Top 11: Billboard #1 Hits

Tonight we will be hearing Billboard #1 hits.  Wow Idol!  Way to come up with a creative theme.  It was rumored that the theme would actually be "Teen Idols Week" which I thought would be much more fun (and cause some contestants to be pushed out of thier comfort zone).  I think that maybe this was actually the planned theme week and it was changed at the last second... because the producers had Miley Cyrus planned to mentor and Demi Lovato and Joe Jonas schedule to perform on the results show.  Oh well... we get to sit through another boring night of Billboard #1's. 

During Miley Cyrus's video package, I was surprised that she actually sounded somewhat non-annoying.  She seemed pretty genuine about being selected to be a mentor, and didn't have this "I'm a celebrity" attitude.  She checked her age and experience level at the door and just said she is here to help the contestants as much as possible.  I appreciate that. 

On to the performances!

Lee Dewyze- "The Letter": I like that he brought the horns and backup singers down to the stage.  Thanks to my parents that listened to oldies all the time, I knew what this song was as soon as he said it.  I thought that it could be a great fit for his rock voice.  It's an easy song to make "rock".  The problem was... Lee turned the arrangement into some jazzy, awkward hybrid version.  At points, his voice sounded really good... but I don't think the arrangement did anything to assist him.  Would he record a song like this?  At this point in the show, we need to start learning what type of recording artist these singers will be.  I didn't get any sort of feel out of this that it truly is the type of artist Lee will be.  Ellen goes on about this "favorite pen" thing.  Is this her way of replacing the "unripe banana" now that Alex is gone?  Kara says its his best (surprise! I disagree with her!)... but Simon brings it back home by saying it was corny and didn't define him as a legitimate recording artist.  I 100% agree. 

As we come back from commercial, Ryan gives us a fun fact that previous Idols have provided 261 Billboard number ones since they show started back in 2002.  REALLY?  That seems like ridiculously high to me.  I really don't understand how that is possible.  I mean, I understand that there are many, many genres of charts and that any Idol could have been number one on any of them... and many songs may have been #1 on different charts at the same time.  But TWO HUNDRED AND SIXTY ONE?  Really?  I think my next challenge will be to figure out what they all are.  Or at least see how many I can name....

Paige Miles- "Against All Odds": Paige, Paige, PAIGE!  OK... so I really have been wanting to like you.  I was totally against you at first... but I want to like you.  BUT NOW... you go and choose Against All Odds?  Seriously?  How many times has this song been sung on Idol?  Oh yeah... this would be the SEVENTH time in only NINE seasons.  Not only did you pick a totally predictable, unoriginal song... but this was a HORRENDOUS performance.  I mean... like REALLY bad.  (Looking back on what I've typed so far, I apologize for my OVER USE of caps... but I can't help but have a horrible emotional reaction to this).  There were so many bad notes, and it was sooooo uninspired.  I mean, she had laryngitis last week and sounded a bajillion times better.  I actually agree with Kara when she says that it was the worst vocal of the whole competition so far.  It really is!  And that says a lot when we have some gems like Tim Urban's "Apologize" this season.  I've only heard two singers out of 11 tonight... and I am already 100% certain that Paige will be in the bottom three and 99% sure she will be eliminated tonight.  Simply unbearable.

Tim Urban- "Crazy Little Thing Called Love": During Tim's mentor session with Miley she tells him that he's not boring.  Ummm... well can you teach him to exude that on stage if you are getting that in person Miley?  He's a snooze fest to me.  He starts to perform, and I get this horrible empty feeling in the pit of my stomach.  That feeling when something you completely love goes off the deep end.  That moment when Mariah Carey shows up on TRL selling ice cream in a skimpy t-shirt.  That moment when you are halfway through Miss Congeniality 2.  It's that feeling when something you feel so passionate about just bombs in your face.  And that thing is the show American Idol.  I honestly feel bad for 19 Entertainment and American Idol this season.  After listening to Paige and now this flaming pile of poo??!?!  I mean this season is just so completely below other seasons that I can't believe it.   OK... off my soap box and back to Tim.  The vocals were horrible.  He looks like a cheesy Osmond.  He slid around on stage to make himself more exciting?!!?  It's gonna take more than that.  At this point, it makes me sad that either Tim or Paige will actually stick around and go on tour.  At this point, I'd rather have Lacey back!  Sheesh.  On a positive note... things can only get better... right?  Right?  Please?

Aaron Kelly- "I Don't Wanna Miss A Thing": OK... can I admit it?  Maybe its the teeny-bopper, pop lover in me, but Aaron is growing on me.  Sure he's been boring and predictable, but he is likable... and the makeovers have really helped him in the style department.  I mean, looking back at his audition video and seeing what he looked like then compared to now, he's just got to be living a dream to have stylists and coaches helping him along the way.  Part of that whole mentality makes me like him more.  And... I did think it was quite cute that he was talking about his crush on Miley Cyrus.  Aaron... I feel you buddy.  When I was your age, I had a crush on Mariah Carey... give it some time buddy... give it time.  BUT ANYWAY...  It is cool that he sang "The Climb" for his audition and now he gets to be mentored by Miley herself.  And the fact that she gave him props is pretty awesome.  Must have been a great moment for him.  Now on to his performance.  Like I said before about Aaron being predictable: is it sad that when Ryan said he was singing Aerosmith that I automatically knew what song it would be out of all the Aerosmith songs to choose from?  I mean this song is just the type of song he's been singing the whole time so far.  At this point though, with who's left on the show, being predictable and singing songs you are good at isn't necessarily a bad tactic.  Sing well enough to get by... and let all the other flaming piles of poo get all the boo's and hisses.  It makes sense.  The tricky part will be once the crappy people are gone to see if Aaron can turn on the pizzaz and make some bold moves to continue getting votes.  Speaking of votes, I think Aaron will get plenty of them tonight.  I don't think this performance was amazing... but he's got his niche groups of fans that will love that song and call in plenty of times for him.  It was just good enought to get him by, like I was talking about before.  But let's be real... performing after Paige and Tim was nothing but a guaranteed improvement.  The judges agree that there were issues with the vocal (probably because he's under the weather)... but agree that it was good enough to get him through.  Simon says there is "zero chance" he will go home.  I agree!

Crystal Bowersox- "Me & Bobby McGee":  Can I start off by saying that Crystal in a mentoring session with Miley Cyrus is soooo humorous to me??  I mean... Crystal should be mentoring Miley!  Finding out that Crystal is singing Janis is like a guaranteed homerun, right?  As the song starts, I am impressed that she has stripped back the arrangement and gave it a very delicate introduction.  Can I just add that she looks AMAZING tonight?  Having the hair up and the simple yet beautiful dress were just compliments to her natural beauty.  The vocal definitely had the first signs of "pitchiness" I've heard from Crystal all season... but the funny part was that it seemed to not even matter!  The way she got into the performance and let go a bit made her voice get pushed a little bit and it was great!  I want to send her a Thank You card for actually making this season (and tonight's show) worth watching.  The judges all love her (of course).  Ellen and Kara seem to think she needs to let go even more.  Kara suggest she puts down the guitar, and Crystal responds that she "has big plans" for next week.  Hmmm.... interesting.  Simon tells her to not change a thing (and I have to agree).  He goes on to say that one of the best versions of that song he's ever heard was performed by Pink (my all-time favorite artist) and that Crystal's version is right up there with it.  Yay for a name drop for Pink on Idol... and yay for Crystal bringing this show back to what its all about.  (Now can we please get a night where Pink is the mentor on Idol?  I mean... Miley Cyrus??!?  C'mon...)  Simon also says that the only thing gimmicky about Crystal is the rug she stands on for her performance.  Crystal invites Ryan to have a seat with her on the carpet and you get to see some more of her personality.  She says she likes the carpet because the stage is cold and gray, and the carpet makes it a bit warm.  I love that about her.  What isn't to love? 

Michael Lynche- "When A Man Loves A Woman":  Here's my deal with Big Mike... he's either going to be in the top 4, or he's gonna get eliminated in the next three weeks.  He's one of the those contestants that I can't put my finger on in terms of fan volume and relatability.  He's had some vocals that are off the chain... but I have a bad feeling that people may not be voting for him!  It makes me sad... because my gut is telling me that some of these horrible people are gonna last longer than him.  Like I said, he'll either be around for a while... or go soon... and I certainly hope its the first option.  He's a flower amonst the many weeds of this season.  Tonight's performance proves that.  Sure the song choice was pretty predictable and boring... but in a way it was smart.  He's got a masculine sex appeal about him and singing a song like that may get a lot of females to vote for him.  In terms of the actual performance, the vocal was decent.  The judges thought it was pretty cheesy and over the top.  I can't disagree really.  It was sort of karaoke.  But really, really good karaoke.  Still... not matter what happens, we will be seeing Big Mike on the tour.

Andrew Garcia- "I Heard It Through The Grapevine":  During Andrew's mentor session with Miley, she encourages him to put the guitar down... and Andrew says he's nervous about that.  I would be too after last week's Rolling Stones debacle where he didn't play the guitar.  To me "Grapevine" is one the best songs of all time.  So much good soul vibe to it.  Too bad Andrew didn't have any soul vibe at all.  I'm totally over him.  He went from frontrunner status to back of the pack for me.  Tonight's performance was just wrong.  He was trying to exude some sex appeal... but that was a bad idea after direcly following Big Mike.  Although Big Mike's sex appeal was cheesy, at least it was honest.  Andrew's sex appeal was forced, awkward and unwanted.  The judges don't like it either.  Of course, Kara has to name-drop "Straight Up" (let's make it 5 straight performance weeks in a row).  Simon disliked tonight so much that he goes back on his raves of Straight Up saying that maybe the judges overrated him that week and that it was just a "cute version of a Paula song... not like hearing Beethoven for the first time".  TRUE.  I'm glad that the judges are finally seeing that Andrew is not all he is (or should I say "was") cracked up to be.

Katie Stevens- "Big Girls Don't Cry":  Katie chooses this Fergie song and I actually think this could be a great choice for her.  Kara's been asking her to sing a song more fitting for her age and I think it was smart for Katie to choose the first song tonight that actually occured in the last decade.  Now on to the vocal.  Well, it was obvious that Katie's voice is underdeveloped, especially compared to Fergie's natural raspiness.  (Maybe she needs a couple world tours and and alcohol addiction to get that Fergie raspiness?)  It was all over the place in parts... especially the places where she tried to change it up.  It wasn't horrible, but it wasn't wonderful.  I think its definitely an improvement though.  Kara comments that this is the genre she should go for "pop with r&b leanings".  Part of me agrees that Katie would be good going a JoJo route, singing songs like "Get Out" and "Too Little Too Late".  Still, I just don't see her really fitting in anywhere in radio mainstream music.  Musical theatre?  Perfect!  But I don't see her selling millions of albums and selling out stadiums.  Not going to happen.  Still... all that complaining aside... Katie has done enough to make it on the tour.  I am confident saying she will be safe tomorrow night. 

Casey James- "The Power Of Love": OK... so I have to admit that I saw the list of songs the contestants were singing before I watched thier performances.  When I saw he was singing "The Power Of Love" I thought it was the Celine Dion version not the Huey Lewis verison.  The thought of him taking that ballad and rocking it up was intriguing to me.  But... of course I was wrong.  The Huey Lewis version is actually a GREAT fit for his voice!  Although a great vocal fit, this song is naturally cheesy (I mean... its Huey Lewis...) and so that isn't doing him any favors.  It's just nothing that he can 100% connect to and make for a show stopping performance.  For my listening pleasure, I personally really liked it.  I think the song fit his voice and he did a great job singing it.  His electric guitar skills are also superb... and I really like it when he plays it.  The judges like it.  Ellen calls it the best vocal of the night so far (ummm... were you sleeping through Crystal?).  Kara says that Casey is ready to record an album right now.  Simon totally disagrees with Kara and says that it was cheesy and sounded like it was from 25 years ago.  Kara disagrees and says he made it current.  Ummm... really Kara?  Were we listening to the same song?  Yes, he sang it well... but there wasn't anything current about it.  When it comes down to it, Casey will be around next week for sure....

Didi Benami- "You're No Good":  Didi talks to Miley about her nerves on stage and is happy to find out that Miley gets nervous too.  I mean, its like comparing apples to oranges here... Didi on the Idol stage in front of 500 people... Miley in an arena with 50,000+ people... but still, I feel bad for Didi that her nerves are such a problem.  But it doesn't help when Ryan introduces her saying "the pressure is on!".  As she starts singing it is obvious that this song is perfect for her singing style.  The only thing is that this is another mean-toned song so it doesn't allow her to smile!  I think she's such a bright happy personality that she could really connect with a happy song.  Still, I think this performance is pretty decent.  There were some pitch issues... but again, in comparison to others tonight, she's still golden.  The judges really slam her... and that frustrates me.  It seems like the people who were worse (Tim & Paige) weren't even slammed as bad.  I think the judges need some Q-tips to clean out their ears when it comes to Didi.  I still think there is no chance we would see Didi go home this week though.

Siobhan Magnus- "Superstition": Oh. My. Gawd.  I really cannot stand to listen to Siobhan talk!  During her video package, she just seems so awkward... almost that she's doing it on purpose to put on a show, and to me that is not endearing.  I want someone who's real.  I mean... c'mon... as the American Idol she's gonna need to do tons of public appearances and interviews and TV shows.  Is this the type of person you want to listen to?  Give me a Kelly or a Carrie or even a Kris Allen who are real, relatable and likable.  Her vocals over the past few weeks have been hit or miss with me... but the fact that I cannot listen to her talk is consistent every week!  And tonight's hair???  Are trying to pull a Carrie Underwood "Alone" moment tonight?  Because I doubt that will happen.  Doing Stevie Wonder is like putting on a big pair of clown shoes... they are impossible to fill.  I have to admit that for the first two-thirds of the song, I am actually really impressed with Siobhan's ability to stay on pitch and roll with the vibe of the song.  It's actually pretty good!  At the end she tries this shrieking thing that she did last week again... and I'm still not loving it.  Adam Lambert did some shrieking last year... but to me it was different.  Oh wait... I realized why... because his shrieking was at least IN TUNE.  Not just screaming for the sake of screaming.  Simon (again) says that people will either love it or hate it.  As much as I liked the first part of it... I'm definitely not in the love it category.  Just something about it and about her.  Also, while listening to Siobhan I realized something else about her.  Her voice is really nothing memorable.  I mean, I think to be the American Idol you have to have a memorable look, memorable personality, and voice that is distinct and recognizeable as soon as it is heard.  I mean, even our worst Idol ever, Taylor Hicks, had the trifecta of look, personality and distict recognizable voice (no matter how much you loved or hated any of those three parts... at least you knew who he was!).  With Siobhan, I'll give her credit that her look and personality are memorable... but are we going to hear Siobhan's voice on the radio and go "oh yeah... this is the new single by Siobhan Magnus!".... I highly doubt it.  People are saying that Crystal and Siobhan are neck-and-neck so far in the competition, but I have to say that this is the area where Crystal trumps Siobhan.  Crystal has a memorable look, personality and voice that make her the whole package in my opinion.

My personal ranking of tonight's contestants:
1.  Crystal Bowerox

4. Michael Lynche
5. Didi Benami
6. Siobhan Magnus
7. Casey James
8. Aaron Kelly

26. Lee Dewyze
27. Katie Stevens

73. Andrew Garcia

3,247. Tim Urban
3,248. Paige Miles


Elimination Prediction:  Well first of all, if Tim and Paige aren't in the bottom three... something is ridiculously wrong.  Andrew should also be there.  This elimination is big because it determines which 10 contestants will be on the tour.  So the question for me becomes who would I rather see on tour?  Personally, I think I'd rather see Paige over either of the guys, simply because she would bring a different vibe from the otherwise vanilla lineup of girls.  Tim is probably who I would least want to see on the tour.  Not having him there would make the girls and guys numbers even (five and five... makes for better choreography... lol...) plus, not having tim there would save on my ear drums when all the 13 year old girls scream their faces off for him.  So in terms of touring, I would say keep Paige and boot Tim. 

I could speculate some other scenarios, but I think I will have some faith in America this week (after they got it right last week) and I will say that the bottom three will be Andrew, Tim and Paige.  I think it will be a toss up between Tim and Paige for the eliminated contestant, but for the sheer fact that Tim had the Vote for the Worst crew... and he is somewhat more recognizeable and memorable... Paige will be the person eliminated tonight. 

Who do you think it will be? Vote below. I have removed Crystal from the list because the voting widget only allows 10 choices (and there is no way she would go home tonight anyway). VOTE VOTE VOTE!