My Apologies

Hey guys. So I know you were looking to find a review of all of last nights performances, but I'm not going to be able to post that today. I know that takes away some of the fun of elimination night, but I have been swamped this week and finding the time necessary to provide you with the best source of AI news and reviews is proving challenging. I will share with you that my favorite performance was Siobhan's. She was cracking a little on her glory note, but other than that, it was really nice. My least favorite was (surprise, surprise) Lacey Brown. She is who I'm voting out this week. And as I said before I will continue to do so until she is gone or I wise up to the fact that I must be missing something with her.

I will post my reviews, hopefully, tomorrow with the elimination results. Sorry about this, folks.

Your American Idol Junkie,

Billy

We have our Top 12: Elimination Results (SPOILER ALERT!)

After a week of a few really good performances, and a few really terrible performances, it's now time to discover who America has voted into the coveted Top 12! This is the point in the competition where the remaining contestants will move from the small, circular stage to the full blown, extravagant, spared no expense stage. This is the final "step" in showing that you really made it on Idol. Making the Top 24 is good and all, but no one ever remembers the contestants who didn't make the Top 12. Plus, they get to now make the ever-so-entertaining Ford commercials... :-\.

This results show proved to be a night of upsets! Going into the evening, my picks to go home were Paige, Lacey, Aaron, and Todrick. These all seemed like obvious choices to me, but America disagreed with my assessment, apparently. Let's take a look at how this episode shook down and who will be gracing us with their presence next week.

Idol is wasting no time this week! After a brief intro of the judges, Ryan lets the contestants "perform" their prerecorded version of Michael Buble's "I Just Haven't Met You Yet." This is an odd choice of song for them to be singing. There is a supreme lack of energy (even though it's pre-recorded) and the contestants (again) look incredibly uncomfortable. The tempo is so slow that the choreography feels like they are counting like this: one, pause...., two, pause.... Once again, Idol has let the cheese flow in this group performance. When will they realize that no one particularly cares for these half-hearted, fake performances? I digress. Moving on.

Up first are the girls, who all appear really emotional. The top row consists of Didi Benami, Siobhan Magnus, Katelyn Epperly, and Paige Miles. Didi and Siobhan are quickly given access to their Top 12 stools, which are still just as metallic and uncomfortable looking as ever. "Congrats on making the Top 12 guys! Now suffer in silence for the rest of the show as you endure the pain of cushion-less, metal seats! MWAHAHA!" At least that's what I hear Simon Fuller screaming crazily in my head. It's down to Paige and Katelyn, and just as I was about to check one right pick off the list (Paige), Ryan bursts my bubble and states that Katelyn will be leaving us tonight and Paige is safe. WHAT?! I agree that Katelyn did not live up to last weeks performance, but it was certainly not worse than Paige's last few have been! I guess this goes to show you that if you perform a merely ok, middle of the road version of a song, people will be less likely to pick up the phone and vote for you like they would if you botched it and they wanted to vote for you due to sympathy. I think this is what happened here. America got this one wrong, and America knows it. Sadly, it's too late for our poodle-haired blond. She sings her song again (and again, it's merely ok), then switches from bubbly performance mode to full breakdown in tears mode in Lilly's arms. I'm sad to see her go. I think she could have done well. VFTW is applauding their victory in Paige.

Next, Ryan switches to the guys and has the top row join him center stage. This row consists of Tim Urban, Todrick Hall, Lee Dewyze, and Casey James. He started with Tim, but told him to "hang tight." Doesn't he know that this kid is almost on the verge of tears every episode. That's mean to keep him in suspense. He then give a little background for each of the contestants, and informs Casey that he is safe. He starts doing the slow clap that he did in Hollywood and you can tell that he wants to do his rooster crow, excited yell again, but he manages to refrain. Ryan quickly tells Tim that he is safe, and he appears shocked, relieved, and overwhelmed all at the same time. Thank you for being merciful, Ryan. Now, it's down to Todrick and Lee, and this was no shock to me. Lee clearly has been hyped more than Todrick and has the rocker fans on his side. My prediction that Michael Lynche stole Todrick's thunder last night and cost him some votes turns out correct. Ryan tells Todrick that he will be heading home, and he performs "Somebody to Love" one more time, and very well I might add. He still deserved to go home, though.

The guest performers tonight are Matt Giraud and Scott MacIntyre, continuing with the theme of last seasons contestants returning, who do a little dueling piano action to Billy Joel's "Tell Her About It." Matt, who is sans mini-Matt (the huge mole that was on his forehead) showed that he'd be a contender this season, while Scott showed that he'd be among some of the fodder that is currently in the competition. It was fun though and they killed the pianos. When Ryan said "Nice to see you, Scott." he replied, "Nice to see you too, Ryan." Um, way to poke fun at the blind guy Ryan...

The remaining 8 contestants are brought back out to the couches, with the girls on the top row and the guys on the bottom. The guys are up first. Ryan asks Michael Lynche to stand, which he does, but also proceeds to walk center stage. A shocked Ryan looks hilarious and Michael claims that is what Debbie (the stage manager) told him to do. He is obviously safe. Aaron Kelly is next and he starts off facing the completely wrong way! What in the world, kid? It should be self explanatory, just face the cameras! He was my other pick to go home after several bad performances, but America is once again wrong and keeps him around. He is becoming my least favorite contestant ever I think. Even more than Gokey was last year. Now it's down to Alex Lambert and Andrew Garcia. Preparing myself for the shock of Andrew going home, Ryan quickly shows that he is safe and Alex will be leaving us. This was probably one of the saddest eliminations I've ever seen on the show. Here was a guy with a good, distinctive voice, who was settling down and getting into stride, but it all proved to be a little too late. After a shaken encore performance of "Trouble," Alex breaks down into a puddle of tears on national television. When we come back from the break, the contestants are still around him and he is bawling, as is a visibly shaken Siobhan. Ryan says that you could hear a pin drop in the auditorium during the break and I'd believe it. Ryan then helps Alex off the stage in an awkward moment so that he could continue the show.

Last up are the 4 remaining ladies, Crystal Bowersox, Lacey Brown, Lilly Scott, and Katie Stevens, who has rivaled Alex as the biggest puddle of the evening. Crystal is undoubtedly safe, but looks like someone has kicked her puppy really, really hard. The culmination of tonight's results are obviously hitting her hard and she seems more sad about her friends leaving than her progressing. Lacey Brown, my final pick, is deemed safe and I'm unsure why. Whatever, you have no shot to win, so what's the point in staying on a few more weeks? The final decision is between Lilly and Katie. I was thinking that Katie was going to be cut after struggling to find herself in the live performances, but something told me that Lilly was going to be the upset toss. Turns out, Lilly was the one who was heading home. You could tell that she was surprised, shocked, flabbergasted, and any other synonym at the result. She got a little sassy before her swan song and was visibly angry. Her performance of "I Fall To Pieces" was again only ok. I think that her doing the same thing weekly ended up hurting you. She was also probably too quirky for a show who's main demographic is high school girls. Given Lilly and Katie, they will vote in one of their own every time.

After the most crying I've seen on the show in a long time, we finally have our Top 12. They are:

Aaron Kelly
Andrew Garcia
Casey James
Crystal Bowersox
Didi Benami
Lacey Brown
Lee Dewyze
Katie Stevens
Michael Lynche
Paige Miles
Siobhan Magnus
Tim Urban

Tonight had 3 people leave, in Katelyn, Lilly and Alex, who were probably sent home way to early, while less talented people, such as Lacey, Paige, and Aaron were allowed to move on undeservedly. This is the strangest Top 12 that I've seen in a while, and barring some out of nowhere awesome performances from several of the contestants, the Top 4 seems a pretty easy pick right now with Michael, Crystal, Casey, and Siobhan distancing themselves from the pack.

What do you guys think? Did America make a mistake/several mistakes in who was sent home?

Until next time...

Your American Idol Junkie,

Billy

Top 8 Guys: Guitar Heroes

After an ok, but less than spectacular showing from the girls on Tuesday, the guys took the stage with a mission: to prove that they are not the fodder that the blogosphere has reduced them to. This season of American Idol mirrors UNC's basketball season in a way. Last year, UNC won the NCAA National Championship and Idol had it's most memorable season to date with some of the most talented contestants we've seen on the show. This year, UNC has struggled mightily with a less talented squad, just as Idol has done of late. It's a rebuilding year for both squads, but the guys are here tonight to show that they have what it takes to rebound this year (hopefully UNC can follow their lead in the ACC tournament). With guitars in hand (5 of 8 had an acoustic), they aim to change the judges minds about this season being a "girls year." Do they measure up? Let's find out!

Lee Dewyze- "Fireflies" by Owl City

This is an interesting song choice for Lee. Interesting in a kind of good way. I was expecting him to come out with another 2nd rate version of a modern rock band hit, but I was pleasantly surprised when he went for the peppy "Fireflies." He switched it up a bit by adding the acoustic guitar, and it fit very nicely. His gravely tone gave the song a different feel, and while it was pitchy for most of the song (as are most of his performances), this was by far his most tolerable, in my opinion. I'm not sure I see the confidence increase that the judges are noticing in him, but he was a little more comfortable than last week. It wasn't a mind blowing performance by any means. It was merely ok, but I think that he did enough with it to keep him around. If he wants a shot of being a true contender, not just one that the judges shower with praises for no reason, he has to let go of the nerves and focus on what he's singing so that he doesn't loose his notes halfway through each phrase.

Alex Lambert- "Trouble" by Ray LaMontagne

The judges keep talking about it, but Alex really does have a cool tone to his voice. This was a good pick for him because it fit that raspy, muffled style well. He sang it well and seemed like he is settling into who he is as an artist. I think that the judges are giving him the best criticisms week in and week out, because he can actually take what they say and apply it to his performances. Randy says it was a tad too fast and Kara says that she wished that it would have just been him and a guitar. Combine those two and I think he could have had a moment on the stage. What I take away from this performance is that he still does have a ways to go in terms of loosening up, as Simon said, but his innocence and vulnerability keeps him relatable. I don't think we have to worry about him becoming a "cocky banana" as Ellen put it. :-/. And I really hope that Simon doesn't work it out so that Randy is in a bikini next week, should Alex return. That would haunt my dreams for forever.

Tim Urban- "Hallelujah" by Leonard Cohen/Jeff Buckley

When Ryan announced that Tim would be singing this song, I immediately got worried. It's a great song, but it's so overdone on Idol that people are not only comparing you to the original artist(s), but also to others who have graced the same stage with that tune and killed it. Jason Castro didn't have the best voice on season 7, but he slayed this song. Once Tim started singing it, I relaxed a bit. If it were any other contestant, it might have been less good than it seemed, but with the struggles that Tim has been having this season, this was a breath of fresh air for him. His voice was pleasing and suited the song well. His guitar playing wasn't shabby and he seemed comfortable singing it. This was the best performance from him by far. He stayed in his tessitura and didn't try to oversing it (I'm not sure if he has the skills needed to oversing any song). After Ellen ran to the stage to hug him, you could tell that he felt like he finally deserved to be on that stage. I'm liking Ellen more and more every week. Now that he has two serviceable performances under his belt, he needs to relax and find a way to change people's opinions of him as just the ok guy that is skating by based on looks alone.

Andrew Garcia- "Genie In a Bottle" by Christina Aguilera

Andrew Garcia. Song choice- you're doing it wrong. He is so far into his own head right now that I don't think he knows who he is as an artist anymore. Trying to replicate the magic that you experienced once by using the same formula on a different song rarely works. When I heard he was singing a Christina Aguilera song, I joked that it'd be hilarious if he did "Genie in a Bottle." And he did not disappoint. 1) The lyrics do not fit him in the slightest. A guy should not be singing those words. 2) This might have been the sloppiest vocal I've heard from him yet. Yes, he can still sing, but this was sub par for him. 3) He claims that he didn't want to force anything or overthink it, but I don't think he thought about it enough. Reverting back to the "Straight Up" formula came off as sheer desperation- an attempt to regain some of his fans that have jumped ship. Andrew has hit a wall and he could be in trouble this week. Does he have enough fans to carry him through 3 weeks of disappointing showings?

Casey James- "You'll Think of Me" by Keith Urban

Casey was a bit gimmicky last week with his shredding of the electric guitar and attempt at performing a pop song. It was good, but forced. This week, he takes it down a notch and plays with just an acoustic while sitting on a stool. Singing a country song, Casey sounded great. There were no truly amazing parts of the song, per se, but it was a very good rendition of a great song. He could really make it big as a country artist. He has the look, the voice, and instrumental skill to be a Brad Paisley type of singer. This was a smart pick because he is showing a more vulnerable side by doing a ballad and he is only increasing his reachable voting demographic. I think that many-a-country fan will be voting for Casey this week. He is a lock for the top 10, so there is nothing more to really say.

Aaron Kelly- "I'm Already There" by Lonestar

Speaking of country, Aaron Kelly is going back to his best genre after a so-so performance of "My Girl" last week. Sadly, his best genre is still not that great. This song is a smart pick for him, seeing as it fits his range and his voice should sound good on it. Key word: should. But it doesn't. He is extremely pitchy in his lower registry, he sounds like he is straining on some of the higher (not really that high) notes, and he sounds nasal most of the time. Throw in a couple of ill-advised, poorly sung runs and you get what he delivered on that stage. It is well known that I'm not a fan of his, but unlike Lee Dewyze, who at least tried to entertain me, Aaron remains at the bottom of my rankings. He is not a strong performer. Watching his movements and stage presence is like watching a really bad actor who thinks he's awesome. He even does his best impersonation of Billy Mack from Love actually when he sings (like he's sitting on an imaginary chair). I hope that America is tired of his incessant mediocrity and sends him home.

Todrick Hall- "Somebody to Love" by Queen

I'm indifferent about Todrick right now. He sings well enough and is entertaining, but there is something about him that I just can't grasp. He performs a Queen song and makes it somewhat gospel. It's decent, I suppose, but after watching it again, it was not quite as good as the judges made it out to be. There was a lack of energy to the song and it seemed like he only sang 3 notes the whole time. He also likes to oversing every phrase in every song, and that's something that gets old REALLY quick. This was a bit of a welcomed change from all of the slow, acoustic songs that we've had up to this point, but it just didn't do too much for me.

Michael Lynche- "This Woman's Work" by Maxwell

Michael Lynche has the pimp spot this week, which pretty much guarantees that he will be in the top 12. For safe measure though, he blows the doors off of this performance. Maxwell is no easy artist to sing, but Big Mike does it with relative ease. You can tell that this song is relevant to him, as he sings about his wife and family. The confidence that he portrays up there is unparalleled by any of the other contestants, male or female. The fact that he made Kara cry is also impressive. We used to joke on Paula for getting weepy at a lot of songs, but Kara usually is more reserved than that usually, and it seems like it would take something exceptionally moving to invoke that type of response. Simon hit the nail on the head. It's not only the best performance of the night, it's the best of the season. Mike is now the front runner after that performance.

Well, there you have it guys. I was very impressed with the guys tonight. With the first 5 singers choosing to accompany themselves on guitar, Ellen should have no problem differentiating that from a piano next time. There were only 2 performances that I didn't like on some level, though my critiques might suggest more. If it were up to me, I would send Aaron Kelly home without a second thought. The second spot is up for grabs right now. Todrick kind of got showed up by Big Mike at the end and I think that might hurt his votes. Andrew Garcia would be a shock to some if he went home, but not to me. As a friend of mine said, he is the new Lil' Rounds. He blew you away initially, but then became boring after doing the same thing time and time again. I think his fans will still pull him through this week, and Todrick will be on the outside looking in. Aaron and Todrick are my final predictions.

What do you guys think? Are the guys improving and showing that they can win over the girls this season?

Until next time...

Your American Idol Junkie,

Billy

Top 8 Girls: Two Steps Forward, One Step Back

Another week has gone by for the ladies in Idol Land. They have sung their songs and now are counting on us to pull them through to next week. With Idol shaving down the show to only 1 hour, they aren't wasting any time at the beginning, except to give an overly dramatic introduction to the contestants. I am not that overly dramatic, so I'll just go ahead and get started with the reviews.

Katie Stevens- "Breakaway" by Kelly Clarkson

This is beginning to get frustrating. Katie is definitely one of the best natural singers on the competition, but she has no idea what she is doing when it comes to song choice. I understand her trying to take the judges criticisms and apply them week in and week out, but she should only do that up to a certain point. They don't know what kind of artist she is, so they are suggesting young, peppy songs, when she is not that kind of singer at all. Her voice is much more mature than her age would suggest. This performance was sloppy from beginning to finish. She was off beat for much of the song, her usually good pitch was subject to nerves, the chorus was too big for her, and she completely sucked the energy out of the song. Simon tells her, "you sucked...the energy out of the room." Nice pause. This was the worst that I've seen her perform all season. After the judges said that it didn't seem like she connected with the song, she said, "I DID connect with the song, because I grew up in a small town." Yes, and I'm sure that when the rain would fall down, you'd just stare out your window. Not exactly the kind of material to grasp for in a song if you want to connect to it. I think Katie has fans, but it's a tough call after this weeks performance. She had better pray that other contestants stumble as well.

Siobhan Magnus- "House of the Rising Sun" by The Animals

After an energetic, upbeat powerhouse last week with Aretha, complete with crazy high notes, Siobhan decides to take it down a notch this week with "House of the Rising Sun," and does a good job with it. She starts it out completely a cappella, giving it a haunting, ethereal feel. That is taking a risk, because singing a cappella in this tight of a competition is no easy feat. I think it's brilliant, and she sings the rest of the song equally as well. You can tell that she has the most dynamic voice of the bunch, but she doesn't have to give us everything she has in order to sound great. After the music kicked in, the song stayed relatively the same and didn't go anywhere, but I think she did enough with the beginning to let her off the hook. The judges liked it for the most part, but Simon was a little skeptical about who she is as an artist. That is fair (even though half of the girls don't know who they are as an artist) because I can't think of what type of music she'd fit into either. She will be around for the top 12, easily.

Lacey Brown- "The Story" by Brandi Carlile

Lacey shows week in and week out that her voice is not up to par with the rest of the girls. And seeing that I personally know 8 girls who can sing better than these 8, that means she's not up to par with the general singing public. This show is supposed to be about finding the best singers in America, not letting mediocre (at best) talent through just because they were a little better than they were last year. I don't know how/why she is still here, but someone out there likes her. She takes the same approach as she did the first week by sitting down and singing a ballad. She sings it well enough, I guess, but there is nothing there for me. She does nothing interesting with the song, with her voice, or with her performance. I'm bored less than 30 seconds in, as is Randy, but he still says that it was her best performance so far. That is not saying much. I like her look, but she just does not have the vocal chops to compete at this level. I will keep predicting her departure until America gets it right and sends her on her way. Nothing but love, Lacey.

Katelyn Epperly- "I Feel the Earth Move" by Carole King

After back to back weeks of exceeding the expectations I had of her, Katelyn comes back down a peg this week with a lackluster performance that is devoid of any energy, even though it's up tempo. She plunks around on a keyboard while standing, which is slightly awkward for her, but you can barely hear the instrument as the rest of the band swallows her. She sings the song well, stays on pitch, and has that nice rasp to her voice, but you can tell that the keyboard is throwing her off her game. She tries to energize the song with her playing, rather than her singing, and it makes for an easily forgettable performance. Simon said that it sounded like she was taking requests on a Friday night in a restaurant, and it's true. I did think it was funny that they said "I like how you are rocking the Carol King hair (aka nappy head)" and she gave a look that was like, "this is how my hair always looks." :( They like your crazy mane, Katelyn, even if they basically called it nappy.

Didi Benami- "Rhiannon" by Fleetwood Mac

Channeling the same vibe that she gave us when we started liking her in Hollywood Week, Didi came out and gave an acoustic version of this song and showed us again who she is as an artist. She isn't a pop artist that does a lot of runs and belts out notes like she tried to do last week. She is an Ingred Michaelson/Regina Spektor type of artist who is known more for their distinct voice and lyrics rather than technical ability (not to belittle their technical ability, because they are great). She connected with the song and made it fit her style. I enjoyed this performance a lot, but the problem that I see with her is that this is her only truly great zone. This is the place that she'd be as an artist, but she can't win the show doing only performances like this. It's fine once in a while, but in order to have a legit shot at winning, she needs to figure out a way to take the emotion and comfort that she uses in songs like this and put them into something new and more appealing to a larger demographic of voters.

Paige Miles- "Smile" by Charlie Chaplin

So what's funny about this song is that when Paige was performing it, I said some lame joke about how Charlie Chaplin could sing this song better, meaning that he wouldn't sing it at all since he did silent films and still sound better. But he DID write this song and I had completely forgot about that at the time. The subconscious is crazy! Anyway, Paige sounded awful on this song. It was bad. Really bad. There was no power in her voice whatsoever. She was timid in her delivery and it felt forced. She said she picked it because she liked it and because Michael Jackson sang it (her BFF), but she did nothing with it. She shouldn't pick a song that she likes over a song that will get her votes, unless she's trying to go home. There is a happy medium there that contestants have to find: a song that you like enough to connect to, but one that people voting for you will also dig. This song was entirely forgettable, sung poorly, and she didn't even smile, so I am thinking that she will join Lacey on the outs this week.


Crystal Bowersox- "Give Me One Reason" by Tracy Chapman


This was probably the best performance of the night. Crystal came out there, did her thing, had fun, sang well, played well, and still managed to keep charming America with her honesty to herself. She is staying in her niche right now because she knows that's what the fans are voting for. These early rounds are where you can pick whatever song/genre you want to establish a fan base. So far she has played these rounds incredibly smart by either picking extremely popular 90's songs or revamping a song soulfully. She is a shoe-in for the top 12, but I do wonder what she will bring to the table once they start having to adhere to theme nights. I guess we will cross that bridge when we come to it. VFTW did make a funny statement about her being on the chaw again because her teeth are getting brown again. It's so wrong, but I laughed really hard when I read it.

Lilly Scott- "I Fall to Pieces" by Patsy Cline

Where I was once a big Lilly fan, my allegiance is fading. The judges are constantly telling her how amazing she is, though she does the same thing each week. Crystal stays to the same niche, but still switches it up a bit. I feel like Lilly is singing the same song every week. This was a smart song choice, because she is trying to gain some of the country voters since there is no clear cut country singer on the show. Good luck prying those away from Aaron Kelly, who is the closest thing to that genre on the show. I think I liked her at first because she was unique, but now that she is no longer novel, she doesn't seem quite as good. I want to see her on a stool, singing a ballad with a piano accompaniment, and kill it. She has talent, I'm not doubting that, but up to date, we've only seen one portion of that talent and it's getting worn out. She was in the pimp spot, which guarantees that she is safe, but she needs to shake things up a bit.

All in all, the performances were ok. Last week was two steps forward from week 1. This week was one step back, in my opinion. The girls, for the most part, sang their songs well, but lacked the same "fire" in their eyes that they had last week. Either they are getting complacent or they are letting the pressure get to them. Either way, they need to start making strides to right whatever wrongs are going on right now, because the girls that are lucky enough to survive this week get to compete against the guys next week. It's always harder once the Co-Ed portion of the show starts because the competition is so different and the voters tend to find their favorites and stick with them.

From the girls, I think that we will be saying goodbye to Lacey and Paige. Lacey is just average and Paige performed well below the standards that were set for her by the judges. Would anyone really be sad to see them go? Didn't think so.

Who do you think the front runner is right now? The judges have labeled this a "girls year" to win it all. After last night, do you think they are right?

Until next time...

Your American Idol Junkie,

Billy

Top 20: Elimination Results (SPOILER ALERT!)

The songs have been sung. The votes have been tallied. Elimination night is upon us, and once again, we will be saying goodbye to four contestants from the Top 20. Several of the contestants made giant strides this week, notably Alex Lambert and Katelyn Epperly, while others seem to be taking steps back. Several of the once-thought-to-be front runners found themselves at the mercy of some harsh comments from the judges panel. Andrew Garcia, Casey James, and Katie Stevens all performed well by conventional standards, but they seem to be digressing in terms of relevance from where they once were. That does not mean that they aren't still at the head of the class, but they are allowing others to creep up on them. In a competition as important as this, they can not afford to let that happen.

The group gets us started off with a very lax performance of "I Got A Feeling" by the Black Eyed Peas. First things first, this song needs to be retired ASAP. It's reaching Creed levels of annoyance. It has been on the charts for 38 weeks and JUST fell out of the top 20 (to 21...). Second, the lyrics are definitely misleading for 1/5th of the contestants. Tonight is NOT going to be a good night for four of them. Tonight will be the night that they struggle to repeat a bad song choice that resulted in them getting eliminated. Third, I didn't catch it last week, but this week the contestants are definitely lip syncing. You can tell because everyone is so on pitch and blends far too well. Also, because they auto-tuned the crap out of it. The choreography (if you can call it that) was horrible. Tim Urban and Casey James can not pull of thug. Neither can Lilly Scott or Crystal Bowersox. Everyone looked horribly uncomfortable up there and it definitely showed in there deer in the headlights expressions.

Ryan wastes no time after the first commercial break. The guys are first on the chopping block. The top row consists of Michael Lynche, Casey James, Todrick Hall, John Park, and Tim Urban. Tim Urban is called up first and he is declared safe. This was not shocking. VFTW (this is how I will refer to votefortheworst) recently found pictures of a shirtless Tim at some sort of event where he was in a bathing suit with a contestant number. I'm not sure if he was modeling the swimsuit or participating in some kind of pageant (I don't know what you call a pageant for guys). Either way, VFTW is just piling on the tween votes because of it. Todrick is up next, but Ryan throws him a curve ball and tells him that he needs to remain standing. He then moves on to Michael Lynche, who is obviously safe after his soulful rendition of James Brown. Casey James also has nothing to worry about, except the hair/makeup people on Idol making him look more and more womanish. He looked like he was one dress shy of being in full drag on Tuesday. They put a little too much makeup on him, especially lipstick. So now it's down to Todrick and John Park. Drats! Those are both the guys that I predicted to be leaving. At least I'll definitely get one right. After Ryan talks to them for a bit, he reveals that John Park will be going home. This gives me a good idea of who will be joining John. He performs a decent version of "Gravity" again and is sent to the audience. John was a good, good singer, he just failed to deliver the goods in terms of his performances. If he had a little more spark and charisma, I think he would still be around. Lesson learned, but a tad too late.

Next up is the bottom row, which consists of Jermaine Sellers, Andrew Garcia, Alex Lambert, Aaron Kelly, and Lee Dewyze. Lee goes first and is quickly told that he is safe. I still don't get the judges fascination with him, but let's move on. Aaron is also deemed safe, and I still don't get the judges fascination with him either. Either way, he was undoubtedly safe as well. Alex Lambert was the most improved this week by far, and he is rewarded with a trip back to the top 16 next week. This made me happy. Good things do happen! Ryan then brings Jermaine and Andrew center stage to try and over-dramaticize the moment- which is not dramatic at all. Everyone knows that Andrew is safe and Jermaine is heading home. He gives his props to Jesus again and makes another plug for the onesie. He definitely will be getting a call from a company that makes onesies (I wouldn't begin to know who still makes those) and he will be their posterchild. The fact that Andrew was in this position should have him a little worried. I think you could tell in his face that he knows he has to step up his game drastically. Jermaine's farewell song is sung well, probably better than we've heard him all season. The high notes seemed to be there and his runs were smooth. If he could have only brought that when it counted...

In keeping with the trend of having last years contestants perform and show how much better they are than everyone on this season, Danny Gokey returns to Idol's stage to perform his new single "My Best Days." After having a little trouble getting a label after the show last season, Danny decided to make the switch from soul to country. I'm not sure if I agree with that move, seeing as he does not look/sing like a country artist to me, but hey, he's got to do what he's got to do. He performs well and, like Allison and Kris, wipes the floor with this years bunch. In the post-performance interview, he starts spazzing out! I've never seen Danny Gokey this hyper! You can tell he is ubber excited about his budding career (as short lived as it will no doubt be). He comes off as less of a tool when he's not worrying about votes and such. He even gives Ryan the awkward touch before Ryan has a chance to do it to him. How does it feel, Ryan?!

The girls are next. The top row goes first, and consists of Didi Benami, Michelle Delamor, Katie Stevens, Paige Miles, and Lilly Scott. Ryan flies through Lilly, Paige, and Katie, revealing that they are all safe. So, it's down to Didi and Michelle. This is interesting that two really hyped people (the other being Andrew) are in this position. The results are the same as they were with they guys- the one with they hype survives. Michelle is sent home and you can tell that she is visibly shaken by it, but she puts on her best poker face. We have to sit through this song again and I'm dying. I can't explain how much I never want to hear this song again. I was the only person from all the blogs and websites that I follow to get this one right. I wish I could count it as 2, but alas, I can not.

The bottom row is up and consists of Katelyn Epperly, Crystal Bowersox, Haeley Vaughn, Lacey Brown, and Siobhan Magnus. After a heart-wrenching performance on Wednesday, I think that Katelyn is starting to gain some momentum. She is safe. Crystal Bowersox has nothing to worry about after getting rave reviews from the judges, so she's obviously safe. I will mention (and I forgot to include this on yesterday's post) how impressed I was that she didn't milk the pity card. She could have easily done that to win more votes, but rather, she came out and delivered the goods sans the pity party and still did amazing. Ryan skips down to Siobhan and declares her safe. When someone hits a note that ridiculous, they aren't going anywhere. That's what these contestants need to realize. One great song or note can carry you a long way on this show. It's down to Haeley and Lacey, and they are both wearing a headband with some accessory dangling off of it, Lacey a peacock feather, and Haeley, another huge flower that is as big as her head. Simon says that this one is easy, but it got me! I thought for sure that Haeley had a bigger fan base than Lacey, but Haeley is the one sent packing. It's sad when she sings her song, because it sounds horrible. Her emotions get the better of her so much that she can't hit a single note right. This makes it painful to watch, but also somewhat endearing at the same time. She is a likable girl, but she just wasn't ready for this level of competition. I'm glad I didn't take the slap bet on Lacey, or else I would have been screwed, but I do think she has stayed on far too long, given her talent level. She can't possibly last another week, can she? She will definitely be VFTWs new female face.

Well, there y0u have it, guys. John, Jermaine, Michelle, and Haeley are no longer with us (on the show). Do you think this was the right call? Should Lacey have gone before Haeley, or would it really have mattered? Let me know what you think. Also, who are you pulling for? Who is standing out from the pack in your eyes?!

Until next time...

Your American Idol Junkie,

Billy

Top 10 Girls: Lady Marmalade

At 10:00 AM on Tuesday morning, the guys found out that they would be performing first, rather than the girls who were scheduled to sing. Due to a reported complication with diabetes, Crystal Bowersox became extremely ill and had to be rushed to the hospital. In an effort to allow her the chance to compete, they made the swap. This left the fellas with less than 7 hours to prepare (they film around 5 PM in LA- time zones are crazy!). Luckily for us, they seemed to have gotten the memo after last weeks horrendous showing, and performed remarkably better. They seemed to rise to what could have been a very stressful situation and made the most of it. Maybe this was because they didn't have time to psych themselves out and just had to go out there and do it. Or maybe it was because they ditched the nerves after the first performance (for the most part). Either way, it was a step in the right direction.

So, how did the ladies fair? They had an extra day of rehearsal and fine-tuning, so I was expecting a marked improvement here as well. I wasn't disappointed. Many of the gals showed us that they deserved to be where they are. Does this mean that they have won me over for this season? No. They still have a lot of work to do to top any of the past 3 seasons. I'm not sure if that's a reasonable expectation (probably not), but at least the contestants are developing. Like I said earlier, a step in the right direction. Baby steps.

Ok, on to the reviews!

Crystal Bowersox- "Long As I Can See the Light" by Creedence Clearwater Revival

Crystal is up first. This girl is a trooper! Not only did she have the fight in her to perform after being hospitalized, but she came on that stage and killed it! This is a girl who is serious about making a name for herself in this competition. Switching up the arrangement a little, she brought a gospel vibe to a '70s folk song and it fit perfectly. When she mixes her acoustic with some soul, she is amazing. I think this was her best performance by far, and that is coming from a guy who loved her version of "Natural Woman." She knows who she is as an artist and is unwilling to compromise that. I can easily see her being the next Melissa Etheridge/Bonnie Raitt. Her confidence is unwavering and she is incredibly likable. She just put her name back on the ballot for front-runner.

Haeley Vaughn- "The Climb" by Miley Cyrus

Haeley hit the trifecta this week for me, but in a bad way. 1) She sang Miley Cyrus, who might be the least talented superstar in the history of show business. If Miley can sell million of records, I don't see why any one of us can't as well. 2) She sang the song worse than Miley Cyrus. I wasn't sure that was possible. I guess Haeley can defend herself by saying that she doesn't have all the auto tune that Miley does, but still. 3) I just don't get anything about her. Her song choices are terrible for her voice, which is interesting in it's own right. She has a pretty large range, as I've stated before, and can hit some notes with a power that many of the other girls don't possess. She just doesn't know how to control it or harness it for her own benefit. She was pitchy for most of the song, struggling mightily on the bottom end. I also agree with Simon that she is too "smiley." Yes, it's ok to have a bubbly personality and to always be happy, but when you are singing a song that has a serious message to it, like overcoming adversity, you don't want to be grinning like an idiot. Not just for the aesthetic value either. Smiling brightens up the sound of your voice and can cause it to sound overly harsh. Some songs just don't call for a "bright" vocal. Some are meant to be darker and more somber. She still has a lot to learn, but I'm not sure she will be able to learn that on Idol's stage. I think she might be in trouble this week.

Lacey Brown- "Kiss Me" by Sixpence None the Richer

Will we ever really know if Lacey was planning to sing this song this week, or was she just brown-nosing to Kara? I doubt we will ever find the truth, but that shouldn't matter, seeing as Lacey should be packing her bags and heading home after tonight's elimination results. She performed the song well enough, I suppose. It was peppy and "cute," but those kinds of performances are easily forgettable and don't give anyone at home a reason to vote for you. She brought no originality or style to an already plain song. In a competition like this, you at least have to throw in a decent trill or an extended note for the audience to latch on to. That's what they want to see. They don't want to see mediocre vocals that show that you might not deserve to be there. She has done this two weeks in a row now, and I think she will pay for it this week. Of course, I said that last week, and she was safe, but she definitely showed that she is the weakest link on the girls side. Bye Bye, Lacey.

Katie Stevens- "Put Your Records On" by Corinne Bailey Rae

Katie Stevens might have my favorite overall voice in the competition. Her tone is so warm and smooth, and let's face it, it's all about the tone this year. So far we've heard a lot of her voice in that lower, alto register, but in this song, she gave us a little bit of her upper register as well. I enjoyed it. Her flips to head voice were seamless and easy and still maintained the pleasant tone. I agree with Randy about Katie. She has the voice to slay some harder songs if she really put in the effort. This was another safe choice, but she did a good job of listening to the judges critiques from last week. It's funny that they are trying to push her into this teeny-bopper, pop box and she is resisting as much as she possibly can. Can a 17 year old not like more mature music and be better vocally that most kids her age? I think that she needs to take only so much of their advice. I would suggest staying young, but doing something challenging and fun. Christina Aguilera's "Come On Over" would be a good choice. They have very similar, thick tones and Christina is much more difficult to sing than Corinne Bailey Rae. I think she is safe for a while.

Didi Benami- "Lean on Me" by Bill Withers

So, Didi really is Brooke White 2.0. She looks just like her, cries just like her, has the singer/songwriter vibe just like her, but can sing a little better. In this version of "Lean on Me," Didi was trying to show everyone how she wasn't just a nice voice with no tricks. She laid on a heavy dosing of melisma and even had some dynamic notes thrown in there. I think she sang her notes fine. She hit most runs and sounded good tone-wise. The issue I had here was that it was the whitest version of this song I have ever heard. This tune calls for massive amounts of soul to be channeled by the singer. Otherwise, it becomes cheesy. I fear that's what most people took away from the performance. Technically, it was well sung, but it was the wrong song for her. That is not who she is as a vocalist, even though she can sing all the notes required. Didi is having some issues with song-choice and I think she might be suffering from the side effects of doing such a good song in Hollywood like Andrew Garcia. She needs to find a way to bring both sides of her act together: she needs to pick a song that she can relate to and perform well that is in her genre, but add the little pieces of flair to show that she is not just another Brooke White. Safe this week, but no longer a front-runner.

Michelle Delamor- "With Arms Wide Open" by Creed

What in the world? I understand risks, but when you take risks, you should at least use good songs. This song became old and overplayed a week after it hit the air back in 2000. She tried to infuse some R&B stylings to it, but it came across as forced and clumsy. He runs weren't there this week like they were last week. Her tone wavered a bit throughout the song. Her belted notes seemed small and powerless. She even switched to head voice on many of them rather than staying in chest voice. It surprised me that she would be so bold (aka so wrong) this early in the competition, when all she had to do was gain the R&B vote by singing a different song that was less obvious than Alicia Keys. I think she could be in a little bit of trouble this week. I'm not sure if she has the fan base to carry her through bad performances.

Lilly Scott- "A Change is Gonna Come" by Sam Cooke

"Congratulations, you just had your first *moment*." ~Kara. I will disagree with Kara on this point. Sure, Lilly did Lilly and changed the song up to make it more her style, but that doesn't mean it was all THAT great. This is one of the greatest songs of all time, and I was not buying her kool-aid like most of the judges were. She tried to employ too many different vocal styles to it, I thought. One minutes she's light and airy, the next she's trying to belt out high notes, the next she's trying to throw a big run in there, and the next she's trying to change up the phrasing. I'm all for stylizing a song, but that was too much variety. She also didn't have to change the arrangement up that much. Adam Lambert gave last seasons most incredible performance with his own rendition of this song, but he still stayed true to the original melody, paying homage to Sam Cooke's classic. Maybe most other versions of this song are going to pale in comparison to me after last year's, but I just thought that hers was ok. We learned nothing new about Lilly from this performance, or what she is capable of. And that is sad, because I like her, but I think she is capable of more than she's showing us.

Katelyn Epperly- "The Scientist" by Coldplay

This was quite possibly my favorite performance of the night. As most people know, I'm a sucker for piano driven ballads. I don't know why, I just am. Katelyn, behind the keys of an all white piano, performed an emotionally charged version of one of Coldplay's biggest hits. It may have been a tad slow for most people's liking, but I loved it. What it lacked in tempo, it made up for in sheer honesty and superb delivery. This was the first performance that I've seen from an Idol contestant in a long time that felt genuine and sincere. She told a story with her performance and drew you into what she was feeling. Simon called it "corny," but I think her connection with the song was actually inspiring. Aside from one missed run, I did not hear any vocal flaws at all. She has this great, smokey voice that we were never shown in the early rounds. I agree with Kara on this one- I'm kind of loving her right now.

Paige Miles- "Walk Away" by Kelly Clarkson

Paige has been heralded as having the "best voice of all the girls" from Simon. I think this is sort of like him saying that Lee Dewyze has the best voice of all the guys, but no where near the same extent. Paige can sing safe things well. She has a good, middle ground voice that can hit most notes of a typical melody perfectly fine and sound great doing it. My issues with Paige regard anything out of that safe range. She doesn't have that great of a range, she doesn't have as much power as the judges think she does, and she doesn't have the ability to perform runs and riffs as easily as some of the other contestants. She always stays in the same 3 notes it seems and all of her runs sound the exact same. I said this last week- she didn't listen. I'm not sure I would have chosen this song. 1) It's not a hard song to sing at all, except the one note that she decided to flip into head voice and botch. 2) It's far too wordy, as the judges said, and didn't let the viewers hear much actual singing. 3) It's always iffy to choose a song that was sung by another Idol because you will automatically, without question, be compared. Now, Paige sounds a little like Kelly, but without that powerhouse range. I'm just not sure if she is anything more than what we've seen, which is practically the same song two weeks in a row. If she's around next week, she needs to shake things up a bit. She needs to open the doors with a ballad that she can murder and let people see the vocals that have been hidden up to this point.

Siobhan Magnus- "Think" by Aretha Franklin

First, let me start by saying that Siobhan is so odd. This girl is ranking up there in the "strangest contestants ever" category. Her interviews are awkward and quirky, but I think that is part of her charm to the people who are voting for her. Vocally, I like her a lot. She ran a risk with singing Aretha, especially this song. Like Paige's choice, this one is also fairly wordy during the verses, but Siobhan possesses the chops to be able to add some meat to them, even if they are dancing around the same note most of the time. But all that matters not, because you don't even remember those notes after her insane banshee note at the end of the song. It came from absolutely no where and she killed it. It was a B by the way, which is crazy. It was the water-cooler talk around the country and she is guaranteed to be on the show next week. The buzz on the net is that some of Lambert's fans are starting to vote for her due to her out-there sense of style (blue, strapless gown and polka dot shirt!?) and flair for the dramatic notes. That would give her a huge leg up in the competition. I'm interested in seeing what else she can pull out of her bag after that performance.

All in all, the performances were way better than last week. Hopefully they can keep it up and impress us even more come next week.

As for who is going home, I think that Lacey dodged the bullet last week, but she won't be able to again. If I did slap-bets, I would definitely take that one. As for the other girl hitting the road, I think that it SHOULD be Haeley, but I think it will ultimately be either Michelle or Paige, just due to them not really killing it and not having the fan base that Haeley supposedly has. For the guys, I had John Park and Todrick Hall heading home tonight. I wouldn't be surprised if Jermaine or Tim went home instead of Todrick, but Jermaine has a better personality (which matters since he's splitting the R&B votes with Todrick) and Tim has the tweens and VFTW. So, my final picks are: Lacey, Michelle, John, and Todrick. You heard it here first.

How do you think this episode stacked up? Are you feeling a little less frustrated now that the contestants are starting to put up some decent performances? Is a girl definitely going to win this year? All things I want to know.

Until next time...

Your American Idol Junkie,

Billy

Top 10 Guys: It's a Man's World

Welcome to Week 2! This week has the same format as last week did. 2 guys and 2 girls will ultimately be sent home on Thursday. After an unexpected trip the hospital sidelined Crystal Bowersox, Idol got creative and decided to throw the guys in a night early in hopes that she could return to perform on Wednesday. I was slightly nervous when I found this out. The guys were downright painful to listen to last go-round. I thought that going a night a head of schedule wasn't going to do them any favors. Luckily, the boys stepped up to the plate and gave a pretty serviceable performance episode. I might have accepted anything after last week, but this week was vastly improved!

I'm not going to waste any time. On to the reviews!

Michael Lynche- "It's a Man's World" by James Brown

So, we find out that Big Mike has a flair for the dramatic in his bumper video. That is hilarious to me. What's even more funny is that he can curl little Aaron Kelly. This guy is a hoot. I like him a lot. This was, by far, Michael's best performance on the show. Channeling his inner Ruben Studdard, Michael crooned out a goldie, showing that he is not just the fun-loving body builder, but a serious contender in this competition. His confidence is unmatched at this point in the competition, by both the other guys and the girls. He has a swagger on the stage that you just can't teach. It's innate. He also showed us with his vocals that he might have what it takes to be a great R&B artist. It was smooth, on pitch, and had the right amount of frill to spice it up, without sounding like he was over singing it. He is undoubtedly safe.

John Park- "Gravity" by John Mayer

Oh, John Park. I don't know what to say, really. He is one of the best pure vocalists in the competition. He has the tone and control to be extremely good, but he does not know how to play the game. This competition, though heralded as a singing competition, is much more than vocals alone. The tag line for the show is "The Search for a Superstar." This encompasses everything- from singing, to performing, to personality, to likability, to relevance, etc, etc. John only has the singing portion of that list. His version of "Gravity" was about as dull as he could have made it. The soul that John Mayer puts into his music was simply not there. The heart that he said he was putting into the song never showed in his performance. It was another ballad, which is all we've heard him sing, and one that was too middle of the road and forgettable. Middle of the road performances are always the worst. That means that you didn't do well enough for anyone to vote for you due to shear excitement over how well you did, but you also did not do bad enough for your fan base to feel sorry for you and vote like crazy so that you'll stay around another week. I'm calling John Park's time on this show done after this week.

Casey James- "I Don't Wanna Be" by Gavin DeGraw

So, aside from the fact that Casey James looks like an overgrown Hanson brother, dudeman can kill the guitar. He is far and away the best guitarist that the show has ever seen in it's 9 seasons. Is that enough, though? To me, Casey shined when he played his blues song in Hollywood week. Last week was good, but not great. This week was about the same. His rendition of "I Don't Wanna Be" will be remembered more for his playing than his singing. Doing a song that is so widely done on the show, you run the risk of turning people away just from them being tired of hearing the song. I think this may have been the case this week. The more he is on the stage, the more he shows that he is not vocally where he needs to be at this point in the competition. I don't know if it's nerves or vibrato, but his voice is digressing week after week. I'm not a big fan of the Eddie Vedder sound. It doesn't work for him. He didn't have that ubber-fast vibrato in Hollywood, and it would serve him well to lose it now. Does this mean I think he's in trouble? Heck no. He is clearly safe. My critiques are things that he needs to iron out now so that he doesn't have to when he makes it to the top 10 overall. When, not if.

Alex Lambert- "Everybody Knows" by John Legend

Talk about zero to hero in the course of a week! Last weeks goofy, clumsy Clark Kent ripped off those glasses to give a Superman performance that was full of confidence and charisma. I was harsh on Alex in the past, but I have to give props where they are due. It was like watching two different people. I finally saw that tone that the judges have been raving about all this time. I actually agreed with them. It's unique and stands out from the pack. Randy said "You know what I like about your package?" Eeerrrr, please don't talk about his "package," Randy. I think that he did a great job with what could have been a disastrous song. He changed it up a bit and made it fit him as a singer. Besides one partially botched last note (I say partially because I believe it was on pitch, just executed weirdly), he was on key, showed poise, and performed the song rather than just singing it. I think he picked up a few fans with that performance, and dare I say that I might be one of them?!

Todrick Hall- "What's Love Got To Do With It?" by Tina Turner

After last weeks performance, which I liked, but the judges didn't, I was interested to see what we were going to get from Todrick. He tried to take the criticism that he received and use it for this song, but I'm not sure he did that effectively. Rather than dancing across the stage, he opted for a more toned down, straight forward performance. He still changed the arrangement around quite a bit. It took me a few seconds to figure out what song he was singing (just like last week). From the comments he received last week, I think he put the emphasis on the wrong part. He focused more on the performing critiques than he did on the rearranging critiques, and he got panned for them again. He has several problems in my opinion: 1) he performed another song originally performed by a female artist. Though, vocally, he was decent, it always provides a disconnect to the audience unless the song is incredibly flexible in terms of gender-specificity. 2) His voice is not as limber as he thinks it is. He incorporates massive amounts of melisma into his vocals, but they almost always seem forced. Kara said it best (shockingly)- he does not have to bring every trick to the table every week. Bring one good trick that means something. 3) He needs to show more of his personality. There seems to be a large gap between his performing personality and his regular, everyday personality. I'm not sure if America is buying what he's selling because I don't think they know what side is the real Todrick. I think that he might be in trouble this week.

Jermaine Sellers- "What's Goin' On" by Marvin Gaye

After a severely sub par showing last week, Jermaine needed to knock one out of the ballpark. I'm not sure he did that. Picking one of the greatest songs ever penned is always a no-no, as is continually singing high notes that don't measure up. He was, once again, pitchy on most of the song, but this was much better than last weeks. It's still not up to the standard I expect from him. He constantly talks about how he's a church singer (trying to get that Christian vote)...SO SHOW US SOME SOUL! Everything we've seen from him seems contrived- from his Pee-Wee Herman sense of fashion and Ed Grimley/Ruby Rod haircut to his weekly disappointing vocals. The only thing that is saving him right now is his personality. He is a pretty funny guy and we learned this week that he "rocks da onesie," covered in dinosaurs, no less. I'm a fan of that! He might be in trouble this week. He is in the same boat as Todrick, and it's worse for them that they are splitting the R&B vote. I expect one of them to go, but I think Jermaine has connected with more people due to his fun-loving personality.

Andrew Garcia- "You Give Me Something" by James Morrison

The once front-runner is finding himself stuck between the proverbial rock and a hard place. He had his best performance in Hollywood week, and he can't escape it's shadows. People are constantly comparing him to that song (which I refuse to name again- it's been said too much on the show) and it's becoming more of a burden than the blessing it appeared to be at the time. He once again showed that he is one of the best vocalists in the competition. He does have an incredible recording voice, but there is something that he's doing wrong. I think he's taking himself a bit too seriously and trying too hard to change songs every week. And he's also staying in a comfort zone of sorts. He hasn't taken any risks yet. He hasn't reached for any notes that were difficult or overly impressive. He has only sung slow songs, or fast songs turned slow. I want to see him bust out with something fun! He needs to take a deep breath, relax, and laugh. Heck, he can look at his wife's haircut if he needs a good chuckle (ok, that was too far. I'm sorry.) He is critiqued because he is better than he is showing right now and everyone can see it. He's clearly safe, but he needs to figure out a way to break out of the confines of his past success and start paving a new road ahead- one that not many of the contestants have the talent to join him on.

Aaron Kelly- "My Girl" by The Temptations

I am going to chalk the whole Aaron Kelly thing up to personal taste. I, for one, don't know what the judges see in this kid. He is a fair at best singer, has an interesting pseudo-country vibe with some pop flavorings, and has the endearing quality that comes with most 16 year olds in the competition, but I'm just not feeling it. I think his voice is nasally and doesn't have that great of a tone to it. This version of "My Girl" was nothing to boast about. It was incredibly karaoke and outdated. Go to a karaoke bar right now and ask someone to sing that song and I guarantee you that it will sound just as good, if not better, than what Aaron did. It was well too old for him and he did nothing to the arrangement to change that. Turns out that he likes photography, too. Why does this kid have to like the same things that I like?! Grrr. Still, he's safe due to all the mom's that wish he was their giddy little kid.

Tim Urban- "Come On, Get Higher" by Matt Nathanson

Tim Urban got SLAUGHTERED by the judges and the press for last weeks performance. Sadly, it was deserved, seeing as he was horrible. This week, you can tell that his goal was to just get through with a safe song where he wouldn't get torn a new one. Matt Nathanson was a great pick for him because that is the kind of artist he'd be. He would be the marginally talented singer/songwriter that makes the most of what he has with catchy hooks. That acoustic soft rock is where he should stay. I'm not sure why, but I like Tim. Does he have the best voice? Not in a long shot. Is he a good performer? Not necessarily. What does he have? He has the tween vote and he got Simon's approval this week (which is the only approval you need from the judges panel). What I like about Tim is his sincerity. He is a genuinely good guy who DOES have a good voice, but feels like he doesn't belong right now. And it shows. I liken him to a stock version of a car that comes without any of the bells and whistles. Yea, he can't sing as high as some, or with the melisma and swagger of others, but I think he has some potential if he's given the opportunity. He might not have the sunroof or the XM radio, but he can get you to point A to point B, and if you give it a try, you might enjoy the ride.

Lee Dewyze- "Lips of an Angel" by Hinder

Of all the contestants, this is my biggest question mark. I honestly think the judges are smoking crack. Maybe he has the kind of voice that sounds much better live than it does coming across the TV, but I don't think Lee is as good as the judges do by any stretch of the imagination. He comes off as a rip-off Nickelback (a rip-off of an overrated band is bad) and does not show this tone that they keep raving him for. He has a raspy voice, true, but he has shown me no actual skill as a singer. Most notes are starting off out of tune, then finding their place. "Lips of an Angel" was far too predictable, but you didn't see the judges lacing into him like they did Ashley Rodriguez for doing the same thing. Simon labeling him as "the one to beat" and "the best voice among the guys" proves my point that he is trying to sabotage the show. He couldn't possibly think that. I didn't enjoy this performance at all and I'm starting to wonder if I'm the crazy one, or if anyone else agrees with me that he only good enough to be a cover band front man.

All in all, I was impressed with the strides that some of the contestants took in only a weeks time. You can tell that the coaches and producers are working with these guys closely so they don't come off looking like the laughing stock of America for an entire season. Some guys, like Alex Lambert, jumped up in my opinion, while others, like Andrew Garcia, haven't done anything in a while to grab my attention. It's still the early stages, and it's a tough business to learn right away, so I'll give them some leeway.

In my opinion, I think John Park was easily the worst of the night- bland, boring, and without any sort of passion. I think that all of his followers have essentially jumped off of the bandwagon (seeing as he was heavily favored coming into the live show). He is like a less entertaining version of Anoop, and that's saying a lot, since Anoop was often boring as well. I think he will be crooning about "Gravity" again on Thursday as he falls from the heights that many held him to and heads home. The second person going home will probably be either Todrick or Jermaine, but I'm leaning towards Todrick. I just don't think people are getting him. I like him, but he has done nothing to earn my vote and I think that many Americans will share that sentiment.

What did you guys think? Did this week show a vast improvement over last week? Did anyone absolutely steal the show this week? Am I crazy for not liking Aaron or Lee or for liking Tim? Let me know. I'd like to hear more of your feedback to keep this America's #1 blog for all things Idol! (ok, so that might have been a lie, but hey...Kimberley Locke, season 2 third place finisher started following me on Twitter because she reads. Hey Kim!)

Your American Idol Junkie,

Billy