By Loquaciousmuse from Allthingsfangirl.com

I was skeptical about this Shania Twain business, but you know what? I take it back. Everyone improved tonight. Does that mean I suddenly like Aaron Kelly and think he deserves to be in this competition? Absolutely not. Also? Mamasox continued to prove that she’s a fuckin badass. ONWARD!

Lee – Still The One
Confused by how he is singing this. Off key? Or just weird? Still not a HUGE fan of his voice, but actually it’s not terrible. And his look continues to grow on me. Not sure he needed the whole orchestra to come in. Kinda killed the whole “Lee making it his own” vibe for me. But still solid overall.
Step sideways – Still solid
Randy – One of his favorite songs of all time. Started out pitchy, but mid-way, found a way to make it his own & found his sweet spot
Ellen – Better than a pretty good job. Always makes it his own. Never a sound alike. Couldn’t look cuter.
Kara – Sound of his voice makes it sound so relevant. Liked how he was feeling the song. Good job.
Simon – Agree with everyone. Absolutely the perfect song for him.

I just decided Lee looks kind of super sexy tonight. Did someone get laid between last week and now? …. What?

Mike – It Only Hurts When I’m Breathing
He can definitely sing. Probably Definitely my favorite tone of the remaining guys. Not sure I’m a fan of the arrangement, but Mike *always* sounds great and tonight is so exception. And he definitely made it his own, very him. He even made Shania Twain cry!
Step Forward
Randy – In the zone
Ellen – Felt like Luther Vandross, felt his emotion, beautiful
Kara – Always feels his connection to his songs, what she appreciates most. Melody is so beautiful and loved that he didn’t change it TOO much, but changed it enough to put his mark on it
Simon – Agrees about Luther Vandross analogy, spot on. But performance was a little bit “wet”. Randy doesn’t know what Simon means. No one does. Simon clarifies that he means it was a little bit girlie. Um…okay, Simon.

Sidenote: When Shania Twain speaks, she sounds like she is French. That is all.

The rest after the jump!

Casey – Don’t
Casey singing a “singing song” Nice!
Already wish it was just him and the guitar, no piano or snaps or whatever the fuck is going on in the background. But he’s sitting! And not smiling! Exactly what he needs to be doing. And he actually sounds pretty good in that higher register. REALLY wish it was just him and the guitar. For real for real. He is doing a lot less goat bleat vibratto and sounds great! Some falsetto in there too! Nice!
Step Forward
Randy – One of the best Casey James performances ever. Hopes he learns something here.
Ellen – Sang it like that’s where he belongs. Beautiful, thinks it was his best performance to date
Kara – Artists do not hide and that’s what he did – he didn’t hide, he was vulnerable, he was raw, if he keeps doing it, he’ll be at the front of the competition
Simon – Last week was a much needed wake up call for Casey, he wasn’t taking part in the competition. Agrees that this was his performance so far. Tells Casey to give Shania a kiss on the lips. It’s awkward. They hug. We don’t know what’s going on.

Crystal – No One Needs To Know
Crystal calls out her boyfriend “He’ll man up one of these days.” Fuckin awesome
This set up is cool. Ooooh. Like classic country awesomeness. Band members on the stage beside her. Some bluegrass going on! This is sweet. Slide guitar. Ohmygod I love her. I love this. She sounds amazing. Kind of feels like she is purposefully trying to stay emotionally disconnected, but whatever, it’s awesome.
Step Sideways of Awesomeness
Randy – Loves the Nickel Creek version. Wasn’t his favorite, but loves her and seeing her change things up and actually doing country
Ellen - Nothing she can’t do. Not her favorite performance of hers, but like asking which is your least favorite color of the rainbow.
Kara – Impossible for her not to be good, always coming from a place of truth. Was it her best? No. But it was still amazing.
Simon – Thought it was limp. Like when you hire a band at a coffee shop you don’t wanna hear. Kind of forgettable. Only week he hasn’t really liked her performance.

“Lack of conviction? I don’t think so – he’s right there.” points to her boyfriend. Awe.Some. Also, Crystal’s boyfriend is adorable. We all wonder if he is her baby daddy cause if so, YEAH, TIME TO PUT A RING ON IT. Also, eff Simon. Sure, it wasn’t as emotional or huge as last week, but it was still GREAT. Like…great. Whatever.

Aaron – You Got A Way
Blahblahblah. Eh, Sounds kind of off. Boring. Not in the same league as anyone else. BORED. Go home now.
Side sideways – Continuing to piss me off and make me miss Tim Urban
Randy – His wheelhouse, good job
Ellen - Tough week, everyone’s great. Great emotional depth. Great maturity.
Kara – Thought he really felt it. Changed the line from “when to make love” to something else, which was a smart move. Aaron reveals it was cause he was singing it to his mom. None of us care.
Simon – Thinks he has struggled the past few weeks. However, tonight, like a different artist. Felt believable, like a record he would release.

IDIOT JUDGES STOP IT, AARON IS THE ONE WHO NEEDS TO LEAVE THIS WEEK. Ugh. Gross. Simon fucked it up.

Siobhan – Any Man Of Mine
She’s so weird. But I like watching her. She sings on key. I like her outfit too. This is so weird. Ack! Hit a bad note! Hmmm. Lucky she has VFTW backing her this week. Have NO clue what is gonna happen tomorrow. Siobhan walks by Crystal’s boyfriend and he gives some GREAT face. Great ending to the song, but not sure that’s enough to make up for the rest of the performance. Ultimately, better than last week by far.
Step Forward – For the ending
Randy – Different, loved it
Ellen – Good way to end the show, fantastic
Kara – Guess who is back? Siobhan!
Simon – Really liked that song. Screaming may have gone a little bit – and then he’s cut off by everyone, judges included, who say it was great. Simon says it sounded like she was giving birth. Kara exclaims the word “Sassy.”

Top Two: Crystal (STFU Simon), Mike (Always impeccable vocals)

Middle Two: Lee & Casey. Both cute. Both solid.

Bottom Two: Aaron (UGH GO HOME), Siobhan (A little on the bizarre side until the end)

I have a horrifying feeling Mike or Casey are going home, but I REALLY hope it’s High School Student Aaron Kelly, PLEASE

Grades

Casey A

Crystal A-

Mike B+

Lee B+

Siobhan B

Aaron C

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Wow. Well that was a terrible episode of Idol, wasn’t it? Thank god Lost and Glee were in top form tonight. Damnit, Idol.

Casey James – Don’t Stop by Fleetwood Mac
Sigh. He’s cute, but the performance is boring and the same old same old. He sounds good, he looks good and his guitar is awesome, but I always just think about Back to the Future when I see when perform now. Thanks Huey Lewis song. Except when he sang Jealous Guy. Do that again.
Step backwards.
Randy - Complains we see the same thing every week, needs something else, something different
Ellen – Great guitar playing, you have to be GREAT and he is consistently good but no one will be talking about that tomorrow
Kara – Praises Jealous Guy. Calls tonight’s performance “Jam Band,” making himself like everyone else, but she still believes in him
Simon - Didn’t think it was inspiring, zero emotion, just stood there & sang the song pretty much like the original. Lazy song choice

Lee Dewyze – The Boxer by Simon & Garfunkel
Lee’s high in honor of 4/20! What, he’s not? Oh, that’s just how he always looks? Cool. Our room got quite nervous when we heard he was The Boxer, cause we love this song. His vocal is all over the place, but you can tell he loves the song, which is kind of sweet. So I didn’t hate it. Does anyone else get the impression that he doesn’t have a lot of experience with women? Just saying. He has virginal face. Hmm. He’s kinda hot. But that’s neither here nor there. OR IS IT?
Step sideways – backwards for me, forwards for the judges
Randy – This season, the show is about artists and he’s a great artist ready to make great music
Ellen – Beautiful song choice, soul & depth to him that we are seeing more and more of, better and better from him
Kara – Thinks he had his “moment” tonight. (We don’t agree.) Advice – keep picking things you connect to
Simon – Best performance of the night! Of two. … Sincere, emotional, inspirational, made it sound like it was written a week ago, absolutely brilliant

Tim Urban – Better Days by the Goo Goo Dolls
My is he pretty. Oh the notes that are off! Look at them go! I thought it worked for like a half second, but then he went back to being classic Tim, full of suck again. Valiant effort, sure, but his voice JUST ISN’T THAT GOOD.
Step backwards
Randy – Okay/good karaoke, didn’t do anything with it
Ellen – Have liked his soup before, but didn’t today
Kara – Found lane, he’s in it, but a new Tim, but where he belongs (what are you saying?) but execution wasn’t great but sometimes commercial but wasn’t his best performance
Simon – If this was his first performance, they’d be quite impressed. Confused about who he is and thinks this week was a step too high, but he has improved over the weeks. But a little bit of a letdown.

Aaron Kelly – I Believe I Can Fly by R Kelly
I laughed when he first came on camera to sing. I laughed out loud. Because he looks little and silly and I want him to go home. He starts out sounding pretty shitty, then it gets moderately less shitty, technically, in some points, but WOW don’t I care. Ugh. Just go home already. Poor man’s David Archeleta INDEED.He could sing your face off, High School Student Aaron Kelly. Best part is the end, but it’s still an annoying karaoke stupid arrangement poop.
Step backwards UCK
Randy – Good job with a giant song
Ellen – Big voice, tough song, handled it real good [sic]
Kara – Hit it in the middle and got it flying, by the end, he got there
Simon – A MAN OF REASON. Knowing him, liking him, having the guts to take the song on, he gave it his all. But in the real world, if it came on the radio, he would turn it off in 10 seconds cause it wasn’t very good. He kind of made it good.

Siobhan Magnus – When You Believe by…don’t know don’t care but Mariah and Whitney sang it TOGETHER so WHY are you singing it. She explains that she just wanted to sing it, so why should she stop herself just because Whitney and Mariah sang it. Look. I saw the list of song choices this week and there were MUCH better options than this stupid ass song. She sings it half on, half off, all awkward. I loved Siobhan, so I don’t wanna give up hope yet and her high notes were gorgeous. But…oh that was just awful. Who IS she as an artist?
Step backwards
Randy – Arguably picked the toughest song of the night. Was okay.
Ellen – More confirmation why she’s here
Kara – Technically, really well sung, but it’s not a musical and it started to feel very dramatic and starts to feel like she’d rather hang out with her than buy her record
Simon – Not the right song, old fashioned arrangement, too much happening too quickly, doesn’t like the leaves/butterflies. (Siobhan rambles on about not being afraid of singing the song and blah blah, get better please NOW)

Michael Lynche – Hero by Nickelback
LOVE the opening with Big Mike and the guitar! This is nice! I love his voice and it’s refreshing to hear someone actually hit all the notes! WOW!!! This is very Seal, isn’t it? The cord progression even reminds me of Kissed by a Rose.

Randy – Was nervous for him, but it worked out
Ellen – Did a great job
Kara – Not her favorite performance, all over the place, song was unrecognizable
Simon – Sang it pretty well, but why did he sing about Spiderman? (Love Big Mike’s reaction to all of this) Thought he was sensational last week, so this week didn’t quite gel, but thinks he will stick around to next week

Crystal Bowersox – People Get Ready by The Impressions
Damn this girl is ballsy. A Capella opening followed by BAM in your face SINGING, actually ditching an instrument and just fuckin going for it. I mean, yeah, there’s no question, let’s just give her the trophy now and spend the rest of the reason creating fun duets, combining seasons. Or just invite Kris Allen back to be dreamy, siiiiiigh. Oh also, the ending emotion was effing awesome and proved me right that the clips from their performances are from dress rehearsal, kthxbye

Randy – That is how you do it, unbelievable, standing O
Ellen – Have never looked more beautiful, keep evolving and growing and getting better and better (ZOMG she brought her own mic stand from home!)
Kara – Thanks her for taking a risk, on another level tonight, schooled all the other contestants
Simon – THAT was inspirational. Happy to see her emotional cause she has closed down, but they all felt that the song meant something to her and she sang it fantastically, in a different class from everything else they heard tonight

Only *one* step forward tonight. Wow. Good work, guys. I’m disgusted with myself for even watching this show at this point.

Top Three

Bottom Three

Who do I WANT to go home? Aaron. I’ll also accept Tim. Who do I think WILL go home? I fear a surprise early exit from either Casey or Siobhan. I feel like Crystal, Mike and Lee are safe. We’re really getting to it at this point – your guess is as good as mine.

Grade Em!
Crystal A
Mike B
Lee C+
Casey C
Siobhan C
Tim C-
Aaron Kelly D…I really effing hate this kid

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Did Crystal visit a Vegas wedding chapel? What was up with Ryan’s wacky antics? Your burning Idol questions answered!

Seacrest and the mosh pit.

And we’re back with another round of “Idol” burning questions — the Elvis edition. What was up with Ryan’s erratic behavior? Did Crystal get married in Vegas? Who was Aaron Kelly imagining when he got up in Kara’s face? Read on for our post-performance breakdown with the top 9…

Read all about it here.

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Since it seems like Tim Urban has a real good chance at winning this thing, I thought I would give y’all a Tim Urban news summary for today. We’ve all heard the experts say that Tim shouldn’t be there. But 10 million idol fans can’t be wrong. Now, the links for today:

‘American Idol’ Fans Surprised By Resilience Of Aaron Kelly, Tim Urban

‘American Idol:’ Tim Urban calls Ryan Seacrest’s behavior ‘a little weird’

Only fools — and Tim Urban — rush in

‘Twilight,’ Tim Urban: What backlash against the backlash are you now experiencing?

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Lennon/McCartney – Revisited

First things first… Who’s excited about Adam Lambert mentoring next week? Coo right?! I just hope the theme isn’t the songs most sung on American Idol. Adam will also be performing “Whataya Want From Me” on the elimination show. I hear he’s promised to keep it PG. Something to look forward to next week.

Adam's Back

Last night the Top 9 took on the Lennon/McCartney songbook. I was pretty hopeful that tonights episode would be a good one because IMO, it’s pretty hard to mess up these songs. Lennon/McCartney songs are timeless and have some of the best melodies ever written! How can you ruin that? Even a bad vocal still has a shot a being a good performance. Or does it?!

Aaron Kelly was first with The Long & Winding Road.

First thing I notice is that they have died his hair. He looks good.

Fun Idol Fact – The contestants have nick-named him Yoda.

His performance of the song is pretty slow and pitchy. (I am already proven wrong; you can mess up a Lennon/McCartney song.

Randy didn’t like the arrangement but thought the vocals were good.

Ellen said it was a big song that felt long and winding.

Kara thinks he has been good but not great and that she sees the same performance every week.

Simon felt it was too old fashioned and irrelevant.

Katie Stevens is next with Let It Be.

BIG mistake IMO because Kris Allen just did this song on Idol and recorded it for Haiti relief. It was amazing. She has to top that in order to win me over and I don’t think she can do it. She looks fantastic though.

Idol Fun Fact – She’s very good at the “Single Ladies” dance.

Randy felt it was her best performance ever

Ellen says she changed it just enough to be unique.

Kara says she’s blossoming and that it was a great vocal and she was confident.

Simon takes credit for her good performance saying she is finally going in the direction he recommended.

Katie Stevens – Let It Be

Kris Allen – Let It Be

Kris will perform Let It Be on idol Gives Back on April 21^st.

Next is Andrew Garcia with Can’t Buy Me Love.

I really enjoyed it. It was fun and he seemed to be having a good time. I loved the arrangement.

Idol Fun Fact – Andrew is a comedian, a very funny guy.

Randy felt is was a bit corny but found the arrangement interesting. It was alright

Ellen says you actually can buy love and that it was the perfect song choice, she loved it.

Kara wants to love it but he brought nothing new this week.

Simon says it was old-fashioned, corny and irrelevant and that Andrew AND the band got it all wrong.

Michael Lynche is up with Eleanor Rigby.

I loved it on the first note but still could not forget that David Cook owns this one.

Idol Fun Fact – Mike has a unique way of saying “HI I I I I I I!!!”

Randy said he wasn’t sure it all worked but feels Mike has earned a license to do whatever he wants.

Ellen loved it. She feels he has many different sides and can do anything but it was a big risk.

Kara says he was awesome and he could put it on his record.

Simon didn’t agree. He thought it was more of a musical than contemporary. He said Mike took a step back.

Michael Lynch – Eleanor Rigby

http://www.simplyidol.com/?p=984

David Cook – Eleanor Rigby

Next up is Crystal Bowersox with Come Together, accompanied with (WTHeck) a didgeridoo.

I’m not a huge Bowersox fan. I do love her voice but tend to find her a bit boring. But this one I loved right off the bat. Her vocals were spot on as always and her personality and confidence came shinning through.

Idol Fun Fact – She is a motherly person to all the contestants and they call her Mama Sox.

Randy says it was another solid performance but not her best.

Ellen loved the didgeridoo dude and says she needs to find new ways to tell her how great she is.

Kara thought it was slinky, sexy and playful. One of her favorite performances from Crystal.

Simon says it was a performance you could hear on the radio and was much better than last week.
Tim Urban brings back the guitar for his take on All My Lovin’.

Tim is looking super cute tonight with his Beatles ‘do and seems to be comfortable and confident on stage. I’m always excited for Tim’s performances because no matter how good or bad I always enjoy watching him. Move over Joe Jonas! I thought he nailed it!

Idol Fun Fact – The other contestants love his smile.

Randy says on the Tim scale it was a good performance. Better than the past few weeks.

Ellen says it’s his second best performance next to “Hallelujah”.

Kara commended him for taking their punishment and told him it was ok to smile.

Simon said he wasn’t using the “Tim scale” and thought he did really well. He said he was proud of Tim for taking their criticism like a man.

Up next is Casey James singing Jealous Guy.

I love this song and in the beginning I thought Casey took the cool swingy flow out of it but as he got into it more I started to like it.

Idol Fun Fact – The contestants tease him with soap-opera-ish names like Fabio and he has a large hearty laugh.

Randy loves the acoustic guitar and sensitive vibe.

Ellen says it was his best performance to date. It was soulful and beautiful.

Kara says she liked that he showed his vulnerability and takes credit for him showing his range.

Simon calls it the best performance of the night. He said he was emotional and put his stamp on the song.

He was very impressed tonight.

Siobhan Magnus is up with Across the Universe.

It was very “Celtic Woman” to me. (Google it) I thought it was beautiful and that she showed control but I didn’t think the scream fit in well.

Idol Fun Fact – The contestants think she is goofy and strange but love her kindness.

Randy says no one screams artist more than her. He felt it was a little sleepy but liked her tender side.  Ellen says she is a big fan of people who march to their own drum and finds her talented, special and thought her performance was beautiful.

Kara says she hit the notes and showed controlled but it was too restrained and polite. She said it wasn’t current but she is still a fan but she is confused.

Simon said she has a disastrous week last week but she came back stronger this week and he likes that she confuses people.

(Ryan brings (weird audience member) Earl up on stage to hug Siobhan?)
Last of the night is Lee Dewyze singing his version of Hey Jude.

It started out a little off but got better as he got into it. I was totally shocked by the bag pipes but it made it interesting. You can tell last week really raised his confidence. I like this Lee.

Idol Fun Fact – He is the worrier. He is always telling the others he thinks he is going home.

Randy says the bagpipe dude was funny. Tells Lee he doesn’t need to worry, he’s got this.

Ellen likes that he was confident and smiling and joked that he didn’t even lose his confidence when the bagpipe player got separated from his parade. Hilarious!

Kara says there were some good moments and some off moments but she can hear him on the radio.

Simon says he wouldn’t have brought out the bagpipe player and that it was like he walked out on the wrong show. (Also hilarious!)

And the show ends on a fun note!

My Bottom Three:
Aaron Kelly

Katy Stevens

Andrew Garcia

Going out on a limb that Tim Urban escapes the Bottom 3 this week. Will I be right?

Going home – Aaron Kelly

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By Loquaciousmuse from Allthingsfangirl.com

Lennon/McCarney night on Idol and it wasn’t a TOTAL disaster. Hooray! I think the song choices could have been heaps better for a few people (Siobhan, Lee, Aaron, Andrew) but thought others absolutely nailed which song (and arrangement for that matter) would best suit them (Casey, Tim, Katie). Once again, I predicted the winner of last week’s show (Lee) would get tonight’s pimp spot. Next week’s pimp spot will either go to Katie or Casey, but it really should go to Casey cause he…changed things. … I can’t stop thinking about Lost. I have to stop typing now. To the recap!

Aaron Kelly – The Long and Winding Road
This arrangement makes me wanna strangle someone. Sounds like the ending song on a Disney movie. And this is a great song. Ugh. He is sounding kinda off in parts too. Boring. Step backward.
Randy - “Ahhh here we go.” This is one of the ones that needed to be changed up, country version, something differerent
Ellen – Big song to take on, felt long and winding.
Kara – he’s been delivering good performances, but he needs to great and he isn’t on that level yet, feels like every performance is the same, wants tempo next week. He says he has something planned for next week
Simon – Wants to know why he picked the song and stuck with the arrangement. (Aaron DID change it, he made it worse.) Old fashioned, boring, got to become young and relevant, doing the same thing every week, needs a moment and some risks. Should have done research on that song.

Katie Stevens – Let it Be
Looks cuter than normal. More comtemporary, even if it means she had to raid a Wet Seal. She prostitutues herself for votes. Katie often does the single ladies dance in the house. Someone in our room over here observes that the show makes us think of the contestants as family, then kills them off, following the structure of a slasher film. Agreed.
HER WITH LET IT BE? OUT OF EVERYONE? NOOOOO.
Oh, she at least sounds good. This is actually…quite beautiful…dare I say it. Actually incorporating some of the ATU style I was hoping for. I still am not a huge fan of the tone of the voice, but this is probably her best performance. Big Step Forward
Randy – Best performance ever. Reaffirms to everyone watching that she belongs in the top 9. That was hot.
Ellen - Perfect example of changing it just enough to make it her own without disrespecting her song
Kara – Bottom three two weeks in a row, come on stage, no excuses, make the song her own, blossoms on stage. Her attitude is great, she’s confident tonight, which is amazing considering she’s been beat up for two weeks. Never looked or sounded better. Tearing up.
Simon – Got it right. Got it right because she was absolutely leaning in the direction Simon is hinting at, country. The other judges disagree that it was country, say it was more r&b.Seemed like she was actually singing about somebody, not being a robot.

Andrew Garcia – Can’t Buy Me Love
Andrew is goofy apparently! Guitar best friends with Lee.
Funk? cover? A little out there…not sure how I feel about the arrangement, but he did change it and his voice does sound pretty good. Yeah, no, not a fan of the arrangement. The part where the music drops out is kinda neat. I don’t know, it’s weird, but I like his voice. Kind of a confusing performance. Vegasy? Did he make the Beatles vegasy? Step…sideways?
Randy – Solid performance, wasnt jumping up and down, interesting arrangement, voice sounded good
Ellen – “First of all, you can buy love” Perfect song choice, lots of fun, loved it.
Kara – wants to love it, but doesnt think she saw anything new from him that she doesnt already know. Thinks people dug it more because of the song. But liked the break down, classis Andrew.
Simon – Problem was the band overpowered the guitar and made it corny and old fashioned and unfortunately irrelevant. Him and band together kind of got it all wrong tonight.

Michael Lynche – Eleanor Rigby
I don’t know about that…David Cook killed it, sooo….this could be awkward.
Soul? Disco? What genre is this? We’re confused. Kinda cool, for him, maybe. Definitely making it his own. I ask the room what genre this is. The responses I get? “Not quite selling it.” His voice sounds amazing though. This is kinda cool. I’ll go with liking this. Yes! Actually he sounded kind of amazing. I approve. Mild step forward.
Randy – Not sure all of it worked, but the parts that did work were great. Love Big Mike. Could be on his album.
Ellen - Huge risk, but thought it was incredible
Kara – Thought it was fire. Vocals were amazing. Building, building building, sold the story, committed, Randy is right, made it commercial today. That’s what the show is about. Great job.
Simon – Didnt love it as much as the other three, was sort of thing you see and hear in musicals.Didnt think it made him comtemporary at all, but went backwards, was what it was. Too over the top, slightly confused now about type of artist he wants to be. Randy points out that musicals are in, like Glee. The judges have a kerfluffle.

Crystal Bowersox – Come Together
She is maternal and kind and a great artist, everyone says.
She’s cool. This is cool. Coca Cola in a lyric! Didgeridoo is cool. She’s awesome. Forgot the words and said Coca Cola again. Hahaha, awesome. Step forward
Randy – Another solid performance. Doesn’t know if it was her best. Even though the diggeridoo was distracting, she won him ever, he loved it, she’s in the zone
Ellen – Loved the diggeridoo. The only thing Ellen worries about is a new way to tell her how great she is. Never ceases to amaze her. Made it current. Amazing job.
Kara – One of her favorite performance she’s ever done. Kinda had Bonnie Rait feel. Never expected where the vocals went. More accessible tonight.
Simon – That’s a performance he could hear on the radio. He loves that she is true to herself. That’s how you make a song work. Terrific, much better than last week.

Tim Urban – All My Loving
He is very smiley, everyone says. Crystal “He’s a good looking guy.”
He can’t sing ever. The arrangement is cool! Omg I like the arrangement. Could this be working for him? Even though his voice is still stupid? His hair is very Beatles tonight. He IS trying, we give him. Repeating the first verse instead of singing the 2nd voice. Eruditechick observes that he needs someone up there with him to mask how boring he is. This might be his best performance, bwhahaa. Oy. Oh no. He seems right in that spot though. Step forward
Randy – Own category, so judging it as a “good tim” performance. Thinks it was better that the last couple of weeks. Rocking Beatles-ish do.
Ellen – Perfect song choice, 2nd best performance after Hallelujah. Has Paul McCartney look about him and the girls go crazy for him.
Kara – Best performances are when he has guitar, was honest. She admits they really come after him and she likes that he took some of their criticisms and it’s hard to hear that and still be confident.
Simon – Not gonna judge you as Randy did as a Tim performance. Must judge him based on everything else. But thought he did really well tonight. But he didn’t try to oversing it, suited his voice, sounded current the way he did it. Likes that he takes the criticism like a man, no whining.

Casey James – Jealous Guy
One of the best performance of the season yet so far, if not the best yet. Well done. We never like his vibrato, but I don’t really care right now. Such a good performance. HUGE STEP FORWARD
Randy – Loved the acoustic guitar, loved the sensitive vibe of you, really impressed that he took this kind of leap, set himself apart, was an individual. Really good. Wasn’t the perfect vocal but was so heatfelt.
Ellen – Felt like it was about somebody. His best performance to date. Beautiful arrangement. Really poured himself into a song instead of just sounding great
Kara – Showed a vulnerability, very tasteful and acoustic, sang and played to accompany himself, showed depth, showed his range, switched things up and can still do more, really knows his voice. Pushed himself.
Simon – The best performance of the night so far. Very impressed.

Siobhan – Across the Universe
Everyone thinks she’s crazy, but incredibly talented.
This arrangement is weird. Not liking it. Casey (and Lost) are also a tough act to follow. Very strange. I’ve never heard a cover like this of this song. Her voice is sitting in a weird place of her…voice. This is pretty horrible. Oh no. Siobhan, WHYYY. Some parts of the song were okay and when they worked, it worked, but…most of it…didn’t….Oh noooooo whyyyyyyy Step sideways from last week’s performance, backward from earler performances
Randy – No one screams artist more than she does. A little sleepy for him but liked the tender side and singing the high note in her falsetto.
Ellen – A big fan of people who march to the beat of their own drum and she supports that and honoring who you are, she is special and talented. Loved that it was different, she did cool it on the high notes and good job
Kara - From purely singing perspective, she hit the notes and showed great control. Restrained and polite, which they aren’t used to. Not sure anyone would hear that on the radio. But she onnected personally to it.
Simon – What was she connecting personally with? Siobhan says she connects to “nothings gonna change my world” cause she connects to her baby sisters are here for them and nothings gonna change that. He says he agreed with the judges – she’s weird but that’s why they like her.

Lee Dewyze – Hey Jude
Resident worrywart. Every week – guys, I’m going home. Bwhaha.
Crystal makes a reference to the fact that Lee and Andrew would have Danny Gokey babies. EXACTLY. How does she know who Danny Gokey is? She’s never watched the show before. Just from his performance on the show?
Doesn’t really fit with his voice or style. He doesn’t need the backing band. We think he is maybe trying to show that he can really sing. But now we are observing that he actually can’t sing. Bagpipes come out on stage. We are confused. This is really strange. This is hilarious. He’s cute though. Step backward from last week’s, step sideways from earlier performances
Randy – Thinks the bagpipe guy was funny and he likes it. Another hot one for him. Tells him to believe.
Ellen – The confidence he showed tonight was great, more smiley, Great job, loved it
Kara – Feels more comfortable there, good moments, off moments, but still loves him, it’s hot when he stretches himself
Simon - Doesn’t know what they are drinking in the house with the instruments. Wouldn’t have done the bagpipes. Was doing great then the bagpipie player entered. Lee said it was 100% his idea. Is Lee high? He seems high.

What we learned? Andrew and Lee are best friends, Siobhan is weird, Aaron has a thing for Yoda and Casey laughs loudly.

Bottom three:

Top three:

Grades:
Casey James: A
Crystal Bowersox: A
Katie Stevens: A-
Michael Lynche:- B
Tim Urban:B-
Lee: C
Siobhan: C
Andrew: C-
Aaron: D

If we’re going by simply who has the least support, because there were no clear losers tonight? Andrew’s going home. But this results show may be quite unpredictable.

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By Loquaciousmuse from Allthingsfangirl.com

It’s my favorite time of year – LENNON/MCCARTNEY WEEK ON IDOL!

Okay, I lied, it’s hardly my favorite time of year, but it may be close to my favorite part of Idol all year. I was worried we’d never see the Beatles appear on Idol again after Season 7 so mishandled it (a few nailed it, most didn’t…) and the greatest season ever (yes that would be season didn’t get a shot, but here we are again. There’s some bad though. 1. This season, for lack of a better term, sucks, and is not worthy of Lennon/McCartney and 2. No George Harrison songs means no Big Mike killing on While My Guitar Gently Weeps (Across the Universe style? Anyone?), Siobhan singing the crap out of Something or Casey or Lee getting to take on I Me Mine, but luckily, Lennon/McCartney still have plenty (read: PLENTY) of amazing songs to pick from. If anyone falters tonight, can we just kick them all off at once? If you screw up the Beatles, you are simply unworthy.

Which brings us to song suggestions! I know The Beatles. Remember my top 50 Beatles songs that I think would be totally different now, only 6 months later? I have opinions. Let it begin!

Casey James
Oooh, options options options. Tonight will be very interesting for Casey. I’m feeling he can go in one of two directors. Acoustic, showing off both his voice and guitar skills, with no backing, just him an his guitar, or all out rocktastic rockyness – what he’s been doing, but to the nth degree. Anything else and he’ll just be stepping sideways or backwards, so fingers crossed, cause I love Casey and I don’t want him going home. If it’s just him and his guitar, I might suggest either Blackbird or Norweigan Wood. Both songs would require a little vocal reworking to make them show off his voice more, but they’re both such beautiful songs that require such a mastery of the guitar (listen to how many takes NW needed in order for Lennon to not screw up the guitar and tell me I’m wrong) that they could really create a Simon Cowell branded “moment” for the hot rocker. If he’s going in the other direction, I’d hope for either Things We Said Today, modernized just enough to sound as if it could be on his album right now at this moment, or Happiness with a Warm Gun, complete with dripping sex appeal. If Casey can manage to wipe that smile off his face – imagine the magic that song would create. Same with Revolution, in that angry, sexy style Across the Universe gave us. Or sexy fun I Saw Her Standing There?! Nomnom. Don’t disappoint me, Casey James. Don’t do it.

Lee Dewyze
This night could also be the one to push Lee all the way to front runner, depending on his song choice. The obvious suggestion is With a Little Help From My Friends, done in a style that mixes both Joe Cocker and Across the Universe for a bluesy rocksy, gravely voicey rocktastic throw down. Another famous Joe Cocker cover that would work well for Lee is She Came in Through The Bathroom Window. I’m secretly hoping he pulls out Dig a Pony. Can’t you just see it? Lee going balls out with the “ALL I WANT IS YOU. EVERYTHING HAS GOT TO BE JUST LIKE YOU WANT IT TOOOOOOOO.” Zomg. Plz.

The rest after the jump!

Crystal Mamasox
Oh the possibilities with this one. She could go in any number of directions and simply kick its ass. If Lee picks none of the songs I suggested for him, Crystal could easily kill them all. Could also see her showing off her vocal talent with Come Together, though it’s been covered twice already on Idol, so I’m not sure it’s the best choice…though knowing her, it’ll be the best cover of it the show has seen anyway. Could also see her doing her gospel bluesy thing on Hey Jude or Let it Be. Let it Be was covered beautifully by Brooke White two seasons ago and Kris Allen earlier this year, but neither one of them tackled the Across the Universe all-out-gospel style that would KILL on the Idol stage. Would also be interested in seeing Crystal do something with You Never Give Me Your Money or Dont Let Me Down, which, while not one of my favorite songs, would really show off her voice. Also – Rosanne Cash’s cover of I’m Only Sleeping? I think yes.

Big Mike
This is tough. I really wish he could rock While My Guitar Gently Weeps, but that’s a Harrisson song and thus, not an option. Let It Be could be though, again, in the Across the Universe style. If Lee doesn’t snag She Came In Through The Bathroom Window, that could also be a nice option for Big Mike, it’s a song that can really take on the soul vibe. If he wants to go the softer, Mike loves his wife route, And I Love Her is always an option. If he wants to do his goofy thing, Got To Get You Into My Life is an option, though I worry it would be a bit too cheesy.

Siobhan Magnus
Omgomgomg can’t wait. Okay. Let’s get right to it. A part of me wants her to sing Because with no music, somehow using backup singers to show off how she can fit into any harmony she wants at any time or something. I don’t know could be cool. Could also do a take on the Fiona Apple version of Across the Universe, but I worry there isn’t enough range there. Siobhan is another one who could take on the ATU cover of Let It Be and win the night with flying colors. She could sing Come Together amazingly, but as the vibe of the song fits so much better with Crystal, I’m not gonna officially suggest it. If anyone could tackle I Want You/She’s So Heavy, it’s Siobhan. Well, really, it would have been Adam last season, but I could see some magic happening there. Would take a lot of work making it more about the vocals than the music though. Maybe a take on Golden Slumbers/Carry That Weight/The End? Could she do it?! Could also see her doing The Across the Universe version of If I Fell or a slowed down version of I’ll Follow the Sun. Hell, she could even do Sexy Sadie. She could do…most things. If Casey doesn’t snatch up Happiness is a Warm Gun? How amazing would Siobhan be?! She could also sing Dear Prudence incredibly well, but it’s not one of my favorite songs, so I don’t want her to.

Aaron Kelly
Paul ballad. Ahh! That sounds like Paul Ballard. From Dollhouse. Sidetracked. Aaron can only and will only sing a Paul ballad. I hope whatever he picks is less Yesterday and more For No One, so at least I’m not annoyed when he’s singing. Though I do think his own take on All My Loving could be cute. Slowed down, like Across the Universe’s cover is at the beginning. This kid is 16 though, so chances are he’s gonna sing Yesterday or In My Life. Cause what does he know? His voice would sound nice on You’ve Got To Hide Your Love Away, but I don’t see that happening.

Katie Stevens
I couldn’t care less if I tried. Let’s go with Hold Me Tight cause I think her voice might sound good singing that. Could also see her doing the ATU cover of If I Fell, but it wouldn’t sound nearly as good as Siobhan doing it.

Tim Urban
Ugh. Who cares. I hope he just surrenders & accepts that he is a joke and sings a bossa nova version of Run for your Life. He could always sing I Will, which has no range and is sweet. I mean, does it matter what he does? It’s gonna sound dumb no matter what. If he did a slowed down version of I’ll Follow the Sun, he could be a little better than normal, but eh, no, he won’t be.

Andrew Garcia
I almost forgot about him. Hrm. Maybe a unique cover of Think for Yourself? Maybe Sexy Sadie? His voice can be awesome when he wants it to be. Maybe It’s Only Love could be cute? I don’t know with Andrew. Nothing defines him. Maybe a soul-ish take on Oh Darling, even though that was already covered this season? Actually he may do the best doing the I Am Sam version of Two of Us, Aimee Mann vibe, but again, it’s hard to suggest for him. I just don’t know.

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You just cast your 10 millionth vote!

Congrats, peoples!

On Monday, April 4th, 2010 at 8:22 pm and 18 seconds, Vote4Idol had its 10,000,000th total vote. Who was it? Well, we’ll get to that later, but for now, we’d just like to give a little bit of respect to who we think is the most important Idol of them all. You.

Yes, without you, we would not be where we are today and we’d like to take a bit of time to thank you guys for all your love and support throughout the years. It all started way back with season two. Back then, we had an intern sit and read all your emails and tally the votes manually and update the site.

We’ve come a long way since then. Now we have three college interns and an Excel spreadsheet whose full time job is to update the site with your votes.

This season has been growing quicker than any other season:

• We had two contestants go gold in the first week, racking up 100,000 votes faster than any other contestants in history.
• On March 2nd, the site crossed the one million vote barrier. Back then, Casey led the way with 180,000 votes, Siobhan was a close second, with Aaron and Alex filling out 3rd and 4th. All four of them had gone gold with 100,000 votes each.
• Then, two short weeks later on March 16th, Idol voters went nuts and three singers hit platinum status breaking 1 million votes each. Those three were Siobhan, Lee and Alex, in that order.
• Then, today, April 5th we reach the 10 million vote barrier with Alex and Lee both in double platinum land

So, y’all want to know who the magical, mystery 10 millionth vote was. Well,… scroll down

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IT IS NONE OTHER THAN CASEY JAMES!

Congrats to all and let’s see if we can hit 100 million before finale night!!!

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Clash of the Simons

The show opens with an odd “Clash of the Titans” montage where they compare Simon to the mean and angry monsters in the movie. It seemed a desperate attempt to promote the move.

First out is Season 2 AI winner Ruben Studdard making another Idol appearance. He sings his new release “Don’t Make Um Like You No More” and I have to wonder, does he like, have a contract to come and perform every year or something? It’s inevitable that Ryan calls Big Mike to the stage to stand next to Ruben and asks “How would this be for a finale?” Seriously though, what’s the difference between the two? As I have asked before, does the world need another Ruben Studdard for the American idol? I say no. Ruben announces that he is going on tour with Clay Aiken, you can check out “The Time Will Come” tour this summer. (If you dare)

Ford Commercial “Kung Foo Fighting”

Insert Filler:

Ryan makes small talk with Crystal about her decision to play the piano. The he asks Andrew what he thinks about Simon calling him boring. Andrew says he thinks he’s pretty cool and Mrs. Garcia (Andrews’s mother agrees and said she raised him right, and Andrew shouts out in agreement. Ryan thinks they should invite the judges to dinner.

Skip to a shot of the Idols at a private screening of “Clash of the Titans”. (More sneak marketing)

On to the first set of eliminations:

First up is Lee. He said he felt he was really himself in his performance of “Treat Her Like A Lady” and the he fed off of his fans. Ryan asks Simon if he sees Lee as a potential finalist and Simon says after last night, yes. Lee is SAFE!

Next in the hot seat is Kasey. Ryan asks what he is going to do to challenge himself and Kasey said he really doesn’t have an answer. Ryan wasn’t letting him off the hook so he finally muttered “Pick a good song and do it the best I can”. Kasey is SAFE!

Aaron is next. Ryan asks him if he’s ever really been in love to which he answers “At 16? No, not really, Simon and Ryan take jabs at each other about which of them is in love. Kara chimes in that she knows who Simon is in love with, himself! Simon tires of it and tells Ryan “This isn’t Oprah, this is American Idol. Aaron is SAFE!

Ryan asks Siobhan and Katy to stand. You can tell they are both nervous but Siobhan looks as though she is certain she is in the bottom 3. Ryan asks her how she felt about the judges comments to her the night before and she says it wasn’t her favorite Idol moment but she is not beat or defeated.

Ryan then asks Katy who she listens to about the kind of artist she should be, Kara who says she should do R&B with a flavor of Pop or Simon who says she should go Country? She says she does what she wants but trys to add in what they say. Ryan asks Randy who is right and he says Kara. Ryan then says Siobhan is SAFE and Katy is in the Bottom 3.

More Filler:

Simon and Ryan bicker with each other… Ryan sits and chats with Justin Beiber who just happens to be in the audience. (FYI – Usher is his mentor too)

Usher come out and performs his new single “Oh My God” I didn’t think it was that great. It was hard for me to look at him, being the wonderful mentor he was the night before, up on stage singing, well, poorly… The highlight? Will.i.am makes an appearance.

DiDi is asked stand. Ryan asks her if she will go back to the guitar. She says she is new at it and not that comfortable with it and that she considers it taking a risk. Ryan tells her she is in the Bottom 3.

Mike is up. Ryan asks Ellen what she saw that stood out last night. She said suability. Ryan asks Mike to come down stage and then tells him he is safe. Mike didn’t like that Ryan made him seat and picks up Ryan like a ragdoll and pretends to throw him on the floor. It looked painful! Mike is SAFE!

There is no-nonsense when they get to Crystal, she is SAFE!

They ask Tim and Andrew to stand. They comment that Tim is already smiling. Ryan asks Kara what she makes of the smiling and Kara says she doesn’t know what to make of it. Ryan asks Tim why he is smiling and Tim delivers a brilliant answer. He says he knows every time he gets on the stage that it is a once in a life time opportunity and he is grateful for it. He doesn’t want to be sad or upset and regret it. Kara says it was a good answer. Andrew is SAFE! And Tim smiles his way to the Bottom 3.

Katy is sent to SAFTY.

Diddy (Puff Daddy, P Diddy, Sean John) and Dirty Money perform there new song “Hello, Good Morning”. You can tell “Diddy” loves the stage.

They get to the results and Tim is SAFE and DiDi must sing for the judges save. She sings Rihanna. Simon says it was far better than last nights performance but it is not good news, she is going home.

Next weeks theme will be Paul McCartney and John Lennon. Who do you think will nail it?

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