TVSquad

I kind of like the beginning of American Idol these days. The judges enter on the stage, so we get to see whatever awesome dress Paula is wearing. Not sure about last week's tutu, but I like her tulip-inspired red dress tonight.

Then Ryan descends from a big long stairway on the stage, like he's some old-time movie star or something. It's a little weird and cheesy, but also kind of fun. The theme this week is wide open, with the contestants choosing any song that's a popular download on iTunes. Let's get to it.

Anoop Desai started things off with Usher's "Caught Up." He cranked the pop factor up a few notches and showed that he's got the chops to switch it up a bit. Randy's a little torn and doesn't like the song choice. Kara thinks it's like a bunch of "frat guys dared you to get up and do Usher." Paula loves his more playful side, but says Anoop's stage presence needs a little work. Simon thinks it's "a complete and utter mess," saying, "It actually gave me a headache."



Megan Joy Corkrey sang Bob Marley/Lauren Hill's "Turn Your Lights Down Low." She's a beautiful girl, but she's got this distracting array of necklaces atop a blue bustier-type top. It's kind of hard to concentrate on her voice, but I'm still a fan of her voice, which reminds me of Duffy's voice, only without the control. Kara thinks she's in trouble, and the audience gets a little tense and starts heckling Kara. Paula says she needs to dig deeper and do a song with just her on a stool with a spotlight and no distracting movements. Simon says the song was boring, indulgent and monotonous. The crowd again heckles. Randy says it was like watching paint dry. Ok, I don't think it was that bad! I kind of liked the song AND her voice, so maybe they're hearing something different in the studio than I'm hearing out here. But Megan isn't too put off by the judges' harsh comments, and tells her fans to vote for her.

Danny Gokey sang "What Hurts the Most" by Rascal Flatts. The toned-down song featured a beautiful solo by a violinist on the side of the stage. Really nice, and the audience loves it, too. Paula says this is the type of song where Danny shines, and Simon calls it his best performance. "Get a great song, sing it brilliantly, and do your version," advises Simon to all the contestants. Randy loves it, but says it's ok for Danny to keep his "swagger moving" and rock the mic stand. Simon tells Danny to ignore Randy's comments. Kara says Danny moved everyone in the room emotionally.

Allison Iraheta sang "Don't Speak" by No Doubt, accompanying herself on the guitar. She's sporting a wild shag hairdo and mini-dress over leggings and white heels. With the shadowy lighting, she rocks it out. I haven't heard Allison give a bad performance, and she brings it again tonight. Randy thinks she was rushing the band a little, and says, "Dude, what are you wearing?!" Kara says it doesn't matter what she's wearing, she can sing. Paula says her vocal prowess rivals singers twice her age, and she's "skating by and going right to the finish line." Simon says her outfit is something out of the Adams Family, like she's playing dress-up.

Scott Macintyre sang Billy Joel's "Just the Way You Are," accompanying himself on the piano with no back-up from the band. Scott has such a beautiful voice, and I love this performance. Kara says he made some smart decisions tonight by picking that song, stripping it down, and just singing to the audience. She also loves his new look (he got a haircut!). Out of all the contestants, Paula says she's most proud of Scott, because when he sings, she forgets about his physical challenges. Simon says it's his best performance so far. Randy agrees. I want to play the song back and hear it again. I'll do that after I finish this review.

Matt Giraud sang The Fray's "You Found Me," hoping not to end up in the bottom three like last week. He accompanies himself on a keyboard placed in the middle of the audience, which is really cool. The girls surrounding him clearly love it. He's got the perfect "Fray" voice, and hits a couple high notes that I didn't know existed. The judges think the exact opposite of me (are we watching the same program?). Paula appreciates the contemporary song, but calls it a sound-alike to The Fray. The crowd heckles again. Simon calls it uptight and uncomfortable, and says Matt should be happy because the judges don't like him this week (meaning, the voters will). Randy says it's the wrong song. Kara says he's a talented guy who doesn't deserve to go home.

Lil Rounds sang Celine Dion's "I Surrender." I'm not crazy about her dress. She looks like she's going to a toga party. But I've always loved Lil's voice, and it's big enough to tackle Celine Dion. Randy didn't like the song choice initially, but says she sang it well. He wants her to "young it up a little bit." Kara loves it, but Paula wants to see a younger Lil. Simon says it was like a wedding song. Ryan talks to Lil's kids in the audience, and Lil weeps onstage as Randy hugs one of her kids!

Adam Lambert sang "Play That Funky Music." After his stripped-down performance last week (which I was crazy about), he funks it up this week. He has such a strong stage presence, it really doesn't matter what he sings - it's always magnificent. The crowd goes wild, and Paula dances it out. She pants and compares him to Mick Jagger and Steven Tyler. Simon says it was brave. Randy thought the song might be corny, but he worked it out and is "in the star zone." Adam praises Ricky Miner and the Band. Kara says she can't wait to see what Adam does every week.

Kris Allen sang "Ain't No Sunshine," accompanying himself on the piano with string players surrounding him. I love all the different setups tonight. This is one of my favorite songs, and Kris does a great job with it. I wasn't that crazy about him at the beginning of the competition, but he's now one of my favorite singers. Randy says it was one of the best performances, and Kara says "that was artistry!" Paula says he took a 30-year old song and made it new again. Simon loves the arrangement, and says Kris' confidence is getting better and better.

My favorites tonight: Danny Gokey, Scott Macintyre, Adam Lambert, and Kris Allen. If I had to pick one to go home, it would be Anoop. What about you?