American Idol - Week Three - 3/09/10

Welcome back reader!
Another week of Idol goodness, and we come down to the last week of double eliminations. I can see a finalist on the distant horizon, and unless something goes seriously downhill in the next few weeks, Crystal is going to emerge ahead of the pack.

The judges stressed that last night is a very important night, because this week, the official "Top 12" will be selected. Song choice was essential, and for at least 2 girls this week, (one in particular), they could not have chosen the worst songs to perform. I can see some of the these girls lasting for a bit, but honestly there are at least 3 who seem to pull to the forefront of the rest.

Also, now that we are 3 weeks in, how are we enjoying (or not enjoying) the new judging dynamic? I actually think Ellen is a great and different addition to the panel. Like she pointed out last night at one point, "as a listener, and a person who loves music, I enjoyed that". And that's really what she is, she's a listener. She, in a sense, is representing us in a way, because we are the people who eventually buy (or not buy) the music.

I will start the official weekly poll next week once the Top 12 begin performing! Make your vote count!!
Okay, enough blabbing Nick, you know what your readers want. Stop teasing them.

To begin, we start with the contestant that, though she took the judge's advice from last week, chose a song that was a bit too big for her at her age and voice development. We begin with:

1. KATIE STEVENS sung “Breakaway” - I'd have to agree with most of the judges on this one. Katie took the judge's advice and chose a nice, young contemporary song, but the problem was that the song was waaay too big for her. I don't think Katie has the type of voice that can handle a Kelly Clarkson song at this point, at least this one. I thought it was very karaoke, so Randy hit that description right on the nose. I tend to agree with Simon's comments, indicating that Katie doesn't really know the type of artist she wants to be, which seems to be a problem for not just Katie, but for more than a few of all the contestants. I feel bad for Katie, because just as the judges gave her props for listening to their advice, they also said they didn't like the song choice. But I understand the judges' point though; they are trying to say, choose a young song, yes, but choose one that you can handle. Things don't look good for Katie right now. IN DANGER

2. SIOBHAN MAGNUS – sung “House of the Rising Sun” - Probably one of the few times a season that I completely disagree with Simon's comments. He called this performance a bit weird, and that Siobhan didn't do anything different with the song. Wow, really Simon? Were we listening to the same performance? Needless to say, I agreed with the rest of the judging panel on this one. Siobhan's acapella slow beginning was spectacular, and I thought it was a bit of a "wow" moment. I'm not sure Siobhan can win it all, but at this point I can see her making it pretty far in the competition. I'm pretty sure she's Top 12 bound. SAFE

3. LACEY BROWN – sung “The Story” - I have to admit, I didn't hate it. It was Lacey's best performance to date, as the judges pointed out. It was honest, and she came off vulnerable and sweet. It was just her and the vocals, and that was fine with me. I finally heard Lacey's distinctive voice, and it had a really nice tone. Granted, I agree, the song was a bit slow and dragged a bit, but she did sing it brilliantly. This performance came at just the right time, because Lacey needed to show audiences why she was chosen for the Top 24. I think this performance was good enough to get her to the Top 12, but Lacey needs to keep up this momentum if she hopes to stay in the competition. SAFE

4. KATELYN EPPERLY – sung “I Feel The Earth Move” - Song choice is key. Can someone please explain this to Katelyn, because of the three performances I've seen from her in the last 3 weeks, at least 2 of those were very poor song choices. Why she chose to do this one on this week of all weeks is beyond me. My God, I think Simon verbalized what I was thinking when he described Katelyn's performance as "request night at a restaurant". I actually could picture it once he said it! Ellen was right when she said the song choice was not something you could "wow" the audience with. To me, it was a forgettable performance, and that might spell doom for poor Katelyn. IN DANGER

5. DIDI BENAMI – sung “Rhiannon” - What a comeback from last week! Poor Didi was torn to shreds last week, and I even called her as one of the contestants to go home last week. But I really need to give this girl some love and some props; she shook off the shredding, and came back with the strongest performances I've seen from her since she did a rendition of Kara's song during auditions. I was really impressed, and for me, actually bordered on a "wow" moment. It came just a little short, and I can't put my finger on why. Regardless though, kudos to Didi, who made me a bit of a fan by her sheer gusto of coming back stronger and a great performance. I love the original song, and she changed it up just enough to make me remember it. Welcome back Didi, because of this performance, (and two other girls with bad performances) you managed to crack the Top 12. SAFE

6. PAIGE MILES – sung “Smile” - Oh my God, this I think, was almost one of the worst song choices in Idol history, and only because of the slow, moody and depressing arrangement. Seriously, the song is called "Smile"; it's a famous song, and the words are supposed to be uplifting, yet you made it sad and depressing?! Really? It just didn't work at all. It was a mess, and the pitch problems were all over the place. I just don't understand, I had some decent hopes for Paige, because like the judges said time and time again, Paige has one of the strongest voices in the competition. However, this song I think was her death song, because it truly was the worst of the night. I would be really surprised if Paige is in the Top 12 next week. IN DANGER

7. CRYSTAL BOWERSOX – sung “Give Me One Reason” - That's it, I'm calling it now. That's right, only 3 weeks into the live shows, I'm predicting Crystal in the final. Seriously, are you kidding me with that performance? Is she even in the same hemisphere as the other contestants? This performance blew all other performances of the night away, and the only other one that would come close (but not really) is Lilly Scott's performance. She sings this song without an ounce of nervousness, and she looks so comfortable on that stage with that guitar, you truly forget that this girl is actually in a competition. There's really nothing more to say, because not only did Crystal have the best performance of the night, but just like Simon said, she all but cemented her place in the Top 12 next week. SAFE

8. LILLY SCOTT – sung “I Fall to Pieces” - Lilly is growing on me a lot, and though this was a great performance, it really stunk that Lilly had to follow Crystal after her knock out performance. Don't get me wrong, this was also one of the better performances of the night, but it just didn't "wow" me as much as Crystal's. Still, Lilly is so different and unique, and still holds her individuality in her performances. This alone makes her stand out, but add to that a great singing voice and good performance, you can definitely see Lilly in the Top 12 next week. SAFE

My Bottom Three Picks: Well, if we're going to compare all the performances this week, then it becomes relatively easy to choose who got trounced and left behind. My picks for those in danger tonight: Katie Stevens, Katelyn Epperly and Paige Miles.

My Pick to be Eliminated Tonight: I'm sorry to say, I will pick Paige Miles as a definite departure, followed by Katie Stevens.

And that brings the girl's performances this week to a close! What did you guys think? Anyone emerge as a favorite for you all last night? Do you think there are any "finalist" hopefuls yet, like I do? Agree? Disagree? Let’s chat it up!

The boys perform tonight, so until tomorrow, faithful readers, I bid you farewell!