American Idol--Top 9--iPod Hits

Michael Sarver's gone, but there are still a few pieces of deadwood that need to be eradicated.

This week's theme is pretty wide open (popular iPod downloads), so this should benefit them. This will go a long way in showing which of the singers are relevant to today's music trends.

I'm a little stoked.

The judge introductions are still pathetic

No mentors tonight (save the vocal coaches). That could make this a bit scary.

Anoop Desai--"Caught Up"--Usher
At the beginning this seemed like Usher Lite, but as it went on, I actually dug it a little. He put on a good performance, and in spots, the vocals were strong. Going first is a tough, tough position, but this could be good enough. Judges are mixed, thinking he wasn't original enough and not taking enough of a chance. I actually didn't think he was that bad.

Megan Joy (Corkrey)--"Turn Your Lights Down Low"--Bob Marley/Lauryn Hill
I remember the days when Megan's quirky singing didn't bug the tar out of me. Those days are long gone. If she were quirky and consistently good, I might be a fan, but I think she's inconsistent and one-note. The inflections on this don't work for me. Her arrangement was repetitive and boring. Pass. I didn't care for it, no sirree. Kudos to the fan for yelling "Broken record!" after Kara's "not the right song choice" shpiel. BUT if Megan would listen to the criticism about song choice, she wouldn't hear it all the time. Paula is on some strong stuff tonight. She seems to wax philosophic at every turn, refusing to get to the point.

Danny Gokey--"What Hurts the Most"--Rascal Flatts
Going country, huh? I really like this song. He sings it well. A lot of emotional connection to the song and some nice moments. It still, however, doesn't send me into outer space. I think my expectations are too high with Danny. It was really good, not great. He could have a hit with this style of song though. Judges thought it was incredible. Maybe I'm too hard on him. He's still my pick to win it all.

Allison Iraheta--"Don't Speak"--No Doubt
She sings with so much power and depth for a sixteen-year-old, it's crazy. I think, though, that this was a bit karaoke. There wasn't a lot of creativity here. Just seemed dialed in and a bit over-the-top. It was her worst performance of the Top 13, but it's good enough to stay. Judges were mixed but united in their dislike of the outfit.

Scott MacIntyre--"Just the Way You Are"--Billy Joel
Just Scott and the piano singing Billy Joel? If he can't knock this out of the park, he should go home now. I don't like the hairdo; he looks like Eraserhead. I'd make a crack about him checking the mirror, but I realize that that's in bad taste. As for the performance, this is clearly his best yet. Just when I thought this was too faithful to the original, he did some things that were creative and good. This is the best I've heard him sound. I don't think it was perfect, but if I hadn't seen him sing the previous weeks, I could understand why he was still here. Good time to pick this type of performance. His laugh and smile are creepy though.

Matt Giraud--"You Found Me"--The Fray
Weird set up. He's on an electric piano amidst a crowd of audience members. Not a pitch-perfect rendition, but it was good. It seemed a bit too faithful to the original and not really attention-getting. It was passable. When you are in the bottom two the week before, passable may not be enough. His third eye didn't bother me as much this week. I really want him to stick around though. Judges were most unkind.

Lil Rounds--"I Surrender"--Celine Dion
I was a fan of Lil early on, but she hasn't stood out to me here of late. I think one of the reasons is that she picks huge songs and falls short by comparison. This week, she is singing Celine Dion which could be another mistake. Parts were nice, but parts were pitchy. There were parts when I felt she was yelling instead of singing with power. It still didn't set my world on fire. Judges were still down on her song choice.

Adam Lambert--"Play That Funky Music"--Wild Cherry
It looks like this week we will get the over-the-top Adam as opposed to the subdued Adam that was so wonderful last week. Hold on tight. I kind of like him rockin' the pomp. I have said it before, and I will say it again: Adam has the best vocal ability of anyone in this competition. It's an interesting version of the song, and he sings it with abandon. Sometimes when I see Adam, I forget that he is on a televised talent show. He performs. He is unpredictable and fun. He will get a career out of this regardless if he wins. Judges praise him unanimously. Kara though compares the vibe to Studio 57, when she clearly should have said Studio 54. Kara, Kara, Kara.

Kris Allen--"Ain't No Sunshine"--Bill Withers
I am glad that Kris finally gets the last spot. I think he's really good and deserves to last far into this competition. He's singing one of my all time favorite songs. I hope he does it justice. I must say, one word: goosebumps. It started off a bit faithful, but then he truly did make it his own. Excellent job! I will download this one. Guarantee. I love this! The last note was a bit different for me, but that is a small quibble. Maybe this will gain him some momentum. Judges were on board tonight. Good for him!

My favorites were Kris, Adam, and Scott (yes, Scott!).

I didn't care for Megan.

The rest were in the middle.

Does that make the choice of who goes home easy? Don't bet on it!