American Idol Top 12 performances

Tonite the theme was Beatles music, and the Top 12 sang only John Lennon - Paul McCartney songs. Great show tonite!

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Syesha Mercado - “Got To Get You Into My Life”
She had some nice big notes at the end, but this was another totally forgettable performance by her. I can barely remember it now. Randy said it was a nice arrangement, she started out rough with some pitchy notes then she got into it and it was alright. Paula said midway through the song she found her zone and sounded good from there through the end. Simon said it was a great song choice, it was better than alright, and that even though she looked very nervous, it was still much better than last week. To me, she has yet to do anything that stands out.

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Chikezie - “She’s a Woman”
This was the best performance yet by Chikezie. He gave the song a country sound, a Memphis vibe, and it was great! I loved it! This was totally unexpected, and a whole lot of fun.. a classic Idol performance. Good for him. Randy said it was dope, and that he was thoroughly entertained. He said Chikezie “smashed it!” Paula loved it and said the reward for taking the risk of changing it up paid off for him. Simon said he was really surprised, and he agreed with the others, it was unique and a great performance. I think this performance will save Chikezie another week at least.

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Ramiele Malubay - “In My Life”
This was slow and sweet… and boring. It was good at times and she has a nice voice, but this was also completely forgettable. She was great in the earlier rounds and was one of my early favorites, but I’ve been disappointed in her performances for a couple of weeks now, and tonite was no exception. Randy said it was kinda pretty and kinda boring, and that it didn’t move the earth for him. Paula said she looked lovely tonite, it was pretty safe, and that she could have gone farther with the song. Simon said he was bored to tears throughout the entire song, and that he expected a lot better from her.

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Jason Castro - “If I Fell”
This was a nice, easy performance with Jason playing guitar again. He has a nice tone to his voice and a nice falsetto.. it was -nice-.. but nowhere near as good as his performance last week. I still love him, he’s still one of my favorites, but this particular performance was just okay for me. Randy said he liked it but didn’t love it. Paula disagreed, and said she felt his heart and that the audience feels that and it makes Jason special and makes for an emotional connection. Simon said that last week Jason was incredible, and that this week, he sounded like a “student in a bedroom at midnite”, the song was boring. He went on to say though that he was a Jason fan and felt he’s unique and different.

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Carly Smithson - “Come Together”
Carly had another great performance tonite, she was true to the original, and didn’t sound like she changed it up much to me, but still, a very good performance and she got a great response from the audience. I liked it a lot. Randy said she was strong and confident tonite and sounded amazing, it was a stellar performance. Paula said she felt like she was already watching a star. Simon said that week after week she has picked the wrong song, but NOT TONITE.. He loved it, and said it reminded him of Kelly Clarkson’s performance at this point in the competition 6 years ago.

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David Cook - “Eleanor Rigby”
Another great, great, great performance by David Cook. This guy is awesome, week after week.. he’s a true rocker and this was the best of the night for me. David Cook is officially my #1 favorite now. I love his style, love his voice, love his look. Randy said this shows you can rock out on Idol, said he had some pitch problems in the first part but after that, he rocked it. Paula said he’s the dark horse of the competition, and that he’s fantastic. Simon agreed with Paula and said he thought it was brilliant, and that if the show remains a talent competition instead of a popularity competition, David Cook could win it all. I may be a bit biased because I love ROCK music over all other types, but in my opinion, and based on what I’ve heard so far, David Cook deserves to go far in this competition if not win it all. Talent deserves to win out over popularity…

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Brooke White - “Let It Be”
Brooke played piano throughout and it was a beautiful, emotional performance for her. I don’t think it was her best, she sounded a tiny bit shaky to me, but still very, very well done. She’s very talented, and she seems like such a sweet person. I hope she goes far. Randy said he loved her conviction, it was very heartfelt and he’s a fan. Paula said this is her niche — “picking songs where we can feel your heart”. Simon said it was one of the best of the night, she had made brilliant song choices for 3 weeks now, it was believable, and he loved it.

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David Hernandez - “I Saw Her Standing There”
David started out in the audience and sang and danced his way up on stage. This was a mediocre, corny performance, his worst so far in my opinion. Not good. This did not show off his excellent voice at all, and he seemed to be trying too hard, it was forced and contrived. Randy said it was too overdone, too much going on. Paula said she loved his voice but he overdid it. Simon said no, no, no. It was corny verging on desperate and was a little like a “rabbit in the headlights” performance.

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Amanda Overmyer - “You Can’t Do That”
This was a good, energetic, typical Amanda-style performance. She “speeded it up and rocked it out”. I liked it. One thing about her, she always stands out from the others. Randy said she took a Beatles song and rocked it out in a Southern bar sorta way, and it was very cool. Paula said she is a star, and that she was blown away by the talent up there this season. Simon said it wasn’t as good as last week, she slurred and that he only understood about 30% of the words. He also said it was a good thing she’s in the competition because she is like a breath of fresh air. I agree.

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Michael Johns - “Across The Universe”
This was a very, very nice performance of a very beautiful song. I loved it, and have enjoyed all of Michael’s performances on Idol so far. Like Simon though, I feel a little frustrated sometimes, it’s like he’s holding back or something, and I don’t think he’s doing as well as he is capable of doing. I find him intriguing and charismatic, and he has a great voice and is still one of my favorites. Randy said it was good but that he was waiting for something big, it was a little sleepy, and just alright. Paula said she disagreed, that it took an inner confidence to do nothing but stand there and sing, and that it was a brilliant performance. Simon agreed with Randy and said that Michael should have done something like Carly did with her song.. (what?). But, Simon said he was still a big fan of Michael’s but was frustrated that we haven’t seen what he’s capable of yet.

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Kristy Lee Cook - “8 Days A Week”
This was one of the silliest, most ridiculous performances I’ve ever seen on Idol. She sang this song in a total country style, speeded up, and it was awkward and strange. It. Did. Not. Work. I hated it. Randy said he liked the arrangement but not the vocals. Surprisingly, even Paula said she did not enjoy it, she didn’t get it. Simon said it was horrendous, she sounded like Dolly Parton on helium. He said it was a very brave but foolish thing to do. I think she’s in trouble this week. Her performance was definitely the worst of the night. Let’s hope she’s not this season’s Haley Scarnato…

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David Archuleta “We Can Work It Out”
As if David need any more of an advantage, he also got the pimp spot tonite.. although maybe he does need it after this performance. It was bad. He did the Stevie Wonder version of this song, and got really flustered, and forgot the lyrics several times. I think the pressure got to him.. It was rough, and this was definitely his weakest performance so far. I felt bad for him tonite, he’s just a kid and he can’t help that he’s been so pimped by the powers that be (at the expense of other as-deserving contestants I think).. but I’m a hundred percent sure his fan base will pull him through. He’s popular. Randy said he was not on point this week, the song felt very forced, and it didn’t work. Paula said it was not his best work, but it was okay, we “still love ya”. Simon said it was a mess, he stumbled over the lyrics, it was all over the place, and at this point, he expects incredible performances, and this wasn’t. I think that regardless of what happens on Idol, David Archuleta will get a record contract and he’ll be fine.

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This was a really great show tonite, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. There really are so many talented people this year, so many different styles and genres. David Cook is my absolute favorite though, and he got all my votes. I also loved Brooke, Michael, Carly, and, for the first time, Chikezie had one of my favorite performances of the night. I enjoyed Jason and Amanda as well. Worst of the night was definitely Kristy Lee Cook, followed by David Hernandez, Ramiele Malubay, and yes, David Archuleta (although I don’t think he’s in any danger of going home anytime soon). I think Kristy Lee will be the one to go home this week… surely she will.

My rankings, based on tonite’s performances only:
Best, Top 5: David Cook, Brooke White, Michael Johns, Carly Smithson, Chikezie
Middle: Jason Castro, Amanda Overmyer
Worst, Bottom 5: Syesha Mercado, Ramiele Malubay, David Hernandez, David Archuleta, Kristy Lee Cook

Who did you vote for? What did you think of Chikezie’s performance tonite, think it will save him this week? And how about David Cook, isn’t he awesome?! :)

Results show tomorrow night, 9pm-10:00pm, Fox, one contestant voted off.

americanidol.com

Update: If you missed any of the performances tonite, go here, rickey.org and listen to them! I went back and listened to several again after the show tonite, and I still love David Cook the most and think he had the -best- performance of the night, and Michael Johns sounded even better than I first thought, as did Brooke.

Check out some of David Cook’s original music here. It’s good stuff.

Thanks for reading, your comments are appreciated.