Cook Wins !

David Cook wins American Idol Season 7....just as I predicted. Catch ya next season!

The Final 2 !

Well, another season is coming down to the end. It was an interesting season that started off strange with Josiah Lemming, the kid who lived out of his car that sounded British, not making the Top 12. Then, we had pot smoking, dreadlock wearing Jason Castro going to the Top 4 which was nauseating. Plus, there was the premature eliminations of Michael Johns and Carly Smithson. And remember that dude or dudette - Danny (Danielle) Noriega. I'm trying to erase my memory of him from my brain. But, from the beginning, it was pretty obvious that both Davids would be in the finals.

Lets look back. On January 30, 2008 I wrote: "Next was my favorite performance of the night - David Cook. Personally, I didn't love his new-wave hair that was part red and party messy. I just don't get that look at all. But, one sentence into Bon Jovi's "Living On A Prayer", I turned to my wife and said, "This guy could be our next American Idol." I loved his voice. I loved his stage presence. Loved his song choice. And damn...he did a great job. Look for him to be in our Top 10 and probably go much further than that."

On February 13th, 2008 I wrote: "David Archuleta: He's the teenage heart throb. Girls will love him. He's already won Jr. Star Search. If he doesn't win, I could see him in High School Musical: The Next Generation."

So, who takes this year's crown? Let's see how things went down last night:

David Cook's first song was chosen by Clive Davis who picked "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" by U2. That was definitely an interesting choice to take on Bono but I thought he pulled it off. As usual, David changed up the song and made it his own and what a great final note he held. The U2 version is too good for David to ever turn into his own single but it was a great start to the finals. He's solid as usual and he has such stage presence and has come a long way since getting that ridiculous red out of his hair from the auditions round.

David Archuleta's first song was also a Clive Davis choice picking "Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me" by Elton John. This was the perfect song choice but the problem I have with it is that I remember Clay Aiken singing this same song at one point in Season 2 and when I think of how Clay sung it vs. how David sung it, Clay's version was so much better. Part of my knock on the Golden Arch is that he doesn't change it up that much. He still has a nice voice and did a good job with the song. Simon said that Archuleta won the first round and I'm don't agree with that.

Then, it was time for the dreaded "coronation" song. Yup....time for the sappy songs that all have the same lyrics. In season 1, Kelly Clarkson and Justin Guarini sung "A Moment Like This." The next season, Rueben Studdard sung "Flying Without Wings." Clay Aiken sung "This Is The Night." Season 3 gave us Fantasia Barrino singing "I Believe." Diana DeGarmo sung "Dreams." The following year had Carrie Underwood & Bo Bice sing "Inside Your Heaven." In season 5, Taylor Hicks sung "Do I Make You Proud." Katharine McPhee sung "My Destiny." Last year both Blake Lewis and Jordan Sparks sang "This Is My Now." So, what crap is in store for this year? David Cooks' song is "Dream Big" and David Archuleta's song is "In This Moment." Hmmmmmm.... Aren't the words "Dream" and "This Moment" in other "coronation" songs we've heard before? Oye Vey !

David Cook does his first, now with his guitar in hand. I think the song is perfect for him and had a bit more different of a sound than other coronation songs of the past. I was totally able to see this song on the radio. It was faced paced and catchy. I thought the song sounded a bit Rick Springfieldish but back in the 80's, Rick was "The Man." I thought David rocked it for what he was given to sing.

David Archuleta now had his "moment" to sing the song they wrote for him. This came off more of a "coronation" song as it was slow and sung all sweet and stuff. I actually thought the beginning was a bit off and I almost thought he muffed a lyric. I even had to play it back for a second and didn't hear it the second time but there was a part of the song that didn't go smooth. Again, the background music is always a bit louder than David's voice but you can't argue that he does have a nice voice. What bothered me is that Simon said that Archuleta chose the better song and that round two went to Archuleta. However, they didn't pick this song. The songs were written for them so is one of the ways that the judges try to sway the votes of the American public giving false information during a critique?

Now it was the final round where they could chose their own song. David Cook chooses Collective Soul's "The World I Know" which was a strange choice. Simon had it right saying that he should have chosen either "Billie Jean" or "Hello" which were his two best performances of the year. Last year, Blake Lewis had it right singing "You Give Love A Bad Name" for the second time. Cook wanted to sing something new that we haven't heard yet. But, this was the final song of this season for him. He really needed to WOW us. Don't get me wrong, it was sung great and loved the performance but for his final song, I wanted a bit more than we got.

Archuleta went back to one of his better songs of the year singing John Lennon's "Imagine" which he nailed. You can't argue that this kid can sing. He sung the song flawlessly. And for this final song, I thought he did better. So, who wins American Idol Season 7???

Both had a great night. I think over the course of the season, David Cook deserves to win based on how consistent he was each week changing up the songs. However, Archuleta has this strong fan base of teenagers voting like crazy for him. But it really doesn't matter. Cook could be better off losing so he doesn't have to make this sappy record that the winner mostly makes. Look what happened to Taylor Hicks with the record they made him make. A Cook loss could help his career and put him in competition with Daughtry for radio play and album sales. Archuleta will most likely win based on the judges comments last night. He'll have a nice career selling CDs like Clay but may not have the radio play like some other winners.

So, I'm rooting for Cook as he was my man from the beginning but I think Archuleta will be our next American Idol. Hey...things could have been worse. We could have had a finals of Castro for Syesha and that would have really made me sick.

But, we shall see tonight. For now, I'm back on B.V. - Blog Vacation. Until next year...Birdman Out !

Syesha Finally Cut

Finally, there are just 2 left standing - David & David !

Top 3 Perform

Well, we are at the Final 3. I'd have to say that the strongest final three was Rueben Studdard, Clay Aiken, and Kimberly Locke OR Carrie Underwood, Bo Bice, and Vonzell Solomon. Our weakest final 3 was definitely Fantasia Barrino, Diana DeGarmo, and Jasmine Trias. Some of the singing last night was could have some people put this year as one of the worst top three. So, here's how it went down:

David Archuleta was up first. Paula chooses his first song, Billy Joel's "And So It Goes." This was David's best song of the night. I love BJ (STOP thinking dirty now...I'm talking about Billy Joel !) so I was a bit biased on his song. He sung it great but the one issue I had with the song was that it almost sounded like a Christmas song to me. It was so damn slow and wanted him to pick it up a little more. Still, it was a great first song for him. On a side bar, what was up with the mayor of Murray, Utah? The dude looked like clown in bull fights. Get a real outfit and cut off that ridiculous mustache. For the second song, David chose Chris Brown's "With You" which was an odd choice. And the singing was more odd witnessing a 16 year old good-two-shoes trying to pull off a R&B hip song. And he failed miserably. It was Archuleta's worst performance since some Jesus song about 7 weeks ago. I don't know what he was thinking but it was painful to listen to and just as painful and awkward to watch. His third song was the producers choice - Dan Fogelberg's "Longer" which at first I thought was a perfect song for him. Yeah, he sung it nicely but his voice was not loud and it seems the band overshadowed his voice. Plus, it was slow and a bit boring. I wish the producers gave him something a bit more recent for him to connect better with the audience and his fan base. I wish I was wow'd more, so, I only give David a B- for the night.

Syesha was next. Randy chose Alicia Keys' "If I Ain't Got You." Come on Randy. What were you thinking? How is Syesha going to distinguish herself as her own artist singing an Alicia Keys song? She has NO chance to sing this better than Alicia so why give her this song? Choosing Alicia Keys goes right with the pattern of mistakes that Syesha had all season singing artists she shouldn't touch like Whitney Houston, Celine Dion, and Mariah Carey. She actually looked her best of the season but I found my self seeing Lela Rochon doing an Alicia Keys cover. I don't know what it is with her. She sung the song well but it would have been nice if she changed it up a little bit instead of doing an exact replica of the original. The second song Syesha picked - "Fever" by Peggy Lee. Out of all the songs she chose, she picked this? It's a boring song and I relate more to Madonna's version than Peggy Lee's. This song is not going to get her any calls except for those 60 year old, fat, gray haired, cigar smoking, plaid jacket wearing, grumpy, whisky sipping men in lounges that watch girls like this sing in a black gown with a piano player with a fish bowl on the piano for tips. Besides those breed of people, not sure who the hell would vote for her, well, except Jason Castro watching from his couch smoking a joint or two while eating a 10 pack of White Castle hamburgers. Syesha's final song was the producers pick - Gia Farrell’s "Hit Me Up." Who? What? Huh? I'm not sure I agreed with the producers on choosing this piece of crap song. Not that I like Syesha but did the producers do this on purpose to force a David vs. David finale? Simon had it right saying "the song is about Penguins" (from "Happy Feet") which must have been a FOX movie coming out on DVD soon that FOX wanted to promote? If not, then I don't get the song choice. It was a repulsive performance. It as boring. It was sung poorly. I got up off of my couch about 1/3rd of the way in to figure out what my next snack would be. She was trying to put on the Beyonce / Rhianna spin on it but failed miserable. There was zero wow factor in her performances. I give her a D+ for the evening.

Finally there was David Cook. It figured that Simon was the one to pick his song. Simon chose Roberta Flack's "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" which I thought was such a bizarre choice but Simon totally did it on purpose because if David pulled it off, it would be spectacular. And, Simon was right on the money. The song wasn't even recognizable to me at first and as the song continued, the performance got stronger and stronger. He did was Clay Aiken used to do - start off slow and not as strong and mid way through the song, kick it into high gear for some power notes and a fantastic ending. G.F.J. - Great Freggin Job ! David got to chose his second song - Switchfoot's "Dare You To Move" which I've never heard of. I wish he chose something more recognizable to me but when I closed my eyes, I still was able to picture hearing it on the radio. It wasn't one of his best performances of the year but it was still solid and won't hurt him. Lastly, the producers chose Aerosmith's "I Don't Wanna Miss A Thing" which is a very popular song. I was disappointed with all three of the producers choices for all contestants but the singer really has no choice. I just wish the song wasn't so recognizable to Steven Tyler's voice. That being said, David nailed it. It was a great way to end the show and the song showed off David range very well. David gets an A- for the night.

So, who goes home. David Cook was the best last night and has been the most solid all season. David Archuleta was good and has a huge fan base. So, that leave Syesha to go home to set up the finale that I predicted months ago. Hell, I'm going out for lunch to buy a Mega Million ticket now !

Until next week, Birdman Out !

Jason Finally Eliminated

Castro finally impeached !

The Final 4 Perform

Well, it's the Final 4. This is mostly the week of the HUGE upset. At the 4 slot, we have lost Tamayra Gray, LaToya London, and Chris Daughtry. Those were pretty big upsets. In the other 3 seasons, the right person has gone home - Joshua Gracin, Anthony Federov, and LaKisha Jones. So, what happens this week? Do we have a huge upset and lose one of the Davids or does Jason or Syesha finally get booted. Here's how it went down for Rock and Roll Hall of Fame night:

David Cook started things off with Duran Duran's "Hungry Like The Wolf" which I thought was an interesting choice. In 7 seasons of American Idol, I don't recall anyone ever doing a Duran Duran song. I thought he did a good job as usual. He didn't change it up as much as he normally does but taking a cheesy pop song from the 80's and putting a rock edge to it was very risky and I thought he pulled it off.

Syesha was next and chose "Proud Mary" by Tina Turner. Before singing, she says this song has been covered over 100 times. So, why did she add to that total by making another cover of it? This girl is not bright when it comes to song choices. I didn't like the performance at all. She was trying to do a Tina impression. First of all, she can't dance well. Hopefully Tina wasn't watching and Ike must have been puking in his grave. The singing was average but you can see people every day singing "Proud Mary" at Open Mic Night at college campuses all over the states. Syesha definitely had fun on the stage but with only 4 people remaining, fun is not good enough.

Next to the stage was Jason Castro. When he said he was going to sing "I Shot The Sherrif", I cringed on my couch. Again, a white kid with dread locks who gets WET for Bob Marley should NOT be singing songs by Bob Marley. Yeah, it's great for him to idolize Bob (I'm sure he has posters all over his bedroom) but dude....not the right song choice. And enough smoking weed. You sound more brain dead each week when you talk before the songs. I loved when Simon asked what Jason was thinking and he responds in his stoner voice, "I was thinking Bob Marley !" This performance was terrible. Three bong hits, a yummy snack, surround sound, a comfortable couch, and a 56" TV wouldn't make this performance sound or look good. Again, he could be one of the worst in the top 10 since Jim Verraros or John Stevens. And this dude got further than both of those guys. All of America must be high for voting for this guy.

David Archuleta was up next and chose "Stand By Me." Right when I heard the song choice, I thought it's wasn't the best choice of song as it's just so inspirational. Sing a song about nonsense or love or hate. Every song is about inspiration or Jesus. I'd like him to change it up a bit. Anyway, it was sung nicely. I still don't think his voice is nearly as good as Clay Aiken's was and I actually think Elliot Yamin's voice is a bit stronger than David's. Still, this kid has a huge fan base and the song was sung well. I just hope he doesn't become the next big upset.

David Cook was up next to start the second round of songs. He chose the Who's "Baba O'Riley" which I thought was a great song choice. I love how he started off really slow like a power ballad and then took the song to a new level when he rocked it. I'd love to hear him sing the full version of the song instead of just the minute and forty seconds that we got to hear. He changed this up and I thought this was the best performance of the night. I have nothing negative to say about what he did.

Syesha was next singing Sam Cooke's "A Change Is Gonna Come" which was a good song choice for her. It was a song that wasn't so popular by some pop diva. This was a song that she was able to make her own. I actually didn't love the first part of her song but the second part, she really nailed it. I still don't care about her as much as I liked Tamayra, LaToya,and Vonzell in the past but the second part of her song last night could have saved her ass. And what is with the crying? I thought the tears was a brilliant move to get the sympathy vote.

Jason "Puff Puff" Castro was up next singing another Bob song. This time it was Dylan's "Mr. Tambourine Man." I thought this was a good song choice for someone that can't sing. Bob Dylan, a great write, has NO singing voice so it was perfectly appropriate that Jason, who can't sing either, chose a Bob Dylan song. However, the performance is beyond awful. Plus, he forgot an entire line of lyrics and just hummed it and then started to remember the lyrics again. Pot affects your short term memory so it probably wasn't bright for Jason to take a few hits before taking the stage causing him to forget the lyrics. Or, maybe he just isn't a bright person. How can you forget the lyrics with 4 people to go? Dude...that was bad and your time has expired. And did you realize that he had a guitar and barely strummed a note on it? What the guitar just for show or did he forget that he was holding it.

Finally, David Archuleta chose Elvis' "Love Me Tender." First of all, I can't stand Elvis. But, I'd have to say that David did a really good cover of this song. It was sung nice, it was changed up a bit, and he was in tune. The knocks on the performance were that ridiculous black shirt with these stupid white birds on it. Who picked out that outfit? The judges said he "crushed the competition" but I thought both Davids were far better than Jason and Syesha.

So, who goes home. The obvious choice is Jason Castro. But, this is the Final 4 and strange things happen this week. Let's hope it doesn't happen tonight.

Birdman Out.

Brooke Finally Gone

Finally got the boot !

Top 5 Perform !

Well, we were down to the final 5 for the 7th season of American Idol and what a strange night it was. The theme was Neil Diamond and here's how it went:

Jason Castro's first song was "Forever In Blue Jeans." Jason told us that when he was practicing, he kept on forgetting the lyrics. Maybe dude, you should ease up on the weed so you can remember your songs. Again, I don't get this kid. White rasta kid doing Neil Diamond was quite odd in my book. This kid has no right being in the top five as he really can't sing. The perfect example always goes back to Jack Johnson, whoever he is but is compared to. People say he's like Jack Johnson. But, if I had a choice to hear Jack Johnson or Jason Castro (and had to choose one cause I'd rather not see either), I'm sure I'd pick Jack Johnson in a heartbeat. Jason's second song was "September Morn" which had some sentimental meaning to me. Yup, growing up this was one of the 8-Tracks my dad would always put on when I was in the back seat. For those of you who are too young, the 8-Track was right before the cassette but after the LP Record. It was a ridiculous invention as you could only skip around to 4 different parts on the entire tape but they called it EIGHT track. Anyway, this was one of Jason's better performances. He sung it well for him but who cares. It surely didn't wow me. Maybe I should be smoking what America is for keeping this kid in the competition for so long. The best is that after his first song, Paula started talking about his 2nd song which he hadn't sung yet. She was either reading her wrong notes or just spaced out from the drugs she's on and remembering his 2nd song from rehearsals. I guess she's smoking the same stuff that Jason is.

David Cook's first song was "I'm Alive" and rocked it. There's not much else to say. Each week he is hands down far better than the other contestants. He makes each song his own. He sings it well. He modernizes it. And he has the stage presence where it looks like he belongs up there doing what he's doing. David's second song was "All I Really Need Is You." This was fantastic. I really wasn't as familiar with this song but it could easily be on the radio right now as a hit. This guy is a shoe in for the finals and the whole competition will come down to how big of a fan base David Archuletta really has.

Then, there was Brooke White. Oye Vey. I don't even know where to begin on this one. Her first song was "I'm A Believer"...yup, a song that the Monkees made popular and that recently Smashmouth made for Shrek 2. First of all, wrong song choice. Sing a Neil Diamond song. I don't care that he wrote it. Sing a song that he sings. Secondly, her movements around the stage was quite creepy. It was as if she had a few glasses of wine, just used her electric didlo, and was getting ready for a date that she was so excited for. It was out of tune and it was quite repulsive to listen to. I can never get that one minute and forty seconds back from that performance. Her second song was "I Am I Said" which is a good Neil Diamond song. But, her at the piano singing it was odd. It was almost as if I envisioned little first graders sitting around the piano and Brooke was singing to them. Hey Brooke....you are in the Top 5. This is season 7. That means there have been a total of 35 people who have been in this position and you came out and became the worst of those 34 other people. Heck...Anthony Federov could have done a better job with this song. Tick, tick, tick.... Time's almost up Brookie!

David Archuleta should shine doing Neil Diamond. There were two Neil Diamond songs that I didn't want anyone to sing. David comes out and sings that first song I didn't want to hear - "Sweet Caroline." I've heard this song covered by every cover band there is. Plus, it's played at every wedding and bar mitzvah. It's such a popular song that no one should have touched it. But, David decided to give it a stab. He has a nice voice but wrong song. He just came across as very corny and there was no way an audience could be wow'd with that song choice. Then, the second song he sang was the other song I didn't want anyone to sing - "America." I guess it was a smart choice singing a patriotic song as it saved Kristy Lee Cook a few weeks ago but this song is pure Neil and he really didn't pull it off. He sung it decently and actually ended the song strong with some power notes but this was not one of Archuleta's better nights.

Finally there was Syesha Mercado. Her first song was "Hello Again." First of all, I don't like what she did to her hair. I hit pause and she looked exactly like Garcelle Beauvais-Nilon whom I can't stand as she's in nothing that I can recall but she's in EVERY People and US Weekly magazine. She irritates me like Syesha. She actually has a nice voice and sang well for her but it was boring. I don't want to be bored with only five people remaining. Her second song was "Thank the Lord for the Nighttime." This was way too churchy for me. If she sang this at a church, the choir and people in the audience would be going wild. However, she sung it in front of 30 million people who she probably put to sleep.

So, who is the bottom 3? I'm going to have to say its Jason, Brooke, and Syesha. They should all be sent packing but it's really got to be Brooke after tonight as she really was painful.

Until next week...Birdman Out.

Carly Screwed

Carly gets screwed while Syesha, Jason, and Brooke life on !

Top 6 Perform

Okay, another week closer to crowing a champion and this wee was the music of Andrew Lloyd Webber. First of all, how creepy looking is ALW? He looks like a combination of Mike Myers, Neil Diamond, and my 7th grade orthodontist - Dr. Harte. But, enough about Lloyd Webber...let's see how things played out last night on American Idol.

Syesha was up first singing "One Rock and Roll Too Many." This is the first time in a month she is not singing a power artist like Whitney Houston, Fantasia, or Mariah Carey. And ya know what? I still hated her performance. She has this smile that I just want to smack off her face. Yeah, she sung the song nicely and she didn't really understand that the judges comments weren't as nice as it seemed. Let me interpret. They were saying basically that she could be good on Broadway and was more comfortable in this genre. So, they are telling her that she'll NEVER win this competition and sell CDs but she could have a career on Broadway. She's a lock for the bottom three this week as far as I'm concerned. At this stage of the competition, she's not even close to some of her prior competition of years past...aka LaToya, Tamayra, and Vonzell. I always compare her to those three since they made it deep and she doesn't even come close to those three.

Jason Castro was up next and when they said that he was going to sing "Memory", I almost choked on a JuJubee. Why the hell would a pot smoking, dread lock wearing, poor singer, chose to sing one of Andrew Lloyd Webber's most memorable and famous songs that was made famous by a female voice? I think he must have toked one to many bong hits when flipping through the ALW catalog. This was awful. I just didn't understand what he was doing. I can't stand his voice and I'm sick of hearing comparison's to Jack Johnson. How many people own a Jack Jonhson CD? Right...I thought so. So, if no one buys Jack Johnson, why the heck would anyone purchase Jason Castro, (not including Mommy and daddy) unless, maybe, your first name was Fidel. This guy's ride needs to end already. This guy is this year's Jon Stevens - poor voice, bad performances, and has gone much further than he should have gone.

Brooke White was now on stage to sing "You Must Love Me". The song was a train wreck right from the start when she cued the band to start over after she flubbed it. She is coming down to the end of her ride as well. She's a pretty girl with a nice voice but I just see it as a talent show performance at her college. It's sung nicely but there are tons of blondes out there that can sing exactly the same as her. The one blonde to win American Idol was Carrie Underwood and Brooke isn't even close to that level. Hell, even Kellie Pickler was able to sing better than Brooke. I think the flub in the beginning could write her grave. I have to give her credit that she has balls for stopping the band but balls on a chick might not sit well with the American public. She's a lock for this week's bottom three.

David Archulete was now ready to sing "Think Of Me." I didn't think it was one of David's best performances. I compare him to Clay Aiken and I know Clay could have belted some of the notes much better than David. Now, don't get me wrong, it was a solid performance but I think it was far from David's best. He'll have no trouble advancing to next week but I want something more memorable next week that will WOW me. We will be at five people next week so each performance needs to have that WF - Wow Factor.

Carly Smithson hit the stage next to sing "Superstar" and all I ask of FOX is to stop showing her husband in the audience. It's so gross that his entire face is all tatooed up. He looks ridiculous. "Superstar" was a good choice. Laura, from "Grease: You're The One That I Want" sang this song late in the competition and went on to win the role of Sandy. Anyway, this was one of Carly's best performances and I've been waiting for her to have that great performance. She's always right on the bubble of greatness, at least for my taste, and I thought she nailed it and solidified her status for the Top 3 in this competition.

Finally, there was David Cook who should win this competition. However, the best doesn't always win. Just ask Chris Daughtry that. But, sometimes not winning turns out to be better so you don't have to make a CD of queer songs. Anyway, he sings "Music Of The Night" which was the best song of the night again for David. He just seems to know what he's doing on stage. He changes the song to make it his own and sings it well. Each week the performance is original and one of the few performances that I look forward to hearing. David has 4 weeks left before the finals and I'm sure he'll be standing there next to David Archuletta.

So, this week should be easy. The bottom three are Syesha, Brooke, and Jason. I hope Brooke's flub doesn't get her eliminated as I really dislike Syesha and Jason. I think it's finally Jason's time to leave. And, I'm sure he'll be psyched to go home, get high, and eat some chips.

So, until next week...Birdman Out.

Kristy Eliminated !

This cook's meal is finished ! She started out as an early frontrunner but Kristy Lee's time has expired !

Top 7 Perform

Well, it was Mariah Carey week on American Idol this week. Going into the night, I thought it could be either really good or really bad. A few years ago Idol did Gloria Estefan night which was a complete flop so I was hoping we were not going to suffer the same fate. Here's how it went down:

David Archeluta started things off singing "When You Believe." This was a great song choice for him. He has this voice that can hit the notes of a woman but sound like a man if that makes any sense. I wished he changed it up a little bit more than the original version but he did a fantastic job to start off the show. I'm just glad he didn't choose a song from "Glitter."

Following was Carly Smithson and I liked that she covered up a lot of her tatoo with this performance. Hearing a tattooed girl singing a Mariah Carey song would look funny to the voting public. I actually do like her tattoos but she made a smart move covering it up. She sang "I Can't Live (If Living Is Without You" and I liked it. Not sure why the judges were getting on her case. I thought she belted the power notes nice and ended great. Yeah, it may have been a bit off in the beginning but she ended pretty strong. Unfortunately, based on the judges comments, she could wind up in a bit of trouble this week.

Then came Syesha Mercado coming off of her Whitney impression and her Fantasia impression and now she's stuck doing Mariah. Sucks for you honey! I thought she could have picked a better song that people knew. She sang "Vanashing" which I've never heard of which I guess was smart since she picked the wrong songs the prior two weeks. This girl just bores me. I just want to smack her in the head. I even got up to get an Italian ice in the middle of her snooze fest. I think it's time for her to go. Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.

It was now Brooke White's turn and she chose "Hero". She did what I thought Syesha was going to do...sing one of the really popular songs where you need a very strong and powerful voice. I did enjoy her unplugged version but wanted more from it. It was also a boring performance sung well but not fantastic. At this stage in the competition, I want to be WOW'd. And instead, I was Hmmmmm'd. Basically, it was not bad but not good enough.

Kristy Lee Cook now had her turn. She's survived in recent weeks by having smart song choices and good singing. The song she chose was "Forever" which was a good choice but I found it a bit weird with the country spin on it. It was sort of like Shania doing Mariah but it wasn't working for me. Don't get me wrong...she sang the song nicely. It's too bad her legs weren't like Haley Scarnato who got really deep with her legs. She doesn't have that body part that will keep her alive much longer. I didn't hate her singing but again, I was not wow'd.

David Cook was up next and I'm always excited for his performance as he really changes it up and makes it his own. He sang "Always Be My Baby" and now I finally got that WOW from the night that I was looking for. Hell, this version could have even been better than Mariah's version. There's not much else to say but "See Ya In The Finals !"

Finally it was Jason Castro's turn to butcher a Mariah song. Marijuana smokers and Maria Carey don't mix. It's like mixing orange juice and soda. It just doesn't work. He sings "I Don't Want To Cry". I just don't know what to say and I don't get why he gets good marks mostly by the judges. At least Randy didn't get the performance this week. I don't get it either. Please send this kid home already.

So, who goes home? The bottom 3 could be Brooke, Syesha, Carly or Kristy but I'd love if Jason Castro was in that mix as well. But, that's 5 people so I guess I need to pick 3. Let's go with Syesha, Brooke, and Carly with Syesha getting the boot tonight.

Looking forward to another week of Idol. But until then, Birdman Out.

Michael Eliminated

Poor song choice and a Steven Tyler impersonation gets you the boot !

Top 8 Perform

Well, I'm back from vacation and ready to talk about Idol. If you weren't paying attention, Ramielle was given the boot last week. But, that was then, and this is now. So, let's see what happened during "inspirational Song" week this week.

First to hit the stage was Michael Johns. I thought he did a good job singing a song I loathe. But, I agreed with Simon right after his performance. He didn't make the song his own; he just imitated Steven Tyler. Dude...do something different like you did with your Queen songs. Take a song and make it yours instead of taking a song and singing it well but just like the version that we all know. We all know Michael Johns is talented but he needs to really think about his arrangement before committing to something that will get criticized. I'm still waiting for that week to go, "WOW."

Syesha was up next. She's not the sharpest knife in the drawer. I thought she would have learned her lesson from last week after singing a Whitney Houston song not nearly as good as Whitney. Now, she does something even worse. She takes a song by an Ex-Idol (Fantasia), and tries to make it her own. Okay, that song "I Believe" was sung when Fantasia won American Idol. Why the heck would you choose that song when the song is so associated with Fantasia. Yeah, she sung the song very nicely but I want to hear her sing a song that she can make her own and not someone else's. So, who is she gonna try and imitate next week? Mariah Carey or Celine Dion.

Following that was Jason Castro singing "Somewhere Over The Rainbow" while playing the ukulele. And again, I don't get it. All the judges loved it and I thought it sucked. It was like The Wizard Of Oz On Marajuana. I wanted to tie his braids around his neck and smash the ukulele over his head. I don't get the song choice. I don't get the singing. I don't get the ukulele. I don't get why he's in the top 7. Is he really the 7th best person that has tried out for American Idol this season? I find that really hard to believe. And based on what the judges said, this dope will probably be around next week.

Next up was Kristy Lee Cook singing "Anyway" by Martina McBride. Not sure what the heck this song was but then again, I know nothing about country music. The weird thing was that she sung the song really well and was definitely her best performance since "Amazing Grace" back in the auditions round. The problem here is that Kristy had so many bad weeks that many people already have their favorites so she still could be in trouble despite having one of her better weeks.

Then came David Cook who really should be our season's winner but he came out and sung "Innocent" by Our Lady Of Peace. Okay...I may not be a music maven but who the hell is Our Lady Of Peace? That song was terrible. It wasn't just bad. It was really terrible. There was no tune and it didn't show off David's voice at all. I did like his stage presence and the way he walked around the stage and audience but the singing was his worst of the competition which had a lot to due with that horrific song choice. There are only 6 weeks to go so song choice is so important. David will be save but let's hope he doesn't sing such garbage songs again.

Following David was Carly Smithson singing Queen's "The Show Must Go On." Why does someone have to sing Queen each week? This song was NOT fit for her voice at all. I hated it. She is so much better than what she showed from us last night. Of all the inspirational songs, this is what she chose? There have been some good performances this week so Carley could wind up in the bottom 3. I was hoping for greatness and we got mediocre.

Then it was David Archuleta's turn to take the stage. Inspirational music was perfect for David. He sung a song called "Angels" at the piano. I didn't quite love the song in the beginning but he really stepped it up towards the end to make you forget about the first part of the song. He'll have no problems advancing but I really would have loved a different song from him. How about sing a song that we know already. He always seems to chose these songs that no one has ever heard of.

Finally, Brooke White sung Carole King's "You've Got A Friend." And personally, this song bored the crap out of me. Don't get me wrong; it's a great song but the way she sang it made me want to stab myself in the eye. She sang it nice but it just didn't connect with me especially for the last song of the night which is mostly one of the better performances. Brooke could be in trouble after this snoozefest.

So, how goes home? I'd have to say the Bottom 3 could be Syesha, Brooke, or Carly. Actually, Kristy Lee could be in the bottom 3 as well. I think it's time for Syesha to go home. Rememeber...donate money tonight but we'll have to wait until Thursday night to see who goes home. Until then, Birdman Out.

Chikezie Eliminated

The Chik has flown the coup !

The Top 10 Perform

The Top 10 were ready to perform and for the first time in a long time, they were NOT singing songs from the 60's. They had to sing songs from their birth year so we were really at late 70's to early 90's so this would hopefully help the performances. And here is how it went:

Ramiele was up first and she decided to sing "Alone" by heart. I thought this was a mistake as Carrie Underwood did a fantastic version of this song a few years ago and even Gina Glocksen did a nice version of "Alone" as well. So, hearing this song for the third time, I wanted greatness. What I got was an average performance. First of all, her outfit was reminiscent of Melinda Doolittle's attire. Ramiele wore her shirt almost up to her bust line leaving little room between her chest and her armpits. She looked like a Pilipino dwarf. Luckily Ramiele is a cute girl but at some point, singing talent wins out over cuteness. She could be on the bubble for this evening.

Next up was Jason "Puff Puff" Castro. Again, this guy just comes off as wasted to me. He sang "Fragile" by Sting while strumming his guitar. And the performance was DREADful. This guy is not Top 10 material. I didn't even understand why he was in the Top 24 while Josiah didn't make the cut. And half the song he was singing in Spanish. It totally didn't work. At least for once the judges agreed that it wasn't that good. Soon Jason will be back on his couch with his bong and a few bags of munchies. Let's hope soon is NOW.

Following Jason was Syesha who sings "If I Were Your Woman." After a few disappointing weeks, she did a pretty good job and this should keep her safe for another week. The one problem I had with the song is that I pictured her singing this song on a Broadway stage. At a certain point she'll be eliminated but after this performance, she definitely bought herself a few more weeks. She has a chance to be like Vonzell Solomon, the one no one talked much about but wound up going pretty far. However, I don't see her getting any further than the 5 slot at best.

Then came Chikezie to hit the stage singing "If Only For One Night." His performance was a cross between Ruben Studdard and Ricky Smith with a splash (a small splash) of Stevie Wonder mixed in. But, it didn't blow me away. I can name about 40 R&B singers that can do much better than this and Chikezie doesn't do anything that special to be worthy of my applause. Hey, I do like the guy but he's far from this years' American Idol. Mr. Eze is on the bubble for this evening.

Brooke White was next and came out with a big piano to sing the Police's "Every Breath You Take." First of all, I loved the straight hair on Brooke. It looked much better than the curls. And yes, she made a boo-boo on the first word of the song but then totally redeemed herself. I thought she did great and this could have been her best performance to date. Mostly, Brooke does a bit above average but never blows me away. This didn't blow me away but I really thought it was a good performance for her and could separate her from some of the weaker women in this competition. Good job Brookie.

Now it was Michael John's turn to sing. Michael has been a disappointment of late and has not wow'd me since Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody." So, he went back to what worked and went with Queen again. He started with "We Will Rock You" and moved into "We Are The Champions." I really didn't love the "We Will Rock You" part as it came off as he was yelling but once he moved into "We Are The Champions" he rocked the house. And he had such great power notes at the end of the song. He totally redeemed himself last night and once again became a contender. Now, we just need to see him to a great NON-Queen performance to see if he can pull that off.

Carly Smithson was next to perform. Once I heard that she was performing Bonnie Tyler's "Total Eclipse Of The Heart", I got excited as I thought it was a good song choice. She sang it well but I actually wanted a bit more. I agreed with the judges that she didn't end the song good. I liked what I heard but I was a bit disappointed that it wasn't better. I don't think she has anything to worry about but then again, she was in the bottom 3 last week so anything can happen. I hope she sticks around as I don't think we've yet to see her best.

Next on stage was David Archuleta singing some ridiculous, corny song called "You're The Voice." I've never heard that song before and I don't think the judges really knew what the hell he was singing either. It was such a cheesy performance and I may have even smelled mild cheddar through the television set, or maybe I just farted. Either way, it was not his best performance. It was the wrong song choice and it wasn't strong enough. I want this kid to be more Clay Aiken but I don't think his voice is strong enough yet as he's so young. I almost wish he waited 2 years before trying out for Idol as I don't think he can win this year but I still expect him to go far. He has a strong fan base so I'm not worried about him when it comes time for elimination.

Then it was Kristy Lee Cooke's turn. If you remember, I had picked her EARLY on to get far after hearing "Amazing Grace". Now, she chooses another inspirational song in "God Bless The USA" and it was the right choice. First of all, in the week that the US lost it's 4,000th soldier, the song was totally appropriate. Secondly, it fit her voice. Finally, who the heck is going to vote her off singing a song about US patriotism. She's a lock to be safe this week based on song choice alone. However, she actually did a great job singing it. It was her best performance since that initial audition. So, horny teenagers will vote for her as well as EVERY US troop that watches the show.

Finally, David Cook was up to end the show. Let me remind you back in the day that David was my early pick to win American Idol from his first audition. I confirmed that I thought he'd be top 2 once he sang "Hello" a few weeks ago. About 4 words into Michael Jackson's "Billie Jean", I had officially declared David Cooke the winner of this year's American Idol. This guy just knows how to pick songs and change them up. He knows how to sing them. He has stage presence. He knows how to play guitar. He's the full package besides the weird matted down hair and the Joker looking lips. This guy is so smart with song choice and I wish others would learn from what David does and change it up and take risks. I don't think you can do much riskier than performing a rock version of "Billie Jean" and he pulled it off. Congrats David. I probably don't have to watch the next 9 weeks but I'm sure I will.

So, the bottom three tonight has gotta be: Ramiele, Jason Castro, and Chikeze. It's really a toss up. I'm gonna have to go with Chikeze to be the one eliminated tonight.

Next week, I'm on vacation so hopefully I'll have time to write my review. If not, I'll see you the following week. Until then, Birdman Out.

Amanda Leave At #11

Ding Dong, the Witch Is Dead! About time this angry clown went home! I was quite shocked that Carly was in the bottom 3 but maybe that will teach her a lesson to sing a better song. But, Amanda leaves and doesn't make the Top 10 tour. Awwwwww. So sad. Bye Bye !

Top 11 Perform Beatles...Again

Well, the top 11 perform the Beatles again and it turned out to be a huge mistake doing such older music for the 2nd week in a row. We had 3 rounds before the Top 12 where they did 60's, 70's, and 80's. Now, this is the 2nd week of hearing 60's music. ENOUGH already ! I want to hear these kids sing more modern music. Nothing against the Beatles but one week was more then enough as we've now had to sit thru 33 McCartney/Lennon songs being butchered for the most part. So, here's how it went this time.

First up was Amanda Overmyer looking like she is ready for a costume party with her hair and outfit. Her song was so predictable as I actually thought she was going to sing "Back In The USSR" last week. I want to sing a version to her called 'Back In Your Local Bar." This girl can't sing. This girl can't hold a note. This girl yells and screams. This girl is a miserable person that never smiles. Loosen up bitch and enjoy the spotlight performing in front of 30 million viewers. Enjoy it now as your time is ticking (knock on wood). I'm glad the judges FINALLY panned the performance for once. Simon nailed it when he said it was "a bit of a mess in parts." Simon should have not used the words "bit" and "parts" as it was a total mess. This nurse's ride needs to end soon as I can't stand it much longer.

Following Amanda was Kristy Lee Cook who was showing off her legs for the first time. Her legs are far from Haley Scarnato but the young boys who call in will still like the package. She sings "You've Got To Hide Your Love Away" which was not the best fit. I think she did a better job than the prior week but this girl really doesn't have a personality or just gets lost in the crowd. She stood out so much in that first audition but has pretty much gone down hill since then. She's lucky that this was not her worst performance so there is a chance she could make it back next week. The jury is still out.

Then came little happy David Archuleta. I'd love to see this kid get mad but he's just so damn happy all the time. Maybe Kristy Lee gave him "some" last night...who knows. Anyway, after a disastrous performance last week, he hoped to redeem himself this week with "The Long And Winding Road" and he did great. He remembered all of his lyrics which was a plus but he sung a nice smooth but strong version of this Beatles classic. Can the golden Arch win American Idol? Yeah, he has a chance as he has a huge fan base already but I see him coming in 3rd overall when we get down to the soup and nuts of this competition.

Michael Johns hit the stage next and I'm still waiting for him to nail a performance as he did weeks ago with "Bohemian Rhapsody." This time he sings "A Day In The Life" and I didn't love it. Part of the song was just painful to me as it sounded like he was moaning during parts of the song. Don't get me wrong, it was an above average performance but I want to see this guy do that GREAT and rememberable performance already. But, I know what this guy can do and I was a bit disappointed. He's just not picking the right song or the right arrangement. I guess the song was dedicated to his friend that died. Not to be mean but that should have been sung at his memorial and he should have chosen a song that shows off his voice much better.

Next to the stage was Brooke White. She was actually looking really good last night whatever they did to her. I didn't even have a problem with the yellow dress. She sang "Here Comes The Sun" which was a great song choice but I would have loved her to do this in front of the piano as she did last week. Her stage presence wasn't working with her strutting back and forth across the stage. She should have maybe sat down on the edge of the stage or maybe on a tall bench but the walking back and fourth was a bit bothersome. It was definitely not Brooke's best vocals as well. She seemed to be going thru the motions and didn't put that emotion into the song. She'll have not problems advancing and the change in music genre will hopefully get her back to what she does better.

Then David Cook hit the stage and I thought he did fantastic again. He did the Whitesnake version of "Daytripper" and rocked it. Yeah, he may be getting cocky as Simon said but I just think he's doing what he does best. He knows how to perform with the guitar and knows how to sing. I even thought it was call what he did with the voice box despite Simon's criticism of that. This was David's 5th performance and I think I've liked 4 out of the 5 so far. I really believe that he'll be last man standing in May.

Following David was Carly Smithson who was singing "Blackbird." I thought this was her worst performance since the competition started. The song was boring and didn't really show off her voice until some power notes at the end. I was really looking forward to hearing her sing and we got a lackluster showing. She's so safe but this was really disappointing.

Pot head Jason Castro was next. I couldn't believe what I was hearing when he sung "Michelle". Half of the song was in French. I don't think this guy can sing English good and he decides to sing another language? What was he thinking? I'm glad he chose this song as it was terrible and finally the judges didn't love his performance either. But Jason didn't seem to care. He just seemed high and was probably craving a munchie backstage once he was done. I'd love for him to fall into the bottom 3 this week but I'm still not convinced that is going to happen.

Syesha Mercado was next singing "Yesterday". Great song choice as it is one of the more memorable Beatles songs but one that you have to do perfectly since it is such a popular song. The problem I had with the song is that I envisioned Beyonce' singing this song and Syesha's voice is not even close to Beyonce'. Still, it was a good performance but it didn't blow me away. I don't think her voice and performance were strong enough to pull off the song. Still, I thought she did a good job and saved herself from the bottom 3 this week.

Chikezie hit the stage next singing "I've Just Seen A Face." The song started out a bit off for me and then he broke out the harmonica which I thought was a terrible decision. However, he ended the song decently. I just don't think this guy distinguishes himself enough from the other participants. I can rattle off 20 R&B singers that are much better than him that I would buy before I ever downloaded a Chikezie song. So, while he may be entertaining to watch, he's basically an average singer that will not make it any further than the #7 slot. It's just a matter of time.

Ending the show was Ramiele Mulabay who was actually looking really cute last night. She sang "I Should Have Known Better." She did such a good performance 3 or 4 weeks ago which I liked but since then, she's been downhill. I didn't hate her performance and there were actually some strong parts of the song which helped negate some of the weaker parts of the song. So, basically (SP - WP) = AP or Strong Part less Week Part equals Average Performance. Remember that formula as it may turn up on next week's Algebra exam.

The best performances last night were really just David Cook and David Archuleta. The bottom three should be Amanda, Chikezie and Kristy but Ramielle could replace either of these 3 in the bottom depending on how the voting goes.

I'm still saying that on May 13th, our Final 3 will be David Cook, Carly Smithson, and David Archuleta. Until then, it's just a matter of the order the others leave.

So for now, Birdman Out.

Finishing At #12 Is...

And eliminated in the 12 spot is David Hernandez !

The Top 12 Finally Perform

Well, we are finally down to the Top 12 for American Idol Season 7. Who will take this year's crown? After three rounds of eliminations and now last night's performances, I've officially picked my final 2. But, you are gonna have to wait to read all of this other nonsense first. Last night we finally got the Beatles night that they've been trying to book for years. How did it go? Let's get started....

Syesha was first up to hit the stage. She sang "Got To Get You Into My Life" and all I was thinking was "Got To Get You Off Of The Stage." Come on. First of all, I must apologize to Nadia Turner as I compared her and Syesha. Nadia is a much better singer. Forget about LaToya, Tamayra, Vonzell, and Jordan. She's not even close to that level. She's not even as good as Lisa Tucker or season 5 and Stephanie Edwards of season 6. I thought she had more potential but I guess I thought wrong. She's a pretty girl but a pretty face, tits and ass don't win American Idol. Just ask Haley Scarnato from last season. Her voice was terrible but her nice legs got her to last 5 weeks. Syesha hit a few good notes but there was a lot of it that was a bit rough. Not the best way to start off the show. She could be in trouble this week.

Following was Chikezie. First of all, I hate those Argile vests. Get rid of that. Chikezie sings "She's a woman" and actually, he did a good job. It was different and sung well. I wasn't sure where he was going with that bluegrass sound but it was good to not hear an R&B vibe for once. At first I hated what he was doing but then I just stopped thinking to much into it and I just had fun with it. Was it a great performance? Hell no. But, it was fun. I still compare him to Rueben Studdard and he's not on that level. He's more Ricky Smith mixed with some George Huff. Still, last night's performance keeps him safe.

Next up was Ramiele and she needed a big performance after last week's lackluster showing. She sings "In My Life" and it was really boring. I just felt like she wasn't into the performance and just stood there singing a boring song while boring me in the process. I think she needed to do something more upbeat. Ramiele is a much better singing than she's shown the last 2 weeks but this could put her in danger. She definitely won't make it nearly as far as Jasmine Trias. I'm thinking I think she has Julia Demato disease - the pretty girl with an OK voice that is very forgettable. Ramiele could be in trouble as well this week.

Then came Jason "Dreadlocks" Castro. He does the guitar thing again and sang "If I Fell." I just don't get it. Someone needs to explain this guy to me. First of all, he always seems stoned or is just dumb. Then, a few of my M.L.F.s - Music Lover Friends - keep telling me that he's so Jack Johnsonish. Well, I don't know who the heck Jack Johnson is and if he and Jason Castro sound alike, then as far as I'm concerned, the both suck. I think I walked into the kitchen for a snack in the middle of his performance. If I was British, I'd call that performance "Rubbish." Again Jason, light up that doobie and hit a park with all your other unshowered, dirty, granola, guitar playing, bad singing friends. But, I still think he'll be safe unfortunately.

Next up was Carly. First of all, I'm used to the tattoo on the arm now. It totally defines her. She sings "Come Together" and did what Amanda can't do - sing a rock song and not yell it. I actually thought she was better last week but I still thought it was a great performance. This girl has such range. She can pull off a pop song but she can really pull off the rock song better than Nikki McKibbin, Ryan Starr and Kimberly Caldwell combined. She is by far more talented than any of the other girls in this year's crop.

Hitting the stage next was David Cook. If you remember back in the auditions, I had said in the middle of his performance that he could win American Idol. Well, I'm starting to really believe what I had originally thought. This was big. He was coming off an amazing performance last week of "Hello" and now was following Carly. Could he pull it off? He sung "Eleanor Rigby" and it was excellent and he didn't even need the guitar. This guy is solid and is the one male performance I really look forward to seeing each week. There is a great chance we'll be seeing him deep into May.

Then it was Brooke White's turn. She comes out and sits at the piano to sing "Let It Be" which was a great song choice for her. She's a pretty girl with a nice voice. I almost want her to have a stronger voice but she pulls off each song to the best of her ability. Simon has a total crush on this girl like he did with Christina Christian. This girl will easily make it to the Top 6 but then could run into some trouble. But, good job Brookie.

David, the stripper, Hernandez was up next. I hated the tie he was wearing. He sang "I Saw Her Standing There" and it was a bit cheesy. I like David but he's not that original. I can see a performance like that at any bar on Open Mic Night. If this guy was once a stripper, how come he doesn't dance that great on stage? You'd think he could put more into his performance. Simon hit it right on the money saying it was "corny." That corn could turn up in the feces tonight as he put himself in a position to go home.

Amanda Overmyer was next to sing. I can't stand her black hair with blonde streaks and what was up with those goofy pants. She looked like she was dressed up for a costume party. She sang, uhhh, I mean yelled "You Can't Do That" and I hated it. Was she even singing English? It was so awful that midway through the song, I fast forwarded it to the end as my ear drums couldn't take it any longer. It was that painful. I don't know why the judges like it but I'd rather have diarrhea that sit through another of her performances. She's up there with other idols I've hated - Fantasia Barrino, Paris Bennett. and Mikalah Gordon. I know she'll be safe this week as the judges like her but I hope America sees what I see.

Michael Johns took the stage next and I was hoping he would come out and rock the house as he's been a bit disappointing the past 2 weeks. He sings "Across the Universe." He does a good job but again, it was missing something. I thing it was the wrong song choice. I know he can do much better and needs to change it up a bit like he did when he sung "Bohemian Rhapsody." Michael will still be safe but he's losing points quickly. He really needs to step it up and have one of those really rememberable performances ala David Cook.

Following was Kristy Lee Cook who I was a fan of from back in the audition days. I'm starting to think that she's surviving each week due to looks and not due to musical talent. There was a girl a few years ago, Lindsey Cardinale. Remember her? Probably not. I think Kristy could be falling into that same category. She sings "Eight Days A Week" as a country song and it was pretty painful. I'm not sure if she's country or pop. The band was much louder playing their music than her voice. I think she's a candidate for the Bottom 3. Not good Kristy. There should only be one "Cook" in the competition and his first name is David.

Finally, there was David Archuleta who's been a fan favorite but how will this 16 year old do on the big stage? He sings "We Can Work It Out" and he didn't work it out. It was flat and I lost count of how many times he forgot his words. I think once the nerves were gone he ended decently but this was not a good performance. I think they'll put a scare into him tonight making him think he's eliminated but he's not going anywhere yet. Little girls will be placing calls to save him and hopefully he'll learn from this disaster.

So, who goes home? There are 4 people that should be in the bottom 3: Syesha, Kristy, David Hernandez, and Ramiele. I think Kristy gets by due to looks as horney 16 year old need a girl to drool over. So, that leaves Syesha, Hernandez, and Ramiele as the bottom 3 and Syesha should probably go home tonight.

As for the finals in May, it's gonna be David Cooke vs. Carly Smithson. Mark my word...this is your Final 2 !

Well, we shall see how it plays out. Until then, Birdman Out.

Top 12 Revealed

We now have our Top 12 after last night, Asia'h, Kady, Luke, and Danny (Danielle) went home. So, our Top 10 stand as follows:

BOYS
David Cook
David Archuleta
David Hernandez
Michael Johns
Jason Castro
Chekezie Eze

GIRLS
Carly Smithson
Brooke White
Kristy Lee Cook
Amanda Overmyer
Syesha Mercado
Ramiele Mulabay

Basically, this will come down to 3 or 4 people depending on if Michael Johns gets his act together or if Brooke White is really a good singer. But, the BIG 3 as far as I'm concerned are: David Cook, David Archuleta, and Carly Smithson.

Now, let the fun begin !

Top 8 Girls Perform

Well, it was 80's night and it was now the girls turn to perform. So, let's see how it went:

First up was Asia'h Epperson. She broke the cardinal rule of signing Whitney Houston. The song was "I Wanna Dance With Somebody" and I personally wanted to puke with somebody. Was the song nearly as good as Whitney Houston? Not even a little bit. Why sing a song from an artist that you aren't going to even come close to being as good as. She did an okay job which a song she shouldn't have touched but I'm not sure what the hooplah is behind this girl. I don't think she's that good and is terrible at pronouncing many words if you listen closely. I still think she'll advance to the next round.

Next up was Kady Malloy. She then "sung" Queen's "Who Wants To Live Forever" and it was BAD. Come on Kady. I didn't even know what song you were singing when you were singing it as it was so out of tune. This girl should have tried a Debbie Gibson or Tiffany song as she had a better chance of making that sound a bit more listenable to. Anyway, this is the last we'll have to hear from her as she's a goner tonight.

Then it was Amanda Overmyer's turn. She yelled "I Hate Myself For Loving You" by Joan Jett. It was a great song choice for her but I just can't stand the screaming and yelling. She can't sing, she has minimal personality, and needs to loosen up. Actually, she needs voice lessons too. There's been girls in American Idol that tried the rocker route but at least had a decent voice. This girl really irritates me when she performs. She could be on the bubble tonight despite what the judges thought of here. The best part of that performance was when she stopped.

Next came Carly Smithson singing "I Drove All Night" by Cyndi Lauper. The judges thought it was Celine but the Celine version was not until recently so I'd have to think she was singing the Cyndi version. I thought she nailed it. Her voice on the chorus was incredible and as far as I'm concerned, just blew away the competition in terms of the girls. I think Simon critiqued her was to push her further towards greatness as she is much more talented than the rest of her competition.

Following was Kristy Lee Cook who I liked from the start. She chose a great song in Journey's "Faithfully" and did a decent job. It wasn't a great job but it was much better than the prior week. But, if she advances, she really needs to do something unique as she doesn't stand out. She has a Kellie Picklerish voice but Kellie had personality and Kristy is a bit dry. I hope she advances but she could be on the bubble as well.

Ramiele Mulubay was up next singing Phil Collins' "Against All Odds." She did an above average job but it was far from her best. She's a real cute girl but her skirt was quite boring. She has a nice voice but she too needs to do something different to make her stand out from the rest of the crop. She did hit some great notes and I think she should be safe.

Next up was Brooke White. She is coming off a strong performance from last week. Brooke comes out without the Guitar and sings a very original version of Pat Benetar's "Love Is a Battlefield." I thought she did a great job. She's been consistently solid for 3 weeks getting better each week. Brooke is hitting her stride and is probably the 2nd best female in this year's competition.

Finally, Syesha Mercado hit the stage to sing Whitney Houston's "Saving All My Love For You." Again, please don't sing Whitney. It's not even close to as good as the original. Why don't people learn. Yeah, she sang it nicely but it was the wrong song choice. Don't get me wrong, she does have a nice singing voice but I don't like when people sing some of these songs that she shouldn't be touching. She'll have no problem advancing to the next round.

So, who goes home? I'd have to think it is Kady Malloy for sure. The 2nd elimination should be Amanda Overmeyer as far as I'm concerned but I don't think that is going to happen. So, basically, it will be anyone but Carly Smithson or Brooke White. Even if Syesha Mercado was the one who got eliminated, it wouldn't surprise me.

Well, the real competition begins next week with our Top 12. Until then, Birdman Out !

Top 8 Boys Perform

Well, we are at the stage of the game where 2 more boys go home to make up the Top 6. After last night, this should be really easy to pick two guys to say good-bye to. Here’s how it went for 80’s night.

Luke Menard kicked things off poorly singing Wham’s “Wake Me Up Before You Go Go.” Oh, no. What a horrific song choice for Luke. It was such bad performance. If he was dressed like a cheerleader with pom-poms, it may have been perfect if he was performing at a high school pep rally but this was in front of 30 million people for a chance to advance. His voice was weak and pitchy and the dance moves were beyond cheesy. I felt like I should have been singing “Wake Me Up Before You Go Go” to him as he has one performance left and that will be after he’s eliminated on Thursday night.

Following Luke was David Archuleta. This kid is just always so happy. Wouldn’t you like to see him pissed off for once? He needs a little edge to him. He comes out sitting at the piano to sing “Another Day In Paradise” by Phil Collins. I loved the piano effect and his voice is solid. I loved when he left the piano to finish the song. It was not his best performance but I liked it. He will have no trouble advancing and is one of the better guys in the competition. Plus, little girls love him so he’ll be around for a while.

Then came Danielle Noriega. He just gets me sick to my guts. I hated everything about his performance from his hair with purple streaks to his outfit to his hair to his makeup to his voice. He sang “Tainted Love” and the song was just so tainted. His voice is not terrible but it seems like he loses focus too often and then gets pitchy. But, the voice isn’t the full issue. It’s the entire performance. Yeah, maybe he’d be good singing at a goth college bar but I’d buy an AJ Gill CD before I ever would purchase a Danielle Noriega CD. We had to deal with Sanjaya last year in the Top 6 so let’s hope America doesn’t make that same mistake again having this guy advance any further. The ride is over Danny. Get off and go home.

Following was David Hernandez who we just found out on TMZ used to be a gay male stripper. Now, that’s an American Idol for ya ! Anyway, David sings a strange song. He chooses Celine Dion’s “It’s All Coming Back To Me Now.” Now, there are a few artists one should not touch: Barbara Streisand, Whitney Houston, and Celine. What made this stranger is that David is a GUY singing such a powerful song by a woman. I actually like David and thought he did a good job with the song. It definitely wasn’t his best performance but I think it should be good enough for him to be safe for the week.

Michael Johns was up next because David Cook was having guitar issues. Michael needed a strong week after a disappointing outing last week. David sings “Don’t You (Forget About Me)” aka Theme From The Breakfast Club. This was a good song choice for Michael. I thought he put on a good performance. I actually with he choose an edgier song but he changed it up a bit and put on a good show.

David was now ready and came out with the guitar to sing “Hello” by Lionel Richie. He totally changed the song and really put on the best performance of season 7. Back when I first saw David in the auditions, I turned to my wife and said, “This guy could win American Idol.” After last night’s performance, he blew away the competition and made Michael Johns and David Archuleta looks like amateurs. Wow. David Cook as our American Idol? He definitely could be standing there in May.

Then came Jason Castro. Is this guy stoned all the time or what? He’s always smiling and his eyes look half closed. He sings “Halleluah” and I just don’t get it. I don’t know why the judges like this guy. He’s not a terrible singer but it’s nothing special. What am I missing? Do I need to be on the same drugs as Paula to understand why this performance was so good? I thought it was boring and weak. It doesn’t show off a strong voice. It just shows off him playing a guitar. I think he’ll advance but I’m not sure what the hoopla is behind this guy.

Finally, there was Chicken of the Sea. Ooops, I mean Chikezie. He sings “You Fill Me Up” and did an okay job. His little teeth are so little if you haven’t noticed. That’s not the problem. The problem is that we’ve had this guy on the show before and his name was Ruben Studdard. I wasn’t a Ruben fan that year as I wanted Clay but Ruben still won American Idol. This guy isn’t half as good. It was strange that he also picked a song that should be untouchable – Whitney Houston – and he’s a dude. He could be on the bubble tonight.

So, who goes home on this final elimination before the Top 6 is announced. Luke Menard is a shoe in to leave. Then it comes down to Danielle Noriega or Chickezie. And, please, please, please let it be Danielle.

That leaves 6 guys to make up our Top 6. Here they are in order of how they should finish:
1. David Cook
2. David Archuleta
3. Michael Johns
4. Jason Castro
5. David Hernandez
6. Chickezie

So, until tomorrow, Birdman Out.

4 More Sent Packing

Last night really didn't matter.

In the first battle last night, it was Danielle Noriega vs. Jason Yeager. Both are horrible but you know Danielle would be around longer so Jason was sent home.

In the second matchup, it was Amanda Overmeyer vs. Alexendrea Lushington. And, again, you wanted Amanda gone but it was Alexendrea who got the boot.

In the third battle, it matched Kady Malloy vs. Alaina Whitaker. Both were really bad but Kady is much worse. And Alaina was sent home.

In the final challenge, it pitted Robbie Carrico vs. Luke Menard. Again, who cares. It was Robbie sent packing.

The 4 people not eliminated last night should be 4 to go home next week if all goes according to plan. And there you have it America...we should already know our Top 12 !

Top 10 Girls Perform

Wow, I'm not sure what to say after the girls destroyed the 70's last night. There are so many good songs from the 70's and some of the song choice were head scratchers. Anyway, here's how it went.

First up was Carly Smithson who is by far the most talented girl in the competition. She sings "Crazy On You" by Heart. I thought it started out a bit weak but then it really took off after the first 40 seconds or so. I agree with Simon in a way that she need that "moment" just like David Archuletta had the previous night. Every winner in the past has had that moment. But, what I don't agree with Simon is that the "moment" doesn't need to be so early in the competition. Most people that go deep into American Idol who have that Moment have it happen in the Top 10. Why waste that "moment" now since you are a lock to advance. I'd rather have that "moment" occur deeper into the competition. And, she'll be going deep so I'll be looking forward for that "moment" when it occurs.

Following Carly was Syesha Mercado who sang "Me and Mrs. Jones" by Billy Paul. First of all, who the heck is Billy Paul? Anyone? Bueller? Bueller? Bueller? It was definitely not Syesha's best performance. She had a few good power notes to show off her voice but the verse part of the song was blah. Maybe she should try out for "America's Got Talent" to perform her baby cry that she did so well. I like Syesha and I don't think she'll go home this week but she really needs to step up her game.

Next up was flower girl, Brooke White singing Carly Simon's "Your So Vain" while playing the guitar. I liked the part of the song best when she stopped playing the guitar and just sang. She has a good voice and a good look to her but I don't think her voice is super strong. That being said, she has a good personality and is better than some of the other garbage she is competiting against. She just looks like a pot head. Maybe when she gets eliminated further down the line, we'll see her in Central Park, passing a joint, while singing with Jason Castro. She'll be with us for a few more weeks.

Then came Ramiele Malubay who was one of my favorites last week. This week, she chose to sing "Don't Leave Me This Way" by Thelma Houston. I thought it was an okay song choice for her. But, it was not nearly as good and sharp as the prior week. She hit some great power notes towards the second half of the song to make the performance a bit above average but I was hoping she was going come out with a really strong performance to solidify her status as one of the better singers. She didn't quite do that but I don't think she hurt herself with last night's singing.

And here came Kristy Lee Cook, my preseason pick, who was below average last week. She sings Linda Ronstadt's "You're No Good." I thought it was a bit better than ehhhhh and I wanted to like it more as she has a good look to be an artist to sell CDs. She has a good voice but she needs to improve her stage presence and pick a really great song next week. I'm still rooting for her as I think she can be like a Jordan Sparks from last year who started out a bit slow and then got better and better each week. I do agree with Simon that she should go country so let's see what happens. I'm still in her corner for now as I can't just ditch my early pick so early in the competition.

Oh boy...Amanda Overmeyer is next and you can just drop the "meyer" from her last name cause her ride is "over." She came out and butchered Kansas' "Carry On, My Wayward Son." Wait, before I get into the singing, what was up with the hair? She looked like the bride of Edward Sissorhands. Amanda, it's not Halloween, it's a singing contest. As for the singing, uhhh, I mean yelling, what the hell was coming out of her mouth? Was she even screaming English? It was so bad. She actually could sound like Grace Slick if she really tried but it was such a bad performance that I don't think any song choice last night would have made a difference. She was in the bottom last week so her ride ends this week. Carry on, my wayward Rocker chick. You are like a fart; it just goes away like "dust in the wind."

Then came Alaina Whitaker. She really looks like an uglier version of Carrie Underwood with a gap in her front teeth. Please have that fixed if you make the Top 12. I don't think it worked for Lauren Hutton and it doesn't work for you. She sings Olivia Newton John's "Hopelessly Devoted To You." This performance I didn't love. She was much better last week and that was a surprise as she didn't get a lot of screen time in the auditions round. This performance just bored me. It was the wrong song choice. It was too slow and didn't give her a chance to really belt out the notes. Plus, her voice was pitchy and her blue dress was homely. She's on the bubble this week but I think she'll be around a bit longer.

Next up was Alexandrea Lushington. I hate how they pronounce her first name. She sings "If You Leave Me Now" by Chicago. I want to like her more than I do as I think she has a good look but I compare her to a Vonzell Solomon from season 3 and the voice just doesn't compare. Plus, she gets lost in the crowd of 9 other girls. She just doesn't stand out. Based on last night, there is a chance she cold go home but I'm betting that we'll have another week of Alexandrea.

Hitting the stage next was Kady Malloy singing Heart's "Magic Man." Do you want to see magic Kady? Abracadabra! You are gone! Wow...she just doesn't have what it takes. She's not a terrible singer but she just doesn't have what it takes. She can easily join a band and hit up clubs or bars in a city and do a decent job at that. But as for making it big time? Unless NBC brings back "The Next Great One" (impersonator show), she's not going to be on TV again.

Finally, there was Asia'h Epperson. I didn't love Asia'h as much as the judges last week but I want to like her more as she has a good personality. She chose to sing "All By Myself." And, ouch, it was bad. When I saw that she was performing last, I thought it was going to be great but it was far from that. The song was a complete train wreck. Besides a few power vocals towards the end, the rest of the singing was disastrous. Maybe Asia'h should tour with Jason Yeager so he can go back to Asia where they appreciated his singing. But from where I live and through my ears, it was hard to listen to.

So, the best of the night belonged to Carly Smithson. But the worst three goes to Kady Malloy, Amanda Overmeyer, and Asia'h Epperson. I'll say that Kady and Amanda go home.

Well find out tonight. Until then, Birdman Out.

Top 10 Boys Perform

Since last week was 60's night, this week was 70's night and boy was it disappointing. Listening to an EJ Day CD could have been more soothing to my ears than some of last night's top 10 guys. So, here's how it went down.

The night started off with one of the stronger contestants - Michael Johns. He sings "Go Your Own Way" by Fleetwood Mac. Well, he sung this his own way and it was not good. I'm not sure what went wrong this week. It was really bad vocals. Fleetwood Mac has such a unique sound as a band and the song choice just didn't work for this guy. He should still be okay but I hope they make him sweat it out on Thursday to put a little scare into him.

Jason Castro hit the stage next. I don't get this guy. First of all, a white guy looks ridiculous with dreadlocks. Take a shower and shave that off. Secondly, if you have Rasta hair, your teeth should NOT be as nice. Every tooth was perfectly sculpted and was as white as a marshmellow. Okay, on to the music part. He came out with his guitar and sung "I Just Wanna Be Your Everything." I have to give him some credit...he does strum a good guitar. However, I just don't get the singing. I was shocked how the judges gave him praise last week but they brought him back down to earth this week. His voice just isn't that strong. Still, there was a lot worse this week so he's probably safe. Again, his stage is Central Park, 85 degrees outside, wearing ripped jeans, a stupid t-shirt, a dumb hat, while smoking a joint and plucking his guitar.

So, here cam Luke "Perry" Menard who sings "Killer Queen" by Queen. Freddy Mercury must have been turning over in his grave. This could have been the worst performance of the evening. Yeah, girls may think he's cute but you need a voice to go with the looks. His voice was all over the place. I can't even tell you how many times he crackled. The force was not strong with Luke last night. Actually, the force has never been strong with this Luke.

Following that disaster was Robbie Carrico who sung Foreigner's "Hot Blooded." I thought it was a good song choice for him. He actually looks like Reese Witherspoon with facial scruff. I actually thought he did a good job. Is he going to win American Idol? Absolutely not. Will he make the Top 6 boys? I think he has a good chance. I think next week for the 80's, he needs to come out and blow us all away. What would be perfect for his voice is Poison's "Every Rose Has It's Thorn" which could vault him deeper into the competition.

Then came Danielle Noriega. She just rubs me the wrong way. His looks are creepier than Sanjaya. He should be performing at Lucky Cheng's (Drag Club) in the city. He came out in this vest and sung "Superstar" which was the wrong song choice. Ruben Studdard did a great job with that song in Season 2 and Danielle just butchered it. The performance was queer and the singing was horrific. There is no market out there for this guy. He's not good enough to sell CDs and he's not bad enough to even make a mock CD ala William Hung. He's just gonna get the boot one of these weeks and go back to whatever the heck he does. I was shocked that the judges thought he was better than last week. But, there were a few people worse than him last night so we are probably stuck with him for another week.

Up next was David Hernandez who was good last week but definitely stepped it up a notch this week singing "Papa Was A Rolling Stone." He did a great job. First of all, girls are gonna love this kid. Secondly, his voice is really good. He's one of the top 4 guys easily. The trick for David is to be consistent and to grow each week. Now, that's 2 solid performances and next week, he needs to take it to even another level. But, I like this guy. He's a lock to continue on this journey. At the time, it was definitely the best vocal of the night.

We then took a step backwards with Jason Yeager. They had said that he performs with a group that has gone to Japan twice. Oh, these poor Japanese people had to listen to this guy two times. He "sang" "Long Train Running" and it was boring, weak, and cheesy. His dance movies were one of the most pathetic in 7 years of American Idol. It was a Disney float performance. It couldn't have even of been performed on Off Off Off Broadway. Nothing was good about the performance except when it ended. This could be the last we see of Jason.

Then came Chikezie Eze, or Mini Ruben. I'm not a huge Chikezie fan and hated his blue shirt with florescent green collars. He sung "I Believe To My Soul" which I've never heard of before. And, he did okay compared to the week prior. I don't love this guy as he's not nearly as good as Ruben, or for that matter, George Huff. But, Chikezie has personality which will keep him around another week. He had the line of the night after Simon was making fun of his suit last week asking if he's ever wear it again. Chikezie responded that he'd never wear an outfit twice on TV and that only Simon would do that. It was a quick, funny response. So, the response gets him my vote for this week. I still don't think he's a great singer, nor do I think he'll be in the Top 12 but as for this week, he definitely bought himself another week.

Next up was another of my favorites. If you recall, back in the audition round, I had said, "We could be listening to the next American Idol" and David did nothing last night not to believe that he has a chance. With his guitar he sings "All Right Now" and he did a fantastic job. It was the perfect song choice for his voice. He had good stage presence and got the crowd involved in the song as well. It didn't bother me about his crossword puzzle fetish. Hey, that's much better than a foot fetish. I didn't like when he got defensive with Simon as that never looks good but hopefully it will be forgotten. Again, this guy is like a baseball flying off the bat of David Wright...he's going deep, deep, deep.....

Finally, David Archuletta performed John Lennon's "Imagine" and this is a performance that will be remembered all season. It was unique and was top notch. The girls went wild when he completed his performance. I really believe that he will be standing there in May's finale. He really has his act together for a 16 year old. Plus, he's S.F.H. - So Freggin Happy - all the time. How can you not like this guy.

So, gone Thursday night should be Luke Menard and Jason Yeager but I'm still rooting for Danielle Noriega to be gone.

Well...bring on the girls. Until then, Birdman Out.

First 4 Eliminated

I was 3 for 4. But I knew they weren't getting rid of Danielle (Daniel).

Idol Recap: Top 12 Girls Perform

Three of my favorite non-winners of the prior 6 seasons have been girls - Tamayra Gray, LaToya London, and Vonzell Solomon. There has been three girls I've loathed - Fantasia Barrino, Paris Bennett, and Mikelah Gordon. What will we get tonight? Will it be rememberable? Or will they just fade away like a Julia DeMato, Camille Velasco, or Stephanie Edwards.

The girls have won 4 of the 6 seasons of American Idol so the odds are that a few of these girls will stand out. I'm just hoping we don't have a Final 3 like we did in season 3 where we were left with Jasmine Trias, Diana DeGarmo and Fantasia Barrino. We can't do much worse than that...right? Last night was a bit interesting as some of the girls had the flu so I'm not sure what to officially think. Here's how the girls performed:

My preseason favorite, Kristy Lee Cook, was up first. She is one of the girls who has the flu. She came out looking good and sung "Rescue Me." I was actually a bit disappointed. I thought she was going to do much better. I think her cold affected her voice but I still think she will be better next week when she recovers from her illness. This was like David Hernandez' performance the night before when he was first. It was good but it was not groundbreaking. Part of that must have been the nerves to be on stage first. As far as I'm concerned, the Cook is still in the house.

Joanne Borgella was next to hit the stage. She's far from Kimberly Lock. She's not even close to Mandisa. Maybe, at best, she's LaKisha Jones. But really, it was not that good. She sang "I Say I Little Prayer" and I did pray afterwards that she'd be going home soon. The song choice was bad. It was too much a Keroeke song. The voice was off and she really didn't do much on the stage. She won't be with us long. It's just a matter of time.

Following Joanne was Alaina Whitaker who is only 16. She looks a bit older than that. She actually looks a bit like Carrie Underwood but with a gap in her front teeth. Come on Alaina, you knew you were going to be on this show a few weeks ago. Go to a dentist and get your tooth bonded. She performed "More Today Than Yesterday." He voice is actually not terrible. I actually thought she had a nice voice. My problem is that she's no different than Carrie and not as strong. So, basically, we've been there, done that. She could be on the bubble for the Top 6 girls. The jury is still out on Alaina.

Next up is Amanda Overmyer. She's the biker chick that looks like a bigger version of Nikki McKibbin. I'm not a huge fan of this girl. She yelled "Baby, Please Don't Go." I'm not sure what the heck was going on with this performance. It was horrific. She didn't show off her voice. She screamed the entire song and I couldn't make out a single lyric. The judges like her because she is different. I can't stand it. For me, she's Fantasia Barrino - different with a voice that makes me want to walk out of the livingroom and into the kitchen. She could go far based on originality but I hope and I pray that her yelling causes sever laryngitis so I don't have to hear another word come out of her mouth. By the way, was she singing English last night? I almost turned on "Closed Caption For The Hearing Impaired" last night so I could see the lyrics that she was yelling.

Following that screaming-fest was Amy Davis. We actually did see her early in the auditions but I barely remembered her. After her performance last night, I still barely remembered her. She sang "Where The Boys Are" and it was not great. It was so slow, boring, flat, pitchy, zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz. Sorry, I just fell asleep. She could be the first to get eliminated. It was really bad.

Then came Brooke White. Remember her...she's the girl who's never seen an R rated movie. Oye Vey. Figures she'd sing a song called "Happy Together" which David Cooke performed so well the previous night. It was by no means as good as David's but it was far from a terrible performance. It was a bit above average. She's a big question mark as to whether she makes the Top 6 girls or not. I'd like to see her sing a more recent song next week.

And here came Alexandrea Lushington. She has a Latoya Londonish look to her. She sang "Spinning Wheel" and did a good job. I thought she had fun on the stage and put on a good performance. Simon didn't love it but give this girl something a bit more recent and she could be a dark horse this season to make a good run.

Here came Kady Malloy, the Britney impersonator. She's one of the many blondes in this competition. If you had to line her up against some of the other blondes, Kristiy and Brooke are both better. She sings "Groovy Kind Of Love." What she has in her favor is a good look to her. If she survives this week, she better hope that next week's theme is pop music of the 80's or 90's which would benefit her. But, if they go country, she's dead in the water. She looked like she was going to cry when the judges gave her the critique. Awwwwwwww, Kady, do you need a Kleenex?

Up next was Asia'h Epperson. Her dad had passed away right before her original audition. I hated her song choice of "Piece Of My Heart." It was such a shower performance. Can't you see her in the shower singing this song into her shampoo bottle? Sucks about her dad but if she sings like that again, she'll have more time to visit the grave site. Ouch...that wasn't nice of me. I actually think she is much better than she did last night. Let's hope she's better if she sticks around another week. I was shocked that the judges loved her performance. I really thought it was weak.

My favorite person of the night was so unexpected. It belonged to Ramiele Malubay who sang "You don't Have To Say You Love Me." She got it right when it came to song choice. This song is old but it would still work if someone released this song today. She has a great voice and a really cute look to her. I totally underestimated her in the auditions and she's now one of my favorites. She's a lock for the Top 6 girls. She would blow away Jasmine Trias in a head to head competition.

It had to be hard to follow Ramielle but Syesha Mercado was up for the task. She has this Nadia Turner look to her but her voice is much stronger. She was sick and still belted out "Tobacco Road." I wasn't sure where she was going with the song when it started off but she ended on a high note. Another lock for the Top 6.

Finally, the last performer was Carly Smithson. She's been getting a lot of heat for having a recording contract with MCA records that failed and that she' getting a 2nd chance. For me, that doesn't matter. There have been contestants of the past that have made their own CDs and have been signed. I'm ignoring all of that and just focusing on her performance. She sang "The Shadow Of Your Smile." She is the most seasoned performer of the bunch and I think the judges were a little harder on her so she pushes herself even more to get better. She's really in a class by herself in terms of stage presence and singing ability. She's gonna have some performances this season that are going to just blow us away. Last night was just safe but she's going to go really deep.

So, here's my predictions who make the Top 6 girls:
1. Carly Smithson
2. Ramiele Malubay
3. Syesha Mercado
4. Kristy Lee Cook
5. Amanda Overmyer
6. Huh...it could be any one of the following: Brooke White, Asia'h Epperson, Alaina Whitaker, or Alexandrea Lushington. I'll wait to next week to pick one of them.

As for who is going home? It's Amy Davis and Joanne Borgella.

Catch ya later. Birdman Out.