American Idol Season 9

[Thomkal]

Originally Posted by Mustang

Plus I want Alex to stay around because I imagine it will drive that bitch Mary Powers to insanity.

Heh that what's I said to someone last night during his performance, "Man Mary Powers must be pissed that this meek little boy made it to the top 24 and she didn't"

[Solecismic]

Sometimes, American Idol mocks itself, and the judge are all too self-aware. One common theme is that contestants are expected to "make a song their own," which usually means they hunt Youtube endlessly to find an obscure arrangement that suits their voice.

Of course, when they do this, and the rendition falls flat, they are accused of trying too hard or changing the song too much. After several seasons of this routine, you'd think the judges would understand that it's not about some magical ratio of arrangement to obscurity. It's about choosing an arrangement that suits their voice.

Today, they finally began to admit they have no idea what they're talking about when they disperse this particular advice. The bottom line is that there is enormous talent in the women's half of this year's draw. And the people advising them on song choice likely have spent far too little time listening to the contestants - maybe they're in too many Front Office Football multi-player leagues.

Whatever the reason, it needs to stop. Poor Ellen DeGeneres has started babbling like Paula used to babble. And Randy Jackson just looks sad. Very sad. Poor dawg. This should be a good season, and one piece of Idol lore is controlling everything, rendering the judges incapable of useful input.

Ordinarily, I would propose a drastic remedy, like having Kara sacrificed at an altar to Casey James' future fertility. But I think tonight's mocking of their own advice may be a turning point. At least I desperately hope so. Now I going to go find a subway and see if Crystal Bowersox will sing me to sleep after I finish this week's top 20 Solecismic Rankings.

1. Lilly Scott. The best performance of the entire week for the second straight time. Lilly is far and away the favorite right now. She went after a difficult Sam Cook song. She was just showing off what she can do with her voice, and that prevents this from being one of those scores that defines an Idol-winning candidacy, but I'm always looking forward to what's next from Lilly. She does have a lot to show off. Score of 87

2. Crystal Bowersox. OK, we get it, she showed a lot of courage returning so quickly from serious complications of her diabetes. And we understand that she is an authentic, bona fide coffee house chick who will entertain millions in smoky obscurity, remaining true to her music as no one who didn't die in a '60s plane crash could ever hope to exceed. Tonight, she was a little bit gospel and a little bit shrieking harpy. But she was in key for the most part, and authentic. Really authentic. There was an ease about her that's probably becoming quite intimidating for Simon. I was a bit bored, but she's good at what she does and becoming a favorite. Especially with the Castrolocks. Score of 83.

3. Katie Stevens. Oh, this is a quirky season. Without a doubt, they have cast memorable female singers in quantity. So there's this 17-year-old girl who is rather beautiful. And she's a total freak of nature. She sounds like a 50-year-old robot woman when she sings. Why do they tell her to sound young? She simply doesn't. She never will. She could sing Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star and Cher would nod her head and say, "that's what I hope to sound like when my voice matures." Let the poor girl do what she does well. Maybe it's a Freaky Friday thing, and she has changed places with that grandmother of hers suffering from Alzheimer's. Don't fight it. Katie was a little awkward transitioning into her higher ranges, but she was in control tonight. Not her best. I liked it, though. Score of 80.

4. Katelyn Epperly. Katelyn went after Coldplay tonight with a very, very slow arrangement that upset Ellen so much she forgot to end her criticism with a self-mocking humor bit. It was good, though. Katelyn added a little piano work and did a nice job filling the theater with sound that wasn't cloying or hard to hear or easy to judge. I felt this was a song choice better suited to someone with a more distinctive voice, like Didi. Katelyn's problem is that her voice isn't memorable. Score of 77.

5. Siobhan Magnus. Simon has given her the dreaded "funny little thing" appellation. That doesn't bode well for her long-term chances, but she definitely stands out. And she screamed a note, with considerable volume and duration, that made last year's runner up, Adam Lambert, take a few notes. Is Idol about screaming one note? If so, she's in great shape. The problem with her performance is that otherwise, it seemed very pageanty. Soul without soul. Not something we'd ever want to hear recorded. Score of 72.

6. Lacey Brown. Last week's bottom feeder wasn't great tonight, but we saw why she was cast. She has a very carefree style, and the first few verses of her performance were understated and rich. Then, about half-way through, she switched to a faster style, and I remembered why I wanted to forget her last week. If she survives the week, she needs to calm her nerves. Score of 58.

7. Didi Benami. More than for anyone, you just have to scratch your head and ask, "what in the high holy hell was she thinking?" Didi sang the soul standard, "Lean on Me." Why? She is not a soul singer. She is an adult alternative singer. So she came out a little flat and rather uncontrolled. If I didn't like her voice so much (when singing just about anything else), I would have found the performance comical. Instead, I worry about her future. Score of 39.

8. Michelle Delamor. She received raves, but I thought her Creed tune showed no imagination, no range, no energy, and many struggles with pitch. I'm confused as to why the judges want to save her. Yes, she has the look of a teen star (though she's 22). But she's isn't a particularly good singer. Score of 37.

9. Paige Miles. Paige won tonight's dreadful karaoke award. Maybe it was just a bad choice. Her Kelly Clarkson song is more suited for the studio than live. She was consistently flat, and part of it was loud just to be loud. It wasn't much fun to hear, and I was surprised Simon liked her. Score of 34.

10. Haeley Vaughn. The judges nailed this one, even though they're responsible for the problem. She is too young to be on American Idol. She oversings everything, trying to get all her tricks into every verse.The result was fairly tuneless and uncomfortable. Score of 28.

Overall: Yes, better than the scary-bad week one, but, aside from the very disappointing Didi Benami performance, the better voices are starting to separate from the crowd.

Who Should Go: Haeley Vaughn and Michelle Delamor.

Who Will Go: Haeley Vaughn and Lacey Brown.

[Lathum]

I loved Eperlly's song, thought it was by far the best.

And the whole song choice/originality paradox is getting really old.

[Drake]

Jim goes 4/4. Read Jim's recaps, don't need a tv.

[Thomkal]

well at least Haeley is gone. Can't believe the likes of Tim Urban and Aaron Kelly are still around though.

[wade moore]

There are just so many bad guys, I don't think you can nitpick who goes when.

[Lathum]

Jim is on fire

[Danny]

Just watched the guys so far, Lee is my favorite vocalist, but I very much like that style of voice. I'd like to see some of these raw individuals like Alex stick around and have the chance to grow.

[CrimsonFox]

I think Siobhan will keep getting through on the coolness of her name.

[Danny]

Women are obviously far superior to the guys on the whole. Good choices on who went home this week for both guys and girls.

[Danny]

Originally Posted by Thomkal

well at least Haeley is gone. Can't believe the likes of Tim Urban and Aaron Kelly are still around though.

Aaron actually has a good pop country type voice and could be successful with more experience and confidence in that genre.

[GrantDawg]

Originally Posted by Kodos

Haven't seen anything from this week, but last weeks shows were horrid. LOTS of fast-forwarding going on. Even Casey (who the wife of course thinks is hot) drew groans from us. This season better get better fast, or I'll tune out.

I wish people would choose more rock songs. Everyone does these boring soft songs. Mix it up a little.

I have never understood why so many go to the slow ballads, especially this early. It is generally a road to fail. Find something with a lot of vocal movement and a bit upbeat. You want the croud going crazy, and people to remember you. Slow ballads are going to show your nerves a lot more, and make you forgetable. Fast songs that are sort of monotone can do the same thing. And don't add too many runs, but do have at least one or two small ones somewhere.

I was with Jim for the most part. I think I'd have ranked Lily a little lower (not that she wasn't good, just not as good as last week or a few others this week). We have strange year on the girl side. Generally you have certain roles that the girls fit into (one who can sing the phonebook, one that is really pretty but an ok singer, one with a quirky voice but limited range, one folksy singer, and one fat black girl with a powerfull voice). This year you have the one who can sing the phonebook (Bowersox), one who is pretty and can sing ok (Stevens) and several with a quirky voice (strangely also inclding Stevens) but they seem to have better range. Paige doesn't really fit the fat part, but she is the black girl with a powerfull voice I guess. Lilly, Bowersox, Siobhaniniongh (or whatever) and Didi all seem to have unique voices with a bit of range. It'll be interesting to see how they pan out.

The guys side is a boring wreck. The rock-style singer is really a step down from the past few (Cook, Daughtery), unless he's going to really pull something out and show a little more. Mike is probably the most consistant (filling out rather well the big guy who can sing pretty well role), but is not outstanding. The two painfull to look at nerds did a little better this week, but they are still very sub-par. I think I'm just going to have to suffer through the guy-side for awhile just to see what happens to the girls.

[CrimsonFox]

I can't believe the 70s dude is gone. He would have been a blast to watch every week. He shouldn't have sang the Lenny Kravitz version of American Woman and stuck with the Guess Who...or better yet do Doors.

[CrimsonFox]

Originally Posted by GrantDawg

The guys side is a boring wreck. The rock-style singer is really a step down from the past few (Cook, Daughtery), unless he's going to really pull something out and show a little more. Mike is probably the most consistant (filling out rather well the big guy who can sing pretty well role), but is not outstanding. The two painfull to look at nerds did a little better this week, but they are still very sub-par. I think I'm just going to have to suffer through the guy-side for awhile just to see what happens to the girls.

I totally agree about Lee. He just doesn't have "it". it's all affected and forced. He may loosen up but i haven't heard a real rocker yet.

[Thomkal]

Originally Posted by Danny

Aaron actually has a good pop country type voice and could be successful with more experience and confidence in that genre.

Yeah I said somewhere above that he does have a good voice for country. My concern with him and a few others are that they are just too raw, too unaware of what they should be doing with their voice and their performance. They should have told Haeley and Aaron and maybe a couple others in Hollywood week to go work hard with a good voice coach for a year, do some performances in front of a live audience, and then come back and try again. I think they got picked this year because their just wasn't as much talent, and they were hoping they would get better as the weeks progressed.

[jbergey22]

Here are the most current American Idol odds
Bowersox +340
Magnus +530
Dewyze +590
Garcia +750
James +950
Scott +1100
Stevens +1200
Epperly +1800
Lambert +1900
Kelly +2500
Benami +2800
Miles +3600
Lynche +4200
Urban +6200
Hall +7000
Brown +7700

Is there any value there? Jim seems to have a great read on the situation, what do you think?

[Ramzavail]

Bowersox needs her teeth whitened before I give her the title.

[Drake]

Siobahn just became my season favorite. That was excellent.

[Eaglesfan27]

Siobhan has quickly become my favorite girl on the show.

[wade moore]

I'm just starting Katie now (I wait so I can ffwd).

She's AWFUL tonight.

[Scoobz0202]

I really really enjoyed Lacey's performance as well. She really felt the song.


Out of the two females going home this week I am either going to really like one of them, or quite possibily, both of them. Going to be a tough one.

(Really the only female contestant I don't "like" is Katie.)

[Drake]

Siobhan has quickly become my favorite girl on the show.

You, sir, have impeccable taste.

[Scoobz0202]

Didi. Dayum. I agree with kara and simon. That was fucking awesome.

[Eaglesfan27]

I thought Crystal was very good, but not to the extent that the judges did.

[Drake]

I Fall to Pieces? Srsly?!

[Drake]

And the weird part is that she almost pulled it off.

[Eaglesfan27]

Originally Posted by Drake

I Fall to Pieces? Srsly?!

I loved it. I think there are 4 girls with a realistic shot to win this if they continue to improve.

[MJ4H]

Please boot Page and maybe Lacey. Katie would be a nice back-up to boot, but I'd prefer those two first. The other 5 I want all to stay. I'm in love with about half of them. Except Crystal and she's really good anyway.

[Mustang]

Page and Katie should go. Lacey deserves to stay after this week. For me, Lilly is getting very stale very quickly. I really liked Didi this week.

[Thomkal]

Simon was way off on Siobhan, that was the best performance of the season. Crystal was good too. I just don't get Didi or Lily. Lily looks and sounds like a cat when she sings. Paige and Katelyn probably go home.

[path12]

I did not get the love for Didi's performance at all. That seemed the definition of 'sleepy'.

[Solecismic]

American Idol has been the top rated show on television for several years, pretty much a cultural phenomenon. Still, when I talk to friends about the show, many don't start watching until the finals begin. Too many terrible performances and it's hard to become invested in the show while there are still so many singing.

I can understand that. You could take the final 2 1/2 months of Idol and receive a fairly complete experience. But then you would have missed out on tonight, which featured four performances quite worthy of the late rounds of the show.

Before the season, the judges were raving about the quality of the women in the final 24. Up until tonight, we only saw flashes of ability. Tonight, despite a surprisingly bad performance from one of the favorites, considerable talent was in evidence. We could definitely skip straight to the finals, ignoring tomorrow's warbling from a rather mediocre group of men, and not miss a thing.

The phone-dialers have some difficult choices tonight. For once, I think we might well lose someone in the semifinal round capable of making a legitimate run to the final three.

With that in mind, on to the Solecismic Rankings for the women's half of the round of 16.

1. Crystal Bowersox. As the judges keep repeating, Crystal has become the singer to beat. Not a bad position to hold, names like Danny Gokey, David Cook, Chris Daughtry and Melinda Doolittle come to mind. She is very, very polished, and sounds like someone who has been performing in bars for ages. She sounds good loud, she has plenty of soul, she is in key and she knows her voice. The judges have nothing to offer her other than the usual superlatives. She has matured. The last two weeks, she has picked very different songs that show off her ability, tonight nailing a Tracy Chapman selection. Score of 93.

2. Siobhan Magnus. Why does Simon dislike this poor girl? She goes on stage, starts off an a cappella version of a '60s classic rocker in what sounded like an Irish lilt. And she was pretty much pitch-perfect. Maybe Simon feels she's too quirky and would be hard to market, so he wants to take her down before she becomes too popular. But her voice is surprisingly rich and her complete lack of fear is quite endearing, if not a little frightening. I think she's starting to connect with the audience. Siobhan is exactly the type of performer who can keep Idol fresh and relevant after all these years. No idea what she will record, and I have a feeling I would never consider purchasing her work, but I like having her in the competition. Score of 90.

3. Didi Benami. Didi attempted one of the more complex feats of musical nature I've ever heard on the show: Fleetwood Mac's Rhiannon. Her interpretation was a bit flirty, and she connected extremely well with the song. That's something very few contestants even try. She was in tune, and I think Cara and Simon were right to break out high praise. If she had figured out what to do with the chorus, or the competition had been as weak as it was the last two weeks, this would have been the best of the night by far. I'm not sure it will save her, but it establishes Didi as someone who is capable of having some sort of impact on the music world - something completely absent from her last week. Score of 88.

4. Lilly Scott. Lilly has been consistently good this season. Her unusual style has the judges baffled. I already expect the unexpected with her, but I was baffled when she attempted a twangy Patsy Cline country song, and sang it as un-country as humanly possible. It wasn't fabulously entertaining, but she is very good. Maybe the judges are intimidated by her, because she does things that defy the reason and rules of the music industry, and that would probably lead to poor record sales. Maybe she just has a talent and, since she doesn't know where she's going as a singer, she just wants to try something new. I'm glad she's here, and hope she didn't spoil her chances of staying a while, because, unlike Siobhan, I don't think she has quite connected with an audience. Score of 84.

5. Lacey Brown. Two weeks ago, I would never have thought Lacey would be a legitimate threat to reach the final 12. Maybe she has finally conquered her nerves. She put a Brandi Carlisle song out there, sang it exactly like she's going to sing on her album. She toned down her awkward phrasing considerably, but she tried to bleat out a big ending to the song and ended up out of control, spoiling what was a very fine performance. I'm starting to like her voice, though the control issue will hurt her down the road. Score of 75.

6. Katelyn Epperly. Katelyn forgot she was already on the show, and went back into audition mode. Her Carole King song was completely un-special, had a talent competition feel to it. She seems to think she has soul, but she sounds and looks like she should be starring in the musical Annie. She was also losing her key late in the song. It was a huge step backward. Score of 63.

7. Katie Stevens. Sometimes, robots break down, and their little computer voices start to short out and get a bit slower than the music. Katie seemed confused, and tried Kelly Clarkson in an attempt to be less the 50-year-old robot she has exhibited quite competently in past weeks. But she struggled with her usually strong lower register. It wasn't terrible, but it definitely reminded the audience why Kelly Clarkson was special. Not in a good way for poor Katie, who has gone quite quickly from favorite to a bad place. Score of 57.

8. Paige Miles. Oh, Paige. On such a strong night there had to be a complete dud. So the girl with the power voice and some real soul tried a lounge song called Smile. The judges said they loved the song, but not Paige. The song was so mangled I didn't really recognize it. Just that almost every note was flat and the song was too soft for her voice. It was a second straight horrible week for a girl who does seem to have considerable talent. Score of 33.

Summary: Finally, we see why everyone was excited about the women this year. There are four true contenders for Idol here. It might be a good season after all.

Who Should Go: Paige and Lacey.

Who Will Go: Paige and Katelyn.

[GrantDawg]

You know, I wouldn't put money on who will go home from the girls this week. It was a fantastic night, but the two that did the worst (Right with Jim, Paige and Katie) I would guess have a strong voter block. Katelyn may be in real trouble (and she sadly deserve it with that song), but I'm not sure who will go wth her. It could be a shock/upset.

[wade moore]

I agree with Jim - Paige and Katelyn go home.

[Drake]

Jim identified exactly what I was feeling about Lily Scott. Good, but weird...but in a strangely appealing way. If she doesn't record like that, but uses it as concert filler or just an odd diversion, she could be an enormously interesting artist. Not my sort of artist, maybe, but definitely interesting.

[CrimsonFox]

I think this contest is Bowersox's to lose. She's the only solid one.

[PraetorianX]

Originally Posted by CrimsonFox

I think this contest is Bowersox's to lose. She's the only solid one.

Sort of like how in past seasons it's been Gokey's to lose? Or Melinda Doolittle or Chris Daughtry or David Archuleta?

[cuervo72]

Originally Posted by Eaglesfan27

Siobhan has quickly become my favorite girl on the show.

Ditto. Even if she's not quite...right. Or maybe because of that.

Regarding Didi's performance - my wife is a big Stevie Nicks fan (at one point we had considered Rhiannon as a middle name) and hated Didi's rendition.

I liked Bowersox's performance, but then I like that song.

Other than the Patsy Cline song (which I think was a cool choice), I can hardly remember what else was sung, though I was half out of it yesterday (fever).

[MJ4H]

Didi's version neutered it a bit. Took out the blue note and made it all tidy and major. Kind of weird but I think it worked. I really kept wishing she'd but that little blue note in, but she never did.

[CrimsonFox]

Originally Posted by PraetorianX

Sort of like how in past seasons it's been Gokey's to lose? Or Melinda Doolittle or Chris Daughtry or David Archuleta?

I never did understand how either Doolittle or Daughtry could go down. Wait, oh yeah, cause the people voting are tools :P

[CrimsonFox]

Originally Posted by cuervo72

Ditto. Even if she's not quite...right. Or maybe because of that.

Regarding Didi's performance - my wife is a big Stevie Nicks fan (at one point we had considered Rhiannon as a middle name) and hated Didi's rendition.

I liked Bowersox's performance, but then I like that song.

Other than the Patsy Cline song (which I think was a cool choice), I can hardly remember what else was sung, though I was half out of it yesterday (fever).

I agree with your wife! She totally dragged the life out of that song. Why is everybody singing so F-ing slow!? Killing great songs here.

[Matthean]

The only problem I have with Siobhan Magnus is that she reminds me so much of a younger slightly less attractive version of a girl I used to talk to online.

I think the issue with Paige was she got too emotional with the song and it was way too noticeable. If I was a judge I would have inquired if there was something going on that she was dealing with because she obviously had issues. If she stays, it's one more week for her to get it right.

Bowersox is still my default pick to win it. If she's just like Chris Daughtry, then isn't that a good thing?

Didi is a exact copy of the person she covered in week 1 of Hollywood. Didn't see her week two performance, but she can sing to me anytime.

[cuervo72]

Hmm...Andrew Garcia sounds kinda like a cheap Terrence Trent D'Arby knockoff.

[MJ4H]

I think I just watched a different show than the judges did. Good grief.

[Drake]

I thought tonight's show wasn't bad, but it was a real snoozer. Serious lack of spark in almost every facet, even if it did make Cara cry.

Tonight's show needed more boobies.

[Solecismic]

I'm hoping someone connected with American Idol can help. We have a crisis on our hands. One of the judges, Kara DioGuardi, is in trouble. All season long, the 39-year-old singer has humiliated herself with an open crush on a contestant more than a decade younger.

Kara also has taken Paula Abdul's constant footsies and grabsies with Simon Cowell to a new level. And tonight, she was moved to tears by a completely mediocre ballad sung by a completely mediocre singer who will go on to endure a completely mediocre career.

Kara's just been married a few months. So all of this is undoubtedly a cry for help. Any armchair psychiatrist can see, quite clearly, that Kara is undergoing a mid-life crisis. If we don't step forward and help, she will be driving a red convertible before the end of April, embarrassing her poor husband by appearing in public with Sanjaya Malakar and the cast from the Broadway Musical Ain't Misbehaving.

Not a pretty sight.

Instead of Idol Gives Back, I propose we set up a fund to get Kara the therapy she desperately needs.

In the meantime, while all of you are setting up the details, I'll recap the Solecismic Ratings for the men's half of the round of 16.

1. Tim Urban. This isn't a rave, by any means. I score these on a 1-100 scale, and you'll notice one through six tonight are separated by very little. Tim spewed forth the Jeff Buckley version of Hallelujah, which has become an Idol standard. He can't hit the big note, so he didn't try. But the rest was soulful and well interpreted. He was in key. Little girls may like him because he's clean cut and pretty. Score of 80.

2. Casey James. Kara, in her only remotely sane moment of the evening, claimed she was still on board Casey's train, which might be a vague reference to the famous engineer, Casey Jones. Or it might have something to do with her crush. She also said Casey played it too safe tonight. He threw together a completely generic soft country sell-out version of a Keith Urban hit. All I know about Keith Urban is that he has a daughter named Sunday with Nicole Kidman. I don't think he's related to Tim. Casey, meanwhile, seems quite commercial and competent. I think he'd be discrete if Kara decided she wanted to take him out in the convertible. I also suspect he's really an opera singer with a proper English accent and formal training on the harpsichord. Score of 79.

3. Todrick Hall. This could have been the performance of the night, but his gospel arrangement of Queen's Somebody to Love began with 15 seconds of an off-key tribute to Imelda Marcus' shoe collection. At least that's what I got from it. The rest of the performance showed considerable vocal skills. He owned the stage and displayed a polish other contestants can't match. So he's back in the competition - nothing short of a near-top performance could have saved him this week. He needs to keep focusing on his vocals, though. Score of 78.

4. Alex Lambert. He sang a repetitive song called Trouble. It was Boring, Boring, Boring, Boring, Boring, Boring. If you remember the redundant lyrics, well, that's why I kept writing the word boring all over my notebook. Alex has an unusual sound and a puppy dog look. I suspect he is taking the Kris Allen spot in the final 12 - reserved for the male who you'd never suspect has star power but gets teen girls dialing their hello-kitty-bedazzled fingernails raw on his behalf. I thought he was competent, but not connected to the song in the slightest - he was just showing off his style. Score of 77.

5. Michael Lynche. I do not understand why Kara was crying. Maybe her ears hurt from the opening falsetto riff, which simply did not work. Or maybe she is having problems at home and needed a good soulful performance to let loose a little emotion. I suspect the judges couldn't really hear what sounded more like an average wedding solo than the greatest performance ever, which is how it was received. I was bored. Michael was decent, once the falsetto ended and he stopped hopping around the stage like the late Chris Farley in far-too-tight pants in a Saturday Night Live skit. He wasn't terrible, and this wasn't all that far from number one. I just don't think he can hold a candle to any of the top four girls. Score of 76.

6. Lee Dewyze. Lee mangled a simple, but very nice-sounding popular song dedicated to fireflies. He sounded quite nasal, and needed to "work it out," as Randy Jackson likes to say. I'll chalk this up to poor song selection. Lee needs to rock a bit to avoid sounding like his nose is plugged into his guitar. Score of 73.

7. Aaron Kelly. Go figure. The goat boy doesn't do well with country music. He looked and sounded angry and uncomfortable. Simon was upset because Kara said he didn't connect with the music. He was half right. It wasn't because he's too young to sing a song with an adult theme. He just can't interpret music yet. Score of 53.

8. Andrew Garcia. I think Andrew tried a parody of Christina Aguilera and Genie in a Bottle. That might work on Saturday Night Live (especially if Michael is there to dance with him). But this arch and rather pitchy version wasn't quite right for a singing competition. Not even his backstory can save him now, and I don't think he cares any more. Score of 47.

Summary: We're steadily getting rid of bad competitors, so the level of talent is rising. But there wasn't a single memorable or interesting performance tonight, unless you count Kara's breakdown. All the gushing over Michael seemed like desperation more than true praise.

Who Should Go: Aaron and Andrew.

Who Will Go: Aaron and Andrew.

[Sun Tzu]

I have to say, I'm starting to look forward to your weekly reviews. My wife was in stitches this evening as I read then aloud.

Spot on old chap.

[Lathum]

Originally Posted by Sun Tzu

I have to say, I'm starting to look forward to your weekly reviews. My wife was in stitches this evening as I read then aloud.

Spot on old chap.

I do the same with the wife and she enjoys it.

I also agree with the judges when they said Andrew stunk of desperation.

[GrantDawg]

Jim pretty much gets it right. Todrick really missed an opportunity with his song. It sounded ok, but the idea was very good. He just didn't quite pull it off. I don't know if Urban had the best performance of the night, but he was definitely better than anything else he has done. Andrew was just bad. There so many good CA songs that he could have done his thing with, that one was just dumb. I'm glad we are getting to twelve next week so we don't have a whole night of just these clowns again.

[MJ4H]

I was baffled with the judges' reactions to both Michael (especially) and Todrick. Seriously. What the hell were they listening to. Kara CRIED???