Join me tonight as American Idol’s Top 9 perform live. Rumor is that the contestants chose from a list of the top songs downloaded on iTunes. That means the music will be super current and could be all over the genre spectrum.
Join me here live tonight as Danny Gokey, Kris Allen, Scott MacIntyre, Megan Joy Corkrey (note: is she going just by Megan Joy now?), Lil Rounds, Allison Iraheta, Anoop Desai, Adam Lambert and Matt Giraud perform!
7:55 PM – I have to confess: for the past 1/2 hour I’ve been curled up on the floor with the new puppy and I really didn’t want to get up to start typing during Idol. Usually I’m pretty excited during the final weeks of Idol, but when watching the show becomes your job it kind of takes the fun out of it. OK, it’s really the new puppy. But tonight might be a good show. If in fact the songs the contestants can choose from are top downloaded songs from iTunes, we might see some interesting performances.
By the way, have you checked out the pics of the Idol Top 10 contestants as kids? They’re cute. See if you can guess who’s who without looking.
8:00 PM – here we go! Whoa, they did up Scott’s hair tonight. Looks like it’s got a lot of mousse or spray in it. That must stink to not be able to see what the stylists are doing to you. Last week they put him in those stupid flesh colored pink pants and didn’t tell him until 10 minutes before he went on.

Randy says that last week the show was hot but the competition is heating up. Kara explains what “artistry” means – something about goosebumps and running out to buy records. Paula says she’s doesn’t have any props hidden under the table (like coloring books and crayons). Simon says he expects everyone to be excellent.
So the choices are any top song as long as it’s on iTunes. Cool. So no one should have any bad song choices tonight.
Up first tonight is Anoop, singing a song by Usher. He starts with the backup singers out front – OK, well he’s dressed a little better anyway. Anoop has a really good voice but this is kind of boring. I don’t know the song though, so maybe it’s supposed to be a bit boring. Randy says he picked up the swagger and the vocals were good considering it wasn’t the best song choice. He’s torn, he says. Kara says she’s getting the feeling that maybe a bunch of frat guys bet him to get up and sing Usher. Paula says she’s glad he went back to the playful side. She says his vocals were good but he needs to create some signature …. something … with the band. Simon says it was “a complete and utter mess.” He says it came over as “wanna be” college boy wanting to be a pop star and failing, and says “it actually gave me a headache.”

Megan Corkrey is singing Bob Marley/Lauren Hill’s “Turn Your Lights Down Low.” She says she absolutely loves this song and thinks the judges will “feel me this time.” I’m sorry, she is a terrible singer. She’s cute tonight, she looks natural. But good grief, she’s making my ears bleed. Kara says she really likes her but she thinks Megan is in trouble. She says it was the wrong song choice and said it was even getting irritating. Someone in the audience yells out “broken record”. Paula rambles on and on, blah blah blah. Simon mocks Paula, as usual, and says it was a boring song, indulgent, monotonous. He says everything they liked is disappearing and no one is going to like the song. Randy says it was like watching paint dry (he actually said that!) and explains that you can love a song but that doesn’t mean you can sing it great. My opinion? My new puppy could have howled that song better. Please, please, please can she go home this week? Unfortunately, she’s the Vote For The Worst choice again this week.
After the break, Danny and Allison sing.
Danny Gokey’s up now, and he’s singing “What Hurts The Most” by Rascal Flatts. He says the emotion of what’s inside of him is what he wants to share. It starts out a bit boring or stiff in the verse but as always when the song picks up he just belts it out. The crowd is going totally crazy. Paula says “this is where you thrive” and says she’d hit repeat. Simon says they weren’t on the same page last week, but this week says it was his best performance and so much better. Of the three who have performed so far tonight, he says it was like “two snails competing with a racehorse”. Randy says tonight’s show starts right now, and he showed his range. Danny says he doesn’t usually like the mic stand but wanted to try something new. Randy tells him to move more, Simon says to stay behind the mic stand. Kara says he moved everyone and connected with the audience emotionally.
Allison Iraheta is going to play the guitar while she sings “Don’t Speak” by No Doubt. It’s just her and the guitar to start; very cool start. She has such a great voice and I think this is a good performance. Randy says vocally it was great, a little ahead of the beat and he liked that she played. But was completely not cool with what she’s wearing. He says, “I’ve got mad love for you but I did not get the ensemble tonight.” Kara says she’s got that rock sound and doesn’t need the get up, so her outfit was distracting a bit, that it was a good performance but not the best. Paula says her vocal prowess rivals singefrs twice her age … OK, she’s just rambling. Simon says her outfit is something out of the Addam’s Family, that it was a “dressy-uppy trying to be a pop star.” He also says she shouted the song. Not sure about that.
After the break, Scott MacIntyre takes on Billy Joel’s “Just The Way You Are,” just him and the piano. He says he hopes this is the week he turns everything around. This performance seems like the most comfortable he’s had so far this season. It’s not perfect but it’s really very, very good. This is clearly the best we’ve seen him. Kara says it was a smart song choice, and she loves the new look. Paula says she’s the most proud of him. Simon it was his best performance so far “by a country mile. Absolute, different Scott.” Randy says it’s the best of the night.
Up next, Matt Giraud. Last week, Matt did so well but ended up in the bottom. This week, he says he’s doing a song for himself, and put his passion into a song. He’s singing The Fray’s “You Found Me.” He jumps the gun just a bit and starts off just a bit shaky but gets right into it. He’s right in the audience with his keyboards. This is a great song but he’s a little bit pitchy. He looks great though. I can totally see him having a steady career. Hmmm, not nearly as great as last week. Paula says … well, she basically says it was like when he sand the Coldplay song; the crowd boos. Simon says he should be happy because the judges don’t like him; it felt put on, uptight, and not a good commercial song, and he’s becoming all of these different people in the hopes of staying in the competition. Randy says it was the wrong song for him and says he should have done One Republic’s “Apologize.” Kara says he keeps going between the rock side of pop and the R&B side of pop, and he needs to commmit. She adds that he’s a talented guy and doesn’t deserve to go home. Matt says he wants to show that R&B isn’t all he can do. Let’s hope he gets another chance next week.
Lil Rounds is up next, and she says it took a long time to pick the right song because she’s been getting nailed by the judges on song choice. So she’s singing Celene Dion’s “Surrender.” She’s wearing a wig again; she’s very beautiful normally, I wish she didn’t change her hair. OK, this song is just too big for her. She does pull it out by the middle of the song, as if she’s warmed up. Randy says it wasn’t a his choice for song but she did it really well but she needs to “young it up” a little bit. Kara says she was surprised and that she can sing, but would have chosen a different song. Paula says she doesn’t want to see an adult contemporary Lil Rounds. Simon agrees with the others, and that it was a wedding performance and too old fashioned. He says her personality is being sucked out her. Hmm, how much of the problems with the contestants is the stylists? Ryan goes into the audience to Lil’s kids, and brings one over to Randy, who gives him a big hug while Lil cries.
Adam Lambert is up next and he’s keeping the neater look, with his hair brushed back and a less flamboyant outfit. He says last week he did a stripped down song, and this week he’s going the opposite way with “Play The Funky Music.” Whoa, you guys are right. He REALLY looks like Elvis. He is so incredibly talented. It still comes off a bit showy, but he can really perform – sing, move on stage, dance, the whole package. Paula says he’s true genius and shatters expectations, likening him to Mick Jagger and Steven Tyler. Simon says it was brave, original, and it doesn’t matter if it wasn’t as good as last week. Randy say at first he thought it might be corny but it’s definitely star quality. Adam gives props to Ricky Minor and the band. Kara says every week she can’t wait to see what he does and that tonight it was like Studio 57. Again, I see Adam totally leading a band; Paula’s comparison to Mick Jagger and Steven Tyler was right on.
Closing out tonight’s perfomances is Kris Allen. He’s singing “Ain’t No Sunshine” and this week he’s playing the piano and he wants to create a “moment.” He does it; he’s fantastic. This is my absolute favorite performance of the night. Wow. Randy says it was one of the best performances of the night. Kara says “That. Is. Artistry.” Paula says he took a 30 year old song and made it new and says it was his best performance to date. Simon says it was a very, very good arrangement of the song and his best performance so far.
OK, no question Kris Allen stole the show tonight. He looks like a natural up there. Danny Gokey, Allison Iraheta, Adam Lambert and Scott MacIntyre were also great.
Who should go home? Megan, no question. I expect Anoop to be in the bottom three and I wouldn’t be surprised if Lil or Matt were there, too. I don’t think Matt should be there but given that he was there last week he may not pull it out this week. And Lil just doesn’t seem to be rising to expectations.
But what do you think? We’ll find out tomorrow when the results show features performances by Lady Gaga and David Cook. Cool, I love David Cook.
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