Really? Seriously? You've got to be kidding, right?

OK readers... I've given myself a few hours to cool off after that episode.  I think if I would have written immediately it wouldn't have been pretty.  I know it's still three weeks before April Fool's Day... but was this a bad joke?  Sheesh... 

Let's start with the few good things that happened last night:

The group number:  Just as I predicted, the Buble` choice was "Haven't Met You Yet:" and it actually wasn't too bad.  Clearly lip synced AGAIN, which I hate... but at least it seemed as if they gave the contestants some lip sync lessons before tonight.  It was a drastic improvement over the "I Gotta Feeling" mess last week.  Plus, I can't help but love it and smile because I just watch Crystal the whole time in the group numbers.  It is obviously so painful and out-of-her-realm to do these cheesy group numbers that it makes it even more entertaining.  I appreciate her faking a smile and making it look like she's actually enjoying it, when deep down inside she's like "give me my friggin' harmonica and guitar and let me be!".

The other good thing was the performance by Matt Giraud and Scott McIntyre.  The two of them performed this duet on the Idols Live Tour last summer and I remember really enjoying it then as well.  A couple notes about it though... if the whole band is wearing sunglasses, can we get an extra pair for Scott please?  He deserves his Ray or Stevie moment.  And also... let's be real about Matt Giraud.  Hearing him tonight makes me realize just how atrocious the guys really are this season.  Matt's vocal skills easily blow every guy from this season out of the water.  And Matt was FOURTH place out of the guys last year... meaning there were (arguably) three guys better than him!  This season really is subpar.  Gosh I hope it gets better!

Now let's move on to the not-so-good things about last night... which were basically the other 90% of the whole show. 

(Let's just pause for a quick reminder of my elimination predictions after the performance shows: Paige, Lacey, Aaron and Andrew.  Ouch.  It pains me to write that again after watching.)

Ryan starts off the eliminations.  We've got 12 empty stools, and the girls are first up.  The first girl Ryan calls to the front of the stage is Didi.  I immediately get a pit in my stomach... because I'm sincerely worried for her.  Ryan and the judges talk about the consistency issue... but Didi has been consistantly good in my opinion!  Obviously America thinks so too because Didi is safe and in the top 12!  YAY!  We are off to a great start!

Siobhan is next.  That feather in her hair is annoying me.  As I said before, she's starting to win me over a bit with her performances but she annoys me when she talks.  It's so awkward that is almost seems fake.  I just want some authenticity!  It's not a surprise that Siobhan is safe.  She takes a seat next to Didi.

Next Ryan calls up Paige and Katelyn.  One is safe and one is going home.  My initial reaction is that this is great!  Katelyn has been one of my favorites so far, and even though her "I Feel The Earth Move" did not really move me... it was WAY better than Paige's "Smile" that made me frown.  Ryan goes to Simon, who says that Paige has the most potential of the two of them.  Really?  Did you hear Katelyn's version of "The Scientist" a week ago?  That was far more impressive than any of Paige's performances thus far.   Ryan finally makes the announcement and Paige is in the top 12.  WHAT?  Really?  After that HORRIBLE performance on Tuesday?  It really was the worst of the whole bunch.  I am in shock. 

Of course, as Idol always cruelly does, Katelyn now has to sing the song that essentially got her booted from the show.  Her repeat performance IS a reminder of how bad of a song choice "I Feel The Earth Move" was.  She could have picked SO many other songs and had an easy ride to the top 12.  If she would have done "The Scientist" this week, I don't think we would be seeing her go home. Remember how Simon took credit for Tim doing well this week?  Well I think Simon should take the credit (or in this case, blame) for Katelyn going home!  She specifically said that she was trying to not be "corny" as Simon had called her... and in that process she lost all her self-identity.  She needed to be comfortable being herself, corny or not, and just go with it.  I know that some people really didn't care for her, but I will honestly miss Katelyn.  In fact, I voted for her on Tuesday... that's how much I wanted her to make it through to the top 12.  I was holding out hope that she could really provide us with some momentous performances that would get her far into the show.  She had that cute Kelly Clarkson likeability that drew me in.  Sheesh....

0 for 1.  Good start. 

Now on to the guys first elimination.  Instead of calling them individually, Ryan calls up the entire back row to step forward.  This includes Tim, Todrick, Lee & Casey.   Just great!  My guy predictions will have to be incorrect too because both the guys I said would be eliminated are still sitting on the couch now.  Sheesh.  (I think "sheesh" is the keyword for tonight's episode).

First, Ryan sends Casey to a stool.  Not surprising.  In fact, out of all the guys, I feel that he was the most predictable to move on to the top 12.  Next Ryan talks to Tim, and immediately sends him to safety.  Really?  Does anyone remember "Apologize" the first week?  To think that the guy who did that performance is now in the top 12... that just floors me.  He should have been gone weeks ago.  Thank your mommy and daddy for good genes Tim, because the only thing that got you through is your looks. 

Now we are down to Todrick and Lee.  To me, this is pretty easy to predict.  It's gotta be Todrick. Although I didn't want to see him go tonight, its hard when he is up against Lee who seems to be another leader of the guys pack.  Ryan makes the announcement and I am indeed correct.  Lee is safe and Todrick is going home.  As Todrick sings "Somebody To Love" again, its hard to not think that America even got this one wrong.  Sure, I know he was at the bottom of the pack, but that performance was much more entertaining and impressive than almost all of the other guys performances last night.  At least he showed some life in the performance and moved around the stage.  Tonight, the performance seemed even better than last night.  So again, I am left with a sad feeling.  I think versus all the other vanilla in the guys group, Todrick could have brought something interesting and entertaining.  Do I think he would win the whole show?  No way... but he was good enough to last a little bit longer. 

0 for 2.  Sheesh. 

For the next two eliminations, we see the remaining 4 girls and 4 guys all out on the couches together.  First, Ryan calls up Crystal.  Let's be real.  There's no way she's going home.  Thankfully I am right. Crystal gets a seat on the stools, but doesnt' have an immediate overjoyed-ness about her.  I think maybe the stress of this night is a little much for her.  She's such a sweet person that I think its hard for her to see anyone go.  Still, this girl is more deserving of a place in the top 12 than anyone else in the studio tonight.

Then, Ryan calls up Michael.  Again... let's be real. After last night's performance there is no way he's not moving on.  Again, this is correct.  Ryan makes a jackass move and asks "can you fit on one stool?"  Are you flippin' serious Ryan?  Rude!  Is Idol managed by Southwest Airlines now? 

Ryan then calls Lacey's name.  Really?  She's not in the bottom two?  Well maybe Ryan is just playing with us and will have her sit back down.  I have confidence in that.  He asks her some question about what sort of artist she is or what songs she will sing in the competition.  Lacey responds but all I hear is Charlie Brown's teacher voice... "wah wawah wah wah wahhh"... she keeps talking.  And talking.  And talking.  SHUT UP already!  I didn't like you before and this isn't helping.  Then Ryan tells her to take a seat on the stools.  Ummm... what?  Exsqueeze me?  Baking powder?  Did I just hear that correctly?  Even if you read my review of Tuesday, you'll see that I thought she did pretty good with that performance, but over the three weeks she has been the least impressive of all the girls in my opinion.  Who is voting for her?  (Not Vote For The Worst... they are already responsible for Paige getting through).  Really?  Is there some red-head brigade out there that is trying to get her through?  Wow.  Tonight is effed up. 

Next up is Aaron.  I'm puzzled again.  Why isn't Aaron being left for the final two?  He HAS to be going home out of him, Alex and Andrew... right?  WRONG.  Aaron is sent to safety. 

At this point I feel like I am in some crazy time-warped twilight zone.  This could quite possibly be one of the most unexpected episodes of Idol since Chris Daughtry's elimination. 

We are left with Alex and Andrew for the boys and Katie and Lilly for the girls.  I predicted Andrew to get the boot, so I'm sticking by that.  Out of Katie and Lilly, it HAS to be Katie.  I mean Lilly is one of the frontrunners, right?  Then my mind starts to play tricks with me.  Why would the producers leave Lilly with Katie in the final two if she isn't getting eliminated?  You would think she would have been one of the "for-sures" that Ryan would have just sent to safety and been done with it.  Gosh... my mind is playing so many tricks with me, I'm wondering if I'm caught up in some crazy Shutter Island scenario.  Who knew Idol could play so many psychological games with me?  I'm just a fan of the show!  Leave me alone! 

Ryan brings Alex and Andrew up to the front.  I know Andrew has been a frontrunner since Hollywood Week, but he's really failed to overly impress me in the last three weeks.  I see much more potential in Alex than I do in Andrew.  Ryan gives thier recaps and AGAIN brings up the "Straight Up" performance.  Can one show go by without referring to this?  I'm so over it. 

Ryan makes the announcement.  Andrew is safe and moving on to the top 12.  My stomach turns.  I feel sick for Alex.  As Alex stands on the stage, he starts to tear up and it's breaking my heart!  He makes some reference to him messing up because he didn't have enough confidence.  I hope he doesn't go home with that attitude of blaming himself.  Alex... it was America that messed this one up.  I was really excited to see where Alex could go in this competition.  Just like Ellen said... he was a banana that was beginning to ripen.  Too bad America just threw this banana in the trash!  Errr.....

The show goes to commercial, and when we come back you see half the contestants up on stage still hugging Alex.  Alex turns and looks at the camera and his is a pile of mush.  His eyes are red from crying so hard.  Gosh America.  Really?

0 for 3.  Sheesh.

Finally its Katie and Lilly.  I mean... c'mon.  Katie's got to go.  Although I don't have anything against her, and didn't predict her to leave, when she's up against Lilly, its almost a given.  Kara makes a comment about Lilly knowing who she is but maybe not having as strong a voice, and Katie having a strong voice by not knowing who she is. 

Ryan makes the announcment... and Katie is... SAFE!  REALLY?  Seriously?  You've got to be kidding, right?  Lilly is out of the competition.  This is just insane.  Sure her "I Fall To Pieces" wasn't a #1 hit... but she had Tuesday's pimp-spot and she still didn't make it through?  This is insanity!  Lilly has been a favorite of mine since Hollywood Week... since before we even really knew her name and she was just "the girl with the white hair".  Out of the girls left, she was easily one of the most recognizeable and entertaining.  Sure her vocals may not be like Jennifer Hudson, but she was likable and unique... at least in my opinion. 

Ryan rolls the goodbye video and I am sitting on my couch in utter shock that we are actually watching Katelyn, Todrick, Alex and Lilly's highlights.  This is just insane. 

What is even harder to understand is that we are going to have a top 12 that includes people like Paige, Lacey, Tim, and Aaron??!?  These four should have fallen victim to the semi-finals eliminations.  Taking that one step further and thinking about the Idols Live Tour... this means that at least two out of those four contestants will make it on the tour!!!  And that is if we don't have yet another shocking elimination next week????  Un-flipping-believeable.  I'm already considering not even attending the tour this year.  I would have much rather seen any of tonight's eliminated contestants on tour over Paige, Lacey, Tim or Aaron. 

So I leave tonight's recap with a sense of sadness, frustration and confusion.  I don't understand how that really happened. 

0 for 4.  Sheesh.

Ummmm.... WTF America?

I can't even talk about the results tonight just yet...

For real America?

Tonight's results show

Ryan just tweeted and said that the Idol contestants are performing a Michael Buble song tonight.  Anything will be better than "I Gotta Feeling" last week.  Sheesh that was horrible!  I wonder what song it will be though?  Will they go with one of his standards like "Save The Last Dance For Me?"... his biggest hit "Home" or his newest track "Haven't Met You Yet".  I'm gonna assume its the latter because they can make that one the cheesiest. 

Also... I just want to bring attention to the list of links I have in the right hand column of the page.  I've compliled a list of other pages that you may be interested in.  Dial Idol is a site that provides data about the phone calls based on people who have downloaded their dialing program (it can sometimes be a very good indicator of the eliminations!).  Vote For The Worst and MJ's Big Blog are probably the most popular idol blogs on the web today... both taking different viewpoints on the show.  Also... Idol Logs is a great site that compiles different Idol blogs to one handy site.  They have even started posting my writeups!  Exciting!  :-)

If you haven't voted in my elimination polls yet, be sure to do so! 

Semi-finals: Top 8 Boys

What was up with Ryan's uber dramatic opening that was overly dramatic for no apparent reason?  It was as if he was announcing the final four contestants or something.  Hello Idol... the name announcing with dramatic pause was a big waste of time.  Can we get this show started already?

Ryan does redeem the horrible opening by finally making mention of the elephant in the room... Kara sitting on Simon's lap EVERY episode!  Of course they two of them play it off by saying that the other is leaning on them.  Whatever... I'm over it.

So like I said... can we get this started already?  Now on to the performances:

Lee Dewyze- "Fireflies":  Singing a song that is on the charts currently can be a big risk because everyone knows exactly what this song sounds like (especially this song that seems to be everywhere every five minutes).  The first think I notice is the look on Lee's face.  It could be fear... or maybe he's high?  Whatever it is, he seems like his mind is somewhere else.  As he is singing it though, I am actually really enjoying it.  He gives the song a little harder, rocker vibe and it worked.  Of all his performances so far, I think that this is his best.  I haven't really felt connected to him so far in the competition, but after tonight he is beginning to win me over.  You could tell by the big smile and sigh he let out at the end of the performance that he was actually really nervous.  You could tell at the end of the performance he was thankful it was done and he did as well as he did.  The judges seem to like it... but of course Simon has to make a comment about him not having his "wow moment".  Enough talk about the "wow moment" Simon!  Especially to someone like Lee who at this point in the competition, it doesn't matter if he has a wow moment or not.  As long as he doesn't tank (which he didnt'), he will sail through to the top 12.

Alex Lambert- "Trouble":  Alex really needs to own it tonight!  Week one he had one of the worst performances... and week two he was easily one of the best (if not THE best).  This guy's all over the place... but in order to convince American he should make the top 12, he's really gotta do well tonight.  He chooses "Trouble", and it isn't a bad choice for his voice.  One criticism is that it isn't quite as interesting or challenging... so it doesn't show off his chops (but maybe that was strategic so that it doesn't show his lack of chops).  Overall, this didn't stink.  It was decent.  Pretty middle of the road for me.    The judges thought it was OK... just lots of comments about Alex needing to relax and get rid of his nerves.  Simon makes some ridiculous comment about Randy in a bikini (like THAT is going to make him less nervous!).  With Alex, its a mixed bag... we never know what we are going to get.  At this point, I feel like he's done enough to make it to the next round though.

Tim Urban- "Hallelujah": Tim is another one that is a mixed bag.  Week one he definitely WAS the worst of everyone (and only got by on his looks. Damn you 14 year old girls with cell phones...)  Last week he was definitely better.  Still not at the top of the pack, but not a complete and utter disaster.  This week he chooses an interesting song, Hallelujah.  It's a smart choice because many people know it, and also it recently had a resurgence with Justin Timberlake's version that went for Haiti disaster relief.  The vocal isn't that bad... but what I can't get over is the cheesy factor.  Simon talked to Katelyn Epperly about being too corny... but what about this guy?  To me, he's like an Osmond... or a Partridge son.  It seemed to me like he was performing it on some 70's variety show.  This song is so heartfelt that it has to be authentic and real.  I didn't get that vibe from him.  The judges actually like it (go figure...).  Ellen likes it so much she leaves the judges table to come on stage and give him a hug.  Simon claims responsibility for Tim doing well after giving him a confidence booster.  Simon... you are awesome and all... but Tim could have BOMBED this week... and then would you have taken responsibility? 

Andrew Garcia- "Genie In A Bottle": Seriously?  Christina Aguilera?  OK... right off I feel like this is a little forced as he is trying to recreate the magic moment of "Straight Up" in Hollywood Week.  To me, it's not working.  And let's be real... of anyone watching, you would think that I would be excited about hearing Genie in a Bottle on Idol.  lol... It's just too forced.  For me, Andrew is dropping quickly.  He was easily a huge front runner at the beginning of the show... and now I'm not sold on him even making the top 8.  The judges keep talking about Straight Up OVER and OVER.... so much so that it is annoying the piss out of me.  Really it is making me like him even less.  If we have to be reminded of that performance in order to know he's a good artist, then he's not a good artist.  That is like a producer pimping other songs for a one-hit wonder artist by saying "but remember how good this was"?   "You should buy the new Lou Bega album... because do you remember how big of a hit Mambo Number Five was?".  No... I'm not buying it anymore.  It may have somewhat been Andrew's fault for setting his own bar too high, but until I can hear something of that caliber again, he has lost his ticket on my hot tamale train (what... what reality show is this again?...).

Casey James- "You'll Think Of Me":  Do I really need to say much about Casey?  I mean, unless he completey bombs tonight, he's making it through.  He's got too big of a fan base built up already.  This vocal really isn't blowing me away though.  The beginning is pretty shaky to me.  In parts, it seems like he is purposely staying safe instead of pushing his voice because he's scared it will sound bad.  No matter what, it wasn't horrible, so he'll be safe.  The judges agree with me that it is a bit safe.  They say it was better than last week... but I kinda disagree with that.  I liked the harder rock guitar that he has last week.  I think it makes him more appealing.  There are others already in the competition that sit on a stool and play acoustic guitar.  I think having Casey take that harder rock, electric guitar vibe on will bring him further in the competition.

Aaron Kelly- "I'm Already There":  Aaron really has to do well this week in my opinion.  The past few weeks he has been better than other contestants... but now those contestants have gone home.  He's on the brink of elmination.  This performance definitely isn't doing him any good.  The beginning to me sounds atrocious.  He is way off key in certain parts... and it sounds like his nerves are getting the best of him.  It just sounds very middle-school-talent-show to me.  By the very end, you can see why he was picked for the show because his top end vocals are pretty decent... but overall, this was a hot mess.  Randy agreed that his lower notes were rough.  Ellen says that it wasn't terrific (which is a big thing for her to say!... ahem... Paula... ahem).  Kara said that the song is in the 3rd person?  Ummm... isn't it 1st person?  Wouldn't 3rd person be "He's already there... take a look around him"?  I'm not an English major... but I think Kara just made another idiot mistake (can she go a single week without putting her foot in her mouth?)  Simon says her statement is "complete rubbish" and that the song was a great fit for him.  No matter what the panel wants to argue about, I personally feel like Aaron should go home tonight.  Will he?  I'm not sure... but he should.

Todrick Hall- "Somebody To Love":  Immediately when Ryan says that Todrick is singing Queen, I say outloud to the TV "can you just sing something expected for once?"  I want to hear what kind of music he would actually do as an artist.  He's not going to release Queen and Tina Turner songs.  Maybe something like "Caught Up" by Usher where he could show off some dancing skills at the same time as his vocals.  Anyway... I'll give this a shot.  He definitely is taking a risk with that high falsetto at the beginning of the song.  As the rest of the song set in, it is apparent that Todrick CAN sing.  He really can.  I think he just makes bad choices.  Some of the runs he attempted ended very flat and left me confused.  Some of the parts of this song that should be very powerful were performed boringly... and other parts were pushed too hard.  But... all this said, I have to say THANK YOU to Todrick for giving us a performance that was somewhat interesting and exciting.  After all these slow, boring songs tonight, it was at least interesting.  The judges liked it... in fact Randy says it was one of the best male vocals of the last three weeks.  Kara said he didn't know to love it or laugh at it.  (yikes...)  Simon says that Todrick told America who he is, and that is a Broadway singer.  Very true.  I think with his dance background, he could be a very successful Broadway performer.  He's already done some shows (his audition mentioned the Color Purple with Fantasia) but maybe this opportunity would allow him to be at the front of the stage intstead of a backup dancer.  Lord knows there are enough old Idol contestants performing Broadway, so its not like he'll have to bust down any doors. 

Michael Lynche- "This Woman's Work":  Taking on Maxwell is a big order.  Although Maxwell might not be known by everyone, those who are fans are FANS... so you better do it well or people will be upset.  As the song begins, its apparent that Michael has great tone for this type of song.  I personally am loving this.  I could definitely see Michael releasing music like this and being successful.  More than anyone in this competition, Big Mike is showing us who he would be as an artist in popular music.  This performance is one of those standout performances that you remember.  He had the soft, delicate, falsetto vocals and then he also had the robust, strong, powerful vocals.  In my opinion this was great!  The judges love it. Kara cries (forced... lame....) Simon calls it the best performance of the live shows so far.  I agree!  Go Big Mike!


Here is my personal ranking of the guys this week:
1. Michael Lynche
2. Lee Dewyze
3. Casey James
4. Alex Lambert
5. Todrick Hall
6. Tim Urban
7. Andrew Garcia
8. Aaron Kelly

The predictions are where it gets tough this week.  Similar to the girls, I have one person I am confident in and the second elimination is a toss up.  I am confident that this will be Aaron Kelly's week to go.  He needed a power performance and it wasn't it this week.  The last elmination is between Todrick, Alex, and Tim.  My gut is telling me that Tim is too cutesy to get eliminated.  He's got the cougar and teeny-bopper vote just like Kris Allen did last year.  I think people genuinely like Alex, so I think he may stick around as well, although I wouldn't necessarily be surprised if it was him.  That leaves Todrick, who did have a decent performance this week (or at least an interesting one)... but unlike Tim and Alex, I don't think Todrick necessarily has a niche market of voters or genuine likability.  But... out of a night of snooze-fest performances, his actually sticks out as someone who entertained us a bit.  And, he also is the last African American male in the bunch, so will that help him?  Sheesh.  I'm stuck.

OK... so call me crazy, but I'm going to go in a whole different direction with this.  I'm gonna bank on the fact that America finally feels the way that I do... and they are sick of hearing of the false promises of the "Straight Up" magic.  If Idol is baseball... a certain contestant has had three strikes... and now he's out.  I'm gonna go out on a limb, shake things up, and say that Andrew Garcia will be our second elminated contestant tonight.  I never would have thought I'd be saying this a few weeks ago... but I'm over him.  So my prediction tonight is that the elminated two will be Aaron and Andrew. 

Who do you think it will be?  Be sure to VOTE below!

Semi-Finals Top 8 Girls

As I mentioned during last week's post, the cut from 8 to 6 is going to be toughest.  We go from 16 contestants to 12 in just one week.  The girls will really need to give tonight all they've got!

The show starts with Ellen snuggling up against Simon... and it is cracking me up!  Ellen is so funny.  I really hope that this is a jab at Kara and how close she seems to sit next to Simon each week.  Has anyone else noticed this?  People always used to have rumors about Simon and Paula... but every week so far, Kara is practically sitting in Simon's lap! 

Simon says its the "worst week to go" and "highest the stakes have ever been".  He's right... so let's get to the performances!

Katie Stevens- "Breakaway": So Katie is taking the reccommendations of Kara when last week she was told to pick a song she could relate her life to.  You can tell she actually put a lot of thought into this song choice.  Although an A for effort and song choice, this performance leaves me even more confused than before.  You would think that this type of song would be exactly the type of music that Katie would do in her professional career.  If that is the case, I definitely wouldn't be rushing out to buy the record.  The vocals just weren't anything that stands out.  Ellen was right when she said that it sounded karaoke-ish.  I also agree with Kara  and Simon that she just doesn't know who she is as an artist yet.  She really has to find something that she connects with.  Simon also wins the award for Best Dramatic Pause when he said "You really sucked..... the energy out of that song".  Maybe he should have stopped after the first three words.  OK... maybe thats harsh.  She is a nice girl... but as the competition goes on I am less and less impressed.  Sorry Katie.

Siobhan Magnus- "House of the Rising Sun":  Shavon tells us that she picked this song in honor of her dad... blah blah blah... I just can't really take her seriously any time she talks because she always sounds like she doesn't give a rip about anything.  As the song starts acapella, Shavon has done exactly what she needs to: grabs our attention.  This is very similar to when Bo Bice did "In A Dream" for those of you that can remember back to season four.  I actually have to say I was impressed that the whole acapella part was on key.  I also thought it was cute when she looked over at her dad when the lyric made reference to "my father".  THAT I can belive... unlike the fakish speech earlier.  Although her face was showing much strain when hitting the high notes on the end, her voice didn't reflect it.  It was all on key.  I actually leave this performance with a much more positive view point of Siobhan (so much that I will actually go back to spelling her name right).  She earned some cool points with me tonight and I am starting to see what the judges have for some reason seen since the beginning.  Although I still don't see her winning this competition, I think this performance will solidify her spot in the top 12.  Is this what she would release as a single though?  That is where I am confused.  Still a good performance though.  I disagree that Simon thought she was better last week.  I think this week she will probably get a lot more people's attention than she did last week.  My personal opinion (and that's why this is my blog! lol...)

Lacey Brown- "The Story": So right off the bat I am confused with this song choice because I've never heard of it.  Has anyone heard this song before?  Lacey sings while sitting on the edge of the stage giving it a relaxed vibe.  The song is very delicate... and for once I think that Lacey found a song that fits her.  If she were to ever have a future in the music industry, this is definitely the type of song that she should (and probably would) do.  Even when she hit the falsetto, it was pretty OK.  Overall, this performance is MUCH better than I would have ever expected.  I was going into this week thinking that she was for sure going to be one of the two going home.  Now I'm a bit worried she might actually stick around.  The judges call it her best performance to date, and I agree.  She needed this type of performance in order to stick around.  With five more performances in the night, the other girls should be worried that maybe the predictable elimination isn't so predictable tonight!  My concern still with Lacey is her marketability as an "American Idol".  This sort of performance tonight was good... and that type of music is enjoyed by many people... but its kinds "indie" and not widely listened to by a lot of people.  It reminds me of something that a hipster, NYC loft girl would have on her iPod... but are teens, frat boys and soccer moms going to love it?  Probably not.  BUT... I won't over analyze her tonight because I think this is leaps and bounds from where she was before. 

At this point in the show, can I say it is already obvious that the girls are stepping it up hardcore this week?  They are making better song choices and delivering pretty good performances.  I wish I would have had this feeling for the last two weeks.  This is the Idol I like. 

Also... can I add that its odd at this point in the show to not have any video clips of the contestants before they sing.  Usually during the semi's Idol is trying to help these contestants build a fan base and give the audience something to connect to.  They shortened the show to an hour and cut out all the video-mumbo-jumbo.  Part of me likes it... let's sing and get this thing overwith.  Another part of me wonders if it will hinder any of the contestants that are bigger "personalities".  We'll see.  Almost as it should be during this 8-down-to-6 elimination show, its all about the singing. 

Now that the commericial is over, let's keep going :-)

Katelyn Epperly- "I Feel the Earth Move": For those of you that read my review of last week, you know that I LOVED Katelyn's performance of Coldplay on the piano.  This week she brings the keyboard out for this Carole King song.  Immediately I feel like this is a downgrade from last week.  This performance felt cheap.  It isn't memorable or anything that is going to make people rush to iTunes for a download.  I feel bad for Katelyn because she definitely had some momentum building and now it kinda comes to a screeching halt.  At the very end of the song, her vocals of the last few notes were impressive (almost reminicent of Kelly Clarkson for me).  Still, it wasn't enough to make up for the first 7/8ths of the song.  During the critique Katelyn says she was trying to be less corny this week (because of Simon's harshness last week) and I think that it probably hindered her.  She had her mind on not being corny... and not on performing naturally.  She needed to just come out and be herself and do what she has done the last few weeks.  To me, Simon's critique of her being corny is off base... and I will feel bad for her if she gets elminated this week while trying to appease him.  But, on the flipside, she should be smart enough to know that if she has been corny the last few weeks and has been SAFE, she should keep doing what she was doing.  I certainly feel like she could be in danger after this performance. 

Didi Benami- "Rhiannon": Tonight Didi brings back the guitar for this Fleetwood Mac classic. Will this help to get the good reviews she's been missing from the judges the last two weeks (but in my opinion has been deserving of!)???  Again... I cannot help but be mesmerized by Didi as she performs.  Her voice is delicate and beautiful, especially on this song.  I think its a great choice for her voice and for her vibe.  As I am getting excited about this performance, I can't help but but my sheild up in fear that judges will hate it again.  Randy doesn't think its a wow moment, but says its an improvement.  Ellen says "Yes indeedy Didi" (gotta love Ellen).  So far so good.  Then Kara says it is "one of her favorite moments so far this season" and that "what I fell in love with on Terrified (in Hollywood Week) I felt with this song".  REALLY?  You are actually enjoying her? What will Simon say?  He says he disagrees with Randy and that it WAS a "wow moment"!  YAY.  Didi is finally getting the credit she deserves... and it brings validation to ME that I am not going crazy.  :-)  The praise for Didi couldn't come at a better time... as Thursday's elmination will be the the most important of this competition. 

Paige Miles- "Smile": After the last two weeks of singing upbeat songs, I really am shocked with this song choice.  Paige has been smiley this whole season, but thing song didn't allow her to smile and show her personality.  The notes sounded very shaky, like she was nervous out of her gourd.  As the song continues, it goes from bad to worse.  She tries to hit some high notes and misses.  The thing about this song is that she could have had a wow moment with this.  Previous Idols like Latoya London, Jennifer Hudson or Lakisha Jones could have taken that song and turned it into a showstopper.  Paige did not.  The judges feel the same that I do and really nail her hard this week.  Although I feel bad for the hard critiques, they are deserved and spot-on.  I have been intrigued that Paige has made it past the last two weeks having no backstory or interesting feature about her.  She was definitely one of the contestants that I felt would be on the brink of being elminated.  Yet, after elminating both Haeley and Michelle last week, I would have thought that she may stand a chance of getting a few more votes simply because she is the last non-caucasian female left! But after that performance, I think she has sealed her fate.  It's almost guaranteed.  It will be weird having a top 12 without an African-American female though!  (I guess I shouldn't talk so presumptuously... gotta wait til Thursday!)

Crystal Bowersox- "Give Me One Reason":  Tracy Chapman is the exact kinda vibe that Crystal could strike gold with in pop music.  As the song starts, Crystal makes that very apparent.  Her voice is impeccable.  She's interesting.  She's unique.  She is one of the people that is actually making this competition interesting.  As her performance wraps up, I can't help but be in awe of how great her performances have been during the entire semi-final round.  The last three weeks have been great for her, and she is easily carving a path to the finale in May.  Also... can I just talk about how cute she really is?  So the teeth are a little rough (but WAY better than they were in Hollywood Week!  Idol must have sent her to a dental cosmetic surgeon before the semi's)... but other than the teeth, she really is an attractive girl.  She has a roughness, but yet a softness about her.  It's hard to pull off both those things at the same time.  Even the picture I use her on the blog shows that she really is a photogenic girl.  It's another aspect about her that I love... that inner beauty that becomes outer beauty.  The judges of course love the performance... in fact Ellen says she is running out of adjectives to use.  Well, Ellen, grab a Thesaurus because Crystal is going to be around for a long time. 

Lilly Scott- "I Fall To Pieces": When Ryan annoucned that she was singing a Patsy Cline song, I was really hoping it was "Walkin' After Midnight" because I could really hear Lilly singing that song... but she chose I Fall To Pieces.  At first, I was VERY worried about this performance.  The starting stanza of the song had some very rough notes in it.  Especially notes in the bottom register.  As the song continued and her voice was able to get higher, she started to get more relaxed into the performance and it sounded a lot better... but still, I'm not 100% in love with this because of the terrible beginning.  I do appreciate that she takes chances and sings songs like Patsy Cline... especially in this stage fo the competition when its not required!  Most contestants would only do it when they are forced to during country week!  The judges all love it and love Lilly (not much of a surprise).  Kara says she managed to take a very old song and make it sound current.  Simon said that it was a big risk that she took and that it wasn't a wow moment.  Still I think Lilly is very safe...  She's one of those contestants that will have amazing weeks and will have off weeks.  I think she's built a strong enough fan base by now that she will be OK. 


Here is my personal ranking of tonight's performances:
1. Crystal Bowersox
2. Didi Benami
3. Lilly Scott
4. Siobhan Magnus
5. Lacey Brown
6. Katelyn Epperly
7. Katie Stevens
8. Paige Miles

Predicting who will go this week is difficult.  Well... half difficult.  I think Paige is a given.  That performance was way below anyone elses tonight.  If she doesn't go home, its a miracle.  The second elmination belongs to one of three girls: Lacey, Katelyn or Katie. It's hard because you can look at it from the perspective of just this week, or taking the last three weeks all into consideration.  The elmination will depend on what which viewpoint America takes.  I wouldn't be surprised with any of the three.  I hope it is not Katelyn, because I have really grown to like her over the past few weeks.  Katie... I thought she has been a strong competitor from the beginning but will be boring if she doesn't pick songs she connects with.  Song selection only gets harder as the competition goes on with the themes and such.  If Katie couldn't pick good songs during the semi's when basically she could pick ANYTHING, I'm worried about how she will perform in coming weeks.  Finally... Lacey.  Although tonight was a HUGE improvement over the past two weeks, I still don't think that it was a memorable performance enough for people to vote for her.  She's been underwhelming so far and I think many watchers have been surprised that she hasn't already gone home in previous weeks.

Taking everyting I've said into consideration, I feel that Paige and Lacey will be the two contestants to leave us this week.

What are your thoughts?

I've also added a cool new poll... so you can vote for who you think should/will be elminated.

Top 20 Results

With tonight's show we go from 20 to 16 contestants.  That is a huge cut!  Next week will be even worse... going from 16 to 12.  We will lose a quarter of the contestants!  (That could be good or bad... lol...)

Tonight's show starts off with an amazing, chart-topping, performed-live version of Black Eyed Peas "I Gotta Feeling" (sarcasm definitely intended).  This performance was crap, and it was obvious that they were lip syncing.  Who ever picked that song should be fired.  I mean... its elmination night and you have them singing that "tonight's gonna be a good, good night"?  Not for four of them!

We get right to eliminations and we will see a boy eliminated first.  Ryan asks the top row to stand.  In this row we have Big Mike, Casey, Todrick, John and Tim.  We know that Big Mike and Casey are safe... it has to be one of the other three.  Ryan calls Tim first.  Although he was atrocious last week, he actually did much better this time around.  Ryan tells Tim that he's safe.  Next is Todrick.  Ryan gives Todrick his comment recap and asks him to stay standing (innnneresting...).  Then Big Mike and Casey are safe.  Duh.  It's now between Todrick and John.  There is actually something I like about both of them, and I would rather see other people in thier place, but I can't say I didn't see this coming.  Ryan announces that the eliminated contestant is John. 

Personally... I'm kinda bummed about this.  I think that given last year's semi-final format (groups with wild card), John probably would have made top 12.  He would have been that "Anoop" like contestant that everyone really just likes, but may not have the best marketable future in music.  I would have liked to see John go further.  He's a good looking guy... he's likable and polite... but maybe just a bit forgetable.  I guess Simon was right; Purple Haze is getting thier lead singer back.  I'm sure that group will be in much higher demand now though!  :-)  Best of luck to John.

After a commercial break, we return and Ryan says that we are going directly to the second guys elimination.  This piques my interest.  Usually they go back and forth... 1 guy, 1 girl, 1 guy, 1 girl.  Are they leaving both the girls eliminations to last for a reason?  Is there a shocker?  We will see!

The bottom row of guys is Lee, Aaron, Alex, Andrew and Jermaine.  To me... this is easy.  It has to be Jermaine.  As if it wasn't already easy enough... Ryan makes it even easier by telling Lee, Aaron and Alex they are all safe... so its down to just Jermaine and Andrew.  Seriously?  You couldn't make it at least a little bit questionable Idol?  For sure Andrew is safe. 

And I was right.  Jermaine is gone.  And if you ask me, it was a week too late.  He makes some sort of "I'm OK... I've got God" speech... and then he sings another horrible rendition of What's Going On.  So horrible that I fast forward right past it.  (I love DVR for just such instances).  Jermaine may not have a future in music... but if there are any adult footed pajama designers out there, you may have a spokesperson!

After another commercial, it's time for Danny Gokey to perform!

(hitting fast forward on DVR)

Any of you that read my posts from alst season know that I was never a big Danny Gokey fan.  Meh.  So he's trying the country thing... probably because he knew that he would never make it in pop music.  I'm surprised he didn't go the gospel route though.

OK... I have to move on.  That was entirely too much text about Danny Gokey.

With the guys, my elmination predicitions were two for two!  Let's see if my predictions for the girls are correct as well. 

Now we are on to the girls eliminations.  Top row stands up.  We have Lilly, Paige, Katie, Michelle and Didi. With this group, I initially think it has to be Michelle or Paige.  Lilly is safe... and so is Paige.  So it's gotta be Michelle... right?  Katie is safe too.  It's gotta be Michelle... right?  Now it's Michelle and Didi.  Ryan reads the judges comments from the night before which basically equate to: "Didi, You sucked.  Michelle, you were alright".  Now I'm getting worried because I REALLY like Didi.  Ryan asks Kara for her opinion.  She says after watching the performance back on TV, Michelle was a little less impressive than she was in the studio.  What she should have also said at this point was how AWESOME Didi was when she watched it back.  but of course, she doesn't.  Kara predicts it is the end for Michelle.  Ryan reads the verdict... and Kara is correct.  Bye Bye Michelle.

What I don't get at this point is that the camera seems to be panning more to Didi trying to get her reaction... as if she was unfairly kept when she should have went home.  Kinda like they always used to pan immediately to Sanjaya when he was safe every week and someone else went home in his place.  I think this is lame.  Sure the judges ripped Didi the night before and she was crying.... but it was completely unfair.  Maybe they just thought that because the waterworks came out the night before that they may come out again.  Either way... leave Didi alone.  Maybe I'm having my Chris Crocker moment here.  LEAVE DIDI ALONE!  :-) 

Back to Michelle.  She seems quite shocked, which I don't get.  Maybe Kara and Simon's comments the night before had her a little over confident.  I think she just had this wall up that didn't allow us to truly connect with her or like her.  I don't have any issues with her going home.

Oh... and at this point... I'm three for three.  YAY!

On ot the last female elimination.  The final row of girls is Katelyn, Crystal, Haeley, Lacey and Siobhan.  This is a perfect setup for me to go four for four with Lacey going home!  I hope I'm right.  First Katelyn is safe... then Crystal.  Neither are surprised.  They skip over Haeley and Lacey and go straight to Siobhan.  She is safe as well.  Now its down to Haeley and Lacey.  It's gotta be Lacey.  Just like Michelle, she doesn't connect much with the audience either, I don't think.  Haeley is just so darn bubbly and likable that people had to have voted for her.  Still... I think it could go either way.  Ryan asks Simon what he thinks and Simon says its obvious, but states no name.  He said that America knows its obvious too.  Ummm... not me Simon.  I'm hoping it's Lacey... but worried there is a chance it could be Haeley.

If I were a betting man, I would have lost money.  The result is that Haeley is eliminated.  OK... I know people may hate me for this, but I actually would have liked her to stay around for another week!  She was interesting and likable at least.  Lacey is a snoozefest.  I'm sad to see her go!  She was rough around the edges (sometimes REALLY rough), but overall, I didn't hate her performances. 

I do have to say, that last night during Haeley's performance of The Climb, I did look at Rich and say "this is one of those songs that would be a great farewell song for your last performance".  Maybe I jinxed her.  Now the poor youngin' has to sing lines like: "There's a voice inside my head sayin' You'll never reach it" and "Sometimes I'm gonna have to lose".  Of course you are gonna start crying during your song.  I'm a sap when it comes to stuff like that.  I think its because I can almost feel myself in their shoes and know how incredibly sad and overcome with emotion someone must be during that exact moment.  I mean... this huge dream has become a reality and is now crushed.  For someone that young, it will be quite a growth experience for her. 

So this week, we say goodbye to Jermaine and Michelle (YAY!) and John and Haeley (*tear*).  As I said before this review started... next week is really going to be the insanse elimination week.  Cutting four more people...  The contestants better bring it next week! 

Here is my photo ranking as of the first two weeks:

I'm exahusted!

Hey readers!

Just wanted to say that I'm sorry I posted the boys and girls top 10 reviews so late!  I wrote them during the shows on Tuesday and Wednesday, but never posted either because I fell asleep with the laptop in my lap!  LOL... I've had an event at work that I've been up early every morning... so I have been lacking sleep.  I hope to be on track in future weeks and have them up the night after the performances....

I wanted to put up my predictions before tonights show, so here they are!   Enjoy!  (and comment!)

Semi-Finals: Top 10 Girls

First of all... let me talk about how mad my DVR makes me when it doesn't tape Idol.  Errrr.... 

Luckily we realized it about 30 minutes into it and recorded the rest.  And doubley-lucikly mjsbigblog always posts the videos online.  And tripley-luckily we are the west coast so the videos were already posted when we wanted to start.  So as I am writing this, we are actually watching the first few videos online at almost the same time we would be watching them otherwise.  :-)

So Crystal is back!  Yay!  Although Ryan told us last night that she would be good enough to perform tonight, I was a bit worried.  I mean, switching the shows was pretty serious... so I thought she must have been really sick.  Surprisingly, they put her up first!  So let's get to the reviews:

Crystal Bowersox- "As Long As I See The Light":  We learn that Crystal is a twin (actually something new we didn't know yet... much more exciting than some of these boring "betcha didn't know..." facts).  As she starts to sing, I immediately feel that this song is a great fit for her.  She's got the grit to make the song work... plus she has the believability factor.  It's just a great song choice.  And can I just say, its hard to believe that this girl was in the hospital yesterday with a threat that she may not be able to perform?  FOR REAL???  I cannot tell.  Also, I'd just like to add that she really looks great.  Her first audition clips she was looking kinda rough, but the stylists have made her look softer and more appealing without losing who she really is.  I think tonight is a standout performance for her.  I love that Kara just said Crystal sang "You Oughtta Know" last week... that brings the lols.  Pay attention Kara!  Not sure if agree with Simon's comment that it was like the "Kelly Clarkson moment".... But it was good.  Definitely enough to solidify her position in the top 8 girls for next week.

Haeley Vaughn- "The Climb":  Haeley is a crafty cutey, as we learn that she makes her own headbands.  We also revisit the fact that she has a hard time not smiling.  I don't know why that's a bad thing... but it is kinda cute to watch her attempt a mean face.  :-)  Speaking of mean faces, I can tell Simon will have is mean face on after this performance.  As she starts singing, all I am thinking is that this SHOULD work, in theory... Miley kinda has a young, pop-country vibe to her... and that is exactly what Haeley is going after.  Personally, I don't think its as bad as the judges will think it is.  Sure she's not a superstar yet... but are we supposed to expect that at this stage in the show?  I was right about the judges comments.  They thought it was really bad.  Simon said EXACTLY what I just typed... that "in theory, it should have worked" (damn, I'm good...) but that it is a complete and utter mess.  The thing about this stage of the competition is that people who are memorable get voted for, and I still think she is memorable and easy to connect to... so I don't think she'll go home tomorrow.  There are still lots of girls left though, so we'll see.

Lacey Brown- "Kiss Me":  This is the exact song that Kara suggested last week.  We see that flashback clip... and I honestly think its probably a good choice.  At least picking it, they can't criticize her song choice!  :-)  Well... they will still have things to criticize because this is hurting my ears!  Anyone else feel the same?  Yikes.  I personally haven't liked much of her at all so far, and this isn't helping.  I don't know if its because some of the notes are really sharp... but it just seems like she's singing right after she has sucked on a lemon and the notes are being puckered up.  I'm not impressed.  Thankfully, neither are the judges.  Except Ellen... for some reason she's digging it.  I mean, I guess I kinda see where she's coming from because there is something likable about Lacey's style and look... but I just could NEVER see her as the winner of the show, and you've got to look at contestants in that way.

Katie Stevens- "Put Your Records On":  OK... how cute is she, really?  I love the clip of her saying "give me a kiss" in different languages.  She just has this young, adorable vibe about her that I like.  Now the song choice?  Not sure I'm digging it.  All I can think of is Megan Joy singing this song last year... so she's got some bad history behind her.  At least the only way she can move is forward!  And she does!  Personally, I think this is a good performance.  Really, she has that trained type of voice that can sing anything though.  The performance isn't good because the song is a good fit for her... its just good because she's a good, talented singer.  What she needs is a song that will 100% match her and she will blow it out of the park.  It hasn't happened, yet, but I have confidence it will.  I agree with Kara's comment that she should find a song that fits what she's going through in life.  I think if she sings about something important to her, she will make that connection and show us the true star she is.

Didi Benami- "Lean On Me": Why does it not suprise me that Didi meows backstage before performing?  LOL.  She seems like the type of girl who will grow to be one of those crazy cat ladies.  I still like her though.  "Lean On Me" is an interesting choice... I like the beginning and how she switches it up.  It's hard to take such a familiar song and make it your own without murdering it.  I REALLY like what she's done with it!  She is someone I would download her stuff right now... and I would go see her live.  I love her voice.  It's distinct.  I understand how some people may not like it... but for me, I think this is relevant and enjoyable.  Clearly I am alone.  The judges are ripping her!  WHAT?  Seriously??!?  I am honestly stumped.  Last week I thought she was great too... and for some reason the judges didn't like it.  Does she sound that dramatically different in the studio?  Kara says "it really wasn't good"?  REALLY?  Simon says she blew an awesome opportunity?  I just. don't. get. it.  Now Didi is crying!  I would be too if I just sang that good and the judges ripped me.  Hopefully the tears will score her a few more votes. 

Michelle Delamore- "With Arms Wide Open":  Michelle loves kids. And she loves God.  She she leads a children's choir at her church. That's nice.  Predictable.  But nice.  In her favor, I do have to say that she was pretty impressive last week.  She came out of obscurity (being one of the less featured contestants) to making a good mark for herself.  Can she keep the momentum going?  Not so much.  This performance is not doing it for me.  Creed is a weird choice.  I definitely commend her for picking a song we don't expect... but this just isn't the right one.  She's trying hard to change it up... but in the end it just sounds like she's trying hard.  Meh.  This probably will turn out to be two steps back for her.  Randy and Ellen don't really like it either... but then Kara says it is her favorite performance of her's ever?  OK... what show am I watching?  You just slammed Didi?  Really?  (gosh... I probably sound like the president of the Didi fan club...).  I don't get it.  Personally, I feel like Michelle could definitely be in trouble this week.

Lilly Scott- "A Change Is Gonna Come":  We find out that Lilly plays lots of instruments... including some that I don't even really know about!  Well, we can chalk that up in a long list of things that make her intresting and unique.  When hearing that this is the song she is going to sing, I am a bit worried.  It's one of those songs where it is IMPOSSIBLE to improve on the original.  There is no way to go but down.  I am really not liking this.  I feel bad because I want to like her, but this song isn't working for her.  I think she needs something a bit more melodic... as the range on this song is crazy.  Of course, in proper form for tonight's show, the judges are IN LOVE with it.  Whatevs.  I'm over tonight's judges reviews. 

Katelyn Epperly- "The Scientist":  Idol shows us clips of beautiful Katelyn sitting behind a sound board because she is supposedly studying to be a recording engineer.  Yeah right...  The only time this girl will be mixing stuff is if the techie doesn't show up to a gig and she's gotta set the levels herself during sound check.  I was set on being a Katelyn hater before last week's performance... then she kinds turned me around with "Oh Darlin'".  I hope she can impress me again tonight.  Coldplay is unexpected choice.  I like that she is giving the piano a try.  OK... halfway through this performance and I am IN LOVE.  I think this is amazing and completely unexpected.  She has me in the palm of her hand with this dramatic song.  I think this is proving that there is more from Katelyn that what we may have originally bargained for.  Randy digs the piano.  Then Ellen says she didn't like it because it was too slow and she was falling asleep???!?  Ellen!  C'mon, really?  Sure the song was slow, but she had me hanging on every word.  Now Kara doesn't like it either.  WHAT GIVES?  At least Simon says it was an improvement... even though she says she looks corny.  Personally, I loved this.  This is the type of performance I vote for.

Paige Miles- "Walk Away":  Gotta love a girl who loves taking it old school with a coloring book and set of crayolas!  :-)  She does have a colorful personality to match as well.  I'm honestly suprised she survived last week.  At least she has a better spot (towards the end of the show) this week... so it may bode well for her if she rocks it.  "Walk Away" is a great Kelly tune.  One that is fun and poppy, yet with a bit of rock grit.  Paige is doing pretty well with this actually.  It's a little karaoke for me... Really good karaoke though.  Some of the notes were off... and one of the runs was really too ambitious, but overall its not anywhere near horrible.  Randy likes it, and Ellen likes that she changed it a bit.  Then we find out Kara originally wrote the song... whoopdee doo.  I do have to agree with Kara that the song is meant to have a little more angst and she did sing it pretty happily.  Not really the vibe intended.  I'm wondering if this is enough to keep her aroudn though.  I doubt she'll make top 12... its just a matter of if she will leave this week or next. 

Siobhan Magnus- "Think":  We learn at Shavon (sorry.. thats the way I'm going to spell it) used to have a mowhawk.  Not really surprising.  In fact, I kinda wish she still had it.  Might make me like her a little more.  Right now she's just annoying to me.  "Think" is a huge song!  I find it hard she will pull this off.  She doesn't do as bad as she could have... but there were DEFINITELY some sour notes in there.  Especially that first high note she went for.  Ouch.  The long note was pretty impressive though.  For some reason, people like this girl, so I'm sure she'll stay... but she's nothing I would download or buy a ticket for.  The judges rave (of course... unsurprising at this point).  At least Simon keeps it real by saying she's talented but there were parts of the song that were terrible.  It's the truth!


My personal ranking for the week:
1. Katelyn Epperly
2. Didi Benami
3. Crystal Bowersox
4. Katie Stevens
5. Paige Miles
6. Lilly Scott
7. Siobhan Magnus
8. Michelle Delamore
9. Haeley Vaughn
10. Lacey Brown

And for my predictions:  Many people will probably call for Haeley to go home this week, but I think she at least has another week in her.  I think she's too likable with too much backstory.  I would be surprised if Lacey doesn't go home this week.  To me, she has got to go.   For the second prediction, its a toss-up between Paige and Michelle.  I think Paige had a much better performance this week, but I'm trying to determine who will bring in the votes.  Tough... but tonight, I think the two eliminated girls will be Lacey Brown and Michelle Delamor.

Semi-Finals: Top 10 Guys

First off tonight, Ryan announces the last minute change in plans.  The guys will perform tonight and the girls tomorrow because Crystal had to go to the hospital with an undisclosed sickness.  This does give the guys one less day to rehearse... but Ryan did say "the guys agreed to switch". 

Speaking of switching... Ellen switched seats this week.  I wonder why that is?  Did other people think that Ellen on the far end was as awkward as I thought it was?

Let's get to the performances!

Michael Lynche- "This Is A Man's World" : Michael shares with us about his musical theatre background. He had to do double duty with football and musical theatre.  Sounds like the story line straight out of Glee!  :-)  Michael talks about last week's judges comments and how he agreed with them and they are "here to help us".  He said he is choosing this song to show Simon how he has improved over last week.  I don't think it was a very effective choice.  A lot of the song is just speak-singing.  It didn't allow him to really shine.  It's really choppy and just didn't show a lot of power.  I'm afraid, especially with it being the beginning of the show, that this performance might be forgotten by the time voting opens.  I do have to say that Big Mike's look in the all black was good.  It was definitely a step up from last week.  I'm surprised with the judges comments.  I felt like the comments were already scripted before he performed.  Was that performance really worth all that praise?  I personally don't think so... and that is coming from someone who has been a big fan of Big Mike so far.

John Park- "Gravity":  OK... I really like John, and he really needs to shine this week.  Last week was not good at all!  We learn a bit about his background... that English is his second language. He also mentions his acapella group Purple Haze at Northwestern University.  He talks about how hard it was to take the harsh judges comments last week.  Well then John... let's knock this out of the park and get some good comments!!!  First of all, as I said about Big Mike, the look is MUCH better this week.  I think the casual jeans and white tshirt is good on him.  I think that Shania would have told him he had a "good bottom end" in those jeans!  LOL!  Ok... I'll stop... and get on to the performance.  It was better than last week, for sure, but still not a homerun like he needed.  The song choice was more contemporary, but it almost showed how much more awkward he is.  I'm wondering what genre he would go with as a musical artist.  I don't think that John Mayer is it... but what is?  The judges were pretty much in agreement that it was "better" but not great.  Simon says that the performance is not authentic or special.  He says that Purple Haze is going to get thier lead singer back this week. 

Casey James- "I Don't Wanna Be": We learn that Casey hasn't watched American Idol before, but has got the chance to go back and look at some previous performances of the song he's performing tonight.  You all know I am not a fan of performing songs that been performed multiple times on Idol before... so if he does this Gavin DeGraw song, it better be good.  Then, they show some clips showing Casey's "pre-show ritual"... where he's looking in some cardboard box.  What's in the box?  He said he will tell us if he makes the top 10.  LAME.  If that is a ploy to get people to vote for you, then you need to think of something better.  So... the performance.  I LOVED the electric guitar.  He definitely has skills with that, and I really hope he continues to includge guitar in his future performances.  I also liked his bluesy, acoustic guitar from Hollywood Week.  The singing was good... but nothing too special.  I think past performers (Elliot Yamin & especially Chris Richardson) have done better jobs with this song.  Gavin DeGraw really puts some power into the original version, and I think he wasn't pushing the song enough.  It was almost too easy for him I think.  I agree with Simon and Kara's comments when they said he took two steps back tonight.  Simon really hit it on the head when he said he didn't have the "grit" needed for the song.  The "grit" is what I meant by not pushing the song with his power.   There is no way Casey would go home this week... but I think it could habe been better. 

Alex Lambert- "Everybody Knows": Alex, Alex Alex... I know Ellen made a comment about it last week, but what is up with the mullet??!?   Speaking of WTF moments, Alex tells us that he has his own made up language?  Ummm, exsqueeze me?  How does that help you?  Weird.  Then Alex talks about how nervous he gets being on stage because he hasn't performed much before.  He is happy to be playing with his guitar this time around because it makes him feel more comfortable.  So the performance?  Call me crazy, but I actually really liked it this week!  His voice definitely has a distinct quality about it, and finally he picked a song that was able to show that off.  The song choice... the guitar... the acoustic-vibe... it is ALL an improvement.  Before tonight, I would have thought he would be going home this week... but he is moving way up in my rankings this week.  Ellen has my favorite comment of the night "Under that mullet is a Sam Cooke voice"!  LOL.  I also agree with Kara that its hard to not root for him.  He's really likable and sweet... and I think if he would get rid of the mullet, he'd be much cuter and would get a lot more of the girl votes (away from Tim Urban... PLEASE!).  I know there have only been four performances, but as of right now, this is the performance of the night. 

Todrick Hall- "What's Love Got To Do With It?":  OK... I don't know if the stylists were all sick last week... but so far all of the guys look MUCH better this week, including Todrick.  The silver jacket and tie can't be pulled off my many people, but it works for him.  We learn that Todrick was the first black Fritz to ever be in the Nutcracker at his performing arts school, and that has given him the confidence to know that he can do anything.  I really think that is great... He talks about his dancing background, and that many good pop artists out there today sing and dance, and he's hoping he can infuse his talents to fall in line.  I agree with him.  But this is a singing competition... so you gotta have the chops.  Again, I think Todrick's performance this week is a great improvement over last week's Kelly Clarkson mess.  For being a dancer, his vocals were very much in key.  When I heard he was going to be singing Tina Turner I was a bit worried, but I think he did pretty decent overall.  He toned it down, and sang it well.  I think its interesting that Randy told him to stop changing the arrangements of the songs.  If he didn't, he would just fall back into obscurity like other contestants.  Ellen encourages him to use his dance skills when he sings for future performances.  Kara says she missed the Todrick she saw at his very first audition.  Simon tells him he's getting it "completely and utterly wrong" and he should just stick to dancing.  Hmmm... well I'm not ready to give up on him just yet.  I still have confidence that he can be an entertaining part of this cast.  He has no chance to win the whole thing though....   He could be in trouble.

Jermaine Sellers- "What's Goin' On": I still am shocked that Jermaine made it through last week.  We learn that Jermaine "rocks his onesie"... lol... pretty ridiculous... but he shows the one-peice pajama outfit that he wears because his dad keeps the house cold to lower the heat bills.  LOL.  I guess I give him credit for revealing such an embarassing part of his life.  He talks about last week's judges comments and that he thinks Simon was way too harsh.  Sorry Jermaine... but he wasn't.  That performance of "Get Here" left me asking, what's going on?  And... unsurprisingly, this weeks performance has me asking the same question.  What's going on with him being cast in the top 12 guys?  I think that the other Jermaine (Jermaine Purifoy) should have made it through in his place.  The notes are all over the place.  He's trying to add rifts in to make it more exciting but it makes it more of a mess.  He makes weird facial expressions (especially awkward during an iconic song like Whats Goin' On).  I agree with the judges that he tries way too hard and that its forced.  What I disliked more than his performance was his attitude.  "I know God" he says.... OK... well does God have IDOLS-06 on speed dial?  'Cuz you're gonna need it.

Andrew Garcia- "You Give Me Somthing":  Andrew breakdances?  Wow.  Some of these "things you may not know about me" are often predictable, but I didn't see him being a breakdancer!  His moves were actually pretty good!  He talks about his mis-step last week with "Sugar, You're Going Down".  He's hoping to take the judges reccommendations and put them into this week's performance.  Well... after hearing him sing, I hope he goes back to his old self and forgets what the judges tell him... because I really didn't like him much tonight.  It's weird to not see Andrew without his guitar!  Him taking unexpected songs and switching them with his acoustic guitar is his strong suit.  I agree with the judges that he peaked with "Straight Up" during Hollywood Week.  How can he get that spark back?  He needs to stat!  He really is good... and was easily one of the front runners... but did he peak too early?  People say Adam Lambert peaked too early last year (he was his best around top 8/7/6) and that may have been what lost it for him last year.  But to peak during Hollywood Week?  We haven't seen that before.  I highly doubt he'll go home... but he really needs to get his stuff together.

Aaron Kelly- "My Girl":  Aaron's "betcha-didn't-know" is that he loves photography.  Wow.  Shocker.  This dorky, closeted kid loves photography?  OK... I'll stop and be nice.  He also talks about how Simon gave him a confidence booster last week?  Would it show on stage?  Well... I do have to admit that he came out looking a little more confident this week.  He was deifnitely confident in his riffs and runs because EVERY NOTE was turned into TWENTY-SEVEN notes.  It was a little annoying.  He was trying wa-ay-ay-ay-aaaayyy toooo-ooo-oooo  h-h-h-aaaaarrrrdddd.  His voice definitely has a Rascally-Flattsish vibe to it, so I think maybe he needs to go more in the country direction with every song he sings.  If he was smart, he would go in that direction, because country is really the only genre that engages Idol finalists that finish lower than 3rd or 4th (Bucky Covington, Kellie Pickler, etc....).  Simon suggests that Aaron try to be more like Justin Beiber.  That was weird.  They are nothing alike.  Then... Ryan has to put Aaron on the spot and ask him if he likes Justin Beiber.  Really Ryan?  Wasn't

Tim Urban- "C'mon Get Higher": Tim's surprise fact is that he has a big family?  C'mon... really?  There is nothing more exciting about you?  Jermaine can't sing worth a damn, but he at least supplied us something fun with the whole onesie thing.  Tim also relives Simon's slam last week telling him he shouldn't have made the top 12.  Well... it was true because last week was a disaster.  This week?  Actually not a complete disaster.  It's because he picked a much, much better song for his voice.  I was actually surprised that it didn't have as many sour notes as I expected.  Although it was better, it wasn't anything special. I was happy to see Ellen get a little more blunt with her commentary... telling him that singing is not his thing.  I agree.  He's cute... has a great smile... I think he should stick with modeling and maybe acting... but there's no way he's going to be a huge pop star.  He's too Kris Allen-ish, without the Kris Allen vocals. 

Lee DeWyze- "Lips of an Angel":  I actually really liked Lee's video package this week.  I enjoyed that he talked about the fact that he's made bad choices in the past.  Even with those bad choices, he knows deep down he's a good person.   He is really hoping to make an impact this week with no guitar... and with a changed up arrangement of this Hinder song.  The song choice was pretty appropriate.  I still think his voice just sounds a bit too underdeveloped.  There is no way he'll be able to survive all the different theme weeks of the top 12 without sounding rough.  I personally didn't really like it.  The judges seem to think it was good though.  In fact, Simon says he's the best singer out of the guys?  REALLY SIMON?  I haven't heard it!  Does anyone else disagree?



Here are my personal rankings for the guys this week:
1. Alex Lambert
2. Casey James
3. Andrew Garcia
4.  Tim Urban
5. Lee Dewyze
6. Michael Lynce
7. John Park
8. Todrick Hall
9. Aaron Kelly
10.  Jermaine Sellers

Predictions are tough... because tonight was pretty horrible for these guys.  It really could be anybody (except Alex... and the people who were front runners before tonight like Andrew and Casey).  I predict (and hope) that one of the two to go home is Jermaine.  I'm over him, and surprised he lasted through last week.  Unfortunately, I also think that tonight might be the last for John.  I really like him and think he has potential... but he just hasn't made a strong impact just yet.  I wouldn't be surprised if Todrick goes either... but I doubt that two African-American males would be eliminated in the same night.  So my prediction for Thursday's evictions are Jermaine Sellers and John Park. 

Gender Switch!

So supposedly Idol is making a last minute switch to have the guys perform tonight and the girls tomorrow.  Rumors are spreading that a girl is sick and so they are doing the switchup.  Will be interesting to see what Ryan has to say about it tonight. 

If you go to americanidol.com, it does confirm that the guys are performing tonight.  One of the backup singers on Idol tweeted that there is lots of "potential drama" at Idol today.  Can't wait to get the story.

UPDATE:  It's Crystal Bowersox.  Fox just issued a press release saying she had "a medical issue" that would prevent her from performing tonight... so they are hoping she is better by tomorrow.