Top 11 the encore: A country boy, a country girl, a flaming piano and Fozzie Bear

I'm really kind of having a hard time getting this one written. This week's competition was so underwhelming for me. I can't really put my finger on it. There was just no zip to it. Ok, so Naima attempted to throw some flavor in it but I seriously don't think that performance is going to translate overly well. I will give her credit for at least being memorable, unlike some of the scoops of vanilla we had this time. Oh wait, most of the kids picked songs that hadn't been doing on the show before. I guess that's at least a plus.

This week's "we're not doing themes this year" theme was the music from Sir Elton John. This really should have been a very good show because Sir Elton has a HUMONGOUS catalog of songs from which to choose and a great deal of them are show-stopper kinds of songs. Sadly, although most picked songs that were never done on this particular stage before, none could be rated as a show-stopper in my book. Not a single one gave me goose bumps.

Scotty (Country Comfort): This was a rather predictable choice for him. I mean, look at that title. It just screams his name. I was really hoping for a Tim McGraw-esque Tiny Dancer from him, though. I really dug this. Seriously, this boy does NOT need this show at all. He's got a wonderful voice and a goofy personality to offset the serious tone. Can we please just get him a contract now and skip the rest of the year? Srsly. You know what his only problem is at this point? He peeked early and has stayed consistent. There's going to be a time where he's going to need to step up a bit more otherwise he'll stall right out. He's been grabbing a lion's share of the votes most weeks, however this week Haley gave him a run for his money. Just goes to show you that the pimp spot does definitely help and singing in the first few spots on a 2 hour show can be detrimental. His odds went up again last week and as of Sunday afternoon he was at a +240. The Chart has him at 1-3/1st and the Maps give him a 9 state win. No way in hell he's going home this week.

Naima (I'm Still Standing): Um. Reggae? I'm beginning to think she's choosing odd arrangements to help hide the fact that she's extremely pitchy at times. I really wasn't feeling this at all. I've been fussing about how much I want Haley and Jacob gone, well Naima's in the same boat as they are now. Her odds went up drastically this last week to a +8000. I can still make some money if she wins if I put some scratch down now. She had a 2 state win on the Maps and a rating of 4-10/B3/7th on the Chart. She may or may not be in danger this week.

Paul (Rocket Man): Ok. So there's not much we can do about boyfriend's voice but we can get him to quit mumbling and complete his words and phrases. In his package, he mentioned doing this song with this band once and it turned out poorly. Can we say foreshadowing? Dude. You didn't do well the first time and I can assure you, this wasn't any better. Levon would have been the better choice for your voice. His odds took a bit of a tumble this last week (down to a +1600) and after this, I won't be surprised to see a bit more slippage come Sunday. The Chart has him at 6-11/B3/10th and the Maps gave him no love (well, the Loser Map did because he didn't lose anything... but the winner map gave him nothing either). Unless VFTW did it's job, you can be certain he could be one of the bottom dwellers this week.

Pia (Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me): Sweetie? We know you can do the ballads and aren't necessarily looking for Celine 2.0. Let's please pick up the tempo a little. We're fairly sure you've got it in you, so just bust it loose already! Ugh. The SUTA we got from the judges. No denying who one of the favorites is this time around. Yeah, you got SUTAed, Pia, but you also didn't knock Randy's ass out of his chair either. You've gotten as predictable as some of the others and this makes you boring and not as memorable as you could be. Please.... I wanna be wowed next week. Show me that you're deserving of MY vote. You want to be memorable with this song? Take a page out of Bo Bice's or Clay Aiken's play books. Now THOSE performances are memorable ones. Your's this week? Luke warm, honey. Her odds have risen slightly to a +400. A 2 in the Maps (2 wins/0losses) and a rating of 2-7/4th on the Chart tells me that she may be safe (the Charts have been fairly accurate this year so far) but we can't count her out for a B3 visit, no matter what the Chart says. They may stick her there just to shake her up some.

Stefano (Tiny Dancer): Bland bland bland. Sorry buddy. I tire of you. There was another who sang this song too, but he (JPL) wasn't any better than you were so I'm not even going to link his vid here. His odds have dropped to +2500. The Chart has him listed as an 8-11/B3/dead last, while the Maps disagree with a 4 win/1 loss in the states. Although he averages at a 3 state win, we may see him in the bottom anyhow. The Chart has been right for 2 weeks running now.

Lauren (Candle in the Wind): Now THIS was a nice interpretation. Every single syllable enunciated properly, a break or three where they should be. I cannot wait for the studio on this one. Oh Steven, those inappropriate comments are really going to get you in trouble one of these days. I've got one word for you in regards to Lauren... JAILBAIT. If she wins this, Taylor Swift is going to have some serious competition on her hands because I can see Lauren becoming the next lil dahlin' of the country circuit. For a third week in a row, Lauren's odds have stayed at +500. I'm a bit worried because although they're not slipping, there isn't any improvement either. She had a 2 state win and a rating of 5-11/B3/8th on the Chart. She, too, is a possible B3 candidate.

James (Saturday Night's Alright For Fighting): Perfect vocal choice. This is another one that seriously does not require this show, to be honest. You know what I want to see from him? To see if he has the restraint for a Mad World performance. That would be seriously cool. It would definitely solidify his Adam 2.0 status. Although, having a flaming piano rates right up there with some of the more memorable moments in the entire run of the show. LOL moment: when he mentioned he had so much hairspray in his hair that he was afraid of having a "Pepsi moment" (Coke's the show's sponsor) when the piano flamed up. Oops. His odds have been doing nothing but rising from week to week. This week's numbers have him at a +475. He had a 4-10/B3/6ht rating and a 3 on the Maps (4 wins/1 loss). Although I really don't foresee him going quite this soon, we can't count him out. If he goes, it won't be because he wasn't memorable, that's for certain.

Thia (Daniel): Seriously. Really? Well at least it wasn't another Disney song (and Sir Elton had a few of those). This was entirely too safe and too bland. Considering that TWO are going home this week, it was not the time to play it safe. We had reggae, a couple country singers and a flaming piano this week. You really think this lack-luster performance is going to get you remembered? Her odds have dropped to a +2500 this last week. She had a 6-11/B3/ 9th on the Chart and a -2 (that's not a typo, it is a negative number) on the Maps. I will be shocked if she lasts another week.

Casey (Your Song): Loving the make-over. I hate to say it, but he was beginning to look like an overgrown Ewok. No wait, more like Fozzie Bear. I love Love LOVE the fact he scaled back the vocal a bit and we got to see more of the Hollywood Casey this week. He reminded us why we fell in love with him in the first place. This is going to be a beautiful studio version and I can't wait until it's out there for sale. His odds slipped a bit from last week to a +900. I suspect it is a culmination of that Nirvana performance from two weeks ago and that rather frightening Marvin Gaye one from last week. This is the Casey we're wanting and this is where he needs to stay. He rated a 1-4/3rd on the Chart and had a 5 state win on the Maps this week. He seriously needed this to stay in the competition. The question is, how much of this is actual votes and how much of this is sympathy voting because he's been ill and almost lost it all last week?

Jacob (Sorry Seems to be the Hardest Word): This was painful to listen to the first time and I've just muted the video I was listening back to. I can't be the only one who doesn't like this. Am I? He oversings every flippin song. You all should know what I'm going to say because I certainly have said it often enough. Then top things all off, all that damnedable SUTA. I can assure that all sides of my colon are suitably tanned now, thanks. Funny how they pointed out Pia's performance in his critique. Hmm. His odds held at a +1200 this week. the Chart has him at a 1-4/2nd rating, yet the Maps show him no love at all. Could we get lucky? Two do have to leave this week. Is it possible the Chart has it terribly wrong this week? It's been known to happen.

Haley (Bennie and the Jets): I firmly believe that it's written somewhere that you have to praise the pimp spot singer. Because the judge's critique really blew. Between Jacob and Pia, my colon was tanned. With Haley's SUTA, I can fully assure the readers that my colon is now is completely and absolutely deep fried, extra crispy. This. was. sucky. All that growling and snarling was a bit too much. Our poor chihuahua swore there was a dog fight going on outside and kept snarling at the tv. I've seen "lounge singers" that were more understated. You want an effective performance of this song? Take a look at this one. My regular readers will remember how I felt about him (and his friend Doug). Her odds went up some this week to a +6000. Must be the short outfit she wore last week. Hey Haley? The other Haley wants her style back, kthxbai. She had an 8 state win and a rating at 4-8/5th. No way in hell she's leaving this week and she can thank whomever placed her in the pimp spot. That and her stylist that puts her in such outfits.

So. Who's in the most danger of being sent home?

Basically, if you're not Scotty, Haley, or Casey... you should just be sure to be packed up before the results show. It'll go faster and will allow you more face time with your friends before they shove you out the door.

Paul: Unless that nefarious site did its job, this could be the last week for him. The site won't be too unhappy because they have 3 others they've been watching. I personally find his voice grating, then again Rod Stewart has that same type of voice and I adore him. *shrugs* A 10th listing and no states tells me that if he leaves it's because everyone was trying to keep Fozzie in the game and as such, Paul fell through the cracks.

Thia: Although she has a very pretty voice, she's boring, too safe, bland and totally unmemorable.

Jacob: Yeah, I know this is going out on the limb, but surely everyone is getting sick of that over singing, yes??? Hey. I'm telling ya, call T.D. Jakes. You definitely need to be leading one of those choirs.

Alternative choices:

Naima: She sang in the next worst spot of the night. Singing 2nd on a 2 hour night is never good. Top that with that off key reggae performance. Well I doubt that it truly caught on with the casual viewer. If you're going to do that to an artist's music, at least have the decency to find a lesser known song. Just my 2 cents there.

Pia: Overly predictable. This makes her rather bland and really boring. Plus there still feels like a brick wall between her and the fans. It's almost a "holier than thou" vibe and it's not pleasant.

Lauren: I'm not certain why she did so poorly this week. I thought her performance was just fine. However, I cannot deny the figures that I'm looking at. Maybe she just wasn't as memorable thanks to that fiery performance from James and that chilled down and rather restrained showing by Casey. Then following them a snarling mess called Haley. Yeah, now that I think of it, it may be hard to remember her past all that. Plus she's more country-pop than straight up country, like Scotty, so it's possible that she's splitting votes with him. If she hits the bottom, it may not be terribly surprising but it will be a shocker if she is sent home.

The only bigger shocker would be if James gets sent packing. I don't think he will because his odds are far too good and he had a solid performance, but I cannot ignore the placement on the Chart nor the low number of states he earned.

What's a guy to do?

On Saturday TMZ had an article regarding one of this year's favorites, Casey Abrams. Seems the poor guy was rushed to the hospital.... again..... due to an incident following the results show this week, where the judges used the save on him.

Can you imagine if he has to drop out in the next week or so due to illness? There's already a bit of backlash happening regarding the use of the save at this point. I've seen comments about him being a drama queen and others saying that this whole thing was scripted (which would be no surprise at this point). Points have been made that they'd planned on taking all 11 on tour regardless (why? I mean last year's sales really sucked and some dates were cancelled completely...) so why use the save? Yes, he should have done better, but it would have been in his best interest health-wise to get him off the show and let him heal. A case could actually be made that he's had this problem for a while and it looks like stress is a trigger so why put yourself through this? Is it that all fire important? We've seen what you can do and people will be buying your album anyhow (or at least more than without the exposure on Idol). Ok, yes, so you want to win. However, we've seen that winning isn't everything on this show anymore. You'll do fine even if you don't win. You have to come to a point where you need to decide, is this really worth it? What good is winning and getting the contract going to do you if you're too sick to make the tour and are laid up to the point of not being able to do the publicity rounds? Or worse yet, what if this pushes the ailment to the point of the worst possible case? Is winning a silly contest really worth that?

How amazing would it have been if Casey started to sing, stopped it of his own accord and said "Please keep the save for someone else. My health's become an issue and I really need to go and get better. May I please come back in a couple years and try again?" Even better to have them say "You know, we know who you are as a singer. There's no need to go that route. You're going to be just fine and we're taking all 11 on tour anyhow!" It's quite obvious the judges adore him and certainly one of them could hook him up with a producer sometime after the tour with the condition that his album doesn't come out until no sooner than February next year. It would have put him in good standing with the critics and the idols for at least attempting to do the right thing because you know there's going to be some really nasty things said about him in the coming weeks from those who don't enjoy him (especially if their favorite goes before he does).

Jim C's wrap-up Top 12 and Top 11

Top 12

MTV Shows

Top 11

MTV Shows

A minor squwee-ish aka Top 11 do Motown

Due to an unfortunate turn of events, my house guest had to leave much earlier than planned. He'll be visiting again around mid-April so, unfortunately, I'll be missing the week of the Top 7 in my reviews. Unless, of course, I get ambitious enough for a live blogging session. That will all depend on what we end up doing that day and if we decide to stay out a little later to catch the monuments at night that night. I hear some are absolutely fab when lit up.

This week the kids were inflicted with Motown. Yeah, I know, Idol said they weren't going to strap the kids into themes and then what do they do? Strap them into themes anyhow. Idjuts. My biggest worry for the week's been Scotty because there is just no way you can strong arm a deep and very distinctly country voice into this kind of genre. ~~sighs~~

Seems the kids think that the only Motown artists out there were Marvin, Smokey, Stevie and Martha. At least that's what this week's selections indicate. Guess what kids, there are a WHOLE LOT MORE and look, even some you'll be more familiar with!

As of this posting, only Pia and Thia are on the Losers' Map with 1 state each lost.

The odds were grabbed on March 19th. They usually don't change up too much before show time, unless the odds makers get wind of any spoilers. Usually the page is removed the morning of the performances.

Casey (Heard It Through the Grapevine by Marvin Gaye): OK. This was better than last week, IMHO. However, he's lost his shine with me. You know who he's reminding me of more and more? Taylor Hicks. Ok, yeah, I should be using that example later in James's review, but this particular performance showcases exactly what I'm talking about. Is America ready for another winner like Taylor? Yes, he's entertaining, but is he a winner? Working against him this week is the fact he's in the death spot this time around. There are a few of them this year that can actually survive singing there, and he's one of them. His odds held steady from the previous week at a +550, so Vegas isn't seeing him go any too soon. The Chart and the Maps aren't agreeing with Vegas this week. The Chart has him dead last with a 5-11/B3 rating and the Maps give him a goose egg. He may not go home this week, but you can expect a possible shocker with him sitting in the B3 chairs.

Thia (Heatwave by Martha and the Vandellas): Meh. Not bad. I'm glad to see her doing something other than another predictable ballad, like some people we know. This performance did nothing for me because it was mostly chorus and she botched the wording a bit. Why didn't the judges catch that? And judges? PLEASE for God's sake, quit beating us over the head about her age. You don't do it with Lauren or Scotty, don't do it with Thia. Thanks. She does connect a bit better with the audience and the song than some do. *coughs*Pia*coughs*Stefano*coughs* Her odds dropped from last week to a +1400. The Chart has her at 5-11/B3/8th and on the Maps her wins and losses balance to a ZERO. The second singing position did her no favors this week and if she's in the B3, it'll be because she was pretty much forgettable.

Jacob (You're All I Need to Get By by Marvin Gaye): I've seen many complaints online about how Scotty sounds the same all the time but no one seems to call this one out at all. As my good buddy said to me in MSN tonight, "I'm about gospelled out". Seriously, dude needs to just quit and go front a choir for a televangelist already. I'm so sick of this one. Almost as tired of him as I am of Haley, and that's saying alot. Can we please get rid of him? Oh wait, every year there's an AA diva on tour.... I think we're stuck with him for another week. His odds held at a +1200, he had a 1 state win and the Chart put him at 2-5/GREEN/3rd. Now the Charts have been wrong before and the Maps have been closer to accurate. He could be in the B3 anyhow, even though the Charts don't put him there.

Lauren (You Keep Me Hanging On by the Supremes): I loved this performance. The sass, the attitude, playin up to Randy, the little girlish giggle on the end. All of it perfect. Only change I would have suggested was a hip bump on Randy's chair on the way past him. Now THAT would have been some sass. I can't wait to hear the studio version of this one. Her odds held at a +500 this week and I won't be surprised to see them go up a bit more after this performance. The Chart rates her with a 5-11/B3/10th (WTF??) and the Maps only gave her a 1 this week. Oh noes!! This performance was much better than that folks! The only thing I can think is that maybe she got forgotten when we got to the voting stage OR she's splitting the country votes with Scotty. I'm just as guilty on that front as I voted for both of them and James this week. I so need to pick a favorite but I can't seem to this year.

Stefano (Hello by Lionel Richie): Oh no he DID NOT just go there. Styxie hasn't liked you so far and is extremely displeased. Here, lemme show you how to DO this song . Yeah, he slayed it and you didn't make any friends with the Cookie crowd because of this performance. Nope nope. Notice how his eyes stay open and he connects with the fans as well as the song. If you make it through, you can thank Rickey for saving your ass (he really Really REALLY likes you). His odds jumped up to a +2000 after last week's performance (they were a +4000 the week before). The Chart has him at 3-11/GREEN/B3/5th (hedgin their bets again, if they guy has a B3 listing then put him in yellow folks!) and he won 3 states on the Maps.

Haley (You Really Got a Hold on Me by Smokey Robinson and the Miracles): Wow. Um. Hm. It really is kind of a tie as to which one I want gone the most. Unfortunately, not only do we usually have a AA Diva on the tour, but there's usually the leggy blonde performer. Do either deserve to be there? Nope. Her odds in Vegas dropped even farther to a +6600. If I had any money to just burn, I'd put some on her and some on one of the others because I'd clean up if either won. Yeah. The odds are THAT bad. She Charted 5-11/B3/6th and had a 4 state win. Um. Either we were all listening to different programs or I really don't like this girl. Hm. I'd rather listen to her growl one more week than Jacob, though.

Scotty (For Once in My Life by Stevie Wonder): Ok. This one made me chuckle, alot, with a *minor squwee*. No it wasn't his strongest, but we couldn't expect a great one this week from him because it was so very far out of his wheel house. It was definitely a very Glen Campbellesque performance for sure (had to check with my old country lovin' hubby for that one). Just goes to show ya, you don't always have to bend the voice to the song, sometimes you need to bend the song to the voice. It's going to be interesting to hear the studio version of it and see if they insisted that the kids stay true to the song like they did in one of the years (I'm thinking it was a song Adam sang.... awesome on stage, horrid recording). His odds went up even farther from last week to a +260. I suspect there will be a slight drop this coming week, but not much of one. He's rated number 1 on the Chart again this week. Solid GREEN all the way. Coupled with a 7 state win, I think we can expect him to be a shoo-in for the tour. Maybe I should insist on tickets to this year's show.

Pia (All in Love is Fair by Stevie Wonder): Last week, I'll give her credit, she tried to pick up the tempo a bit. It wasn't a great selection but she did TRY. This week, she slid right back into the damned ballads again. I suspect this is Celine 2.0, folks, and most of you know how I feel about Celine's songs. The problem with her is that there is a disconnect there. She gets into the song and completely forgets there's an audience there. It's almost like a wall goes up around her. I just can't get into her performances. I'd rather have her forgettable ballads over Gospel-boy and leggy blonde snarling woman any day though. Her odds held at a +500 and she Charted at 2-5/GREEN/4th. On the Maps she had a 2 win/1 loss.

Paul (Tracks of My Tears by Smokey Robinson and the Miracles): No no no! What was that rule again, y'all should know it by now. Say it together with me

"Don't do a song that another Idol has DONE"

Now let me show you how this song was absolutely DONE. You don't compare, so just stop. I had a "Gimme a barf-bag" moment when Jennifer (you've been demoted ma'am) said "Most seasoned performer. You’re the complete package. All you need is a good producer, and there you go." Um. EXCUSE ME?? Do you NOT do your research on these kids? This one's a plant pure and simple. Look up Grand Magnolias. Quite evidentially they HAD a producer at one point and obviously it didn't work out. Duh. I think this year's a conspiracy to have me throw my sneakers at the tv set. His odds dropped to a +1400 and he won only 1 state this week. The Chart lists him at a 5-11/B3/9th. The question now is, did VFTW do enough to keep their poster child in the running with the other 3 they have their eye on?

Naima (Dancing in the Streets by Martha and the Vandellas): This was actually a good pick for her. Very smart choice. Not sure I'm loving the SYTYCD mash up she did with it because this is supposed to be a singing competition and not a dance contest. Although, they always hit that they're looking for a well-rounded performer, "the whole package". I can't wait to hear what the studio version sounds like. Did they keep the drum interlude? Did they go straight up with it? She was a tad pitchy in a couple places but it wasn't nearly as bad as prior weeks. She won 3 states on the Maps this week and Charted at a 5-11/B3/7th. Her odds you ask? She's bottomed out and Vegas seems to think there isn't a shot in hell for her. If I had $100 to just throw away, I'd toss it on her. Why? Because if I bet on her NOW and she by some form of a miracle actually WINS this thing, I'd make a cool $10,000. Yeah. Her odds are THAT bad.

James (Living for the City by Stevie Wonder): I so didn't want to like this kid. Nope. I said early in the season that this is NOT what I'm looking for this year. That and the Tourret's twitching really puts me on edge. However, something happens when this young man takes the stage. He has to concentrate so much on what he's doing that his body doesn't have a chance to betray his condition as much if at all. Oh. And THIS is how to show up a prior Idol's performance of the same song. Is he squwee-worthy? Not really, but I do have a wonderful time listening to him and would be quite happy if he managed to win this. Ok, yeah, it would be the 4th CM winner in a row, but Adam 2.0's got flavor. Not the unsweetened oatmeal we've had the last couple years. I'll definitely be buying his track yet AGAIN this week. His odds slipped a bit to +600. The Chart rates him a 2-4/GREEN/2nd and he had a 5 state win this week. Scotty's got some competition and I think I found my second pick for the year.

So. Who is in danger this week?

Casey: Sang first on a 2 hour show. Taylor 2.0 is only going to get you so far. Especially when you're up against Adam 2.0.

Thia: She's got a beautiful voice but sang second on a 2 hour show. Beautiful voice but rather unremarkable performance. After some that came after her, one has to ask "Thia who?"

Jacob: His shine is fading. Not everyone wants to be brought to church every week. Seriously, go audition for T.D. Jakes already. kthxbai.

Lauren: Was this too little too late? She was sick last week but sang her face off anyhow and it was just a bit better than this week. Last week was a first spot sing and she won 4 states. This week was a 4th spot sing and only 1 state? Now that I really look at the figures, I have to question if she really has it to win this.

Pia: This one can sing but she's dull as dishwater. I think people are already starting forget her. Ballad after ballad after ballad. UGH. Puh-leez!

Paul: It's rare that plants win this. Will I buy his cd? Yeah. He's got a Rod Stewart sound to his voice that I do appreciate now and again. Do I think he'll win? Not really. I haven't been wowed with him yet and because that he has a cd out already, I expect ALOT from him.

Also to watch for a B3 (although the Maps don't support it, but it could happen)

Stefano: Boring, nasally and no connect. The lights are on, but everyone's out for their Siestas.

Naima: The odds just scream an elimination tonight, even with the decent performance and the 3 state win.

Haley: The odds have her as a second favorite to go this week. She won't deserve it this week because there were others less deserving of the spot on the Tour.

Shocker vote will be if Casey goes home. I suspect that if that happens the save will get used because he'd be a great one to have on tour. If that happens, they may take all 11 on Tour too.

Lauren would be a minor shock.

Weakest links were Pia, Thia and Jacob.

Additional notes:

There's always been a AA Diva and a leggy blonde on tour. Usually a fairly strange performer that people scratch their heads and say "How the hell?" as well as a big voiced balladeer and at least one country artist on tour as well.

Top 12 encore

Chart looks off slightly again this week. I think this is going to be the usual for the season though. I just can't see that Rickey's Vote for the First initiative is honestly strong enough to really pull up Naima over Paul (the VFTW poster child) by that much. Then again, I've haven't listened back as per usual and I did hear from one who had and she said that Naima wasn't really all that bad last night. Hm.

Just going to place the state ratings on the same line as the rest. Lost states will already be reflected in the numbers. Casey was the only one on the loser Map. There will be no surprise from me if we have an early shocker. Although ok, I still say that Casey won't translate so well to the general masses this week simply because we're in a Bieber World and although many of us are sick to death of kids like him and Willow getting rammed down our throats, I also just don't see America going for Grunge Idol either.

Lauren: 1-5/GREEN/+4

Scotty: 1-6/GREEN/+6

Jacob: 1-8/GREEN/+3 (aww crap, sighs)

Pia: 1-11/GREEN/B3 (hedging the bet there, may as well put her in yellow, guys)/+2

Naima: 1-11/GREEN/B3 (see Pia)/+0 (IN DANGER THIS WEEK)

the rest in yellow and B3 on Chart

James: 2-12/ +1 (and it wasn't Jersey... in danger)

Haley: 3-12/ +1 (in danger)

Thia: 3-12/ +3

Stefano: 4-12/ +1 (in danger)

Paul: 4-12/ +2 (WTF?)

Casey: 4-12/+ 0 (IN DANGER)

Karen: 5-12/ +0 (IN DANGER)

Most in danger:

Naima: first sing spot and most don't listen back like some of the fanatics of this show do, this could cost her

Casey: I still say he's not going to translate well to the casual viewer. He didn't to my house guest. Then again, my guest didn't like many last night either

Karen: About the only thing I remember is the B52 hair and a lick of Spanish (*again*) in her song. Other than that, I couldn't tell you much about her performance at all. ~sings.... Don't cry for me American Idol....~ This one will be no surprise at all...

Also likely:

James: You have alotta Bon Jovi fans out there that need some 'splain' for that performance, darling. We didn't love it. THIS is how you definitively cover this artist and NOT get totally trashed by the public over it.

Haley: Haley who? What, we aint gotten rid of her yet? Never have I felt quite so violated watching tv since Constantine. Actually this is worse, because I'm a straight woman and serious don't want some chick eye-boinking me through the tv.

Stefano: This one will be a semi-shocker. Although he was undeniably good last night, there were others much more memorable than this one.

Also the possibles, but not really likelies:

Pia: Predictible, but good. Personally didn't like the performance this week. Neither did the house guest.

Paul: He wasn't all that great, but his fans will explain it away that he was sick. Personally, I may have thought he was ok in the auditions and Hollywood rounds, I'm pretty much over this one already.

Wrapping up:

If you aint Lauren, Scotty,or Jacob, you're pretty much screwed this week.

Next week: As it stands right now, we (the hubby, the guest and I) will be headed for DC for 3 days and I'm not planning on writing anything. No way am I staying up all night to put things together (if I was paid to do this, you could be sure I'd find time, but since this is just a hobby.... well, ya know). Then again, this wasn't so bad. Just am not certain I really want to be up an extra hour early to throw one of these together. So, there's a 85% chance there won't be an entry. However, this all may change depending on the news he gets from home this weekend.

Top 12- Mostly live review

I've got company this week so this entry is going to be a little different because we have plans for tomorrow and I can't be up half the night as per usual to get a decent review done. So I'm writing while I'm watching and this entry will be updated as the show progresses.

Naima (What's Love Got to Do With It by Tina Turner): This was particularly horrible. Pitchy could be explained by moving around alot, like last week's performance. However, she wasn't moving nearly as much so it cannot be explained away. Singing in the first spot is not going to do her any favors.

Paul (I Guess That's Why They Call it the Blues by Elton John): I really do NOT like this guy's voice. Can we just get rid of him AND Haley this week? Pretty please? And then just skip next week so I don't have to fuss about not getting an entry done. Please? He was marginally better than Naima, but not by much. Singing second will not help him either.

Theia (Colors of the Wind by Vanessa Williams): She can bloody well thank Naima and Paul for their horrid performances this week. Compared to them, she was very good. The question is, will she be memorable enough to pass through to the next round. Randy had a point about the constant ballads. Let's see something a bit more upbeat next week. Considering the song and what movie it is out of, it was a rather predictable choice. Ms Lopez dropped the name Adele. Nope, sorry, I don't hear it. The girl that most had that quality didn't even make it through the Hollywood rounds.

James (I'll Be There For You by Bon Jovi) : Ut oh. We all remember how I feel about people covering Bon Jovi, yes? I really wasn't feeling it tonight, sorry. I will say that it was better than the others so far and I half expect that he'll be near the top of the Chart this week. His only real competition these days are Casey, Scotty and Pia anyhow.

Haley (I'm Your Baby Tonight by Whitney Houston): What was the rule regarding singing certain singers, especially ones like this one? Come on, y'all know it by now. Don't make me say it. This was somewhere between James's performance and Paul's, but closer to Paul's. Me no likey. Randy's confused with her. Let me clarify for the Dawgman, she sucks. I'm still waiting for her to WOW me and I'm afraid that it's just not going to happen.

Stefano (If You Don't Know Me By Now by Simply Red): He's at least in key. I'll give credit for that. I was terribly bored and wondering when the song would end. This is the same reaction I have with The Long and Winding Road and Hey Jude, so it's really not a good thing. I don't believe he'll be in danger this week.

Pia (Where Do Broken Hearts Go by Whitney Houston): Of the girls, Pia's the only one who can truly tackle this type of artist. I'm not digging the arrangement, though. She's in no danger this week either. It'll be a while before this one gets voted off, unless she has a horrid week.

Scotty (Can I Trust You With My Heart by Travis Tritt) : Baby Elvis! Awesome. He so needs to tackle some of those songs sometime in the up coming weeks. Excuse me while I go somewhere to SQUWEEEEE..... *throws her leather-look stainless steel grommet studded panties at the big screen tv* That note, that note *SQUWEE!* I know where a buck-twenty-nine of my ITunes allowance is going this week!

Karen (Love Will Lead You Back by Taylor Dane): Everytime I look up I half expect her to sing Don't Cry For Me Argentina. This was dull and was off in some areas. I can't see me buying any kind of cd from this one, winner or not. Sandwiched between the two that she's performing between, I don't see anyone remembering anything of her performance short of that huge-assed bun on her head.

Casey (Smells Like Teen Spirit by Nirvana): This was a big chance to take, a very big chance. I don't think I'm feeling it because it's more screamy than simply intense. Excuses can be made that he hasn't been well, but it can't be used for every week. I think this is going to be a rough week, vote-wise for him but do believe that his fan base will take a look at his past performances and that will help him through this rough patch.

Lauren (I'm The Only One by Melissa Etheridge): Poor girl's got the flu. I'm wondering who had it first, her or Paul? Doesn't matter because the flu really helped out. Melissa E has this grit to her voice and the flu just added that little extra something that Lauren needed to pull it off. Singing in the next to last place and being sick will help her because we all know that illness gets the kids sympathy votes for at least one week. She needed this after last week's fiasco.

Jacob (Alone by Heart) Oh hell. Mr Vocal-Olympian is in the pimp spot this week. What horrid luck. *sighs* *cries and whimpers pathetically* My ears, they be bleeding!!!! Way to friggin slaughter it, and I do NOT mean in a good way. He needs to be thankful he's in the pimp spot. Well, that and the copious amounts of SUTA they were blowing tonight. I think he needs to have the proctologist check him for burns up and in there. I'm fairly sure that they went beyond 3rd degree with that amount of SUTA. Maybe they should have suggested a sun-screen enema before performing in an effort to prevent singed colon. Here's how to perform this song (and I wasn't a fan of her's at all). Vocal gymnastics are not overly welcome for this one, power is.

Worst this week, IMHO:

Naima: She was horridly off key

Paul: Off key and out of rhythm as well

Jacob: horrible assassination of a very well respected rock ballad (although he more than likely will not end up in the B3 thanks to singing position)

Other possibles:

Karen: boring, Unmemorable

Theia: same as Karen, although I won't deny that they were in key... because they were

Haley: same as both of them and not nearly as pleasant to listen to

Casey: I suspect this performance is not going to translate well to the casual viewer, Adam was the same way last year.

Jim C's wrap-up Top 13

MTV Shows

A SQUWEE, a couple mini squwees and alotta blah

So far BetUS has the odds set at -140 for the guys and +100 for the girls. They seem to think that we're going to have yet another CM winner. I really hope not, but it looks like it may not be the AAM year this time around (just the one and I really can't see him winning this unless something changes). It could possibly be a girl's year to win because we do have one, possibly two that can give these guys a run for their money.

Lauren (Any Man of Mine by Shania Twain) : Ok. I really have to feel sorry for this gal. Hopefully Rickey and his Vote for the First initiative can save her because she really stepped in it big here. Why? Well the first spot singing position was bad enough but then she had to choose one of the Shania songs that seems to have a curse on it. To sing that song and sing first on a night that has 2 hours of music, you really need to slam it out of the park. This, unfortunately, she failed to do. Don't believe me there's a curse on this song? Go talk to Mandisa, who was an early favorite and Siobhan, who although wasn't a favorite of many still had an undeniably unbelieveable set of pipes on her. Both got eliminated on the nights they sang this song. However, both had more sass in their little pinkies than Lauren had this week. I'm with Randy, this was merely good and nothing really special. Steven was right too, it needed more kick-assedness. She may not have wanted to do a big ballad but I think that it may have served her better this week (try Ka-ching, not overly ballady but would allow the voice to soar). Unfortunately, that performance was unmemorable once the rest had sung. Last week she was at a +1044 and by Wednesday her odds had sky-rocketed to a +400. She's the present favorite on the OSGA site, although I wouldn't be surprised to see that change by later today. She rated a 2-13/B3/7th on the Chart and only one state win.

Casey (With a Little Help from My Friends by Joe Cocker): OMG. SQUWEEEEEEEEEEEE!!! Now THIS is how to start the damned night. Lauren not only got schooled, but he even provided friggin extra credit work too! This was the absolutely the most PERFECT song for him. I'm beginning to doubt that he really needs this show. Just cut him loose now and give him a contract already, please?? Him and one or two others here. Srsly, they don't need to be here. . This was a big improvement over last week. Last week was entertaining at best. This performance, however, bears repeated listenings. The odds went up from last week's +750 to a +500. Not the top of the pack yet, but getting there. He Charted with a 5-13/B3/12th BUT garnered a 3 state win. We saw what the Chart did last week so we'll need to keep this in mind as we decide how he'll do. I can say that of the 13, he had the second (albiet a distant second) highest number of states.

Ashthon (When You Tell Me That You Love Me by Diana Ross): Singing position is going to be a problem for her, especially since it took a wild-card to get her this far. She sounded off tonight on the tv, but listening back on Rickey's site (and through a pair of earbuds), it's not that bad. Definitely was a too safe choice for her. This song really didn't serve her well at all. If you're gonna pull some Ms. Ross out of your 'fro, at least grab one that you can get your teeth into... like maybe Ain't No Mountain High Enough (choose a bit faster tempo to it though). That would have been showstopping. Last week's odds were at +2760 and fell by this week to a +3000. Vegas obviously aint feeling it this year for an AAF winner either. Vocally I think she's truly the only female in this year's competition that can give Pia a run for her money, if she'd just step out and let that inner diva free. She's got it, she just needs to let go. She rated 5-13/B3/11th on the Chart and only got a 1 state win. I won't be surprised if she's in danger of leaving.

Paul (Come Pick Me Up by Ryan Adams): I was really wondering how they were going to let Paul do this song because of the language in the refrain. Meh. Wasn't really feeling this performance. I really think it's that voice of his. It just doesn't work for me and I find I'm getting more and more annoyed with it. As of this week, he's now the VFTW poster child (he won by a coin toss, of all things). Last week's odds were at +1200 and have risen to a +700. I doubt, after this, they'll stay there. He Charted a 5-13/B3/13th and had a 2 state win. It's possible that VFTW got the job done last night. This isn't necessarily going to keep him safe though because they were having trouble deciding between him and Naima, so they could easily flip the other way by next week.

Pia (All By Myself by Celine Dion): Have I said yet, this year, how much I despise Celine Dion's music? Not just the originals, the covers she did too. Even this beautiful Eric Carmen song. That said, this was a really good performance and she did manage to hit the glory note in tune. I am very grateful that she didn't do any of the other oversung Titanical monstrosities that Ms Dion is known for. Yeah, and that one too. Last week's odds were at a +1169 and exploded to a +550 by Sunday and a +400 by Wednesday. If the girls have a chance this year, she's the best bet to get them to the finals. She rated a 2-9/GREEN/4th on the Chart and had a one state win on the Map.

James (Maybe I'm Amazed by Paul McCartney): *mini squwees* I so have not wanted to like this guy. I mean I did dub him Adam 2.0 weeks ago (although I wasn't writing at the time) and that's so not the type of artist I'm looking for this year because I'm wanting something different for a change. Then I saw that he was singing this song and I listened to the original. At which point I had to admit that it was the absolute perfect song for him *IF* he could rein in that rocker's wail a bit. Color me amazed that he kept in check until the appropriate point in the song, let it stretch a bit and then reined it in again. Absolutely wonderful. Easily, hands down, tied for best of the night. His odds, like Pia's, have done and explosive improvement going from a +1409 last week to a +800 by Sunday and a +400 by Wednesday. He rated 2-9/GREEN/2nd on the Chart and won 2 states. This one's going to be a hard one to place because of last week's fiasco in the Chart. I do believe he should be safe this week.

Haley (Blue by LeAnn Rimes): Ew. If there's a song I despise more than a Celine Dion song (or most of Mariah's), it's this one. All I can give her is that she was accurate with her notes. However, she did NOTHING new to that song. Not a single bit. The only reasons why this one will be more memorable than Lauren's country pick will be because of singing position and that horrid moodeling (yodel-moo?) she did. I'm not fond of it to begin with and when it's poorly done, it's even worse. Her odds went from a +4152 up to a +2500 on Wednesday. I doubt they'll stay there for long. After this, I'm expecting them to slide. Can we just vote her off now, please? She Charted at 5-13/B3/10th and had absolutely nothing in the win/loss Maps.

Jacob (I Believe I Can Fly by R Kelly): Why do I always feel like I should be in church when this boy sings? Srsly, boyfriend needs to team up with a televangelist and just go on tour with them. This should have been a beautiful number, much better than Aaron Kelly gave us last year. However, Jacob decided this was the vocal olympics and performed the balance beam, floor exercise and synchronized swimming all at the same time in one vocal performance. Just because you can add flavor, does NOT mean you need to be heavy handed with it. Flavor's just that, a taste... a touch.. just that little something that makes things better. Too much and you spoil the product. This type of performance is great for stage work, but it's not exactly radio friendly. Ok, maybe one song, but not every single one. He placed 2-9/GREEN/3rd on the Chart but had no wins or losses on the Maps. According by the Chart he's safe, the Maps say he's in danger.

Thia (Smile by Charlie Chaplin): ZZzzzzz. *snork* huh? Ok, I can appreciate that she tried to change up a beautiful, yet dreadfully dull song. I actually preferred the jazzy arrangement in the middle. It's a shame they didn't just stick to one style the whole way through. I think it would have worked better. You want to know how to do it right? Check out Gina Glocksen's version of it (I'd also point out Paige Miles's performance but it really is more of an example of what not to do). I won't be surprised if she's fodder this week though. Last week's odds had her at +3503 and she shot to +600 with last week's performance. I don't see the odds staying that high come tonight, though. She Charted at 2-13/B3/9th and garnered a 2 state win on the Maps. She may or may not be safe.

Stefano (Lately by Stevie Wonder): Good golly was this ever nasally. It was horrid to listen to the first time and now listening back, I'm equally appalled. Why in heaven's name did they allow this one through on the wild card? Jovanny would have been a much better choice, I'm pretty sure at this point. Anyhow, this is a rather dull song and although the arrangement got spruced up some (it was referred to as a dance remix), it really wasn't much appealing at all. Dance remixes don't usually get alot of air play on the usual stations so it doesn't really make a whole lot of sense to do one unless you're an already established artist. Last week's odds had him at +1485 and he plummeted by Wednesday to +2000. I won't be surprised if he sinks farther by next week. He Charted at 2-13/B3/8th and had a one state win.

Karen (I Could Fall in Love by Selena): The performance was rather dull and the lower notes just bottomed out on her. If that wasn't bad enough, she wasn't really hitting those upper notes all that well either. Just sayin'. She also had the misfortune of singing just before two contestants that will actually be remembered. Does she even remember that she's in a competition? Last week her odds were at +1795 and they slightly rose by Wednesday to a +1500. She Charted with a 2-13/B3/6th and had a 2 state win. My guess is that she was just forgettable enough that the voters forgot how bad she was . Either that or there were others that the voters deemed a whole lot worse.

Scotty (The River by Garth Brooks) :SQUWEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!! Ok. Don't know what to say but I love Love LOVE this good ol boy's voice. I could listen to it all day long. Do his songs sound a bit alike? Yeah. However, this isn't always a bad thing. Just a little two-step out of the box will fix that right up. He's gonna go far, show or not. Next week, depending on the theme, I'd like to suggest some Jason Michael Carroll. In fact, the song that link goes to would be nice. Looks like my panties are gonna get a work out this year. Oh wait... he's only 16? *takes a shot* Damn. His odds went from a +872 last week to a +500 by this Wednesday. The Chart has him in first with a 14 state win. Unless both the Chart AND the Maps are wrong, this boy aint going home this week either. YAY!

Naima (Umbrella by Rihanna): Ok. This was definitely unique. I generally don't like much of RiRi's music to begin with, although there are a few that I really enjoy. This would not be one of them. She was a bit pitchy and the endings of some of her words were roughly cut off, however most of that can be attributed to the fact that she was actually performing her ass off (literally). Even walking can throw a singer off if they're not trained, and she was moving around while singing in some parts. I really kinda dug that reggae bit in the middle too, pretty cool there. I'm looking forward to hearing the ITunes version of this one, to see how much farther she took the reggae section, if she did at all. One of the other blogs that I read pointed out that a performance such as this is exactly the type of stuff Top 40 artists like Katy, Fergie and Rihanna are putting out so this actually makes Naima very commercially viable and she'll be able to compete in the market better than some of the others we have this season. The question is, is this the type of artist America wants going forward in the music industry? Last week's odds had her at +1938 and she dropped to a +2000. She rated a 2-13/B3/5th and was the only one this week to lose a state. One win and one loss gives her a goose egg this week. Even in the pimp spot, she was unable to outshine the country boy. Not really a good sign. Also working against her? The new number to dial for that spot. "Because 13 is an unlucky number" was the official excuse used. However, if I recall from last year, the 13 is actually to a porn line.

So who goes home and who stays?

In the most danger this week:

Jacob: Although the Charts have him in third and declared safe, we saw what happened last week. At least one in the green was sent packing. The question is, does America wants someone who over-sings every song (R Kelly gone gospel???)? I tend to doubt they do.

Naima: Even the pimp spot couldn't keep the country boy from outshining her. Although commercially viable, is she just too different (looks, voice, style) for the average American Idol fan? That and the phone number to vote for her couldn't have helped matters either.

Haley: Please... can we get rid of her now?? The only way she's going to be memorable is if she is in the pimp spot and even then, I'm thinking the first few singers will still be memorable.

Others for consideration for the B3:

Pia: Although she performed well, and she's listed as safe, I still feel a general disconnect between her and the audience. This happened with LaToya London too. Exquisite voice, but came across as cold to the average fan.

Lauren: A first singing position and a not so great performance on a 2 hour show night, not a good thing.

Stefano: Piss poor performance. It'd be ironic if the judges rammed him down our throats and then America voted him off anyhow. Tellin ya, they should have chosen Jovanny.

Ashthon: The first 3 singing positions are really deadly, especially on a 2 hour show night. She also needs to be allowing that diva that's in there to run free. It's the only way she's going to get any farther. Considering her and Jacob are the only AAs (that I can tell, you never truly know these days) in the competition, I don't really think that either will go home this week. However, we've seen odder years.

Actually, if you're not Scotty, and possibly Casey or James or both, it's very possible you could be in the bottom 3 and voted off.

Girls Girls Girls

The Girls' Show was a good sight better than the Boys' Show, that's for sure. No squwee-worthy moments, but then again I never have that kind of moment with the girls. For some reason, the DI Chart is having issues and while reviewing it, I've had a few WTF moments. The Maps don't seem to have a same view of things and when compared to what I've been seeing online, might be the more accurate gauge this year (again). How the heck does this happen? I mean, it's the same flippin program!!

The girls had no losses on the Maps this week

Reminder for those who read and a note for those just joining us

the DI rating may look strange the way I write it out so this is how you read it:

When I have a 4-12/B3/5th, that means they had the contestant somewhere between 4th and last place, possible bottom 3, listed 5th on the list. So a 2-4/GREEN/2nd means that they think the contestant's anywhere between 2nd and 4th, GREEN (meaning absolutely safe), 2nd on the listing. Got it? Good.

**note: the odds stated in this entry were posted the morning of the girls performances and the new numbers have not come out yet. ~IF~ , by chance, they manage to update them before showtime, I'll get those figures edited in**

Ta-Tynisa (Only Girl in the World by Rihanna): This, in my opinion, was a lamentable mess. I adore the song, although NOT by the original artist. No, my favorite version is actually a cover by Mike Tompkins. If you're going to cover a really new song, like this one, you really need to knock it out of the park and make it your own. Not a pale-assed version. Even karaoke singers can do better than what we were dished up here. WTF moment number 1: DI has her charted in 1st IN GREEN, yet in the Maps she only had a 1 state win. Please tell me how the heck this happens? Her starting odds of +3800 PLUMMETED to a +4087. If she makes it through, she doesn't really deserve it.

Naima (Summertime by Gershwinn): I was very afraid that she was going to get compared to Fantasia with this choice and I was so right. Randy took and just had to throw that comparison out there even though Naima's version was very different. Where Fantasia used Ella Fitzgerald's style (so you were wrong, Mr Tyler, sir), Naima opted for the more up beat version as done by Billie Holiday (Ms Holiday's was done in '36, while Ms Fitzgerald made it popular in '57). Not sure I'm liking the song for her, but she did do well with it. Yes, it had a loungy, torch singer feel to it, but that's how the song was written. You can't really update that without wrecking it entirely. DI rates her with a 4-12/B3/9th on the Chart and she had only a 1 state win on the Maps. Her starting odds were +1700 and fell to a +1938. There's still a chance for her but I'm afraid this one may be headed to the wild-card round before that happens. Remember, only 5 for tonight (unless they do something really wonky) will be passing straight through to the next round.

Kendra (Impossible by Christina Aguilera): Not bad. Wasn't expecting any of them to be able to handle an Xtina song yet. Then again, this year we have some better talent than we've had in past years. I think Steven's right though, there's more to this one. It's just a matter of if she hits us with it sooner or later. Up until this performance, she'd been completely unmemorable. DI rated her with a 4-12/B3/7th on the Chart and on the Maps she got a big goose egg. Her odds went from a +2000 down to a +2531. I'm kind of on the fence with her. Her biggest problem right now is that she's splitting votes with Haley and one will remember the latter over the former.

Rachel (Criminal by Fiona Apple): Boy, she is a quirky little thing isn't she? To be honest, I loved the idea she had with this song and it started out pretty well, then she hit a rough patch while she was making a trip around the judges' area and it just fell apart. Steven was right though, it was very Broadway. I could easily see that treatment of the song in some big musical of sorts. However, it should be pointed out that I was in theater and choir for a good deal of my time in school years and that's precisely how we would have had to perform our numbers. I don't see a number like that faring well with on air or cd play. With a DI rating of 4-12/B3/6th on the Chart and a goose egg for her on the Maps, I don't think we'll see her continuing unless JLo pushes for her as a Wild-card. At least she was more memorable than Kendra. However, with some of this other talent this year, I don't think she's gonna make the cut. She would make good tv though.

Karen (Hero by Mariah): It was very tastefully done, but kind of sleepy. She's got a beautiful voice and I have to give her props for acknowledging both languages that she speaks by blending them within one song. Not that I'm going to look forward to having that happen each week, but that's just me I'm sure. Rated on the DI Chart with a 4-12/B3/dead last and only a 1 state win on the Maps, I find myself in yet another WTF moment as I try to figure out how to justify such low ratings. Her starting odds of +1250 dropped to a +1795.

Lauren Turner (Seven Day Fool by Etta James, the Jully Black version): Oh. I liked this. Randy threw out the comparison of Amy Winehouse and Florance and the Machine but I'm not certain. I don't like the former and I'm not overly familiar with the other. She does have a familiar flair though. I'll have to check on them to see if Randy's right. I really hope this one goes through as it would be a crying shame if she didn't. DI rated her on the Chart as a 4-12/B3/11th (WTF #2?????) and she won only 1 state. Now wait one doggone minute, are they really all that good or were they not as good as I thought they were?? Her odds went from a +3900 start value and PLUMMETED to a +5000 (see note above, I suspect that this has changed).

Ashton (Love Over Me by Monica): This was nice, but only nice. There's no denying she can sing as she's got an awesome set of pipes on her. Yes, I'll agree she has the confidence of a diva. However, there seems to be a disconnect with her. She's like a combination of Nadia Turner and LaToya London and we saw where those two ended up. Women with awesome pipes, great looks but just no flippin connect with the viewers which amounted to either very small fan bases OR ones that got complacent in their voting. Her voice handled Monica well ,but I think Randy's right as she should be taking on Tina Turner and some of the bigger artists. DI rated her on the Chart as a 4-12/B3/8th while there was only a 1 state win on the Maps. This is going to be a hard choice this week for the girls, I'm afraid.

Julie (Breakaway by Kelly Clarkson): So totally the wrong song for her. Please review the handbook that some of the forums have put together for contestants. Especially reread the passages about "Singing a song that's been DONE" and "Singing a former Idol's music". You'll notice that it's usually frowned upon and you WILL get compared to that former contestant. An example on how to do it well is Jacob Lusk's performance this week. He improved on it and the one that really did the best with that song before he came along, was Anwar Robinson back in Season 4. Jacob blew it out of the water. This is how you do it. You do it so well that it takes a fairly committed fan (or is it a fan that should be committed?) to remember it. Way to slaughter the original Idol's music, darling. Inspite of her massacre of the song, she manages to get rated a 2-4/GREEN/2nd place on the Chart (WTF #3??? I wanna know what they're smokin over there!) and she had a 2 state win on the Maps (WTF #4 moment here as others were better tonight IMHO). Her starting odds of +850 rose to a +758 (please refer to that note above again). Presently she's a favorite to win over at Pinnacle. I suspect that unless the online voters trashed the hell out of her, she's going to skate through on her past performances.

Haley (Fallin' by Alicia Keys): I definitely want whatever the judges are having if you can see colors in a persons voice, just sayin' ya know. Aw hell. I'm still pissed today because I actually enjoyed this performance last night and I've been hoping to be rid of this annoyance. Listening back, I find myself in the same position as the Boys Night where I loved a performance (Casey's) that night and wasn't 100% in love with it the next day. Kudos for the attempt on such a difficult song, Alicia Keys really should be placed on the "Do Not Sing" list for sure. DI placed her on the Chart with a 4-12/B3/10th place and the Maps show her with a 1 state win. Her starting +3600 odds dropped to a +4152.

Thia (Out Here On My Own by Irene Cara): Although pitch perfect, I wasn't totally thrilled with this performance. Why? Because she really didn't bring anything new to it. She played it safe on a night she shouldn't have (please read as bland and boring). Nice, that's about all I can give her. The DI Chart has her at 3-12/B3/5th and the Maps don't give her any love at all. Her odds went from a starting +3600 and rose to a +3503.

Lauren A. (Turn on the Radio by Reba): I'm not really a Reba fan, but I really dug this performance, even though the band was a tad loud on it. Lil missy's got sass and I like it! I think I could see me voting for her on a week to week basis. I expect that if both her and Scotty go through, I'm going to be splitting my votes. Better stock up on the ITunes cards now, huh? DI has her at 2-5/GREEN/3rd and she had a 8 state win on the Maps. Girlfriend aint going anywhere this week, I'm pretty sure of it. Even with the 44 point drop on the betting site (from a start of +1000 to a +1044). She's the fave to win on BoDog right now.

Pia (I'll Stand By You by The Pretenders): I really liked her version of this song. She did just enough to it to make it her own, but she didn't totally rework it (I'm lookin at you, Miss Quirky Criminal..) to the point of being nearly unrecognizable. She's not my favorite of the group but I can see her going pretty far in the competition (yet another one with disconnect issues). DI has her at 2-12/B3/4th on the Chart and with a 5 state win on the Maps. I'm pretty sure that she'll be moving along to the next phase of the contest. She went from a start value of +1200 up to a +1169. It will not surprise me if she becomes a favorite on one of the betting sites in short order.

So who goes on to the next stage of the contest and who fights for the last 2/3 spots next week?

I'm 75% certain that the last two singers of the night, Lauren A and Pia, will be a shoo-in for the next round.

Julie may grab a spot, if the Chart and Maps are correct. It'll be a WTF (number 5,420,612) moment, I'm sure because the inclusion of her will bump someone else more deserving. Based on last night alone, she doesn't deserve it at all.

Possibles to round out the 5 could be Lauren T, and/or Haley as both had solid performances for the night.

Karen is a possible too as I believe there's more to her than a sleepy performance. Let's light a firecracker darlin.... put some of that spice in there.

Ashton deserves a spot as she has oh so much more to give, I'm sure of it. Same with Naima.

The rest can go home, in my opinion.

Ta-Tynesia stayed current but botched it.

If it wasn't for that quirky performance, I doubt I would have remembered Rachel.

Thia was bland enough to almost be unmemorable.

Kendra's performance, although good, is unmemorable when compared to Haley's.

A Country singer, a growler and alot of filler

So. Whatcha think?

I'm confused. Evidentially, this is going to one of those years that I can't watch during certain performances because it's going to effect my judgement as I let out a fangirly squwee during a performance that, upon listening back, really did NOT deserve it. As of last night, however, I suspect that both pairs of special throwin panties will be making an appearance this year. Unless, of course, the girls blow it out of the water. If that happens, only one pair will be removed from the confines of the "speshul" drawer to be utilized for the season. I think the black "leather" ones with grommets will do nicely.

I've heard that this first set of performances were taped. More than likely an effort to allow Mr Tyler to finish his training in the "This is family tv let's keep the language PG, please" class. It was so very kind of Ryan to provide that visual aid and review with Mr Tyler before the children performed. I'm pleased to announce that he seems to have done fairly well, but as this was taped... it is possible he slipped a little bit. We'll never know unless the children put out a tell all book regarding the behind the scenes shenanigans of Mr Tyler.

Word is that this is the only week of semi-finales (incase you missed that in the last entry). Gotta love that. Next week, the 14 who didn't make it will perform and 2 (maybe 3 as I'm seeing a Top 13 rumor floating around) will get the judges wild card spot. They're supposed to be singing Tuesday but the schedule is showing shows on Wednesday and Thursday which I guess means we'll be seeing a taped performance again. There will be no voting though, just the judges picking. What I wanna know is, why not just pick them this week and get it over with? Base the decision on what they've done and what they did this week. They're supposed to be performing each week like it could be their last anyhow.

Clint Jun Gamboa (Superstitious by Stevie Wonder): How many times over the years were the contestants ripped over performing certain artists' songs? Too many to count. As often as they're ripped over performing songs a past idol is known for (that, according to the spoilers will be happening not once but twice tonight). In fact, it's one of the things I'm usually harping on in most of my entries. Although it wasn't really karaoke, as would be expected from a person known for performing in that format, it really wasn't great. It was very good for a bar or dancehall, but not really for the show. Top things off, he drew the death spot on the first night and that ALWAYS turns out fairly badly. I'm already seeing that, although entertaining, I'm not really going to agree much with the new judges at all. This is a good thing as it just means I'll have only one judge to really take notes about. DI has him listed on the charts as a 4-12/B3/12th and no wins or losses on the maps. Being listed last doesn't necessarily mean he's going home, but those numbers don't exactly bode well for him considering only 5 will be going through with this vote. Looking at the betting numbers, he went from a start number of +4100 (not good) and dropped to a +4411 (even worse. Remember, big numbers in the positive are NOT a good thing here) after his performance. At this point, I'd say his only hope of continuing will be if he draws a wild-card spot and 2 spots out of 7, well those aren't great odds.

Jovany (I'll Be by Edwin McCain) Oh geez. This song again? Can we please retire this one? It's been DONE and no one will compare so let's just give it up already! It was nice, and that's about all. Ok ok. I'll admit that the beautiful glory note before the end was good, but not worthy of a "Holy shipyards" comment. He didn't bring anything to it. DI rates him with a 4-12/B3/11th place (the second singing position on a night of a 90 minute show didn't do him any favors either) and places him nowhere on the Maps (no wins and no losses). Jovany had a very slight increase in his odds going from a +1400 start value to a +1398 after his performance. Enough of an improvement? Probably not.

Jordan (OMG by Usher) OMG is right. What a hot mess that one was. Then again, I'm not fond of many of Usher's songs anyhow. He started off rough and it just got worse. This was so not a good pick for him and the only reason you heard the squeals in the audience was because it was an Usher song. Guarantee that. Don't much like the dude to begin with anyhow. He's just so ugly inside. I'm all for cut throat but some of the stuff he did in Hollywood, so not cool. DI charts him at 2-12/B3/6th (putting him about mid-pack at best guesstimate) and on the Maps as a +1 (1 win/ no losses). Again, we have one that may not make it because he got edged out (remember, only 5 places and with last night's performances there are 3 that I'm fairly sure will be going through) who's only hope will be one of the wild-card spots.

Tim (Street Corner Symphony by Rob Thomas) I adore this song when Mr Thomas sings it, but last night. Meh, not so much. Tim wasn't bad, it was the back-up singers that butchered the hell out of it. The judges weren't fond and went as far as to say the song did him no favors. However, it was the back-up that truly failed him, not the song. It wasn't all that bad considering how little time they have to work on these. Was it as good as the original, hell no. But overall it wasn't really that bad. At this point, we'd heard worse already. My biggest concern with him is that we've had 3 winners already that do the same style and he's got another competitor who sings the same genre and sings it just that much better. Then again, the competition is a professional too. That's for another section of the review, though. DI rated him a 2-12/B3/7th on the charts and if the chart is absolutely right (and it never is), he'll be edged out. The Maps have him with 2 wins and no losses. OSGA started him with a +2100 and slid him to a +2258 after his performance.

Brett (Light My Fire by The Doors) Oh man. This was so not the song for him. A shame because he's a sweetie that I'd love to see go a bit farther in the competition. Randy mentioned some pitch trouble in the beginning. Only the beginning? More like the beginning, middle and end. He's NOT the rocker he professes to be, that's for damned sure. If he was going to do any rock, he should have chosen Jet or maybe even The Darkness, because the lead's voices are a bit higher than the norm and with a little tweaking he ~might~ have been able to deal with songs by them. Look to A Thing Called Love for inspiration. Trust me, hit those high notes and they'll go ape-shit. Not your style? Try on some Stryper and do Honestly. The notes he hits will be much easier for you than they would be for anyone else there. Oh, and the hair tossing? One or two times a performance, yes. That's fine. But 14 times in one song? No. You aint Willow Smith and you're not singing her song, so quit it. DI places him 3-12/B3/9th on the Chart and he had a 2 wins/ 0 losses on the Maps. His odds started at +4300 and PLUMMETED to a +4900. I'd be really surprised if he makes it through to be honest. Considering there are those much better that won't make it to the finals, I'm not certain if he'll make it. If he does, he can thank VFTW.

James (You Got Another Thing Comin' by Judas Priest) This one was interesting. I've already dubbed this one Adam 2.0, but I really don't think that's quite right. Why? Because Adam was (and still is) rather like a chameleon and can make changes where necessary to keep people interested. James, on the other hand, is more of a one trick pony. He can sing like no tomorrow, but I have a hunch that eventually it's all going to sound the same. That and I'm not certain that America's ready yet for a rocker wailer to win. They weren't ready for Adam and he was better than James, hands down. They have been saying that they weren't going to force them into other styles, so maybe there's a chance. How's that going to work with the next 12-13 weeks? We usually have theme weeks. Anyhow, props for pullin some JP to the AI stage. THAT was bloody awesome. Now let's see what else you've got. Can you pull it back and still be captivating? DI has him at 2-9/3rd with a 6 win/no loss on the Maps. With starting odds at +1700 and a rise to +1409 after his performance, I'd say America's just about ready for this kind of winner and he's a shoo-in for the next round. Working against him? We've had 3 CMs win in a row and the odds for a 4th CM win don't look good to me.... yet.

Robbie (Angel by Sarah McLaughlin) Not fond of the artist, but this is the one song of her's I do enjoy (when I can get the image of pitiful puppies and kittens out of my head!). I really didn't like this version. There was something missing, for sure. Props for attempting a well known song from a female artist, though. DI rated him at 4-12/B3/10th with a goose egg on the Maps. His starting odds of +1500 sank to a +1667. Mr Schnoz looks to be fodder.

Scotty (Letters From Home by John Michael Montgomery) Now THIS.... is O.M.G. About damned time the show started. This guy.. does.NOT.NEED. this show. Yes, it's true. This pop/rocker chick is in absolute SQWEEEDOM with this guy. One pair of panties is definitely getting a work out this year! Please please please pull out some Mark Willis, George Jones, George Strait, Jake Owens or even Trace Adkins (yes, watching this back I can so see him pulling the swagger necessary for Chrome or Honky Tonk Bandonkadonk better yet, this is PG and he is kinda young how about Ladies Love Country Boys instead?) I'm so gonna have to go country at this rate with this wonderfully low, sorta thrown back country voice being broadcast to me every week. He is the ONLY one this week listed on DI as in green and safe. The Maps have him with 8 state wins. His starting odds were a +820 and he slipped a little to a +872. He is the only guy at the moment that is a favorite on BetUs and OSGA (BoDog and Pinnacle are split between 2 girls). This one, unless the online voting beats the hell outta him, is a shoo-in for the Top 12/13.

Stefano (Just the Way You Are by Bruno Mars) Yet another song that I absolutely adore. This was absolutely the worst song choice for him. Those upper notes were absolutely PAINFUL to listen to. Let's just say, both the spouse and his dog chose to "sing" along... and THEY sounded better. The judges seemed to like him while Randy pronounced him radio ready. Seriously? Are we listening to the same performances? I demand that you share whatever it was you used to spike those Cokes. DI rated him 2-12/B3/4th on the Chart and he earned a ZERO on the Maps. He started with a +1450 on the odds site and slipped to a +1485.

Paul (Maggie May by Rod Stewart) Wasn't bad, wasn't great. I was really expecting alot more from someone who's already a somewhat established artist. Definitely could have been ALOT better. Is it me, or does he remind someone else of a young, more modern version of Kenny Loggins? It's that smile, I know it is. Randy called him unique and different. I want to know how he can say that when he's so very similar to the last 3 AI winners? DI has him rated 2-12/B3/5th on the Chart and he's another with a big fat ZERO on the Maps. His odds started at +1400 and have risen to +1200. I guess not everyone has gotten the memo that he's already got a cd out.

Jacob (A House is Not a Home by Luther Vandross) This is yet another contestant that doesn't particularly need this competition at all. Right along the lines of Jennifer Hudson and Chris Daughtry, I believe this one will go to the Top12/13 but I half expect he'll get the "shocker boot" that tends to show up somewhere between Top 7 and Top 4. This will be of great benefit to him if it happens because he won't get roped into that lousy contract which they end up fighting. We got our first heavy case of SUTA with him. For those that are just joining us this year, SUTA is my acronym for Sunshine Up The Ass. Sometimes I'll refer to it as a sunburned colon. Unfortunately, as uncomfortable as it is to get, this particular contestant absolutely deserved the praise. Now if he'd just tone down those facial muscles a bit, I think I could throw my support a bit. DI rated him at 2-8/2nd on the Chart and he had a 5 state win on the Maps. His starting odds were at a +2600 and jumped to a +1993. He's going to be one to watch this season.

Casey (I Put a Spell on You by Screaming Jay Hawkins) I had my second squwee moment of the night watching this performance. Upon listening back, I'm going to rescind my squwee. It was a very fun number to watch and would be well worth the ticket price if it was in his show. However, for radio/cd/mp3 player play? Not so much. I do love his voice though and would like to see a bit more from him. He is the only contestant (from the guys) that lost a state on the Maps. DI rated him a 2-12/B3/7th on the Chart and with a 3 win/ 1 loss on the Maps, he rates a 2 this week. His starting odds were a +1050 and this performance bumped him up to a +780.

So who ends up as part of the Top 10 bunch?

Well according to performances, and assuming that the online voting is reflected by the DI numbers, we can be pretty sure that Jacob, Scotty and James will all be part of the 5 who go through to the next level.

Joining them could be two of the following:

Casey: Actually, I'd like to call him a shoo-in just on the odds and performance. However, the state count and rating on the Chart really worry me and I need to face the possibility that we may lose him. Then again, the judges love him and I wouldn't be surprised if he gets a wild-card spot.

Brett: He's got the backing of VFTW and although I don't recall them getting one through quite this early, we have to acknowledge that they do have a relatively large voting block. My best guess is that we'll see him sing next week and unless he nails it, he won't be going through. There are too many others that are simply better. If he does make it through, he'll be fodder so why keep him. Sweet doesn't get you anywhere here, it's popularity and to a lesser extent, talent.

Tim: If he makes it, he'll be fodder. If not, he may make it with a wild-card. In any case, I see him splitting votes with Paul which will make it difficult for him to get anywhere. Of course this assumes that Paul makes it through. If it comes down between the two for a wild-card choice, I wouldn't be surprised if Paul wins out.

Jordan: It would be an absolute mistake to send this one through to the next level. If they do, he'll be in direct competition with Jacob and there's simply no competing genre-wise with that one. Most especially since Jacob is so well liked and Jordan, well....

Paul: Although he's got a ZERO in states and a low Charting, the odds are still really good for him to stick around. I'm also seeing what's happening with the girls' chart and it's all wonky so I cannot count this one out yet. The others may be fodder, but there's a chance (although we all know he's a plant) this one has a bit more left to show us.

Winds of Change

So. This is season 10. How are you liking it so far? How about some of the changes we've seen? You thinking it's a good thing, or not so much?

The new judges.

Ok. During the auditions and Hollywood rounds, I was kinda digging them. My biggest worry was (and still is) Steven Tyler and that potty mouth of his. Although he really makes me laugh, this IS a prime-time family show and as such there's no place for that language and being live, there's no time to be beeping him out every single time. He's going to need to watch that. I am worried, a bit, that we ended up with a couple of sober Paulas and Randy's having to be the new Simon. I was very surprised that I actually agreed a bit more with him this year than in the past seasons. Can I say now that although he was a brusque SOB, I really missed Simon?

The Hollywood Twist.

Now that was awesome. I think the fact they made them combine Day 1 people AND Day 2 people into their groups put them all on even footing. Why? Because we saw that the Day 1 people were getting a head start on getting their groups together AND getting some rehearsal in early. This is a very unfair advantage to the Day 2 people. I would not be surprised if this had been happening all along and that's why some of the early favorites in the past seasons were dismissed while some of the lesser talent from Day 1 had a chance to perfect their numbers.

The new stage.

YAY!!! No pit= NO SWAYBOTS in front of the performer!!!! WHOOT!! I so hated the one camera angle that looked up at the performer while all those stinking hands were moving back and forth in front of them. How distracting!

Limited semi-finals.

Only one week of winnowing down the kids into a Top 10 Awesome. This is something they should have been doing all along. The only downside to this is that only 4/5 from each batch will be going through to next week and if an early favorite had a piss-poor night, well... there'll be no more chances unless the judges choose them for a wild-card position. Looking at the numbers for last night's performances, the wild-card is the only hope for some of them. Word is that the 14 who do not make it through this week will be coming back next week to perform. Up for grabs? Only 2 wild-card spots. The question is, will they stick to an even number of boys and girls as in past years OR will they throw another curve and choose 2 wildcards of the same gender? An even harder question is, will they pull like they did one year and add one more spot for a deserving youngster?

Online voting.

Usually I leave my AI voting to just one night, maybe two nights a year. I always throw a few votes on the Finale Night and every so often, I toss a few on the Top 3 Night. Why? Because it's hard handling the phone and watching the figures and talking to my friends about the show and trying to get the rough draft of my entry done. That and I really hate being on the phone. Oh and the busy signals, I really don't like those. AnNOYing! This year, I can vote on American Idol dot com via my Facebook page. The down side? Well in order to make sure that no one automates the voting (like they did with the phone calls... Dial Idol, anyone?), they've installed a captcha which requires a code before the vote is registered. It also limits the number of votes you can submit. However, there's no busy signals to get frustrated with. Another downside? Those of us that follow DI to keep tabs and place our guesses as to whom may go home on results night, well our analysis is gonna get a little twisted up. The percentage of error may be greater. A whole LOT greater. We'll see how this effects the numbers in the next week or so. If anyone finds a site that's tracking the numbers for the FB voting, gimme a holla.

The show has , yet again, promised that this is going to be the Best.Year.EVAR. The audition and Hollywood rounds all seemed to confirm this statement. I couldn't believe how many really really good talent came through. After checking out OSGA's (Off Shore Gaming Association) numbers I'm beginning to wonder if the statement is true or if we've all been conditioned to accept dreck as fabulous. The OSGA site compares the betting odds at 3 different sites. For this blog, I generally use the numbers from Pinnacle Sports, however they tend to block out the odds for American Idol on show days and won't show where the contestants stand until the next morning. Since today is a show day and I totally forgot to check on Monday evening before going to bed, I had to resort to OSGA.

The early favorites, going into last night's show were:

OSGA: Scotty

Bodog: Lauren A

BetUs: Scotty

Pinnacle: Julie

After last night, I wouldn't be terribly surprised if some of those change by Thursday.

Up next: The boys' performances.