American Idol

American Idol's Top 10 perform tonight, and given the way this season has gone, each and every performer has to bring their A game.  Carly Smithson, one of the assumed favorites coming into the Top 12, found herself in the bottom three last week and threw a ton of conventional wisdom out the window.  It wasn't that she gave a poor performance last Tuesday - she just wasn't special, she was forgettable, and the voters responded with apathy.  If Carly can find herself in the bottom three, who in this top ten can't?  The obvious, and right, answer is David Archuleta.  Little David, America's darling, the fake-modest sweetheart who excites the loins of female teenagers across the country, is the prohibitive favorite to win American Idol this season.  I want to see him give another poor performance, not because I'm evil, but because I want to see how everyone reacts.  Will the judges rip him a new one?  Will the voters sour, even a little?  Will a Sanjaya-esque backlash begin? 

I'll be here throughout the entire 90-minute episode tonight, updating live with my thoughts on every performance.  Don't forget to refresh, and feel free to comment below with your opinions. 

The theme tonight isn't much of a theme: each singer will perform songs from their year of birth.  I like it, because it gives everyone a lot of options. 

90 minutes is a whole lot more manageable than two hours.  I can deal with two hours of performances, but the filler is what really gets me.  Tonight's show will move fast. 

Seacrest looks like he's in a face-grabbing mood.  Paula is dressed like she's at Senior Prom 1992.  Ryan introduces the top ten. 

Ramiele Malubay was born in 1987 in Saudi Arabia (!) and is up first.  Kristy Lee is ending the show - yikes.  Ramiele used to sing a lot of karaoke.  She's singing "Alone," by Heart.  It's a big, slow ballad.   Oh, I know this song.  She starts off pretty well, and the chorus is huge, but she sings it...OK.  She hit the big notes in tune.  But, still a little boring.  Randy calls it pitchy, which it was.  Apparently, Ramiele is under the weather.  So, Paula gives her props.  Simon didn't think it was as bad as Randy thought.  Ramiele, who I think is pretty adorable and has a good voice, is just so bland.

Jason Castro was born in 1986, and he's still a little awkward during interviews.  A lot of home footage this week.  He singing "Fragile" by Sting.  He's out there on a chair with his guitar.  It's a Sting song - it's soft, folksy, with a little Spanish twist on it.  This is right in Jason's comfort zone - he's so much more at ease with a guitar in front in him.  He sings in Spanish late in song.  Maybe a little boring, but I enjoyed it.  Randy thought it was nice.  Nothing special vocally, but nice.  Paula loved the song, but same ol' same ol' from Jason.  Simon says this was Jason's second bad week in a row.  He thought it was a subway bum-with-a-guitar performance.  I think that's what he said.

Syesha Mercado was born in Bridgeport, Connecticut in 1987.  Hey, my friend Ko is from Bridgeport.  She does her creepy baby cry again.  These video packages are long tonight.  She's singing "If I Was Your Woman."  I thought this was an old song - I think Syesha is cheating.  It's a great song nonetheless.  She begins the song a little shaky, but gets into it. The second half of the song is electric.  Syesha is on the rise, people.  She might get back into this competition.  Randy says this was the best he's ever heard Syesha sing.  Stellar.  Unbelievable.  He says.  Paula: "Blah, blah, blah, blah."  Simon doesn't think it was as good as Randy thought. 

Paula is wearing ridiculous black, elbow-length leather gloves (should I make an S&M joke...no). 

Chikezie Eze is next.  Chikezie!  Eze!  That's one of my favorite names ever, right with O.J. Mayo and Plaxico Burress.  Eze was reticent about doing a ballad again, but it looks like he'll give it a try.  He was born in 1985.  He sings "If Only for One Night."  He starts out of tune, but recovers quickly.  It's definitely a slow ballad.  I like the faster-paced tunes from Eze, but this isn't bad.  Out of tune in places, the falsetto is suspect, but he manages in inject some personality into what could have been a very boring performance.  Not bad, Chikezie.  Randy thought it was very old school.  Not hip, not cool.  Paula loved it, obviously.  Simon thought he sang it well, but the performance was cheesy. 

Brooke White takes the stage next.  She was born on June 2, 1983 (a month before me) and is the oldest of four kids (same as me).  That, however, is where the similarities end.  I've seen hundreds of R-rated movies, for example.  She's singing "Every Breath You Take" by The Police.  She sings the first line in the wrong key, then goes back, corrects herself.  It's smooth sailing from there, kind of.  It's just her and the piano.  I like everything Brooke does, but this was a poor song choice.  It's too big for her and her style.  Still, I enjoyed it and she sang it to the best of her ability.  I think the judges will destroy her, though.  Randy liked the beginning, but not when the chorus kicked in.  I agree.  Paula's gloves are weirding me the eff out, so I missed what she said.  Simon agrees with Randy - the beginning, just her and the piano, was cool.  The rest, not so good.

Michael Johns was born in 1978 (Ooh, the seventies...he's old!).  His parents are, like, totally Australian.  He sings "We Will Rock You/We Are the Champions" by Queen.  We know he can sing him some Freddie Mercury, and he doesn't disappoint.  This was the breakout performance the judges and everyone else (me included) were waiting for, I think.  I'll guarantee you this - no other guy on this show could've done that.  Maybe David Cook, but not as well.  And the crowd goes wild.  Randy calls it Johns' best Idol performance.  Paula says that he finally found the right song.  Simon says this is the first time he saw star potential from Michael.  He really liked it.

Carly Smithson was born in 1983.  She got her name from Carly Simon, who was playing on the radio as her parents were driving to the hospital to deliver the baby.  She sings "Total Eclipse of the Heart."  I'm sorry, every time I hear this song I think about The Dan Band performing it with profanity in Old School.  This is a good song for Carly.  Big, and it uses her powerful voice.  This makes me think that Carly would have fit a lot better as an 80's pop star.  Pretty good.   Randy wasn't a fan of the song choice. I disagree, Dawg.  Paula loved it.  Simon says something didn't quite work. 

David Archuleta is next and he and Seacrest discuss who might be his prom date.  He was born in 1990.  Maybe he'll sing some New Kids on the Block.  "The Right Stuff," perhaps.  "You're the Voice" is the song he sings.  I don't know who it's by.  He starts off very shaky, his voice is soft.  Out of tune, as well.  Thanks, Google - it's by John Farnham.  He gets into it in the middle, but he messes up a high note - his voice cracks.  Eh - more of the same from David.  Randy thought it was a strange song choice, but he thought it was very nice.  Paula, of course, loved it.  Simon didn't like the performance at all.  He thought it was a theme park performance.  I agree, sir. 

A lot of cheating going on tonight.  Archuleta's song, the version he sang, was released in 1986.  There was a random cover in 1990.  Eze and Syesha's songs were also recorded far earlier than their birth years.

Kristy Lee Cook was born in 1984 in Seattle.  Nice - I'm from Seattle, am there now, and it's the greatest city in the world.  Seriously.  She's singing "God Bless the USA."  Oh god, really?  She's resorted to patriotism for votes?  I guess KLC's best performance was on "Amazing Grace," so she figured she'd go back to the well.  This is so cheesy.  She doesn't sing it horribly, but again, her song choices have really aggravated me.  Randy loves the song choice.  Paula calls it poignant.  SImon calls it her best performance by a mile.  He thought it was a very clever song choice - he's right.  It'll probably keep her around until next week. 

I just want to explain why I didn't like that song choice before anyone gets mad at me.  I like America as much as the next guy, but that reeked of desperation.  It's the song choice equivalent of Haley Scarnato showing more and more skin last season.  Just a blatant plea for free votes.

David Cook finishes the night and he had a monstrous head as a kid.  He was born in 1982.  He sings a cover version of "Billie Jean."  No guitar tonight.  It's slower than the MJ version, beginning with just acoustic guitar.  I'm loving this so far - softer than we're used to by Cook, but still damn good.  He's the most consistent singer in this competition.  He absolutely destroys a big note near the end.  Awesome, best performance of the night.  Randy calls him the most original and bold contestant they've ever had.  He says he might win this whole thing.   Paula stands up, she is blown away.  Simon says it was brave, and that it was amazing.  It kind of was - great performance. 

I'll be back later tonight with my performance rankings for the night.


-Oscar Dahl, BuddyTV Senior Writer
(Image Courtesy of FOX)