So much to say, right? Thank you Jocelyn, for getting the Sunjayahawk mess out of the way so I don't have to talk about it.

Gwen Stefani was the guest, which I think was a plus, because when she said that she likes music that doesn't require a big voice, that meant to me that we probably weren't going to be seeing what I call the "Star Search" big note and hand reaching for the sky move at the end of every. frikkin. song. (Really. You can check the old school mullet-licious Sam Harris on this YouTube video, reaching for the stars with two hands, people. That's talent.)

So LaKisha kicked it all off with Donna Summer, and looked a bajillion times better (and hotter, frankly) than last week. She is the Diva out of all of them, obviously. Though the sad part about watching her last night was the idea that she could have a viable career singing for European producers on House tracks for the rest of her life. But I don't think that's what she was going for.

I wanted to like Chris Sligh this week. But even before he started singing "Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic," which is not even my favorite Police song, when Ryan Seacrest asked that eternal rhetorical question Who's Going Home This Week, he was the first name to pop into my head. I mean, you can only hold on to the Blues Traveler vibe for so long, dude. And as a classically trained musician, watching him mess up the rhythm of that song made it hard for me to not want to change the channel.

You know, Gina made a good choice this week with The Pretenders. I didn't agree it was her best performance (I still think her Evanescence performance during the elimination shows was the best one), but it's one that was strong enough to keep her safe.

We're skipping over Sunjaya from now on. Call it a hunger strike, except that I'm training for a 5K next month, so I'm not recapping. But I'm eating like a mofo, believe it.

Haley decided she was going back to "Who are you again?"-type of singing last night. I mean, "True Colors"? Seriously? She's bottom 3 on DialIdol, bottom 3 on all other recaps, and she's bottom 3 in my heart. I mean, you could see it in the little cut to Sabrina in the audience during the show: this bitch needs to go home.

Phil Stacey did "Every Breath You Take," a great Police tune (up there, but not my favorite), and there really isn't a whole lot you can do with that song other than re-arrange it, and I'm sure after the stuff we've been seeing Blake and Sligh do over the past month, he's staying far away from that noise. The feeling is that he'll be bottom 3, but will stay, but if he doesn't go home this week, it'll be in the next 2 weeks.

Melinda did some Donna Summer too, and just seemed to breeze through it with no problems. I wasn't a big fan of the outfit, but she pulled it off okay. I'm kinda hoping at this point the voters don't get lazy and pull off a Daughtry.

Blake. I said last week I'm a little over his schtick by now. And when they mentioned The Cure in the opening bump of the show, I knew he was going to be the Cure person this show. And to make it worse, it was the boring 311 arrangement of the song. I lovelovelove The Cure, and I had to change the channel. I could've been listening to the original on my computer and been completely happy with it. But he'll stay in because the ladies love him.

It was hard watching Jordin, I have to say. We all know what she was trying to go for, but I think she showed us last night, and I hate to say it, that she needs some training to be able to sing that kind of upbeat music and roam around the stage for 3 minutes at a time. But she's super cute and wins the award for Most Improved, so I don't think she'll be going anywhere.

I almost forgot about Chris Richardson being the last person on the show, and almost switched the TV off after Jordin. But. He gets a A for effort on the arrangement, but I'm also done with his Justin-ing of his vocals. He just can't get the blue-eyed soul thing down. I say bottom 3.

Who might be going home? Either of the Chrises, or Haley. There's a rumor tonight may be a shocker elimination, and if that's the case, it's gotta be Gina or Jordin.

Labels: American Idol, Paula Abdul, Randy Jackson, Ryan Seacrest, Simon Cowell

posted by Kari at 1:53 PM