Idol Thoughts - Top 8 Ladies

OK...this one is probably going to be shorter than normal (I know, you're all very upset about that) because 1) I forgot my notes, so I'm working from memory and I'm forgetful in my old age; 2) Most of the contestants fell into the "good and solid" category, which leaves little to say, and; 3) like most of you, I am deeply saddened by the news of Corey Haim's passing. RIP, Lucas. As Mackie tweeted, "Death...you took the wrong Corey".

1) Katie Stevens - "Breakaway": Oh, this poor girl. The judges have totally screwed her into the ground. This is NOT the type of song that fits her style, and she looks really uncomfortable up there. The verse was flat, the chorus wasn't much better...the whole thing was just awkward.

At least the judges basically admit that they have totally confused this poor child, and it appears that Kara and Simon read my blog since they say EXACTLY what I went off on a rant about last week...she just doesn't know who she is as an artist, and so she is trying to do whatever the judges tell her. Big mistake.

It's a shame, too, because she is really talented.

2) Siobhan Magnus - "House of the Rising Sun": Bold move to go a capella at the beginning, and she nails it...of course. I stand by my belief that this girl has the very best voice in the competition...crystal clear tone, ridiculous range, great phrasing. This whole thing was just mesmerizing. She is the real deal.

Plus, she just makes me ridiculously happy every time she is on the screen. I don't know that I have ever been pulling for a contestant on this show the way I am for her.

This quote from the TelevisionWithoutPity forum probably says it best: "Siobhan is a space alien taking part in this show because of some intergalactic mishap, just playing along until rescue comes. I mean that in a good way".

3) Lacey Brown - "Don't Remember the Song Title and I Don't Have My Notes" - This was her best performance so far this season...but having to go right after Siobhan didn't help her, in my opinion. This was arranged in such a way that it really showcased her voice, and her voice just isn't as good as Siobhan's. That being said, I really enjoyed this...I do like her voice, and you will find stuff like this all over my MP3 player. I hope she gets to stick around another week, but that would probably be as far as she goes.

4) Katelyn Epperly - "I Feel the Earth Move": Once again, Simon and I are basically on the same page here. She sang this well, but I had just told Mrs. Legend "This sounds very 'piano bar-esque'" when Simon told her he felt like it was something he would hear in a restaurant.

I thought it was a bad idea to stand at the piano-looking thingy, and she just looked totally uninterested the whole time. This was OK, but the vibe was just really weird.

5) DiDi Benami - "Rhiannon": FINALLY, she is back to doing what she is good at, and this was the best she has done since Hollywood week. She took just enough liberties with the melody to make it a little different, but she didn't go crazy. She just found a song she can sing well and did exactly that.

Imagine that.

6) Paige Miles - "Smile": ZZZZZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz. Wow, this was not good. She took everything that is good about her (her personality and stage presence) and just subtracted it. Sorry, her voice is not good enough to get by with just standing there and singing.

This was depressing, boring, and it's really going to suck for her to sing "Smile, though your heart is breaking" when she goes home on Thursday.

7) Crystal Bowersox - "Give Me One Reason": LOVE this song, and it's perfect for her, of course...when I talk about "knowing who you are as an artist", THIS is what I mean. Perfect song choice, and I loved the way she gave it a little edge to it with the electric guitar.

She's too good for this show, honestly. And I loved the whole "sitting on the amp, just chillin'" vibe while the judges were giving their comments.

8) Lilly Scott - "I Fall to Pieces": I don't know. This was fine, but I am just bored by her now. It doesn't help her to go last, because we've already seen both Lacey and DiDi sing in something similar to this style already, and I thought both of them were better.

All she is really doing to change these songs up is sing in that different tone of hers (which I like) and just over-pronounce everything to the point of distraction.

If she had gone third or fourth tonight, I probably would have enjoyed it more...I just think she was overshadowed by several fairly similar singers tonight.


Final Thoughts:

Overall, a very good show, even if there were no "WOW" performances. I thought everybody except Paige and Katie were really good, if not great, and even Katie was OK...she was just singing in a style that does not fit her. I was tempted to vote for her just out of sheer sympathy, to see if she can maybe get it together and stop letting the judges twist her into knots. But then I didn't....sorry, she's just not ready for this yet.


Top 4:

1) Crystal

2) Siobhan

3) DiDi

4) Lacey



Who SHOULD go home: Katie and Paige.

Who WILL go home: Katie and Paige.