The top eight girls took to the stage last night. Which ladies are sure to sail through to the Top 12 and who will be sent packing? I break down the night.
With just one hour of time to fit in eight performances last night, “American Idol” got started almost abruptly (after Ellen DeGeneres got off of Simon Cowell’s lap) with 17-year-old Katie Stevens tackling Kelly Clarkson’s “Breakaway.”
Katie took Ellen’s advice from last week to do a younger song, but it did not pay off.
“It paled in comparison. It was almost like karaoke to me,” judge Randy Jackson told the young singer.
Clearly Simon doesn’t listen to what the other judges have to say, or maybe he tunes them out, because immediately after Kara DioGuardi told Katie, “I don’t think you know who you are as an artist,” Simon hit her with the exact same critique.
“I think your issue is you haven’t worked out what kind of artist you want to be,” he told Katie.
Gee, thanks Simon for that epiphany just uttered two seconds ago by someone else. This is why the four judge format does not work.
The always entertaining (to me) and quirky Siobhan Magnus was up next and sang “House of the Rising Sun,” a tune made famous by The Animals.
Simon remarked, “It was all a bit weird,” but listen, I think that’s her thing and it works for her. So, quit telling her she is weird Simon!
From what I can tell she has collected a rabid Internet fan base that should easily sail her into the Top 12.
Lacey Brown has had some very weak performances the last two weeks, making me wonder how she made it to the Top 24. It’s clear this Texas girl has got the southern state voters behind her by the fact that she has yet to be eliminated. However, she finally proved why the judges liked her in the first place with her performance of “The Story” by Brandi Carlile. I’m betting she makes it to the Top 12 based on tonight’s showing.
So, I just saw a preview screening of “Hot Tub Time Machine” where John Cusack and his buddies travel back to the ‘80s and I can’t help thinking Katelyn Epperly looks like she dropped right out of that movie and 1986. Bad hair, bad outfit, lame performance. She didn’t seem too thrilled when Simon told he he liked her “Carole King hair.” I wonder if she even knows what Carole looks like? But it was Ellen who may have single-handedly ended her journey by saying, “I don’t know that that’s going to be the thing that makes people pick up the phone and dial.” Probably not. “I Feel The Earth Move” Katelyn right out of the Top 12 on Thursday.
Didi Benami became the first person to definitively earn a spot in the Top 12, taking on a Fleetwood Mac song, “Rhiannon”? Both Kara and Simon raved about it with Kara calling it her “favorite moment in the show.” I think she has a girl crush on Didi.
So, remember in Season 6 when Gina Glocksen sang “Smile” during Tony Bennett week? That was the week she went home and I can just remember watching her have to sing a song after she was eliminated with the lyrics, “Smile though your heart is breaking/Smile even though it’s aching.” I can just picture the tears streaming down Paige Miles’ face on Thursday night when she has to sing it again too and sing those lyrics. I think she was so stunned by the judges bashing her she could barely explain herself. She was talking in circles — about Michael Jackson? Strange. Very strange.
“Give Me One Reason” not to love Crystal Bowersox. Her take on the Tracy Chapman classic was spot on as usual. I also love that she sat down on her amplifier to listen to the judges’ critiques.
Lilly Scott closed the show with Patsy Cline’s “I Fall To Pieces.” She’s almost as quirky as Siobhan Magnus. I still kind of dig her style.
Prediction to go home: Paige Miles and Katelyn Epperly
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