Top 20 Idol Performances

The seventh season of American Idol continued on Tuesday night with performances by the top 10 male contestants, and again on Wednesday with the top 10 ladies. This week the theme was music from the ‘70s (how original, considering last week focused on the decade prior). Overall, many contestants seemed dedicated to improving; some hit a plateau; and others were just horrible…again.

Last week Garret Haley and Colten Berry were sent home; they were two of the guys I predicted to be in the danger zone. As for the females, Amy Davis and Joanne Borgella were sent packing.


(Above: The beautifully imaginative David Archuleta. Don't you just want to hug him & take him home?)
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The Guys



This year it’s difficult to measure which group is better, the guys or the girls. The easy thing to decide is which group is more entertaining. And hands down, I’d so much rather watch the guys rock out on the Idol stage.

The worst: Even though he improved his vocals from last week, Jason Yeager was once again the worst of the bunch. Most disturbing of all were his theatrics and spastic dance moves. Hopefully, this will be his last week stealing another contestant’s slot on the show.

A majority of the guys’ performances were decent. However, along with Yeager, Robbie Carrico was a weak performer and was far from “Hot Blooded,” as he still hasn’t convinced anyone that’s he a true rocker. Luke Menard is also still someone to worry about. His “Killer Queen” performance was so-so. It was the perfect song for his range, but it didn’t flatter him in any other way. Plus, despite his spunk and surprisingly good voice, Danny Noriega has yet to measure up.


The Best: Tonight was the night of the Davids. David Archuleta’s rendition of Lennon’s infamous “Imagine” was innovative and beyond beautiful. David Hernandez stepped up from last week and gave a stirring performance of “Papa was a Rolling Stone.” And finally, David Cook proved that he is this year’s true rocker. Early favorites Michael Johns and Jason Castro fell slightly from their pedestals created last week; however, they should still be safe. Another performance worth mentioning was Chikezie’s; he’s also here to stay.

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The Girls


The Worst: Once again, Kady Malloy gave a disappointing performance, and is in danger of elimination. Bringing down most of the girls was poor song selection, leaving many of them unsettled. Alexandrea Lushington was okay, though she, like many others, didn’t live up to last week’s performances. Asia’h Epperson committed a dire Idol no-no, singing the overdone “All By Myself” that was too big for her voice. Amanda Overmeyer sported crazy hair and seemed to hit a plateau.

The Best: There were only two standout performances. One was from Irish sweetheart Carly Smithson who sang Heart’s “Crazy On You.” The other came from beauty school dropout, Brooke White as she sang the classic “You’re So Vain.” Syesha Mercado and Alaina Whitaker weren’t as good as last week, but they’ll still be safe. Kristy Lee Cook improved, while Ramiele Maluby also fell victim to poor song choice; though, she is most likely safe as well.

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This week some contestants truly stepped up, while others fell from their initial grace. Overall, the guys have shown the most improvement and consistency. Unfortunately for the ladies, Wednesday night really had only two performances worth remembering. The rest fell flat (and off-key). It is becoming very difficult to pick the ones to be eliminated. For both guys and girls, the competition to get into the Top 12 is already heated, and from there, it’s only going to get more exciting and nerve-wracking.

Tune in Thursday night at 8pm for the results on FOX.