Crystal Bowersox and Didi Benami show kindness at 'GMA' concert

After my scathing review of Season 9's Top 10 finalists' group medley of "It's My Life" / "My Life Would Suck Without You" on ABC's Good Morning America two Fridays ago based solely on television coverage, Tony Rossi of The Intersection offers up a review of his own since he actually attended the concert in Central Park in person. Per Tony's blog post:

The two I would single out especially are Crystal Bowersox and Didi Benami. Because I have 2 friends who work for GMA, I was lucky enough to get backstage and meet a few of the singers.

He then goes on to give evidence of Crystal's and Didi's kindness:

A young girl accompanied by her grandfather was in a scaffolded area under the stage hoping to talk to and get autographs from Crystal & Didi. Both Crystal and Didi literally had to get on their hands and knees to interact with this young fan and sign her pictures.

This account is great to hear since I was so hard on their singing. I'll reiterate that even though I was disappointed with how the performance came across over the broadcast, this season's finalists seem to be some of the kindest. In fact, I'd go as far to say this season's Top 10 is very similar to Season 6's Top 10 for this reason in addition to a few others regarding their stage presence and vocal abilities.

Also, below is a backstage interview with the Top 10 posted by GMA that I just stumbled upon:



The interview includes footage of Lee and Michael beat boxing in between performances in addition to questions about things we don't know about the finalists.

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Flashback: Rickey Smith's "I've Done Enough Dyin' Today"

Rickey Smith was somewhat overshadowed on Idol's second season by more powerful vocalists like Ruben Studdard and more controversial personalities like Corey Clark, but he still managed to deliver some memorable performances during his time on the show. In case you're having a hard time remembering some of them, watch his version of "I've Done Enough Dyin' Today" during Top 10 week's Country Rock theme below:

Although it wasn't a masterpiece and didn't give most "the chills" as it did Paula, this performance showed that Rickey's vocals were not one-dimensional and that he could offer audiences more than just a first-rate impression of Eddie Murphy in The Nutty Professor.

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Flashback: Jim Verraros's "Easy"

Jim was one of the worst finalists in Idol history, and the greatest evidence of this was his showing during Top 10 week on the show's first season. The only thing that was more surprising than him being the second one to get the boot that night was the fact that he wasn't the first. Watch his performance of "Easy" during Motown Week below:

Jim didn't deserve Paula's non critique, but she was still new at the Idol game back then so she gets a pass. Still, it's somewhat of an honor that he will forever be able to say he was the second finalist to ever be eliminated from the show (and the first 9th-place finisher), right?

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Poll of the week: Siobhan Magnus favorite Top 10 contestant

For the second week in a row, Siobhan was selected as the most popular remaining Idol finalist on the show per IDOL LIVE readers.

Siobhan took on 23 votes, which was easily enough for the top spot in the poll (27%). Sort of close behind was usual front runner Crystal with 16 votes (19%). And Lee DeWyze placed third for the week thanks to 13 votes (15%).

Didi actually gained eight votes despite being eliminated tonight, which was tied with Katie's eight votes for fourth place for the week.

In the latest edition of the poll of the week series, readers are asked of who their favorite Top 9 contestant is. Voting will be open for exactly one week.

Aaron Kelly 7 (8%)
Andrew Garcia 2 (2%)
Casey James 3 (3%)
Crystal Bowersox 16 (19%)
Didi Benami 8 (9%)
Katie Stevens 8 (9%)
Lee DeWyze 13 (15%)
Michael Lynche 0 (0%)
Siobhan Magnus 23 (27%)
Tim Urban 4 (4%)

Total votes: 84

Running total for Season 9:
24th - Haeley Vaughn (0 votes)*
21st (tie) - Janell Wheeler (2 votes)*
21st (tie) - Todrick Hall (2 votes)*
21st (tie) - Paige Miles (2 votes)*
19th (tie) - Joe Munoz (3 votes)*
19th (tie) - Jermaine Sellers (3 vote)*
17th (tie) - Tyler Grady (4 votes)*
17th (tie) - Michelle Delamor (4 votes)*
15th (tie) - John Park (6 votes)*
15th (tie) - Ashley Rodriguez (6 votes)*
14th - Michael Lynche (8 votes)
13th - Lacey Brown (9 votes)*
12th - Katelyn Epperly (10 votes)*
11th - Lilly Scott (14 votes)*
10th - Alex Lambert (22 votes)*
09th - Tim Urban (27 votes)
08th - Casey James (48 votes)
06th (tie) - Katie Stevens (49 votes)
06th (tie) - Andrew Garcia (49 votes)
05th - Aaron Kelly (52 votes)
04th - Didi Benami (56 votes)*
03rd - Lee DeWyze (85 votes)
02nd - Siobhan Magnus (94 votes)
01st - Crystal Bowersox (116 votes)

*indicates contestant has been eliminated

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IDOL LIVE Blog - Top 10 Results (3/31/10)

It's not too hard to believe that last night's exhibitions were better than last week's, but there's still no reason to keep 10 people alive in this competition. Thankfully, we get to say goodbye to someone else tonight, unless the judges screw it up by using their stupid save gimmick.

Tonight's results show will include performances from Usher, Diddy with his band Dirty Money and possibly T.I. (fresh out of jail) and NOT Ryan's best new buddy Justin Bieber as first reported, but Ruben Studdard instead.

To see who I predict will be leaving tonight, see here. Please feel free to add your two cents throughout the two-hour blogcast, with coverage starting just prior to 9 p.m. ET.

Tonight's blogcast features the music of Brooke White, Carrie Underwood, Chris Daughtry, Ruben Studdard and Ryan Starr.

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IDOL LIVE predix: Top 10 Results

Wow, what a night. It wasn't as bad as last week, but it sure was the strangest one to date. Aside from Ryan's childlike behavior and the haphazardly-incorporated backstage voyeuristic perspectives of what we're not supposed to see during commercial breaks, there were tons of uneven vocals and out-of-character characteristics.

With that said, read my predictions for how tonight will go below:

Bottom 3
Didi, Andrew, Tim

Bottom 2
Andrew, Tim

Eliminated
Tim

There are so many possibilities for different members of the lot to go home tonight that it's almost too predictable that it's unpredictable. Even though there were some real clunkers tonight *cough*Siobhan*cough*, it was Didi who really earned her spot in the bottom 3, especially considering she's yet to make an appearance there. Her comments from Simon were so over the top that even Ryan's outrageous prying questions to Didi won't be enough to spare her from the danger zone this week. Hopefully this will knock her out of this recent funk so she can get back to her singer/songwriter mode for Kara's sake.

Likewise, Andrew will finally end up in the bottom 3 this week, but he'll be in a little more trouble than Didi. Despite a very good, classic "Acoustic Andrew" showing, his past few poor performances will finally catch up with him. Not very surprising all things considered.

But then there's Tim. I know, this is the second week in a row that I've predicted Tim will be leaving, but I honestly think his time has finally run out for a variety of reasons. For one, he was the worst guy last night, which usually counts for something. Next, Simon's lame attempt at a reverse-psychology critique definitely fooled some little girls into going to bed on time, which equals less votes for "Teflon Tim." And his happy go lucky attitude can only carry him so far (by "so" I mean 10th place). Hopefully he gives us one last slide as he says goodbye.

In my original predictions I have Paige leaving tonight, which obviously is impossible considering she left last week.

Since the Top 24 I have correctly predicted 5-14 eliminations and since the Top 12 I have correctly predicted 1-2 eliminations.

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IDOL LIVE Blog - Top 10 Perform (3/30/10)

Tonight the Top 10 finalists try to recover from last week's embarrassing showing and turn to songs from the R&B/Soul catalog (they got to choose from around 100). Usher serves as the guest mentor, which is a few steps above who they had to turn to for advice one week ago.

Please feel free to add your two cents throughout the two-hour blogcast, with coverage starting just prior to 8 p.m. ET.

Tonight's blogcast features the music of Adam Lambert, Chikezie, Diana DeGarmo, Gina Glocksen, Jason Castro, Jordin Sparks, Kris Allen, Melissa McGhee and Michael Johns.

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Flashback: Julia DeMato's "Breathe"

Julia DeMato had a storied journey on Season 2 of Idol before she was eliminated prematurely in 10th place, but it was good that she went out on a positive note with her rendition of Faith Hill's "Breathe." Watch the performance below:

Julia earned praise for her performance, especially considering how far she came from some of her earlier efforts on the show. And even her one time rival Kimberly Caldwell shed some tears after her friend was eliminated. Even though it wouldn't stand up to many performances that would come in subsequent seasons, Julia did well for herself here.

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Flashback: Jessica Sierra's "On the Side of Angels"

Before she made headlines with a sex tape and extensive stint on Dr Drew's Celebrity Rehab, Jessica Sierra was a finalist on the fourth season of Idol. During Top 10 week, Jessica sang "On the Side of Angels" by LeAnn Rimes for "90s Week." Watch the performance below:

Despite a few strong performances up until this point, Jessica went home following this performance. Simon maintained that well she sang the song well, she was forgettable.

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Flashback: Josh Gracin's "Ain't Goin' Down ('Til the Sun Comes Up)"

Josh Gracin, who placed fourth on Idol's second season, is often overlooked as one of the most successful finalists to come from the show. But before he could make a scene on the country radio charts, he sang country songs like Garth Brooks' "Ain't Goin' Down ('Til the Sun Goes Up)" during the Country/Rock theme in Top 10 week:

It's easy to see this was far from Josh's most impressive performance while on the show, but the American public saw something in him to allow him six more weeks on Idol.

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Flashback: Lisa Tucker's "Because of You"

Lisa Tucker was among the youngest finalists to compete on Idol's fifth season, and although she gained praise from the judges early on in the season, a few instances of poor song choice ultimately led to her demise. One of these performances was her final one as a contestant, Kelly Clarkson's "Because of You," which she sang Top 10 week for the "Songs from the 21st century" theme. Watch the performance below:

As ambitious as Lisa was to take on a former Idol's greatest song, her take on the song reminded the audience of how she just did not stand up to the standard set by Kelly. Still, at only 17 years-old when she was eliminated, Lisa demonstrated that she had the guts to take risks at such a young age, and she did the best she could possibly due considering the circumstances.

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Flashback: Corey Clark's "Drift Away"

Idol's second season was the birthplace of the series' controversy, as early favorite Frenchie Davis was disqualified for topless photos before the semifinals round. But the even bigger scandal came Top 9 week, when it was revealed that finalist Corey Clark had a criminal past he had failed to inform producers of. Therefore, his performance of Dobie Gray's "Drift Away" in the country/rock themed week was the last one he gave while on the Idol stage. Watch the performance below:

Corey was not the weakest contestant, but his past surely came back to haunt him in a devastating way. The manner in which he handled the events afterward was even more disrespectful, and for that he will forever be a member of the "fallen idols" camp.

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Flashback: Adam Lambert's "Tracks of My Tears"

Top 10 week of Idol's eighth season was hardly different from any other week during the season, as one performance overshadowed the rest. Adam Lambert's rendition of Smokey Robinson's "Tracks of My Tears" struck a chord with many audience members. Re-watch the performance below:

Adam's performance during Motown theme week was more important for his chances of making the finale than possibly any other week with the exception of Top 3 week, as he was able to show that he could sing ballads in addition to his usual out-of-your-seat rock 'n roll crowd-pleasers. In the face of some highly regarded performances, this one remains one of his strongest.

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Season 8 tour dates announced

The dates and venues for the 2009 "Idols Live!" summer tour have been released, and the outlook is pretty bright for the Top 10 finalists. Below is the entire schedule according to AmericanIdol.com, which is of course subject to change at any time:

July 5 Portland, OR (Rose Garden)
July 7 Tacoma, WA (Tacoma Dome)
July 8 Vancouver, BC (General Motors Place)
July 10 Sacramento, CA (ARCO Arena)
July 11 Oakland, CA (Oracle Arena)
July 12 San Jose, CA (HP Pavilion at San Jose)
July 14 West Valley City, UT (The E Center)
July 16 Los Angeles, CA (Staples Center)
July 17 Ontario, CA (Citizens Business Bank Arena)
July 18 San Diego, CA (San Diego Sports Arena)
July 20 Glendale, AZ (jobing.com Arena)
July 23 Dallas, TX (American Airlines Center)
July 24 Tulsa, OK (BOK Center)
July 25 N. Little Rock, AR (Alltel Arena)
July 26 Memphis, TN (FedExForum)
July 28 Tampa, FL (St. Pete Times Forum)
July 29 Sunrise, FL (BankAtlantic Center)
July 31 Duluth, GA (Arena at Gwinnett Center)
August 1 Charlotte, NC (Time Warner Cable Arena)
August 2 Greensboro, NC (Greensboro Coliseum)
August 4 Washington, DC (Verizon Center)
August 5 Baltimore, MD (1st Mariner Arena)
August 7 Atlantic City, NJ (Boardwalk Hall)
August 8 Newark, NJ (Prudential Center)
August 11 Long Island, NY (Nassau Coliseum)
August 14 Hamilton, ON (Copps Coliseum)
August 15 Rochester, NY (BlueCross Arena)
August 16 Hartford, CT (XL Center)
August 18 Boston, MA (TD Banknorth Garden)
August 19 Albany, NY (Times Union Center)
August 20 Philadelphia, PA (Wachovia Center)
August 22 Pittsburgh, PA (Mellon Arena)
August 23 Cleveland, OH (Wolstein Center)
August 25 Columbus, OH (Schottenstein Center)
August 26 Auburn Hills, MI (Palace at Auburn Hills)
August 28 Milwaukee, WI (Bradley Center)
August 29 St. Louis, MO (Scottrade Center)
August 30 Kansas City, MO (Sprint Center)
September 1 Minneapolis, MN (Target Center)
September 2 Rosemont, IL (Allstate Arena)
September 4 Madison, WI (Alliant Energy Center)
September 5 Indianapolis, IN (Conseco Fieldhouse)
September 6 Grand Rapids, MI (Van Andel Arena)
September 8 Reading, PA (Sovereign Center)
September 9 Wilkes Barre, PA (Wachovia Arena)
September 10 Bridgeport, CT (Arena at Harbor Yard)
September 12 Portand, ME (Cumberland County Civic Center)
September 13 Providence, RI (Dunkin' Donuts Center)
September 14 Syracuse, NY (WarMemorial at OnCenter)
September 15 Manchester, NH (Verizon Wireless Arena)

It appears that this year's stops seem to be more focused in the upper portion of the country, specifically the northeast and upper midwest. And as usual, the west coast is pretty well represented this year. Some new destinations have been added this year, including Boston (woohoo).

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Analysis: Mini-surprise livens up Top 10 results

In a night filled of fake-outs, big surprises and not so big surprises, Idol hit a high mark with last night's results show. Yes, it felt extremely rushed and a few things could have been cut out to ease the pace (*cough*SmokeyandJossStone'sduet*cough*), but all in all it was the best results show of the season.

Breezing through Ryan's witty tease with Kara over her botched "six words" critique of Adam and his lame attempt to rekindle Paula's crayons (or crowns, according to Ryan) joke on Simon, which resulted in Simon saying they "got a room" after the show, we got to see just how well the Top 10 sounds when its group performance is pre-taped (even though we already know how it sounds when the track is pre-recorded). Bravo to whoever thought of that quick fix to the lip-synching scandal.

The performance could have been done without actually, but it was not the lowest point of last night. That came when the second guest performance set took the stage in Joss Stone and Motown week's mentor, Smokey Robinson. Although Smokey proved to be a wise pick in coaching the finalists, his creepy singfest with the much younger Joss was boring with a capital B, not to mention their vocals did not mesh well together whatsoever.

But second season winner Ruben Studdard sounded awesome on his new single "Together," as the slimmed down (and newly-married, as Ryan pointed out) velvet teddy bear reminded the audience why he won his season despite being far from where he began success-wise at the moment. What was particularly bothersome was how Ruben was hurried off the stage, only having time for a quick exchange with Ryan before he got down to the night's results.

As for the results, the announcement that Matt was in the bottom three was certainly not expected, as the studio erupted with audience members voicing their dissent. Even Matt himself seemed a little surprised, and understandably so. But this just goes to show that either performing first or having the producers play games for ratings can be a round trip ticket to the B3, depending on which explanation you prefer to subscribe to. Either way, there was no way Matt had the third-lowest votes of the night. No way.

Michael and Scott were both expected to be in the B3, and that is exactly where they wound up. But Randy's suggestion that Matt did not belong with the both of them was a sign of what was next to come, as Ryan told Scott that he would be back next week to perform (but hey, at least Randy didn't get Matt's name wrong). Again, the thunderous outcry from the audience members was a sign that people were genuinely shocked that Matt could be in the Bottom 2.

Then came yet another guest performer in Stevie Wonder, who tore up the house but could have done without the tired shout outs to President Obama and American Idol. Still, he was able to get the entire Top 10 (including Michael and Matt) on its feet dancing along, with Kris even enthusiastically mouthing the words and Lil bowing down to him in an "I am not worthy" motion. One thing he was not able to accomplish, however, was getting Simon on his feet. That is something that man will probably never do on this show.

But when it came time for the results, no one was surprised. Michael, who many pegged as being a "WTF?" pick for the Top 13 in the first place, showed that he can bow out with grace and poise, smiling all the while. When he sang "Ain't Too Proud to Beg" one last time for the judges to allegedly discuss whether or not to use their tool on him, it was apparent that not everyone was digging the idea of having a pow wow. Paula was up dancing the night away, clapping along and only briefly nodded her head when Kara tried to get a word in. The others barely spoke at all, and when it came time for them to give their verdict, spokesman Sir Cowell claimed they had not reached a consensus, instead asking Paula "yes or no?"

But in the end, of course the judges did not waste their immunity on the oil rigger, as his name is not Adam, Danny or Lil. The fact that Michael was able to depart with his spirits high speaks volumes.

As for IDOL LIVE's predictions, I am now 0-4 with my original predictions because I had Jorge going home originally. I was actually right on with my pre-results show predix, though, as I correctly guessed Michael would be striking out even though I had Megan in the Bottom 3 rather than Matt and Scott in the Bottom 2 rather than Matt. That makes me 1-4 in that predicting category.

Next Tuesday, either rock songs or selections from the iTunes Top 100 chart will be performed on the Idol stage if rumblings are to be believed.

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IDOL LIVE Blog: Top 10 Results (3/26/09)

Tonight we blog during the Top 10 results show when one finalist becomes the latest casualty of the eighth season of Idol. Performers on tonight's show include a duet with Smokey Robinson and Joss Stone in addition to a performance by Ruben Studdard and a Motown medley from Stevie Wonder. The blogcast will begin at 8 p.m. ET and will last one hour.

Tonight's blogcast will feature music from Diana DeGarmo, Melinda Doolittle, Alexis Grace, Sundance Head and Taylor Hicks.

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IDOL LIVE predix: Top 10 Results

After a night of a few good (and mostly bad) Motown performances, the bottom three could not be any more crystal clear. Once we get down to who will actually be leaving, however, things seem a little trickier, but either way no one will be surprised with who is eliminated tonight.

With that said, read my predictions for how tonight will go below:


Tonight will go as follows:

Bottom 3
>Megan, Scott, Michael

Bottom 2
>Scott, Michael

Eliminated
>Michael

The bottom three will without a doubt be Megan, Scott and Michael, which is weird because the three worst performances are not usually also the bottom three vote-getters. Megan will be sent back to the couches to caw some more next week because we can't have a Top 9 with only two girls. We just can't.

The real challenge then becomes deciding whether or not it will be Scott or Michael getting the heave-ho. It really becomes a toss up, as Scott has been running on fumes for weeks now, whereas Michael just had a worse performance than usual. Michael's post-performance comments also didn't do him any favors, even though he did seem to be appealing on an emotional wavelength.

For these reasons, I predict that Michael will be leaving us tonight and will not even have to worry about singing for his life to be spared because there's just no use, giving Scott one more week to play his baby grand before millions.

In my original predictions I had Jorge departing in 10th, which obviously won't be happening.

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About last night: Leaping Lamberts and Smiley Smokey

Motown (the record label, not the genre) has given the world many things as Ryan so astutely pointed out during an intro montage last night. None of which were intended to be whiny renditions of its songs sung by kids on a TV show.

Last night saw three to four good performances and a whole lot of copycat, boring and forgettable ones. Even with Smokey Robinson there to flash his pearly whites in hopes of raising the Top 10's confidence, it just was not enough to sustain the show. And don't even start with Paula's gifts of crayons (or crowns as Ryan called them) and coloring books from under her skirt to Simon mid-show. The fact that he actually touched them after that puts him down a few rankings in our book.

Matt kicked off the night with a way overpraised rendition of "Let's Get It On," which showed even the piano cannot hide crackling vocals. The perplexing part of the whole thing was that even Simon was caught up in the act (besides pointing out his cheesy move toward the judges' table), proclaiming him to be one of the front runners.

Kris was next with "How Sweet It Is," and his vocals were far superior to Matt's. He did, however, lack stage presence in comparison, which was something Simon pointed out when he likened his standing position to waiting at a bus stop. Randy made the most peculiar critique when he said Kris "ain't doing nothing wrong, baby." Kris was a bit forgettable tonight but he most likely won't be going anywhere tonight.

Another finalists that received too much praise was Lil, whose take on the classic "Heatwave" was complete with Burger King background flames and infrequent screaming outbursts. Although Lil looked much better tonight than she did a week ago, her vocals were copycatish and she did not stand out from the crowd, which most of the judges pointed out. Simon and Paula just had to go and partially excuse the performance as a "tribute" to the greats of the past because she got so emotional at the Motown Museum last week. Please guys, that's no excuse for giving an underwhelming performance. Add in the impromptu "Obama!" outburst at the end of Paula's mindless "you could run for president" comment and it made for an off night for Lil.

Danny, on the other hand, opted for a strong performance and light vocals with "Get Ready," which drew some Taylor Hicks comparisons (which is never good on this show). The fact that he ignored Smokey's advice to sing with the backup singers in certain parts even though he said in his pre-performance package that he'd be listening to the advice (and this served as the entire premise of the video, mind you). Although to be fair, we do not know if they decided it would not work well over the course of rehearsals or whatever. Anything could have happened and Danny will probably be forced to answer the burning question tonight while sitting on the couches.

Anoop was good once again this week on "Ooh, Baby Baby," but the word "boring" could not escape him. Simon was sure to mention this in his critique, saying he looked "half asleep" throughout the performance. Be that as it may, it was still leagues better than "Beat It" in Top 13 week.

But the absolute worst three finalists last night were without question Megan, Scott and Michael. Megan's jazzed up "For Once In My Life" was all over the place, full of bum notes and a "too fast for you and your tattoo" tempo. Scott's "You Can't Hurry Love" was haphazardly prepared and rushed in addition to featuring ultra nasal vocals. And Michael's seemingly good song choice in "Ain't Too Proud to Beg" was anything but, prompting Paula to steal a line from Simon's playbook by calling it "Las Vegas loungey," which earned her a few boos from the audience. Paula was visibly distraught over actually having to do her job as a judge, while Simon was more blunt in saying Michael has "no shot at winning." Barring a major shocker, hese three will be tonight's bottom three and the stupid immunity will not be wasted.

And then there was Adam, who did a complete 180 from last week's crash and burn and instead opted for a polished look and soft, tender vocals on Smokey's own "Tracks of My Tears." Although not the best of the night, Adam showed that he could still switch it up and put on many different hats in this competition even though his falsetto is as grating as getting a root canal. It was an improvement, of course, but nowhere near worthy of the endless praise the judges bestowed upon him. Kara's "I don't stand up often but I have to after that" slosh and Simon's "you have emerged as a star tonight" comment were just part of it, followed by Ryan's suggestion that they go right to the numbers because there was "nothing else to say." We'll see if he can sustain this momentum.

The best the night had to offer didn't come until the very end, when Allison brought out her funky aggressiveness on "Papa Was a Rollin' Stone." Allison, although a bit dead behind the eyes, surely knows how to rock it out to the best of her ability. She was able to command the stage unlike anyone else and hit notes that many didn't know she could. Kara said it sounded like she had been singing for 400 years (is that why she's hoarse?) and Simon said she recovered from last week. DialIdol would support this claim for sure.

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IDOL LIVE Blog: Top 10 Perform (3/25/09)

The Top 10 finalists offer their best renditions of Motown's classics in a 50th anniversary celebration of the genre. They will be mentored by legendary Motown singer Smokey Robinson. The blogcast will last two hours on this special Wednesday episode and will begin at 8 p.m. ET.

Tonight's blogcast will feature music from Jason Castro, Kelly Clarkson, Chris Daughtry, David Hernandez, Michael Johns, Kimberley Locke, Melissa McGhee, Carly Smithson and Jordin Sparks.

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It ain't eze to say goodbye to Chikezie

As Ryan said those final words - "Syesha, you're safe" - Chikezie Eze knew his time on the nation's most-watched television program had come to a sudden end. The 22-year-old from Inglewood, Calif., sang the Luther Vandross song "If Only For One Night" one last time before leaving the stage.

Minutes before the results were read, Simon said the reason Chikezie was in the bottom three in the first place was because he picked the wrong song. Simon was right.

America had fallen in love with Chikezie's two Beatles tunes in the past two weeks, but his reversion to the soulful ballad this week reminded the voting public of the boring performances he was known for in the semifinals.

Aside from Chikezie, audiences were treated to Kimberley Locke's return, as she performed her new single "Fall" off her sophomore album Based on a True Story. The Season 2 third-place finalist looked stunning and sounded as good as ever.

Earlier in the show, Ryan once again took calls from America in the "Idol Live" segment of the show. Most were boring with the exception of a call from Vanessa, who asked Simon if he considered himself the most attractive person on the show.

"It's not what I say, it's what other people say," he replied, prompting Paula and Randy to shake their heads and laugh. Paula said she had now heard it all from Simon.

As for the two other finalists that found themselves in the bottom 3, one deserved it while the other did not. Syesha Mercado was one of the better vocalists on Tuesday, and she most definitely did not belong in the bottom 2. In her place should have been Ramiele Malubay, who was probably the weakest female this week. Jason Castro's placement was right on the money and he merited his spot based on his boring delivery of Sting's "Fragile."

This week, Kristy Lee Cook managed to deliver in a big way on a powerful song, which she absolutely needed to do in order to stay in the competition. With Dolly Parton mentoring next week, it looks like she might be around for a while.

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