Crystal Bowersox regained her edge on “American Idol” on Tuesday night – at least according to Simon Cowell.
The dreadlocked singer, who has thus far had a penchant for performing barefoot on a rug with her guitar, tackled a Janis Joplin standard – “Me & Bobby McGee” (written by Kris Kristofferson and Fred Foster) — for a week made up of Billboard #1 hits, mentored by teen pop sensation Miley Cyrus. Once again, Crystal left Simon swooning.
“You’re doing your own thing, you’re not sliding all over the stage, jumping into the crowd like we’ve seen before, gimmicky,” Simon said, referencing Tim Urban’s performance earlier in the night. “You’ve just took a song, nailed it and you’re only gimmick is a carpet.”
Last week’s standout performer, Siobhan Magnus, 19, also received high praise, for her show-closing version of Stevie Wonder’s “Superstition,” which she peppered with her trademark high-note screams.
Miley, who was seated in the audience with her mom and director Adam Shankman, gave the kooky-talking teen a standing ovation, and at least three of the four judges were amazed.
“I loved it man. You just went for it,” Randy Jackson enthused.
“You’re just so good,” Ellen DeGeneres said. “I just, I love you.”
Siobhan didn’t fair as well with Simon.
“I think there’s gonna be a real split with you on this one,” he said. “Some people will like it and I’m afraid some people won’t,” the Brit said before offering advice to the rest of the pack. He said that he thinks the other contenders need to step it up.
“I’m gonna say this to you — and all the contestants, really, with the exception of one, which is Crystal tonight, [who] I thought was in a different league: You’ve gotta start pushing yourselves now,” he continued. “You’ve gotta start finding better songs and you’ve gotta start making yourselves relevant because tonight for me was not a good night, overall.”
Here’s how the rest of the pack did:
Resident rocker Lee Dewyze changed his tune for the first time in several weeks, trying out a brassy version of “The Letter,” a song made famous by The Box Tops, and it resonated with the three of the four judges, especially Ellen and Kara DioGuardi.
“You’ve raised the bar for yourself. I’ve never heard you sound better, look more comfortable… Believe that you’re good,” Kara said.
Simon, however, said it was “quite corny.”
She was in the Bottom 3 last week and Paige Miles put herself on the precipice again with an excruciating Mariah Carey rendition of Phil Collins’ “Against All Odds,” that lacked intensity and tonality.
“It was the worst vocal that I ever heard from you and possibly of the season,” Kara said.
Floppy-haired Tim Urban performed Queen’s “This Thing Called Love,” complete with a slide across the stage on his knees, but Simon called his performance “utterly pointless and silly.”
Things went better for 16-year-old Aaron Kelly, the youngest contender this season, and one who revealed he is suffering not only from laryngitis, but tonsillitis. The teen took on Aerosmith’s “I Don’t Want To Miss A Thing” and Simon Cowell stated, “There is zero chance that you are gonna go home.”
Michael Lynche, AKA Big Mike, offered a strong rendition of “When A Man Loves A Woman,” but he split the judges. “I’m in love with you,” Randy said. “You have an amazing tone,” Ellen added. Kara, however, dubbed it “lounge-y at times.”
Spectacled Andrew Garcia took on Marvin Gaye’s “I Heard It Through The Grapevine,” but his lackluster performance didn’t sit well with the judges, including Simon who said the rendition made the singer seem, “really, really corny.”
Teen Katie Stevens, the same age as mentor Miley, shared her rendition of “Big Girls Don’t Cry” by Fergie, and Ellen was thrilled.
“I think it was your best performance so far. I think you sounded great and you look great and you’re evolving and changing,” Ellen said. “You’re like the Dakota Fanning of ‘American Idol.’”
Cutie Casey James, all curly locks and guitar playing madness, worked it out on stage to “The Power of Love” from Huey Lewis & The News. Kara said it put Casey “on another level.”
“You’re just ready to make an album,” she continued. “You’re in a zone now. Stay in it.”
Didi Benami offered a flirty version of Linda Rondstadt’s “You’re No Good,” but the semi-sexualized slinky performance made the judges uncomfortable.
“There’s a certain irony of you screeching out, ‘You’re no good… You’re no good,’ over and over again,’” Simon said.
Copyright © 2024 by NBC Universal, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
This material may not be republished, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.