AI Top 10

I got home tonight at exactly 8:00, sweaty from my power walk from the subway. It’s going to be a race against the clock every week! My roommate announced that tonight’s theme is No Doubt songs and songs that inspire Gwen Stefani. That narrows it down a bit from the vast and elusive theme of pop with a capital P.

Also, my predictions are 2 for 2. We said goodbye to Stephanie last week.

LaKisha started the show with Donna Summers’ “Last Dance.” Gwen announced after her rehearsal she was sweaty and that she should be seeking advice from her. That made me a little weepy. LaKisha pronounces the word “bad” “bah-eed.” Is she from the South? I don’t know about this performance. I thought the arrangement of it was odd.
She looked great though, and Simon says she’s thirty years younger this week. I don’t think it was her best. She seemed tired. But I’m sure she’s safe.

Chris Sligh is next. His hair just keeps getting longer. And he says he’s concentrating on losing weight (in interviews), but I just don’t see it yet. In fact, he might be bigger. He’s singing “Every Little Thing She Does is Magic”; (I love this song). Gwen advises him to concentrate on the beat. He’s bouncing with it to keep himself on track. I want him to be doing better than he is in the competition. I do love his voice, but he has definitely done better. Paula looks nice tonight. She says is losing the rhythm is an “eyesore”? I don’t think that’s what she meant, and I don’t think the judges like Chris anymore. I agree with Simon that with no other proof of Chris’s talent this performance would have left me unimpressed. I’m sure his fan base is strong enough that he’s safe, and there are certainly lesser singers left to sing tonight.

Gina’s next and she’s crying about Gwen. I would have also, girl. Ooooh, and she’s singing “I’ll Stand by You.” Great song. This is a good choice for her, a good niche, even. She’s so Kelly Clarkson sometimes. This was definitely one of her strongest performances. I was moved. She might go further than some people think. How exciting for her that on a week where she meets one of her idols, she does really well during the performance. I’m sure it’s not a coincidence.

I wonder if there’s any strategy to putting Sanjaya and Haley together in the middle of the show. Maybe the producers figure that’s when people take their smoke breaks or something. Sanjaya is singing “Bath Water”? But that song’s so good and sexy. And he is just disgusting. It hurts me how self-conscious he is. How almost aware of his ridiculousness he is. I mean, the Mohawk, the head bobble, AND HE FORGOT THE WORDS! The judges want him to go for it. He needs to not be 17 anymore and he’ll be OK. And I also agree that what the judges say doesn’t mean anything. Unfortunately. Blech.

Haley is next and she’s singing “True Colors,” which I read Stephanie was going to sing if she had stayed. How sad. Gwen wants her to stay with the melody because the song is strong on its own. Now, to be fair, this song was made famous by a woman whose voice is just strange. But Haley is not cutting it. Too weak, too flat, too blah. Snooze. Like Simon said, sweet but forgettable.

Phil is up next. I saw a baby picture of him today and he had jet black hair once. Can anyone else picture that? He’s singing “Every Breath You Take.” Gwen advises him too to stick to the melody. He even sounds a little like Sting. He’s so much hotter with that bald head covered. They really all just look better in beanies, don’t they? This is impressive. I think he’s safe, for sure.

Melinda is singing “Heaven Knows.” Gwen thought she was mind-blowing. I like her bright blue eyeshadow and disco outfit. She’s the cutest. She just doesn’t belong on this stage. She completely upstages the entire competition. I mean, I hope she does well, and I’m sure she will continue to, but I hope that what she does after Idol lives up to how good she is. And I also wish she had a neck.

(That’s nice that Sabrina is in the audience. She always seemed like such a grown-up to me. She’s there even though she deserves to be onstage.)

Blake is next and he’s singing “Love Song” by The Cure. He makes me blush. This is a perfect song for him, and I think he really knows who he is as a musician and singer, which is refreshing to me. We don’t care if he sings flat sometimes, when he pretends to play drums, he’s hot. Another solid performance. I’m still waiting for him to really bust out and blow everyone away. I agree with Simon that this performance was a bit boring, but I don’t agree that Blake is a dark horse; I think he’s a frontrunner.

Jordin is up next. She’s singing “Hey Baby,” and Gwen wants her to get her booty going. I LOVE her outfit and hair. She’s a little chameleon and a little actress. It’s interesting to here these kids sing up-tempo songs because some of them are having trouble keeping their breath controlled. I think this was an odd song choice for her, but I appreciate her attempt at staying contemporary, after weeks of her tackling ballads.

It’s 8:58. How late past 9:00 will it go?

Chris Richardson is next. He’s singing “Don’t Speak,” and Gwen advises again for him to stick to the melody. I was unmoved and he forgot the words also. Sometimes singing last is a curse, especially when you forget words because everyone remembers that you did! Why didn’t the judges mention either time when the singers forgot the words? Am I the only one who noticed? (And the clip they showed for Chris was so much better than his actual performance. That’ll probably save him some extra votes.)

It’s 9:06…someone’s gotta go so they can get the telecast to fit into an hour!

Favorite of the Night: Gina
On the Way Out: first guess is Sanjaya, second is Haley or Chris S.