo?

Best to worst tonight:

Kris
Adam
Anoop
Danny
Allison
Matt
Lil

Boquinha out.

Let's Go to the Movies . . .

There is so much movie music that it's hard to fathom any contestant making a poor song choice, but alas, every year most of the contestants choose songs that are just (to borrow another judge-ism) "aight" for me. I thought the night went pretty well, and overall everyone did as expected. Admittedly, I was less than enthused about QuentinTarantino and what he would bring to the table (do his beady eyes remind anyone else of Conan O'Brian ?). He was a guest judge back in Season 3, and I was as unclear then as I am now as to why he needs to be involved. I was pleasantly surprised tonight as he seemed to have some decent suggestions and didn't venture too far into areas of music that he doesn't understand. And he kept it pretty positive and relevant (at least on the clips we saw) so all in all it was good enough.

So, why do they feel the need to cut back on judges comments rather than ridiculous, corny, make way for the yellow Steve Urkel (Carl!) sweater Randy's sporting and Simon King of All banter? If this show is really about the singing, why is the majority of the wasted time dedicated to the "look at me, I'm on TV!" nonsense Ryan indulges in with the judges? Yes. I said "indulge." With that said, every year they struggle with time when they hit the one-hour shows so it is no surprise to me that with 4 judges this year they couldn't figure out a way to fit it in. And, in case you were unaware, all of these songs are available for download oniTunes.

Allison: I can't help but think of the Big Mac song when I hear about "special sauce." I thought it was gutsy to pick the song she did since it's been done a lot on Idol in years past, including David Cook last season. It was definitely keyed too low this week and she was shakier on it than I would have expected, but overall she did a great job. She's got the vocal talent to be a legit contender for sure.

Anoop: Awesome! Unfortunately I think he's been treading water for so long that it won't be long before he gets pulled under for good. He had one of the best performances of the night and I'm glad he didn't start barking and peeing on a fire hydrant like Quentin seemed to want him to do.Anoop brought his own R&B flair to a classic song. Nice.

Adam: This guy can sing, and he's got incredible talent. I hate this song, though, so no matter what version he came up with or how great a singer he is I was destined to have a sort of "so what" kind of reaction to it. What I'd really like to do is find the path of greatness and dance a bit down it. I think Simon is right tonight when it comes to Adam: either you love it or despise it. His phone line was the only one with a busy signal tonight so I'm guessing most of America, or at least the voting segment, loved it.

Matt: This guy is destined to be the yo-yo performer of the season. They had the wrong judges critiquing him on this one because I've heard him twice now tonight and it was nowhere near as bad as they made it out to be. He did a great job of spinning the song in the right direction for his natural voice and talent, and overall he gave a solid performance. I'm scared for this guy, though, since he can't seem to get the judges behind him consistently enough.

Danny: Sort of vanilla this week for me. Vanilla is classic. Most people like vanilla to some extent. You can dress up vanilla to suit any occasion, but you usually need to add a little something to enjoy it regularly. If only Danny had added even a few vanilla bean flecks or something. Maybe singing with his hands in his pockets would have added something. Coming out on stage with a harp is the same as adding a little sugar free scoop to your vanilla. Danny is headed for a solid career as an inspirational, adult contemporary kind of performer--probably where he thought he'd be in the first place. (Here are two performances of this song that are better than plain vanilla: Rickey Smith and a surprising duet. Maybe telling us the song was from "Happy Gilmore" would have dressed it up a bit more.)

Kris: This was one of those brave song choices that I think paid off. It was not perfect, and there were a few pitch problems, but not many. I think Kara heard the real performance and Randy was daydreaming about playing with Journey or something since he hasn't had many chances this year to name drop. Kris picked an obscure song, but one not too obscure since it was an Academy Award winner. Anyway, it was one of those songs that haunts you. I've never seen the movie "Once," but I can picture the scene for this song. On a night of predictable song choices, Kris really stood out . . . in a good way.

Lil: I feared this would happen. Lil didn't deserve to make it this far, but now she gives a performance just strong enough to buy one more week. She made a crappy song choice, did something fairly original and appropriate by showing her gospel soul side, and then finished with shaky notes and average vocals. I can't blame her for being frustrated--it's obvious she really tried to do what the judges have been telling her to do, and even seemed to get it a little, and she still got ripped for being boring. See, if we'd gotten rid of her earlier we could have spared her all of this ill will.C'mon people! Let's get it right this week!

OK, just to be clear, these are my predictions, not my personal preferences.

BOTTOM THREE: Matt, Lil, Quentin
FINDING MORE TIME TO GO TO THE MOVIES: Matt

More on the results

Magistra is one of my favorite columnists who writes about Idol. I read her stuff every week and have for years. I was so excited for her when she got picked up by Philly Burbs. Her results recap was particularly good this week and worth a link.

Here is my favorite paragraph that totally made me laugh out loud:

And finally, there were your results, America. This week, you decided to be totally un-PC and put the African-American girl, the Indian guy, and the blind guy in the bottom three. When all was said and done, America decided that they no longer liked the blind guy.

Read the rest here. Subscribe to her newsletter if you like. It's so worth it. She's really good.

Idol Does Birth Songs

Every year. Every year they run out of time for the top 8. And yet they continue to make it an hour-long show. And they continue to fill it with nonsense at the beginning. And they continue to rush us through the wrap up, making us feel dizzy and used by the time the "19" fireworks flash.

People who only TiVoed one hour tonight are going to be SO. MAD.

Before I get to anything about tonight, someone please tell me who the cyborg is in the audience tonight. Who is he? Why is he there? Why doesn't he move? Why doesn't his master make him applaud? Or blink?

I was glad to see them dispense with the judges' dramatic stage entrance and while they were all adorable babies (particularly Randy), I could've done without this segment in order to hear more Adam praise. Stupid producers.

Danny - So Gokey is the oldest and he was born in 1980. Where is my Geritol? I didn't recognize that version of "Stand By Me" but it rocked and he started out the night very, very well. There are some clear front runners in this competition and Danny is one of them. And he did a little scatting. I happen to love that.

Kris - Oh man, so that mini-interview on the stools with Ryan about the judges' awesome praise was like a really bad foreshadowing. I think he did well. It wasn't great, but it wasn't awful. Boring song, yes, but he'll be fine. I'm not tiring of him. I am, however, tiring of Simon's indulgent use of the word 'indulgent.'

Lil - Ugh. Tina Turner? A step up from Celine and Whitney, but still not Mary J. Blige. I think Lil is on her way out. And deservedly so. I predicted she'd get boring. And I was right. Listening to her say she'll do it next time for the umpteenth time is just painful and uncomfortable at this point. She's done. There is no next time. She's run out of time. You can't wait until 8 weeks in to show us that you'll listen to the judges' advice and do what suits you. Pack your bags, Lil. Nice hair, though.

Anoop - Dude sang True Colors. That rocks. The interview before was a little painful from Ryan's awkward attempt to talk about sports to his Tyra Banks wannabe attempt to stir up controversy where there is none. And Anoop can somehow pull off an Easter ensemble while still looking like he just came from math class. But dude can sing. I loved it. I love what Anoop did with this song. He done Cyndi Lauper proud. And he went beautifully into his false. Perhaps Paula said it best, "You did show your true colors, just like a rainbow." Classic. Classy. Well done.

Scott - He plays guitar? Okay, before everyone gets grumpy about his off notes, I want to say that I love this song and think it's one of THE most romantic rock ballads of the 80s. Okay, so his performance was reallllllllly painful at times. And I'd like for him to succeed, but after Lil, he's next. And then it'll be Allison and the boys battling it out for the finals. I'm LOVING this season! But we're talking about Scott. Nice kid, decent voice, rough performance, great sense of humor, a little out of his depth. He's bottom 3, but Lil should leave first.

Allison - I love that her pediatrician was so clairvoyant and that her mother totally bought into it. Her mom is so cute, you want to carry her around in your pocket. Oh! With Anoop's mom! Wouldn't that be fun? Little live dolls with cute accents. I love the idea! So, Allison did brilliantly tonight. She was wearing the head cheerleader's prom skirt from the year of her birth, but maybe I'm just shocked that she was born in 1992. The same year I graduated high school. Allison is nothing short of amazing. 16? She's brilliant. And deserves to stay around for a long time. This girl doesn't deserve to smell the bottom 3. And Simon's a self-indulgant idiot. She does so have a personality. You just have to not be so wrapped up in yourself that you miss it.

Matt - Scott setting up haunted mansions. Matt as a sassy angel. Who got these clips? I totally dig the hat on Matt. I've been hoping he'd break that out soon. I love it. I totally dig this guy. You know what? I can't stand this song and yet he made me like it tonight! He totally "soul"ed this song. Did he just look like he was going to cry when he got the (well-deserved) mad praise? I'm so happy for him. He's SO done with the bottom 3 this week. The girl judges were totally digging it. Well done, Matt. Well done indeed.

So, anyone else notice that when Ryan ran the numbers, they were already out of time? Or, if you're like some people, that's where your TiVo cut out? (A little hint: always set your TiVo to run over about 15 minutes during Idol). At least do that if you're as crazy for this show as we are. Hey, it's pretzel night! People were going crazy looking for it on the web. Here it is if you missed it. Or if you saw it and simply must see it again because it's brilliant:





Adam - Um, need I say more? I feel like I've already gushed about how awesome he is in my chat with my brother-in-law Greg tonight. But I'll do it again. He was phenomenal. PHENOMENAL. I had this massive sense of anticipation the whole show to see Adam and what he'd do and in NO way did he disappoint. Plus I love when they interview his mother and she's all, "Oh it's okay if he's not successful as long as he's happy, even if he's driving a taxi!" And then his Dad says, "It'd be nice for him to be successful, too." They're hilarious. But this performance! WOW! Talk about song choice! MAD WORLD?! Tears for Fears?! Is he freaking kidding me?! Who has done that?! NO ONE, that's who. NO ONE. And he did his own BRILLIANT take on it. UNbelievable. He slowed it down a bit. From the very first notes, I was freaking out that he was doing that song. He is BRILLIANT. Well done. Standing "O" from Simon. Well done.

And I love Paula. I love how she gets up and dances to every song. She reminds me of people you see who drive around singing at the top of their lungs, devil may care. I love her comments. I love her rhetoric. I love her sense of humor.

I'm not any kind of crazy stalker, but I often think it would be fun to host her for a weekend. You almost feel protective of her. People can be so cruel. So she seems like she's on drugs sometimes. I like her. I think she's adorable. Plus, I'm one of the millions of little girls who sang and danced along to "Forever my Girl" and "Straight Up" with reckless abandon. And I'm totally proud of it.

So, Best to Worst tonight:

Adam
Matt
Allison
Danny
Anoop
Kris
Scott
Lil

Going home: Lil

Am I Really That Old? (Idol Style)

When one of the contestants on American Idol was born just months before I graduated high school, I start to realize that I've put in enough time to earn the grays I'm sporting. These birth year theme nights are really cool because they are broad enough to sample a lot of different sounds, but yet narrow enough that the contestants don't (necessarily) make such rotten choices. As we've seen, some contestants still find a way to make poor selections, but they just can't help themselves. Some people can't dress themselves. Some people don't know what song to pick. It's just how it is sometimes.

I'm glad the judges just appeared magically in their seats rather than walking through the ridiculously slow sliding stage doors. It's like when you try to rush through the automatic doors at the grocery store and they don't quite open fast enough and you're left with a dented milk jug and sore forehead. Never happened to any of you? Yeah, me neither. I thought they were trying to conserve time but we see that wasn't the case. Stacy was talking tonight about how cute she thinks Paula is, and how sometimes what she says is so flowery and 'round about, and I had the thought that she is like a Portuguese greeting card.

Non-sequitor thoughts begin, here--> To illustrate, when my Portuguese mother-in-law goes on a trip, all of her sisters and brother and nieces and nephews and neighbors and Portuguese grocers call to wish her a good trip and much happiness and much love and big kisses to all of her family and safety and the grace and protection of the Lord and . . . and . . . Add in a Happy Birthday and you've got Hallmark, the Lisbon version.

OK, on to the recap . . .

Danny: I loved the arrangement and interpretation of the song this week. I'm starting to feel a little sorry for Danny, though, only because he's a great singer who actually has some originality and understands who he is, but I'm afraid he might get lost in the shuffle with the laud and praise some other contestants are getting each week. I hope once there are less contestants (and when the first performance slot isn't the predetermined "spot to forget") Danny will continue to wow us.

Kris: Simon was a bit harsh and indulgent in his own critique, but Kris was definitely off his game tonight. He needs to find a way to bring it again next week. And how about his family doggin' on the taxi drivers of the world. Good thing this show isn't taped in NYC or he'd be hoofin' it all over town. "Sorry. Off duty."

Lil: The best part of the performance for me was finding out that "Lil" is her actual, given name. Very cool. When they announced she'd be singing a Tina Turner song I thought to myself, "Oh, OK. Another diva." I just don't think Lil knows how to make a song original. She's a great singer who does a nice impression of some other great singers, but week in and week out she makes the same plea and promise to America. I just need to see Lil the Artist, not Lil the singer.

Anoop: Simon's yo-yo analogy was a decent one. He really does change from week to week. I agree that this was a better week for him--perfect song and perfect interpretation. I could completely hear Anoop in this one this week. Anoop dog is in the house tonight! (As an aside, I loved how Simon told Anoop to not worry about--to borrow a Wally Cleaver-ism--giving the judges "the business.")

Scott: I've gotta give him props for stepping out from behind the piano, but I wasn't a huge fan of the performance. The guitar wasn't impressive enough to be worth the change. I like Scott, and I would love to keep hearing more from him. I think sticking to the piano is the best bet for him and gives him the greatest chance of continuing on for a few more weeks.

Allison: Where did this girl come from. And was she really singing a song from her birth year that I heard at my senior prom? Ouch! I'm getting old! I loved this song choice, too, because it was restrained and controlled, but yet showed the rocker side that we've come to expect and love. She keeps singing like this and she'll be sailing through to the finals. I love her mother's comments about talking too much. Classic!

Matt: I was a bit worried when Matt chose a song by The Greatest Singer in the Known Universe (per Randy), but he worked it out! This was the right style for him, especially when he infused his own jazzy, soulful side to the song. He needed this performance tonight. I think it may have been the hat.

Adam: This guy is in a league all his own. He is not my favorite singer as far as his natural genre, but I've got to admit he is the most original and talented of the group this year. He has a knack for taking songs and making us feel like we're hearing them for the first time. Too bad most of America missed his performance on their DVRs.

So, realizing that so many of the contestants are really good this year, here is MY BOTTOM THREE: Lil, Scott, Anoop (simply a prediction, not preference)
RELEASED OF THE PRESSURE TO BE ORIGINAL: Oh, please let it be Lil.

P.S. Did you catch each of the "Judge-isms" in the contestants' recaps?

Caw! Caw!

I've got the Hallelujah Chorus ringing in my head. And it's so totally appropriate. It's about freaking time that Megan goes home. And tonight was so off-the-charts uncomfortable that I might've cried if she hadn't left.

What was with the weird dancing and freaky facial expressions and the squawking and the flying?? Is she cracking up?? I'm not sure what other explanation there could be at this point.

She looked almost glad to go. After her little episode of mouthing off to the judges, I was so turned off. After she got booted, when she said she had some things to say, I thought she might just say, "See ya, suckahs!" and invoke the federal broadcast 2-second delay safety mechanism with a hand gesture.

She's ready to go home to her baby. I'm wondering if she might give Alexis, who looked none too pleased to be in the audience, her spot on the tour.

Tonight was WILDLY uncomfortable. From Ryan's manhandling of Scott (again) to the HORRIBLE lip synching to the matching dog tags (what's that about?) to the mics picking up everything the contests were saying and doing to that Lady Gaga performance to the close up on Lady's zipper eye patch to Megan mouthing off to the judges to Megan making weird faces to Megan thinking she's a bird to Megan's swan song (Ha! I get it!).

There were some bright spots:

* Matt's save
* David Cook's performance and award
* The contestants' camaraderie
* Anoop showing some humility
* The dramatic intro to the show to recap yesterday's performances (MAJOR improvement to Ryan's voice overs, Idol Producers)

And I'm left with questions:

Allison should NOT be in the bottom 3. What is with America? Why has she been there twice? She needed to switch places with Lil. On the 2nd time hearing it back, Lil was very, very off. Painfully so.

What other desserts does the Idol chef make?

Was Scott really playing the piano or was that fake, too, like the singing?

What about the guy with the guitar?

Is Kara going to hate that her little "Boo" routine showed that her arms could use some toning? (I'm one to talk. We could all take lessons from Michelle Obama on the arms).

Could Kris's teeny bopper fans scream any louder?

Why don't we ever see these Ford commercials on TV?

Does Paula really think they all have the same potential as Adam?

How'd they get those bubbles in the piano?

Can she zip that patch shut if she doesn't want to look at something with that eye?

Was she dressed in a party ribbon or metal casings?

Who the heck is she?

(Loved the violin dude with the awesome dreadlocks, though).

Pick a song, any song

Poindexter descends stairs. Judges climb over each other awkwardly to get to their seats. Idols make grand entrance and I say, "What the HECK is she wearing?!?!" well before the judges said it.

I guess the Idols weren't able to visit iTunes headquarters so they visited Ryan's radio studio instead and watched him play with the buttons. Good times.

I like Kara. And holy, Randy finally said what really needed to be said on this show: Just because you like a song doesn't mean you can sing it. I threw a victory punch in the air and yelled, "YES!" when he said that. Something not only coherent, but very, very necessary to say!

Ryan's intros: Stage. Stage. Stools. Stairs. Stairs. Mosh Pit. Stool. Stairs. Stage. Way to mix it up, Idol Producers.

Anoop Desai ("Caught Up" by Usher): Hmmmmmm, vocally, it was good, but the overall performance just okay for me. I need to see more . . . something in his performance. I like him and want to see him do well, but his cocky defensiveness is starting to grate on my nerves. Though I thought it was funny when Kara dissed the Frat Guys and then the camera showed the Frat Guys booing her. Hilarious. And I don't like it when singers pronounce "me" as "may." Tomato. Tomata. It's annoying.

Megan Joy ("Turn Your Lights Down Low" by Bob Marley): What happened to her last name? They dropped it. Corkrey no more. Megan Joy. But Joy is not what I feel when I listen to her. Nausea and discomfort are more along the lines of what I feel. When she sings. And when she overcompensates for her insecurities by lots of winking and head nodding and mouthing the words, "Vote for me!" after she kills (and not in the good say) her song. She isn't in key! And the necklaces and braids didn't help at all. Eric, my best friend in high school, is a huge Marley fan and he got me listening to it all the time. This was an awful thing to do to this song. And I love Paula but even if Megan had a stool, it wouldn't make a difference. It'd just be a really bad song on a "big chair." I'm sick of hearing her saying that she's going to do it next week. Amen, Simon. She's been saying that every week. Enough already.

Danny Gokey ("What Hurts the Most" by Rascall Flatts): Gokey done good. It was a very, very good performance. I love the tone of his voice. Knowing his back story made the song very emotional and believable and moving. He kind of looks like my cousin "Little Johnny" (no lie, that's what we call him even though he's like 30 now). I totally felt like the show started with his performance.

Allison Iraheta ("Don't Speak" by No Doubt): She plays guitar?! Awesome. She chose a good song, but she seemed nervous tonight to me. A little rushed at the beginning while she played with the guitar. Slightly off in parts (but only slightly). But dude, she's SIXTEEN. So if this is an "off night" for her . . . WOW. Her off night is light years ahead of Megan's best performances (assuming we believe she's had any). The judges could've eased up on her outfit, but it really was pretty hideous. I love how she takes it all in stride and laughs it off, though. Amazing talent on this girl. And for those counting at home, Paula has now predicted 3 people into the finale. What is with the female judges and their inability to count?

Scott MacIntyre ("Just The Way You Are" by Billy Joel): He did a fabulous job and it was a very wise choice to not include the band in his performance. I like what he did with the song. It was like Joel meets Manilow. This was Scott's best performance to date even if they did Rick Springfield his hair. And I thought what Paula said about being proud of him was really sweet.

Matt Giraud ("You Found Me" by The Fray): Oh Matt. I so badly want to see Matt do well. But this was not the right kind of song for him. He has so much soul and he really does need to stick to it. I have to say that the judges were right about that. Oh, he looked so nervous from having been in the bottom 3. The song didn't suit him and it sounded way too low for him and he seemed nervous. I know he'd like to be that kind of artist but it's uncomfortable on him. But when he does the soul/R&B stuff . . . wow! That being said, I loved when he went into his false (as usual) and just in general, it would be so very wrong for him to get booted before Megan. So wrong. And I love Kara for saying so.

Lil Rounds ("I Surrender" by Celine Dion): [ sarcasm ] Oh, I am so shocked that she sang a song by a diva like Celine Dion [ /sarcasm ]. You know, I like her hair in the interviews. And then she steps out with extensions or a wig or something and I have to wonder why she doesn't spend as much time choosing a song as she must spend sitting in a salon chair adding to her hair like that. Don't get me wrong. She did okay, but not great. It was very off in many parts. But I AM BORED. I have been bored by her for a long time. She seems to have no idea who she is as an artist. I feel much like Randy on this one--pleading with her to PLEASE do some Mary J. Blige or something . . . anything that might just suit her. The judges constantly say it to her and she smiles and nods and says, "All right. I can do that," and then subjects us to more of the same. Yawn. I'm bored with you now. But she does have way cute little kids. What's with Ryan teaching her child to be violent, though? I'm done with Lil. But not as done as I am with Megan. But it's close.

Adam Lambert ("Play That Funky Music" by Wild Cherry): OMG! OMG! This guys is freaking unbelievable!! I feel like screaming from the rooftops to those who haven't noticed . . . We haven't had an artist like this in well over a decade!!!!!! And it's about time! This guy . . . I mean, think like Freddie Mercury and Axl Rose and Mick Jagger and Steven Tyler and . . . OMG! OMG! He's so so so amazing! How has this guy not been discovered yet?!?!? What the . . . WOW! I LOVE this guy!! I could listen to him 9 times and not hear any others and be very, very happy. This guy is a star. An artist. Has soul. Has rock. Has funk. HOLY Moses. I can't get enough Adam Lambert. He's in a league entirely his own. I miss his rock hair, but other than that, oh baby, it was hot! When he goes into his higher register and "Adam Lamberts" that song . . . WOW! And hello, he sang "Play That Funky Music, White Boy" and that alone should get a standing "O." LOVE this guy. The passion that exudes from him when he performs is unlike anything I've seen in a very long time. And I love it! And he has such a subdued, kind, likeable personality in his interviews and when he gets his critique from the judges. I was chatting with my SIL Jessica today and she totally got what I was saying, so I'll try to express it here, too: It's not that he's good looking, but it's that he's sexy. In the way he performs, carries himself, etc. Adam Lambert is rocking this season of Idol and I dig it.

Kris Allen ("Ain't No Sunshine" by Bill Withers): I love this song. And this arrangment was fabulous. Strings on the stage? With him and the keyboard? Brilliant. And what?! He plays piano, too?? Way to play that card several weeks in. Holy talented and smart! This boy so so SO has swagger. Absolutely no doubt about it. And he has such amazing control of his vocals. He's surprising in his abilities and I like him very much. And he's so cute. Adorable. The boys are SO carrying this whole thing.

From best to worst:

Adam
Kris
Scott
Danny
Allison
Anoop
Matt
Megan
Lil

And I'm okay with that order . . . for the most part. Matt needs to work his way up there and away from those 2 ladies at the bottom of the list.

Who'll be in the bottom 3: Anoop, Megan, Lil
Who'll leave: Lil or Megan . . . oh I don't care which

Top 9 Recap (I Surrender!)

I was all geared up for birth year songs so the very "limited" theme this week threw me for a loop. These nebulous categories are always the worst--more potential train wrecks and plenty of "songs I love." Randy finally articulated what we here at home have been saying for years with this show: just because you like a song doesn't mean you can sing that song. Again, another day at the office for the idols. Kara's counting, Randy's watching paint dry and enjoying people's vocal "prowness," and Paula's talking about furniture. As far as the contestants go, we had a few stand-outs, some solids, a disappointment or two, and a "why, oh why am I subjected to this." You can all decide which performances fit into which categories, but as Simon would say, you can disagree with me but you would be wrong.

Anoop: A disappointment for me. I didn't know the song, but I knew Usher would be one of those "don't do it" kind of moments. Anoop picked a song he likes, but not one that performs well on Idol. And I'll agree with Stacy ahead of time (because I know she's going to say it)--he's getting a little arrogant in his defensiveness. He's been yanked around a lot through the weeks, but something not good has happened along the way. Maybe it's because the Indian kid is referring to himself as a brother and talking about his homies.

Megan Joy: She can't even pick a good one-name name. First she's Megan Corkrey, then Megan Joy Corkrey, and now just Megan Joy. A rose by any other name . . . I honestly don't get it. Even though she didn't pick the Marley song I feared she would ("I Shot the Sheriff") it was still the wrong song (obviously). First, it was out of tune from start to finish. Second, the lyrics actually say "I died," which is not a great choice given the karma of the lyrics. And third, she really isn't a very good singer in the end. Adequate at times, but nothing spectacular. I almost tire of even commenting on her performances, but apparently can't help myself. (And now Stacy is watching a second time to refresh her memory. How lucky am I?!)

Danny: This guy is the real deal. He's got a recognizable sound and great musical ability. One thing that is impressive to me is that despite the emotional heartbreak he has to still carry he has not once (that I can remember) used that to garner votes or sympathy. Really, we know about it because American Idol has used that footage during audition weeks ad nauseum. He's like a man on a mission.

Allison: So she plays guitar, too? Very nice. She has the entire rocker persona down. I'm a little frustrated the judges really made the wardrobe the focus tonight, although I agree it was not a good selection! Her performance was solid, but not great. She is proving she is a force and I hope she continues to get the credit she deserves. And Paula used the word "ax" tonight. Very cool.

Scott: That he would pick a Billy Joel song was not a difficult prediction. It was, in fact, a perfect selection, including going solo on the piano. He doesn't have the greatest voice, but it is very good. And, Scott knows exactly how to play to his strengths. Big props to him for stepping up his game and bringing it this week after a disappointing last week (how's that for three overdone Idol phrases?).

Matt: This was a bad week for Matt so I'm glad Kara tried to come to his rescue. No way he deserves to go home based on his performances as a whole, and not even based on tonight's. He's got to stop choosing songs he likes (a la Megan) and choose the songs that fit him. When he's an established artist he can start to branch out and experiment. For now he has to focus on his "natural" genre, which is toward the R&B side of things. An upside to his performance--I liked how he started in the crowd. Very interesting.

Lil: I'm so shocked Lil picked a diva song. And I'm also so shocked that it came off as less impressive than she thought. Have people learned nothing yet from this show? Not one winner of the show has been a classic diva. A few have had the big voice necessary to pull off songs by Celene Dion, but the winners have found ways to win without resorting to these predictable choices.

Adam: Funky white boy indeed! Ka-ching go the producers. Adam is going to do very well for himself. I feel like I say the same thing over and over again, but Adam is the most current and unique contestant this year, and he's unique in a good way, not in a nasally, what in the world is she doing with her arms, Megan Joy kind of way (sorry, I had to get one more shot in).

Kris: Now he plays the piano. A triple threat! His arrangement was great and I loved the whole performance. I may have even liked it better than Adam in a less obvious kind of way. As a musician Kris is definitely one of the most deserving of all of the contestants this year. I only hope his understated confidence and personality don't get lost in the shuffle.

BOTTOM THREE: Megan Joy, Lil, Matt
LEAVING IDOL TO TRY HER LUCK ON "SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE": Megan Joy

Motown Week

As much as I dislike Country week, I heart Motown Week. And if I had to say one thing about tonight's performance it would be this:

We rarely vote, but we couldn't help but vote over 50 times yesterday for Adam Lambert and that nothing-short-of-stunning performance.

All right, with that out of the way, here goes:

Paula's wearing a tutu. And giving Simon coloring books and crayons. I LOVE Paula. This show wouldn't be what it is without her.

I do have one question for the judges, though--why do they exit the stage in such a way that it creates an unorganized traffic jam at their table? Why don't Simon and Paula exit on the side on which they sit and Randy and Kara likewise? Seriously, a little attention to detail wouldn't hurt. Hire someone. Boost our economy. People need jobs, for crying out loud!!

Matt Giraud: Perfect song, great performance, LOVE this kid. It's about time he get more credit for his abilities. He's AWESOME.

Kris Allen: I have to disagree with Simon. This kid DOES have swagger, just not in an obnoxious way (*cough* Michael Sarver *cough*). In a likeable way. Love his voice, his guitar, his manner. He deserves to be around for a while. He did great.

Scott MacIntyre: I like that he did something more upbeat. If he gets too preachy-Archulettaesque on us, I might like him less. He did a good job. But what the heck is with the fashion people and the pink pants? That's just cruel. Pink pants notwithstanding, I like his personality and sense of humor.

Megan Joy Corkrey: Here's one from me, honey. OMG! Please put her and all of us out of her and our collective misery. That was HIDEOUS. So uncomfortable. She smiles like she's gritting her teeth, mirroring how all of us feel at home. We're gritting our teeth and squirming, too. Oh, she's not squirming? She's dancing, you say? That's right. Megan Wiggles. She was so terribly out of tune. It must stop. Oh please make it stop. Somewhere out there, Alexis Grace is asking, "What the??" The flu actually made her sounds better. That's not good.

Anoop Desai: Great vocals, but a bit boring for me for him. I miss Bobby Brown Anoop.

Michael Sarver: I'm so done with him. I don't think this guy ever deserved a top 12 spot, especially not over Ju'Not. And I didn't think he deserved top 10 either. He's seriously going to tour and Alexis Grace is not? So not right. He's out of his league and yesterday was not good. I don't enjoy watching him. He should've gone home long before now. Which means he'll probably stick around another week. UGH.

Lil Rounds: It was good, but she was shouting at me. I don't like being yelled at. This was her best performance so far, but I'm not sure that's saying much at this point. Oh, Lil, Lil, Lil. You make me miss Fantasia more.

Adam Lambert: 3 words. FREAKING BRILLIANT!

Danny Gokey: I love Danny, but um, hello? He didn't do what Smokey said to do. And NONE of the judges called him on it?! Dude, Smokey was right on. I guess the judges are too busy coloring to notice these things. It was really good and I enjoy his up-tempo stuff, but Smokey's suggestion was better.

Allison Iraheta: Holy Moses, this girl! 16? Wow. If I had to predict based on tonight, it'd be an Adam-Allison finale for sure. Rock on, rockers! She was awesome tonight. Awesome.

BOTTOM THREE: Michael Sarver, Megan Corkrey, and does it really matter?

GOING HOME: Megan Corkrey

Give Me Mo' Motown

I was pretty excited when they announced Motown for this week, and it did not disappoint. I'm glad they brought in Smokey Robinson, too. He was great in Season 2 as a guest judge and he was great again this season. We had another "typical" week on American Idol: a few predictable song choices, a few strange ones, and one fantastic performance that was untouchable this week. I noticed that both Randy and Paula are rubbing off on Kara--she had excited Randy-esque sentence fragments followed by incoherent ramblings all wrapped up in one. Welcome to this season, Kara! I'm also wondering where she learned to count--"one of the best performances of the night" is 8 words, not 6, but who cares in the end. Paula's crayon and coloring book routine was inspired, but it did give Simon something else to distract him from judging this week. What's with Randy's Urkel outfit? Anyway . . .

Matt Giraud: I loved his piano/vocal hybrid tonight, especially since it was on one of my favorite Marvin Gaye songs. This was a week very well suited to his style and he, of course, did well tonight.

Kris Allen: He made a great choice this week and it was fairly obvious that James Taylor has influenced Kris. He definitely put some of his own flavor on this one, though. The song itself is pretty simple musically, but he did well enough to justify his continuing presence on this show.

Scott MacIntyre: I wasn't overly enthused about his song choice since it's not one of my favorite songs, Motown or not. With that said, Scott had a solid night again. He showed he can handle an up-tempo song and not be swallowed up on that stage. It wasn't the best performance of the night, but it was good enough for now.

Megan Joy Corkrey: If I knew how to text message I'd probably have all kinds of abbreviations to share. I'm pretty sure I can get an "OMG!" from someone out there, though. Megan is a niche contestant, and her niche is not the stage of American Idol. She was out of tune the entire time and other than her (somewhat) likable quirkiness I'm having a tough time seeing why she's even included in the competition at this point. She should have been a Top 36, one-time-is-enough performer.

Anoop Desai: I can see what Simon was saying about him sleeping up there. His vocals were great, though. He really has a great range and his falsetto is usually right on. Let's see what Anoop can bring next time around.

Michael Sarver: Right now he's got to be thinking something like, "I'm so glad Megan's around this week." That way at least he gets one more chance to "have so much fun" up there. And Ryan, how do you spin "you"re a sincere guy, but you can't win this competition" and turn it into constructive criticism for the coming week?

Lil Rounds: I don't like this song at all, but I am now hungry for a flame-broiled Double Whopper with Cheese (and an order of onion rings). I was having flashbacks to Kimberly Locke and her "Heatwave" days. In the end, though, this was a really good performance for Lil. She could have picked a better song, but she still did a lot to stay this week.

Adam Lambert: Anything more than "awesome" seems unnecessary. What a great interpretation of a fantastic song. This just shows that Adam is a true musician, because to take songs each week and create such original interpretations (or draw from similarly unique ones) takes a real talent, like the talent we saw David Cook bring last year. And how does this dude sing such perfect falsetto? It's unreal. Plus, he gave washboard guy's mother a reason to scream at the TV set this week--"That's my boy! The one doing laundry up there!" Plus, I'd like to play the guitar like the most famous anonymous guitarist on national TV.

Danny Gokey: I feel sorry for Danny since he had to follow Adam. It's almost unfair this week, because Danny did so well again. Again, not one of my favorite songs, but he did well and really got into it up there. I especially liked the "wheels on the bus" move he pulled with the backup singers.

Allison Iraheta: She's definitely got it going on. If she can keep these kinds of performances coming she'll be tough to beat down the stretch. I remember Jordin Sparks getting a bit strained toward the end of her season so I worry Allison could easily strain her voice as well, but for now she's a serious force to be reckoned with.

BOTTOM THREE THIS WEEK: Michael Sarver, Megan Joy Corkrey, ??? (Cop out, I know, but I have no handle on where the voting loyalty is yet)

NO MO' SONGS AFTER MOTOWN: Megan Joy Corkrey

Top 11 Recap (From the Doc)

Let's just start by saying I'm not anti-country per se, just picky about country music. For example, I'm not a fan of Randy Travis, either as a musician or an Idol mentor. In past seasons the good mentors can take a performer who doesn't fit perfectly into his or her genre's little box and appreciate, as Paula would say, the authentic authenticity of the authentic you. In other words, whether the style is from the Middle East or Eastern Tennessee, nail polish or not, let's celebrate true artists. Heaven knows the pop world has adapted enough country songs to validate the musicality of the Grand Ole Opry. Randy Travis seemed to miss the boat on that whole crossover phenomenon that's expanded the career of many a country star. Rant. Off. (How's all of that for judging an artist's entire body of work based on a dozen or so sound bites during a hyped up Idol show?)

So I was pleasantly surprised (what's with all the Paula references this week?!) with the evening and saw fewer disappointments than I'm accustomed to on country weeks. Even Simon seemed to enjoy himself on more than one occasion, but not many more! What's with all the contestants talking to the judges so much this year. And "having fun" is a given for me. Singing well is the bigger task and the one that will get more of my votes. Randy Jackson has become really stale for me for a long time because he just seems to parrot Simon a lot, and he's so focused on getting his "dudes" and "dawgs" out there he doesn't say any thing intelligible, but tonight I liked him. He finally showed why they keep him around. He actually seems the most in tune with current music and how different artists can blend styles to suit their own strengths. Without saying much more about it, let's get to it.

Michael Sarver: And there it is. It's Josh Gracin all over again. Am I pop? Am I country? I'm "just having fun up here." Talk back. Don't listen. Criticize Simon. Wave to the crowd. Michael is a good singer, just in way over his head here. Next.

Allison Iraheta: I didn't really like the song this week. It was a bit too straight-up country for my liking, especially since she didn't really rock it out. Her performance was solid enough to stick around, but not my favorite. When they rolled the phone numbers at the end, Allison was one of the contestants that made me say, "Oh yeah. She sang tonight."

Kris Allen: I like this guy. He is very understated fashion-wise, which is a plus. He seems very comfortable up on stage and his voice is great. I think Simon was spot-on with his praise tonight, too. Kris is shaping up to be one of the four or five legitimate contenders.

Lil Rounds: She's so Season 1 or 2 for me. She has that power voice and can sing, but the music industry just isn't celebrating that kind of voice any more. Whitney, Mariah, Christina. They've had their places, but the artists of today are more artistic and less "wow!" And she did herself no favors by trying to prove she can sing other things. She can't, so stick to what you know and do it well.

Adam Lambert: If I thought Randy T. knew many songs outside of the Grand Ole Opry I'd figure he'd be humming "Dude Looks Like a Lady" to himself when he met Adam because he sure seemed to have something he wasn't saying about his experience with Adam. I am most disappointed in the judges after Adam's performance. If we want to discuss indulgence, we need to take a closer look at all of Simon's wedding singer analogies. Adam's performance was the #1 most original song this week. Randy J. hit it on the head for once--Adam sounded like an alternative rock band interpreting a country hit. I thought Kara's inability to say anything worthwhile on this one was shocking, and Simon hates country music so much I thought he would have had a bit more positive to say about this one. And anyone that can substitute the sitar for the slide guitar on country week deserves mad props.

Scott McIntyre: I can see what Paula was trying to get at here, but I think she's way off. I've long said Scott reminds me of Billy Joel in that they are both serviceable, but not fantastic singers who have a gift for using the piano to enhance their performances. Take away the piano and Billy Joel is just some guy in a bar looking for spare change. "Sing us a song, you're the man" just doesn't work. The audience sure seems connected to him each week so something's working. David Archuleta sure seemed to sing different versions of the same song each week last year and made it to the finals, so Scott may do just fine.

Alexis Grace: It was a good replication of the original for me, too. It was solid, but nothing great. I don't really have much more to say on this one.

Danny Gokey: Randy J. had the best comments on this one, too. Danny needs to support his lower register more to stay in tune so we can fully appreciate how great he is when he goes up to his higher register. Danny seemed to connect to this song and did really well with it. He would have made a greater splash if he'd parachuted from the top of the set, though.

Anoop Desai: What a great song choice and arrangement. You could really hear his own voice coming through. I like what Simon said about his attitude. There's no sense in talking back and complaining about songs and judges' opinions. Just take the criticism, use what you can, and come back stronger. I'm glad to see him redeem himself.

Megan Joy Corkrey: I'm still not convinced I like her much. She seems nice enough, and I'm sure she's a lovely person, but I can't get on board with her singing style. From her strange pronunciation (I've lived in Utah and Megan's singing accent isn't from there) to her awkward torso twist I just don't get it. She did pick the right style in which to sing this incredibly overdone song, though. I don't know.

Matt Giraud: If I had to vote for only one performance tonight it would be Matt's. I loved it. He's a great pianist who knows exactly how to use it in his presentation. His work on the ivories wasn't overdone, but was perfectly appropriate. He sounded way more confident this week and I'm glad to hear Simon give him his due. I did find it interesting that Paula didn't tell him to lose the piano at some point. When you give a great performance all that peripheral stuff doesn't matter.

PREDICTIONS FOR THE BOTTOM 3: Michael, Megan, Lil
BUYING A TICKET FOR THE IDOL TOUR: Michael
WILL THE JUDGES USE THEIR SAVE? A simple "no."

THIS WEEK'S SIGN THE APOCALYPSE IS UPON US: Ryan's IRS-inspired tie clip.

Idol Does Country

There were two kinds of performances tonight--"Good, but not good enough" and "Amazing." There were no in betweens.

Ryan started out the night looking like a total poindexter sporting that ugly dotted tie with the gold bar clip. I would've liked to see Ryan step out in jeans and a green T-shirt that said "I'm magically delicious."

But at least he looked presentable. Unlike the Brit with the ridiculously stretched out shirt (listen to me, critiquing fashion--my SILs Emily and Jessica will be so proud). I have absolutely no problem whatsoever with Simon wearing the same 2 alternating outfits every night of the year. That's fine. I myself could wear jeans, a white t-shirt, and black cardigan every day quite happily. But when you have millions of dollars, dude, at least buy new shirts. You know, so they look like they fit. Or something.

Truth is we wouldn't even notice if we didn't have to watch the 4 of them make their self-congratulatory walk every week. Seriously, this is going to be a weekly thing now? Ugh.

Randy Travis. He's all right, but reminds me of someone too uptight to hear anything outside the box. Is he on some sort of drug? I didn't know whether to be creeped out by his mannerisms or just put out, but he strikes me as an ultra conservative who doesn't know how to consider anything beyond what he deems as "normal." And dude is missing out. He's a one-trick pony and his pony does nothing but twang. Man, the sitar ROCKED. But more on that later.

And just so you know, I'm in the mood for credit. Let it be known that I made three predictions before they happened and I was totally right about all 3. This morning, I totally called what Danny would sing. When Anoop sang, I called that Simon would love it and say he now deserves the top 12. And when Adam was singing, I TOTALLY called what Randy said. Yep, right there. On my back. That's right. Pat. pat. pat.

Michael - Josh Gracin. That's who. Remember this past week when I said he reminded me of someone but I didn't know who and whoever it is is someone I don't like. Yeah, well, we figured out it's Josh Gracin and I was starting to get past it. Until tonight. I've been saying, "He looks like he has a chip on his shoulder, but everyone says he's so nice." I kept trying to see what everyone else saw. But tonight I saw the cocky arrogance that made me dislike Gracin. I hope it's the end of the road for Michael. He did well, but this group is amazing and out of these 11, if 1 shouldn't be on tour, it's Michael. Plus I hate it when people yell, "Whooo!" when they sing. And it's worse when it comes from a guy. And even worse when it's from a roughneck. In case you didn't know what he did for a living.

Allison - She managed to get some rock in that twang. It was really good, but (insert British accent here) "I'm not jumping out of my seat." Still, the girl has mad skills. Skillz? Skills. Skills? Skillz. Skills. Whatever. She's good.

Kris - Tender puppy indeed. Easy on the eyes. Easy on the ears. This boy was smart to come out like he did tonight sans guitar and sans big, flowery arrangement. It was gorgeous and I want to see more of him. He did a very smart thing tonight.

Little - Lil. Little. Lil. Little. Little. Little. Lil. Little. Little. Little. Little. Clearly, this was more memorable for me than the song. Lil has an amazing and powerful voice, but she's not unique. She's too polished. Fantasia would've never pulled this stuff. Even her show-stopping rendition of Summertime was raw. There's nothing raw about Little. Lil. Little. Little. Little. Little. She's a VERY good singer, but it's become passé. She's a few seasons too late, I'm afraid. She's being outperformed by a variety of unique originality. She's coming up on done with her "Lil Rounds."

Adam - I'm sure that his song tonight will get mixed reviews but I am not ashamed that I. LOVED. IT. It was FABULOUS. When I was in high school, alternative rock was my thing and that is EXACTLY what he did tonight on country night!!. I totally, totally called it before Randy even said it. Man, anyone, ANYONE who can pull off that kind of song on that kind of stage with that kind of chutzpah and come off sounding like a mix of The Cure, Mick Jagger, and Kiss to an arrangement that has both electric guitars and sitar music while the audience sits transfixed and mesmerized by his talent, falsetto, and absolute and utter audacity deserves to sail all the way to the top. I LOVE this guy. Love him. He does what only guys like Constantine, Daughtry, and David Cook have been able to do--keep us waiting in weekly anticipation of what in the world he's going to do this time and wow us with his artistry with a big, old "in your face" performance. And to do what he did on country night? He has my vote. Again and again and again. LOVE this guy. LOVED this performance. Nine Inch Nails does country? For once, I am TOTALLY on the Randy train. He is SPOT on. LOVED it.

Scott - You know, he's not perfect in his pitch all the time, but he is fantastic. He has a gorgeous, rich tone to his voice and I want more. He did an amazing job tonight and I think he is just fine behind the piano. I know that he might get boring fast, but hey, so did Archuletta. At least this guy is interesting. I hope he doesn't keep singing Archuletta ballads every single week, but he already seems far more uptempo than that. I like him. He deserves to stick around a bit longer. I think the judges don't want to come across like they're going easy on him because of his visual impairment and so they're sticking their feet in their mouth and, consequently, all landing on their behinds. Good grief, for like 8 weeks we hear, "Oh Scott, we can't wait til you're behind the piano. That's when your magic happens." And then we get 2 weeks of magic and they're all, "Oh Scott, don't use the piano." What? We JUST got the piano. Let him be. And bring on the Elton John weeks.

Alexis - It was okay. I don't know what else to say. It didn't suit her. When they said she kind of looks like Dolly Parton, I was all, "What?! No she doesn't!" And then Mark says, "Yeah, she kind of does." And I'm all, "Ohhh, I guess so." And then sheepishly, "That's not what I thought they meant." And Mark says, "Dolly Parton does have other features." I thought they were mocking Alexis. Hey shut up. We A cups have to stick together.

Danny - I so totally called this song for him tonight. The first part was rough but then it was awesome. I agree with Randy (weird, I know)--he needs to learn to control those lower, more tender notes. But as a power singer, this boy's got soul and this boy can sing the holy crap out of anything. He done good.

Anoop - That. Was. Awesome. I loved it. I like this guy. He's back. He did a smart thing. We got a humbled Anoop tonight and he sang his way right back into our hearts and minds. I like this guy very much and was happy to hear him get well-deserved praise. Anoop Dawg is in the house!

Megan - Wait, more credit for me. I called that she was sick! Pat, pat, pat. Thank you. Thank you. She looked GORGEOUS tonight. But I'm still uncomfortable when she sings. Or dances. Or both. Or something. Her intonation. Or nasal voice. Or something. It's very strange. Sometimes I dig it and sometimes I don't. Mostly I don't. But I do. But tonight, I didn't. Or something.

Matt - WOW! Wow wow wow wow WOW! I LOVE MATT! I have loved him ever since I heard him audition. When he sang "Georgia" in Hollywood, I do believe I applauded from my living room. That's right, I did. And tonight? I applauded again! There's something very sexy about his laid back, kind personality and demeanor combined with that raw, passionate, soulful singing. Add to that that the guy plays piano in a way that only people BORN with those skills can do? And you've got STAR power. This guy is a star. I have never agreed so much with Randy in one night EVER. From Timberlake to Buble? Amen, dawg. Amen. This guy finally got the credit he deserves.

MAN this year is tough. They're all good! My favorites tonight -- Kris, Adam, Scott, Danny, Anoop, and Matt (pretty much all the guys but Michael and no girls).

But Adam and Matt were tops for me by far. Followed by Anoop and Kris. Followed by Danny and Scott. And when I say "followed," I mean like milk follows cookies. As in, "follows" but really they go together. That's my Paula way of saying that I'm trying to rank order them, but they're almost ALL on par just the same for me.

My least favorites - Michael and the girls

Going home and not going on tour - Michael (though I think 'Little' is in trouble, too)

And we've come full circle: There were two kinds of performances tonight--"Good, but not good enough" and "Amazing." There were no in betweens.