Jordin was the first one passed through, leaving Blake and Melinda. My husband was pretty sure this meant that it was going to be an all girl finale, but I wasn’t so sure. I was RIGHT!! Melinda was sent home tonight, and the finale will be Blake and Jordin.

I’m pretty happy about that. I think Melinda is fantastic, but she didn’t really need a win to have a career. It’s probably better for her to just move on to getting an album recorded. I imagine she’ll put out a gospel album, but I could be wrong.

(Oh, and in case you were wondering, the Ford commercial tonight was “Everybody Wants You”.)

Jordin was up first with a “Wishing On a Star”, chosen for her by Simon. It wasn’t my favorite song, but she did a good job singing it. It showed her vocal range well. Ironically, Simon was the only one of the judges not crazy about the performance– he said he didn’t really like the arrangement.

Paula chose “Roxanne” for Blake. Since the beginning, my husband and I have thought Blake reminds us of Sting, so it was fun to get to see him sing a Sting song. I thought he did a good job with it, which is always difficult with Sting. I didn’t necessarily think he brought anything new or funky to the song, but he gave a good, solid performance. Again, Simon was the lone curmudgeon, saying the performance wasn’t as good as the original song.

Randy wanted to hear Melinda sing Whitney Houston’s “I Believe in You and Me”, which was kind of surprising since he always says no one should sing Whitney. What wasn’t surprising was that he found a way to work in that he’d worked with Whitney Houston. I think it’s a huge compliment that he thought she was capable of tackling this song. She has one of the few voices that we’ve heard on American Idol that can stand up to singing Whitney and not sound, at best, like a poor imitation. All three of the judges liked this performance, with Simon declaring that round one went to Melinda.

Jordin got the first viewer question of the night. She was asked her favorite song of all time. Her answer was Mmm-Bop by Hanson. I’m not sure that answer shouldn’t disqualify her from winning American Idol. HANSON?? The producers assigned Jordin “She Works Hard For the Money”. Her shoes made me nervous because I kept thinking she was going to fall down. And you know when I have to start off the critique with fashion talk, there’s not a rave review coming. There wasn’t really anything wrong with the performance– I just wasn’t blown away. All of the judges really like it, though.

Blake was asked if they made a movie about his life, what would be the title and who would play him. He said Jim Carrey would play him in the movie titled “Organized Chaos”. The producers wanted to hear him sing Maroon 5’s “This Love”. This is exactly the type of music I can imagine Blake singing. It was a really great performance. All three judges agreed it was really good.

Ryan asked Melinda who her Idol was growing up and why. She answered her Mom because she’s one of her best friends. Melinda was assigned Ike and Tina Turner’s “Nut Bush City Limits”. It was a really excellent song choice. For someone who doesn’t consider herself to be a rock singer, she sure does a good job of it. All three judges loved it, and Simon declared this round a tie.

For the song she chose for herself, Jordin chose “I Who Have Nothing” from 60s week. I thought that was one of her strongest performances, at the time. Tonight was no exception. I really think Jordin is well-suited for going into theatrical singing. She has a really nice way of connecting with the emotion of a song, and this song showcased that. Simon didn’t care for her song choice, wishing she had chosen to sing a more current song.

I was really surprised that Blake chose to sing a song he hadn’t worked on previously. He chose to sing Robin Thicke’s “When I Get You Alone”. I don’t have any idea what the original song sounds like, so I have no idea how much of the vocal performance was Blake’s unique take and how much the song was just written that way. What I do know is that Blake is unsurpassed in singing songs with difficult rhythms. I think that’s why he did so well with “Roxanne”. Randy preferred the Maroon 5 number to this one, but Simon really enjoyed this. He was glad to see Blake took a risk.

The final performance of the night was Melinda Doolittle singing Peggy Lee’s “I’m a Woman” from the Top 8 Girl’s week. As with Jordin, originally this was one of her best performances. I thought it was solid again this week, as well. Simon said if he was going to award a place in the Finals for the person who gave the most consistently good performances, he would choose Melinda.

So, here’s my summary of the night. Jordin was good, solid, but not really great. I like her a lot and always think she’s fun to watch, but the last few weeks she has struggled a bit off and on. Tonight wasn’t a struggle, but it wasn’t that exciting, either. Blake is always a favorite of mine. I never can predict what he’s going to do, so it’s always interesting to find out. His weakness is that he picks odd song choices, at times. He picks the kind of music he likes, but it’s not always the best music for his voice and performance style. Melinda is a great vocalist. If this song were truly “a singing contest”, as the judges continually remind us, I think she’d win hands-down. BUT it’s not just a singing contest. It’s a personality contest, a performance contest, a singing contest and a popularity contest all rolled into one. I’m not sure that Melinda has what it takes to win in every one of those areas. But tonight’s performances convinced me that it’s possible she could.

So, tonight I would have to rank the singers: Melinda, Blake and Jordin

What do you think?

After the break, the Ford commercial was “You Really Got Me”. The group performance was a medley of Barry Gibb songs, including “Emotion” and “Too Much Heaven”. There was a preview of the new Fantastic Four movie (we have some old Silver Surfer comics around here, I think– anybody interested in buying them?– shhh! don’t tell my husband that I’m trying to get rid of them), and the cast of the movie was on American Idol, including Jessica Alba.

There was a nice little montage of the backgrounds of the Final Four. Can you guess which one wasn’t a trouble maker in school? I thought it was interesting that three of them were only children.

Finally, it was time for the results. Jordin was allowed to sit first. The others had a long wait.

Ryan announced that American Idol is looking for groups for an American Idol Band competition. If you know someone who would like to audition, the should send a demo to The Band Show Casting 8391 Beverly Blvd. PMB #464 Los Angeles, CA 90048.

After Barry Gibb performed “To Love Somebody” and another commercial break, it was on to the final results. Melinda was safe, leaving Blake and LaKisha. Blake was safe, LaKisha will be going home.

Next week, all three of the finalists will be going home, as well, for the home visit week. Then they should be singing songs picked by the judges and Clive Davis, if past years are any indication.

Melinda Doolittle kicked off the night with “Love You Inside and Out”. I thought she really made the song her own and sang it with a lot of personality. The judges began tonight’s theme, which apparently was “we’re not impressed”. Randy said he wasn’t jumping up and down, which I think he shamelessly stole from Simon. Paula said the vocals were great, but didn’t seem overly impressed. Simon said it was more of a backing vocalist performance.

Blake Lewis followed Melinda, singing “You Should Be Dancing”. He sang with a good falsetto and threw in a little beatboxing. Overall, I thought it was a fun performance. Barry Gibb seemed to think that the song was well-suited for beat boxing. Randy disagreed (Randy, you don’t get to disagree with the person who wrote the song. You just don’t.) Paula said it started shaky, and the pitch was off. Simon conceded that it was unique but thought it was terrible.

After Blake, LaKisha Jones sang a slowed down version of “Stayin’ Alive”. It was an interesting version, but it really changed the meaning of the song, I thought. LaKisha did connect well with the lyrics, which was nice to see. Randy thought it was a weird arrangement and that LaKisha tried to do too much with it. Paula thought the arranagement brought the mood down. Simon summed up his response with, “there will be no kiss tonight.” (Didn’t I tell you the judges had their own theme going tonight?)

Jordin Sparks got the first viewer question of the night: what have you learned about yourself in this process? She answered that she can handle a lot more than she thought. Then she sang “To Love Somebody”. Barry Gibb was clearly impressed, saying he’d never heard a greater version of the song. I think that pretty much said it all. The judges took a small break from tonight’s theme to say that wasn’t too bad.

Melinda was next, answering a viewer question, which was “what was the first tape you bought?” It was Michael Jackson’s “Bad”. Then it was on to her second song. She chose “How Can You Mend a Broken Heart”. She changed the lyrics to avoid a reference to being a loser, thus avoiding the dreaded Idol blunder. Hopefully that, and her solid performance, will keep her from going home this week. Randy thought this was much better with a beautiful ending. Paula thought it was a beautiful vocal but wanted to be surprised. Simon thought the second half of the song would put her through to the semifinals.

Blake won the weird song choice of the night with “This Is Where I Came In”. It was interesting and sounded very contemporary, but it was a bit hard for me to get into. Randy thought the beatboxing got old. Paula said there is nothing old about Blake. Simon thought it wasn’t a good song choice.

After Blake, LaKisha performed “Run to Me”. As usual, she refused to take the direction of the guest mentor, which was a shame because I think Barry’s suggestion would have spiced up an otherwise slightly dull performance. On top of that, she missed the last note. Randy thought it was better than the first song. Paula said she’s still a champ. Simon said it still wasn’t great.

The final singer of the night was Jordin, singing “Woman In Love”. Barry Gibb said that Jordin is on track to be “one of our greatest female artists”. Wow! That’s high praise. I really enjoyed her performance of “Woman In Love”, but the judges clearly had a different opinion. Randy said it wasn’t her best performance and that the song was pitchy. Paula agreed. Simon said it was old-fashioned and pageanty. Ouch.

Here’s how I would rank tonight’s performances:

1. Jordin Sparks
2. These two spots were a toss up for me between Blake and Melinda
3.
4. LaKisha Jones

I think LaKisha will probably be going home this week.

There was more talk about Idol Gives Back, including taped appearances by Ruben Studdard and Fantasia Barrino. Robin Thicke sang “Lost Without U”. The Ford commercial was “Paint It Black”– is it just me, or was that video a bit chipper for “Paint It Black”?

Ryan Seacrest announced that the top 20 contestants for the American Idol Songwriting contest are now up on the official American Idol website, so take a little trip over there and vote. You only have one week.

Then, it was time to send our first contestant home. Melinda, Phil and LaKisha were asked to stand and join Ryan. Melinda was declared safe. LaKisha was then declared safe, sending Phil home. I was a little surprised by this. I thought he had done a really good job the last three weeks. I know he’s been in the bottom three a lot, but this still surprised me a bit. He seems like a genuinely nice and kind guy.

After Phil sang his farewell song (why on Earth would you ever choose to sing a song “Going Out In a Blaze of Glory” in a competition? Don’t you know what happens when you sing a song that sounds like you’re going home? You go home!), Jordin, Blake and Chris were asked to stand. To make up for torturing her last week, Jordin was immediately told to take a seat, so she was on the hot seat this week for all of five seconds. I’m still not sure that comes close to making up for last week, but she can always send Fox executives her therapy bills. Blake and Chris then had to wait through another commercial break, Bon Jovi’s performance (Bon Jovi performed “Make a Memory”. Jon Bon Jovi has not aged a bit in the past twenty years– what gives?), followed by YET ANOTHER commercial break. This gave me plenty of time to break out in a cold sweat as I had flashbacks of Constantine being sent home after his best performance of the season and pictured Blake following in his footsteps. (I don’t suppose I can send Fox executives MY therapy bills…)

Then we FINALLY got to see who the second person going home this week was. First, we had to find out that Blake and Chris are best friends, setting me up to feel badly no matter who goes home. But I still spent a LONG pause saying, “not Blake, not Blake, not Blake…” AND……

It wasn’t Blake! Chris went home tonight. As much as I never really cared for Chris’ music choices, I honestly think he seems like a very sweet, decent guy.

So, next week we’ll be having the top four. Kind of weird to go from top six to top four, but that’s the way it is. So, four will take on disco week with Barry Gibb.

The first to sing tonight was Phil Stacey singing “Blaze of Glory”. He started out in the audience and put on a much better show than usual. He did continue along his path of improvement. I have to say Phil makes me wonder about some of the rather mediocre singers who have gone home early in past years– would they have ended up being really great if they’d just stayed in long enough? I guess we’ll never know. Randy loved this performnce. Paula said it was the best opening performance this season (come on, Paula). Simon, on the other hand, didn’t enjoy it at all. He said it had no authenticity and that he didn’t think he’d done enough to stay in the competition another week. Huh?

Jordin Sparks sang “Living On a Prayer”. It was, well, not good. And Jordin knew it. I found it encouraging that she didn’t try to defend her performance, that she could hear it wasn’t good. It would have been very disappointing if she had tried to defend her performance as a stylistic choice or some other nonsense. The judges all agreed that it was not her best performance; Simon was a bit more blunt, calling it terrible.

Next up was LaKisha Jones. LaKisha was asked via email what kind of training she had before American Idol. She said she hadn’t had any. After Jordin’s performance, I was a bit nervous to hear LaKisha sing. I thought this might be a very bad night for the girls, actually. LaKisha chose to sing “This Ain’t a Love Song”, which I wasn’t very familiar with. She did a really excellent job. I thought this was one of her better performances in a while. Randy agreed, saying “LaKisha’s back”. Paula liked it but gave me no quotable quotes. Simon said “I could kiss you after that” (and did). He loved that she rose to the challenge and gave a strong performance.

Blake Lewis took the biggest risk of the night, singing “You Give Love a Bad Name” in his own personal style. I was SO GLAD to see Blake back! The last couple of weeks, I’ve started to feel a bit bored with him. I’ve missed the beatboxing and the more unique take on music. But tonight there was beatboxing, there was dancing, there was a rock concert going on! I loved it! Randy said it was the most original performance EVER on American Idol. Paula said it was amazing. Simon said it was risky but “absolutely the right thing to do”.

Chris Richardson had the unenviable job of following Blake– not only did he have to follow Blake, but he was singing “Wanted Dead or Alive”. He had the second audience question of the night: “What do you tell yourself before you walk out on stage?” He said, “just have fun”. I’m going to just quickly sum up my opinion of Chris’ performance. I’m going to borrow one of Simon’s favorite phrases: it was dreadful. This kind of music can sound nasal anyway and with Chris’ nasal tendencies, I just didn’t care for it at all. However, I do have to say the performance aspect of it was better than usual. Randy said “you did your thing”. Paula said he did a good job, and Simon said he did as much as he could have done with that song.

The final performance of the night was Melinda Doolittle. She was very nervous, saying to Jon Bon Jovi that she’s terrible at rock music. Either she was being overly modest, or Jon Bon Jovi is the best rock coach ever because SHE ROCKED!! I actually think this was her best performance since she sang “Woman” way back in the first weeks. Maybe she should be a rock star! Randy didn’t think it was her best performance. Paula said, “you’re a rock star”. Simon said she was like a young Tina Turner.

So, here’s my rankings of tonight’s performances:

1. Blake Lewis
2. Melinda Doolittle
3. Phil Stacey
4. LaKisha Jones
5. Jordin Sparks
6. Chris Richardson

What do you think of that plan? I’m curious to hear your thoughts.

The night started off with footage of Ryan and Simon in Africa. I’m going to try to find it tomorrow and post it here for anyone who missed seeing it tonight. It really was touching.

Chris Richardson was the first singer tonight, and he was singing “Change The World” by Eric Clapton. I love this song. But I didn’t care for this performance. It was a bit boring and flat, althought it did pick up towards the end. The judges really enjoyed it, though. Randy got to use his “in it to win it” line. Even Simon had nice things to say.

After the commercial break, there was footage from Idol Gives Back’s American trip. From Louisiana to the Navajo nation in Arizona, we were able to see some of the the places that will benefit from the fundrasing efforts of Idol Gives Back.

The next singer was Melinda Doolittle, singing Faith Hill’s “There Will Come A Day”. It was interesting to see her sing a contemporary song, since she hasn’t done much of that. She did a nice job, and the audience loved it. The judges, as usual, had nothing but good things to say.

Blake Lewis had the first question of the night, which was “What is the biggest sacrifice you have made to be on American Idol?” He answered missing his family and friends. Tonight Blake was singing “Imagine” by John Lennon. This is a really tough song to sing because John Lennon pretty much defined the song. You’re going to be compared to him, no matter what you do. Blake chose to do go with a pretty standard singing of the song, which was okay, but there wasn’t anything original about his delivery. I like Blake a lot, but there are a few things about him that annoy me a bit. I thought this song highlighted those quirks, which was unfortunate. Randy thought the performance was “just okay”. Paula thought it was sensitive and emotional, and Simon pointed out that this is a tricky song. He also said that even though the song didn’t really go anywhere, Blake sang it with sincerity.

After the commercial, there was more footage from Africa. This time we were shown a feeding center where orphans are given meals every day. The amazing thing is that it costs less than fifty cents a day to feed one of the children.

The next singer of the night was LaKisha Jones, singing Fantasia Barrino’s “I Believe”. I thought this was a risky choice. It hasn’t been that long since Fantasia won American Idol, so you’re definitely going to draw comparisons. If you watch American Idol at all, you probably remember Fantasia’s performance of this song at the season finale. It was really amazing and cemented her win. Unfortunately, I found myself thinking more about that performance than LaKisha’s during and after she sang. The judges, also, felt like it wasn’t her best and that she compared unfavorably to Fantasia. Simon tried to say something about her shouting, but the audience’s boos drowned him out.

Phil Stacey had the second question of the night, answering “what do you miss most about home” with “my baby girls”. Then he sang Garth Brooks’ “The Change”. Honestly, I thought this might be a bit dull. Phil has a tendency to be a bit flat for my taste. But this was really, really good. In fact, I thought it was the best performance of the night. It was emotionally warm, and he sang well. The judges all thought it was really nice, as well– although Simon thought Phil had more of a country tone last week and that suited him better.

There was one more Idol Gives Back snippet. This time we saw Simon touring a food bank in Los Angeles. I was surprised at how surprised Simon was about food banks. He said he didn’t know such a thing existed in the United States. I don’t know why that shocked me so much, but it did.

The final song of the night was Jordin Sparks singing “You’ll Never Walk Alone” from “Carousel”. She put in an emotional performance, but it was a bit shaky at the beginning, and I thought it was her worst performance to date. However, it did win her the “what were the judges watching that I wasn’t” performance of the night because THEY LOVED IT!! Randy raved about how it was one of the best vocals out of all six years. Paula said it was lovely, and Simon said it was fantastic. Um, okay. Well, I stand corrected, I guess. Anyway, I still like Jordin and think she’s great. I just didn’t care for tonight’s performance.

So, here’s the order I would rank them in tonight:

1. Phil Stacey
2. Melinda Doolittle
3. LaKisha Jones
4. Blake Lewis
5. Jordin Sparks
6. Chris Richardson

To start the show, Simon explained the apparent smirk that immediately followed Chris expressing his best wishes to the families of the Virginia Tech tragedy. The show took the time to show that Simon was having a conversation with Paula at exactly the time that Chris was talking, and the smirk and following comment of “I don’t get it” was directed to Paula and no disrespect was meant.

Having cleared that up, the group performed “I’m Alright” by Jo Dee Messina.

Then they did a piece on the music that everyone listens to:

Melinda– Fred Hammond, Kirk Franklin
Sanjaya– some country and blues
Blake– Incubus (I think– it was hard to hear)
Jordin– Fergie
Chris– Maroon 5, Jason Mraz (again, it was hard to hear)
Phil– Willie Nelson
LaKisha– Yolanda Adams

There was a second performer again tonight. This time it was Fergie, performing “Big Girls Don’t Cry”.

The Ford commercial tonight was A Flock of Seagulls’ “I Ran”. Sanjaya should consider using the all black Matrix look more often.

There was more information about Idol Gives Back, which is next week. It looks like there will be a ton of stars, so it should definitely be fun to watch. Hopefully, it earns a ton of money, as well.

Then, it was time to reveal the bottom three. This is the time when, historically, the group is split into two groups of three, and one person chooses which group is the bottom three. (My husband and I had a long discussion about whether it’s been done that way every year– I think they do it sometimes, but not always, but I can’t remember for sure. Anyone else have a better memory?) Anyway, that is what they did this year. Sanjaya to the right, Phil to the left. Jordin to the left, LaKisha to the right (about this time I’m thinking you definitely want to go to the left). Chris to the left, BLAKE to the right!! What?!? Tell me it ain’t so. About this time, I really started to sweat the elimination. After all, this is about the point in time when Anthony Federov took out Constantine, when the three divas were the bottom three… it’s not unusual for there to be a “surprise” elimination at this point. Melinda was asked to pick which group was the bottom three, but she refused sitting squarely in the middle. Ryan moved her to the left, confirming Sanjaya, LaKisha and Blake as the bottom three.

Then, there was a brief segment with the top seven visiting DreamWorks to see Shrek the Third and meeting Antonio Banderas before Martina McBride sang “Anyway”, a really appropriate song.

After the commercial, Blake was declared safe. (Oh, thank goodness!) And Sanjaya was (finally) sent home. I kind of wish he’d gone home four weeks ago when more people would have been sad to see him go. As it is, I think everyone was a bit relieved (perhaps even Sanjaya). He sang “Something to Talk About”, changing “how about love” to “instead of hair”, which was really funny.

So, next week is Idol Gives Back. The theme is “Inspirational songs”– I hope that doesn’t mean anyone will be singing “Wind Beneath My Wings”. It’s a two hour show, so lots more writing for me

By the way, Simon will be on Oprah tomorrow, if anyone is interested. The Final 6 are supposed to be on, as well.

Phil Stacey started off the performances with Keith Urban’s “Where the Blacktop Ends”. He did a great job interacting with the audience, although I didn’t necessarily think it was his best vocal ever. All in all, it was one of his best showings. Randy said he should sing country, and Paula agreed. Simon summed it up: “Well, it’s only taken ten weeks, Phil!” I was surprised to hear that Phil actually wants to sing country music. Tonight definitely indicated that would be a good choice for him.

Singing in front of the person that originally sang the song is a brave move, but Jordin Sparks has never shown any fear. She sang “A Broken Wing” by Martina McBride. She put an interesting soul twist on the song and had great vocal performance and really wonderful feeling. She is unbelievably mature for a 17 year old. Randy thought it was another great performance. Paula said it was fantastic. Simon said “I believe, based on that performance, that you could win American Idol”.

Next up was Sanjaya Malakar, singing Bonnie Raitt’s “Something to Talk About”. (It sometimes annoys me when they refer to this song as a country song– I mean, it’s really an R&B song– but tomato/tomahto, I guess.) Martina McBride is absolutely right when she says that Sanjaya sounds better when he sings louder. I still wasn’t crazy about his performance, but it certainly wasn’t his worst. The judges were pretty brutally harsh, and that’s about all I intend to say about it. I do, however, want to relay Sanjaya’s answer to the fan question. He was asked which he would like to make sing a song– and what song. He answered that he’d like to see Simon sing “Shiny, Happy People”– wouldn’t we all?

LaKisha Jones took a risk singing “Jesus Take the Wheel” by Carrie Underwood. People who sing songs with religious themes on American Idol have traditionally fared poorly with the judges and the voting. I thought LaKisha sounded really good and that this was one of her best performances in weeks. I felt an emotional connection to her singing the song. The judges were not as impressed. Simon summed up their feelings by saying that she and the song didn’t go well together.

At the just past halfway point was Chris Richardson who sang Rascal Flatt’s “Mayberry”. I thought this was a timely song for a boy from Virginia to sing. I think we all miss Mayberry a little on days like this. I think his nasal, twangy voice is pretty well-suited for country. Randy and Paula felt like there was no emotional connection with the song, and Simon said it was non-descript, nasally and tinny. Chris sent a message of support out to the people of Virginia, which I found touching. We, too, would like to express our support and prayers for the families in Virginia and around the world who were affected by the tragedy.

Next up was Melinda Doolittle. Melinda returned to singing a younger song with “Trouble is a Woman” by Julie Reeves. She also got the second question of the night. She was asked whether she has met any crazy fans. She relayed a story about a woman who ran towards her screaming, and she turned and ran away, not realizing the woman was a fan. Melinda’s performance tonight was really refreshing. It was the second performance from her that was not only “good” but fun to watch, as well. I’d like to see her sing more songs like that. The judges all really enjoyed her, as well.

The final song of the night went to Blake Lewis. He sang Tim McGraw’s “When the Stars Go Blue”. This was a really beautiful song that Blake sang very well. I like it when you get to hear that he really is a good singer, as well as a good performer. Randy and Paula both liked this performance, but Simon was underwhelmed.

So, I thought that this was a pretty successful country music night– SO much better than Kenny Rogers country music night last year. Anyway, here’s my order:

1. Blake Lewis
2. Jordin Sparks
3. Melinda Doolittle
4. La Kisha Jones
5. Phil Stacey
6. Chris Richardson
7. Sanjaya Malakar

There was a group performance tonight– Enrique Iglesias’ “Bailamos”.

There were also two star performances tonight. The first was Akon singing “Don’t Matter”. That was a bit weird. Akon was on the show tonight because…??

The Ford commercial was “Happy Together”, featuring one Idol morphing into another. Pretty interesting video– who knew Sanjaya and Melinda could look so much alike? Is is just me, or does Chris Richardson get a lot of “featured roles” in these videos? Are the producers showcasing him for a reason?

Then, there was a video of Simon in Africa. I’ll try to find it on You Tube and post it, in case anyone missed it. It was really funny and touching, all at the same time.

The bottom three were revealed in the following order: Phil Stacey (bottom 3), LaKisha Jones (safe), Jordin Sparks (safe), Sanjay Malakar (told to sit down until later, then told to sit down again later and finally told to sit down for the final time at the very end– final verdict, safe), Melinda Doolittle (safe), Haley Scarnato (bottom 3), Blake Lewis (safe), and Chris Richardson (bottom 3).

Chris was allowed to sit down before they moved on to Jennifer Lopez singing something in Spanish. It could have been “Qué Hiciste” because I did pick out the phrase “las palabras”. When I search Jennifer Lopez, las palabras and lyrics, that’s the song that comes up multiple times. Anybody out there know for sure?

Finally, Haley was sent home. I can’t say I’m sorry to see her go, but she did seem like a very nice girl– I just wish she would wear more clothes.

Next week is country music– Simon’s favorite. Prepare for a night of “I didn’t get it” and “horrible song choice”. But Simon, they HAD to sing country music, and there’s not one country music song you like.

Melinda Doolittle kicked off the night singing “Sway”, which has been sung by everyone from Dean Martin to The Pussycat Dolls. It was an okay performance– a good vocal, as usual. But it did bring up a question in my mind. What kind of music would be on a Melinda Doolittle album? She doesn’t really seem to like modern music, so I’d be interested to know what kind of music she would want to record. Randy thought this was another solid performance. Paula said it was very sultry. And Simon finally got his wish and got to criticize Melinda. He didn’t care for the performance. Melinda said she was happy for him because “he really wanted to say something bad, and I’m glad he got the chance”. It wasn’t the last chance he had tonight.

“Sway” was followed by LaKisha Jones singing Gloria Estefan’s “Conga”. But first she had to answer a viewer question: What made you try out for American Idol? She answered that she tried out to get a better life for her and for her daughter. I wish LaKisha smiled more. Even when she sings a fun song like “Conga”, she just looks really intense. I’d like to see her really have fun and not looks so pressured. Randy thought the performance was hot, but Paula thought it was safe. Simon sided with Paula.

I was starting to think tonight’s theme was songs with one word titles when Chris Richardson sang Carlos Santana’s “Smooth”. You know, I wasn’t a big Chris Richardson fan, but I have to say when he just sings a song and doesn’t do that breathy, nasal thing, he’s not half bad. Randy said this was a very cool performance. I think it was Paula’s favorite performance of the night, and she called it “hot”. Simon said it felt contemporary.

I was a little frightened before Haley Scarnato came out– just how skimpy would she be dressed? At first I was a bit horrified at the length of her outfit. Then I realized they were shorts– still incredibly short, but at least not a skirt. Haley sang “Turn the Beat Around”. Sh does have really nice legs, but the performance still smacked of pageant to me. Randy called it karaoke (pageant, karaoke– isn’t it all basically the same?). Paula said it was fun, but Simon called it. He said she had a very good tactic– wear the least amount of clothes possible and have fun.

Phil Stacey sang Santana’s “Maria, Maria”. It was pretty boring. I hate the hats he wears because you can’t see his eyes. And tonight he looked nervous to me. Randy said the performance was kind of boring (kind of? Come on, Randy, speak the truth). Paula said it was a good vocal. Simon said it showed no originality.

I was hopeful that Jordin Sparks could turn the night around, even though she was singing “Rhythm is Gonna Get You”. I have nothing against Gloria Estefan. It’s just that all her songs sound pretty much the same to me. Jordin was asked a viewer question before her performance. The question was what theme she would choose, if she got to decide the theme? She answered 80s music. Hey, somebody let Jordin choose the themes. 80s music would have been so much better than Latin music week. I thought Jordin did a good job of making this song her own. It actually sounded somewhat different than the other Gloria Estefan songs that were sung. Randy said she has the yo factor. Paula said Jordin is adorable (I always find it a bit insulting when she refers to singers as cute and adorable– I don’t think Jordin’s going for adorable when she performs). Simon thought it was okay, but wasn’t really impressed.

I wonder if Blake Lewis knew he’d be singing for Jennifer Lopez when he chose the song, since he chose her husband Marc Anthony’s “Need to Know”. I really think Blake is the best performer of the group– not necessarily the best singer, but the best performer. He is still the only one out of the whole group that I would want to pay money to see live. Randy said Blake had a hot performance. Paula thought it was a smart performance, and Simon said it was the best performance of the night.

Now for the shocking part of the night. First of all, Sanjaya Malakar was singing last. Last? Last, you say? Why? Isn’t that place normally held for someone who’s going to blow it out of the water? Sanjay sang “Besame Mucho”. Frankly, I think he should sing more songs in Spanish. It wasn’t half bad. He’s much more expressive in Spanish than in English. I still think he should go home, but it wasn’t a bad performance. Randy said it was really good. Paula said it was very nice. Simon said he would hate himself for saying this, but it wasn’t horrible.

Overall, it was a very underwhelming night. With the exception of Blake and Jordin, I thought it was a bit of a yawn. Here’s my order for who I liked.

1. Blake Lewis
2. Jordin Sparks
3. Chris Richardson
4. Melinda Doolittle
5. Sanjaya Malakar
6. LaKisha Jones
7. Phil Stacey
8. Haley Scarnato

My usual favorite– Blake Lewis– was first tonight. Only he wasn’t my favorite tonight. He sang Bobby Darin’s “Mack the Knife”, which should have been a good choice. It has that cool kid kind of vibe. But, I don’t know, I just wasn’t thrilled. I didn’t think he was really into the song, or that he put a lot of thought into what he was going to bring to the song. Has he gotten a bit timid after being criticized for doing too much with a couple of the songs? I’m not sure. I just know that, for me, this was a good, but not great, performance. Randy and Paula both liked it, and Simon gave it a 7 out of 10.

Phil Stacey was next, singing Cole Porter’s “Night and Day”. Sometimes I wish I could combine Phil’s vocals with Blake’s performance ability. He really has a beautiful voice, but tonight I had to agree with the judges. The performance was fairly passionless and gloomy. None of them complained about his vocals, but Simon thought the performance was like someone singing at a funeral parlor.

The last couple of weeks I’ve thought that Melinda Doolittle was slipping a bit. Her vocals have still been pretty near perfect, but her performances have gotten a bit boring. Tonight’s performance of Benny Goodman’s “I’ve Got Rhythm” started off a bit slow, and I thought, “here we go again.” But once the pace picked up, it was one of her most enjoyable performances. She also had a new hairstyle tonight, which was very flattering. Randy and Paula both said that her performances are like lessons for the others. Simon said it’s a problem that they never get to criticize her. When asked why by Ryan, he said because they like to be mean.

Chris Richardson had the first audience question tonight. He was asked what he considers when choosing a song. He answered that he first chooses a song he can be comfortable with, then he thinks about what the audience will like and finally considers the judges’ opinions. Tonight Chris performed Duke Ellington’s “Don’t Get Around Much Anymore”. Anyone who has read this blog knows that I’m not a huge fan of Chris’ vocals. HOWEVER, tonight I really, really liked him. He gave the performance (vocally and performance-wise) that I had really hoped to see from Blake. The judges all thought this was one of his best performances and one of the best performances of the night.

Jordin Sparks chose a song that well-suited to her personality and age with “On A Clear Day You Can See Forever” from the musical by the same name. It was cute and had a good vocal, but it lacked a bit of oomph for me. Randy said it was “the bomb”. Paula said Jordin is a joy magnet. Simon laughed at Paula, then said that it was sung well, but she didn’t make it young and current.

I think everyone knows that Gina Glocksen lacks the vocal power of some of the other singers, so I thought it was a good choice for her to choose a softer song like Charlie Chaplin’s “Smile”. The song doesn’t need heavy vocals, and I thought Gina did a good job of singing a pure, simple, straight version of the song. I thought it was sincere and heartfelt. Randy liked it, and Paula said it was flawless. Simon thought that the other girls outsang her. Maybe he’s right, in that they sang bigger, but I’m not sure that they sang better.

And now, ladies and gentlemen, Sanjaya Malakar. I don’t know if Tony Bennett was just being nice, but he seemed to really like Sanjaya, personally as well as vocally. Actually, I thought tonight’s vocals were decent, but I was finally able to realize what bugs me the most about Sanjaya. It really is like watching a little kid play dress up. He’s not horrible, but there’s almost no sincerity behind his performance. It’s just a bit weird to me. The judges have all but given up any true criticism at this point. Randy said he’s a great entertainer, Paula said he’s very charming, and Simon said it was incredible (with a look of “now will you send him home?”). Oh, and he sang Irving Berlin’s “Cheek to Cheek”– in case you were interested.

I’m afraid that if Haley Scarnato stays in the competition much longer, she’ll be performing completely naked, since her clothes seem to get skimpier each week. That aside, tonight’s performance of “Ain’t Misbehavin” by Louis Armstrong saw Haley back to her pageant-like singing. It was a chipper, but cheesey version of the song. I did, however, finally figure out who she reminds me of– Maura Tierney. Randy and Paula were big chickens in commenting on this one. Randy didn’t really have much to say and turned to Paula to get her opinion. Paula gave the standard fashion critique that she tends to give when she has nothing nice to say. Then, they both turned to Simon, who said “I think you’ve got great legs” and added it was a pageantish performance. It always cracks me up when Simon says exactly what I’ve already written.

The final performance of the night was LaKisha Jones, singing “Stormy Weather” by Billie Holiday. I thought this was the best performance of hers in weeks. She had a lot more passion and power in her performance again. However, I still think that her performances are a bit introverted. She sings great, but she doesn’t really connect with the camera. All of the judges really enjoyed the performance. Simon said she was back to her sassy self.

So, here’s how I would rank tonight’s performances. Blake and LaKisha are interchangeable for me, as are Haley and Sanjaya. Basically, I think Haley or Sanjaya should go home tomorrow– I’m betting it will be Haley.

1. Chris Richardson
2. Melinda Doolittle
3. Jordin Sparks
4. Blake Lewis
5. LaKisha Jones
6. Gina Glocksen
7. Phil Stacey
8. Haley Scarnato
9. Sanjaya Malakar

Who would you most want to see perform an encore of tonight’s performance?
LaKisha Jones: 11% (11)
Chris Sligh: 1% (1)
Gina Glocksen: 21% (20)
Sanjaya Malakar: 15% (14)
Haley Scarnato: 1% (1)
Phil Stacey: 8% (8)
Melinda Doolittle: 18% (17)
Blake Lewis: 8% (8)
Jordin Sparks: 10% (10)
Chris Richardson: 6% (6)

Total Votes : 96

LaKisha Jones started off the night singing Donna Summers’ “Last Dance”. Even though Gwen Stefani said she should be asking LaKisha for advice, something about tonight’s performance seemed off to me– maybe it was the vibrato, perhaps it was that she just didn’t seem that happy. I don’t know, but it just wasn’t my favorite LaKisha performance, even though it was still solid. Randy thought it was hot. Paula said LaKisha did an excellent job. Simon said she seemed thirty years younger this week.

I like Chris Sligh, but he seems to be going a bit downhill. Tonight he sang The Police’s “Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic”. Note to performers: if you’re thinking of singing anything by Sting, think again. His music (solo or with The Police) is really difficult. Unfortunately, Chris got lost in the beat of this song. Gwen warned that this could be a problem, and it was. Randy and Paula thought he picked a good song, but that he was off tempo. Simon thought the entire thing was a mess. The best thing about Chris’ appearance tonight was his answer to the fan question. He was asked if they got any downtime and what he liked to do with it? He answered that he likes knitting, crocheting and playing bongos in his underwear. He then added that seriously he just tries to get some sleep, so that he doesn’t get sick.

I thought the most improved performer of the night award should go to Gina Glocksen. Her performance of The Pretender’s “I’ll Stand By You” was really excellent. This was probably my favorite performance of hers. She picked a song that suited her vocally and personality-wise. Randy agreed it was one of her best performances. Paula said she improves each week. Simon said, “It wasn’t one of your best performances”, drawing boos, but then finished, “It was your BEST performance”.

Sanjaya Malakar might do better picking songs for himself if he just drew them out of a hat. Tonight he sang No Doubt’s “Bathwater”, while sporting a fauxhawk. Tonight I think I’m going to have to take my cue for Thumper in Bambi. If you can’t say something nice, don’t say nothing. The judges didn’t have much to say, either. Simon pretty much summed it up: “I don’t think it matters anymore what we say.”

Remember what I said earlier about Sting? I think that goes double for Cyndi Lauper. Cyndi Lauper songs require an edgy voice, or else they just end up sounding sappy and boring. But tonight Haley Scarnato chose to sing “True Colors”. It simply wasn’t a good choice. Her voice sounded okay. She looked good. But it was just really, really boring. Randy said he wasn’t jumping up and down. Paula said it had an adult contemporary vibe. Simon said it was sweet but forgettable– come on, Simon, even the dress?

Phil Stacey had the second fan question of the night. He was asked how it feels to go from being an unknown to a household name in a matter of weeks. He answered that it was exciting. He was also the second performer of the night to take on The Police, singing “Every Breath You Take”. He did MUCH better than Chris Sligh. I wasn’t crazy about the ending of the song, but I liked his voice and his performance. Randy was as surprised as Gwen Stefani how much he liked it. Paula thought he could stand to build a bit more character into his songs– whatever that means. Simon that it was good and that this was the only night where he felt like Phil was taking things seriously.

I get a bit bored with writing Melinda Doolittle’s reviews. There are only so many ways you can say she’s great without becoming boring, even to yourself. I always know Melinda’s going to turn in a solid performance, and tonight’s performance of Donna Summers’ “Heaven Knows” was as good as I would have expected. If I have any complaints with Melinda, it’s that I’m never truly surprised. If she’d come out tonight and sung a song by No Doubt or The Cure, I would have been a bit shocked, but it might have been more exciting to watch. Randy said that Melinda is truly a pro, as she lives the song, as opposed to just singing it. Paula said she has charisma and is a lot of fun. Simon said it wasn’t her best performance, but that it was still vocally very good.

From the beginning of the night, when they said someone was singing The Cure, I said it would be Blake Lewis. And it was. He sang “Love Song”. Based on Gwen Stefani’s comments, I think he originally included some beatboxing, but he must have decided to drop it because it wasn’t in the performance. That was probably a good idea, as I can’t imagine that particular song with beatboxing. I liked that Blake chose a song that showcases that he can really sing. Randy said it wasn’t the perfect song, but that he did a good job with it. Paula said she loved what he did with the song. Simon said that Blake is definitely the strongest guy in the competition but thought tonight’s performance was a bit boring. Okay, here’s the thing about The Cure. I was a big fan a LONG time ago. The Cure is all about brooding and moodiness. And, frankly, women are often in to brooding, moody men. So, when Simon and Randy think the performance was boring, I think it’s because they’re not female, and Blake wasn’t singing to them.

Jordin Sparks was the second person to tackle a No Doubt song tonight, taking on “Hey Baby”. I’m not sure it was the best song for her range– the lower parts seemed almost out of her register– but it was a fun performance. She showed that she could perform modern music, and I think that’s a good thing for her to showcase. Randy said this was a very risky performance but that Jordin can sing anything. Paula said she was adorable. Simon said she is the most improved contestant.

The night ended with yet another performance of a No Doubt song– this time Chris Richardson performed “Don’t Speak”. I just don’t care for Chris’ vocal style. Are you tired of hearing me say that yet? Well, I’ll probably be saying it every week, so you may just want to skip my reviews of his portion of the show. My husband pointed out tonight that he sounds a bit like Lionel Richie, and I guess he does a bit. But I LIKE Lionel Richie. Anyway, tonight (on top of the usual vocal performance style that annoys me) I thought he sounded off-key. Randy thought it was interesting and good. Paula thought it was good. Simon said it was a much better choice of song than last week but that he didn’t like the vocal. See, I’m not the only one.

So, here’s my ranking of tonight’s performances:

1. Gina Glocksen
2. Blake Lewis
3. Phil Stacey
4. Melinda Doolittle
5. Jordin Sparks
6. LaKisha Jones
7-9 (put them in whatever order you like) Chris Sligh, Haley Scarnato, and Chris Richardson
10. (altogether now) Sanjaya Malakar

How did you rank them?

Haley Scarnato started the night off with “Tell Him” by The Exciters. Clearly, tonight Haley was going for sex appeal. The song was cute and fun, but I’m not sure if it’s her vocals or her legs which will get the most votes tonight. It was the most interesting performance she has done, to date, though. Randy thought it was the perfect song for her and that it had the “yo factor” written all over it. Paula liked the flirtatious side of Haley. So did Simon, although he phrased it as “you naughty little thing”.

Next, they brought the tempo down a bit with Chris Richardson’s cover of Big Maybelle’s “Don’t Let the Sun See You Crying”. I was so happy that Peter Noone told Chris to just sing the melody and to stop doing the vibrato and run thing. Thank you, Peter! I do think this was Chris’ best performance so far, although he’s still not in my top five favorite singers in the competition. I was glad to see him do the acoustic version, which was a nice change of pace for him. All of the judges agreed that this was his best vocal, to date.

The first fan question of the night went to Stephanie Edwards. She was asked what the hardest part of getting ready was. She answered that it was choosing the right song, since the judges put so much emphasis on that. She did a good job picking a song tonight, choosing to sing “You Don’t Have to Say You Love Me” by Dusty Springfield. Lulu said Stephanie reminded her of Beyonce, which thrilled Stephanie beyond words. I think she needs to worry less about being like Beyonce and worry more about being like Stephanie. Her performance tonight reminded me of Fantasia, if it reminded me of anyone. I don’t really have anything to criticize, but there’s something about her that just leaves me shrugging my shoulders, saying “whatever”. That was how she left the judges tonight as well. Randy found her pitchy. Paula said she looked good, which is never a good sign from Paula. She added that it wasn’t very fun. Simon said it was “cabaret” and that he misses her passion and rawness– I’m not sure I ever remember her being terribly raw.

Blake Lewis sang The Zombie’s “Time of the Season”. I was a bit nervous how Blake was going to handle the high notes in this song. I mean this song requires some real singing and, as much as I love Blake, I wasn’t sure what his range was like. Fortunately, he did just fine with the song from beatboxing to high notes. He’s so much fun to watch and how nice to see that he has a really good voice, as well. Randy said the performance was brilliant. Paula felt like she was at a concert. Simon said it was a million times better than last week and that it was the strongest performance so far (I was unclear whether that meant the strongest performance so far by Blake, of the night, or overall).

I really like LaKisha Jones. I think she’s great at being LaKisha Jones, but I think tonight may have highlighted her limitations. She sang “Diamonds Are Forever” by Shirley Bassey from the James Bond film of the same name. She had it narrowed down to two songs– “Diamonds are Forever and “You’re My World”. Lulu tried to talk her into switching to “You’re My World”, and I think she should have listened to Lulu because it sounded like a better song for her voice, which brings me to her limitations. LaKisha is great at singing a more narrow selection of musical styles than, say, Melinda. But that begs the question: how many styles do you need to be great at to have a career? But I’m not sure this limitation will allow her to win American Idol. I don’t know. It was the first chink in the armor that I’ve seen. Randy said it wasn’t his favorite performance. Paula thought it was the right song. Simon said the song was too old for LaKisha.

Phil Stacey got the best compliment of the night. He sang “Tobacco Road”, originally sung by The Nashville Teens. Peter Noone told him that his performance was the best he’d heard it sung. Wow. Really? This was my favorite performance of Phil’s. I sometimes find Phil a bit gimmicky and showy. I thought this was a really straightforward performance. The judges and I differed on this one– or at least I differed strongly with one judge. Randy thought it was a decent performance. Paula thought it was a good choice of song. Simon wasn’t crazy about it, comparing it to a bar band performance. He thought Phil might be in trouble tomorrow. Well, of course he might be. He was in the bottom three last week, and I don’t know if this performance was strong enough to pull him out of the bottom three, so we’ll see.

The next fan question went to Jordin Sparks. She was asked to name a song that best describes her. She chose The Pointer Sister’s “I’m So Excited” since she says that all the time. Lulu was pretty excited about her performance of Shirley Bassey’s “I Who Have Nothing” (by the way, LaKisha should have chosen a song like that). Jordin did an excellent job with the song. I have to say, I really think she has a better overall voice than LaKisha, and I think she puts more emotional content into her singing than Melinda. So, not that it’s just the three of them in the competition, but since everyone talks about LaKisha and Melinda all the time, I just wanted to say that I think Jordin could give them a run for their money. Randy said it was a great, great performance. Paula said Jordin is a good singer and a wonderful performer. Simon said she sang it beautifully, but it left him depressed. Well, it’s not really a happy song, Simon.

And then there was the surprise performance of the night– Sanjaya Malakar singing The Kinks. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, Sanjaya sang “You Really Got Me” and… it wasn’t horrible. It was actually the first performance of his since his audition that I really enjoyed. One little girl in the audience was actually sobbing hysterically she was so excited by the song, or Sanjaya, I’m not sure which. Randy was shocked, but he liked it. Paula said it was fun. Simon didn’t have much to say, at all, but I don’t think he thought it was wonderful.

Gina Glocksen was asked the final fan question of the night: “Has being on American Idol made you stronger?” She answered, “yes”, and she was about to get to demonstrate exactly how. She sang The Rolling Stones’ “Paint It Black”, which I thought was an excellent choice for her. She really got to rock out, and I thought it was enjoyable. Probably not the best vocal performance of all time, but fun to watch. Randy said it was pitchy. Paula noted that this is the type of song Gina has fun performing. Simon hated it. I thought he was going to make Gina cry. He said there were moments of complete torture in the song (oh come on, Simon, aren’t you getting a bit carried away there?) and that it was style over content. He may have somewhat of a point there, but I still enjoyed it more than some other performances tonight.

The second Zombies song of the night was performed by Chris Sligh, who sang “She’s Not There”. Peter Noone asked him if he knew what the song meant– they didn’t really answer the question, but, come to think of it, I’m not sure what the song is about either. But, really, who cares? It’s a great song! Chris did a good job with it, too, working the audience and even managing to come close to jabbing Simon with the microphone stand. I thought it was a bit screamy in places but, overall, a really nice performance. Randy thought it had a strong ending. Paula commented he was dressing much nicer (what?). Simon said it was fun and a good choice of song.

The final performance of the night was Melinda Doolittle singing “As Long As He Needs Me” from the musical “Oliver!” I thought this was a dreadfully boring song. BUT Melinda did sing it well. After a while it’s a bit difficult to find a new way to say Melinda sings really well, but that’s about the sum of it. She’s really, really good. She brings out such interesting adjectives from the judges, too– stunning from Randy and sensational from Simon. Paula said she was in a league of her own.

So, here are my rankings of tonight’s performances:

1. Jordin Sparks
2. Blake Lewis
3. Melinda Doolittle
4. Chris Sligh
5. Haley Scarnato
6. Gina Glocksen
7. Phil Stacey
8. LaKisha Jones
9. Stephanie Edwards
10. Sanjaya Malakar
11. Chris Richardson

That doesn’t necessarily mean I think Chris should go home. I just found his performance the least entertaining of the night. But tonight was a hard decision for me. The bottom five on my list really could have gone in any order.