Tim Urban and Katie Stevens rounded out the bottom three this week. Tune in next week to see who makes American Idol’s top 8.

On a good note: Mia Michaels will be back on “So You Think You Can Dance” this season – along with previous performers who will compete with new contestants. Announcements have been made that Twitch (a fan favorite) will be one of those to return. I think the changes will be good for the show and certainly give our favorite dancers more opportunities to shine.

Kara mentioned to Casey that he did a great job, but she wanted more and for him to “show it all” (obviously meaning to showcase his vocal range more) – but Ryan made it extremely awkward by pointing out that Kara wasn’t meaning for him to “show it all” as indicated by her comments in the past. Ugh. Kara burst out “Are you kidding me? Are you kidding me?” and you could feel the tension. I think network officials should give a reminder that those comments are not only inappropriate and make the contestants feel uncomfortable, but also make audience members feel awkward – can you say “sexual harassment”? Poor Casey – he doesn’t really respond but it’s obvious to everyone that he’s wishing the focus was on his music. I think they are heading towards a lawsuit if they don’t knock it off.

Of course it could be much worse, and I’m not personally “offended” – but it is inappropriate behavior and with so many young and impressionable fans – should be stopped.

On to my reviews for the performances…

I loved that Usher was the mentor for this week – he not only gave great feedback and actual mentoring to contestants – he showed why he’s a superstar – genuine and connecting with the music as well as the audience. I love his personality – not a huge fan of his style of music – but he seems very nice as a person.

Siobhan Magnus seemed to struggle with her performance. I felt bad for her as the judges were very critical. Simon even called her performance “manslaughter”. That is harsh criticism. I like her and think she’s very talented, but she was not up to par tonight.

Casey James actually did a great job. His song choice fit his voice perfectly and he looked like he was having fun. I felt as though I was at a concert rather than watching an audition.

I love Michael Lynche. His voice is smooth and velvety and its always a pleasure to listen to him sing.

Didi Benami is at risk in my opinion. I felt bad for her that she followed the incredible Michael Lynche whose voice tone is so pleasing. The comparison was not kind to Didi – as her song choice wasn’t great and she seemed to falter a bit. The judges even commented that it kind of “flatlined” and she “lost her way.”

Tim Urban … what can I say? Judges were harsh and the criticism was well-deserved, but Tim took it all in stride with his smiles and even a bit of laughter. When it came time for Simon to judge his performance, he said, “It doesn’t matter what we say. It’s like a mouse taking on an elephant – you’re not going to win – but you’ll keep on smiling and people will vote for you… and we’ll see you next week… good job.” It was actually quite funny and perhaps a true – but it’s apparent that Tim should be pursuing a career where he can be adored by screaming young girls and not perhaps be focused on singing.

Andrew Garcia is back! He got some great advice from Usher about connecting to the audience – and he followed through. His performance was amazing and he showed us why we liked him so much in Hollywood. Andrew has been redeemed.

Katie Stevens. She is a cute girl – but I still felt that she hasn’t quite found her niche. The song was too big, or too old, or she didn’t have enough soul to be singing it. Something was just not quite “there” for me. Even though she did a pretty good job, I think she’s at risk this week.

Lee DeWyze – absolutely and completely my favorite performance of the whole night. I loved Usher’s counsel to Lee that he needs to believe in himself and realize that he deserves to be there. I love his voice and loved his song choice. Everything was awesome – I just wish I could buy the song right now – but have to wait a few days for it to be available. (Note: I went on iTunes to see if I could download the song – and discovered that Lee already has a couple of older albums out — pretty cool — so now I can listen to his older music while I wait for him to win “hopefully” and release a new album.)

Crystal Bowersox – Crystal’s big surprise was that she put away her guitar… and instead played the piano. She did a great job – but I don’t think it truly did the job it was supposed to – to get her to connect with the audience without something in the way… this week instead of the guitar in the way, she was now behind a huge piano – again with her eyes closed for most of the song. But she did get up and stand as well and that went pretty well – but it was apparent she was not as comfortable as she typically was when she had her guitar. She said she was comfortable, but I didn’t get that vibe. Nonetheless, she did a great job as always.

Aaron Kelly. Usually producers save the best performances for last – to end the competition on a high note. And after hearing Aaron Kelly’s rehearsal session with Usher, I had great hopes and high expectations. I was truly expecting him to shine, but was a bit disappointed as his voice felt tight and he didn’t really shine. I think he had the potential but either he was nervous or just having an off night.

Lee DeWyze, Michael Lynche, and Crystal Bowersox were the highlights for me tonight. Casey James, and Andrew Garcia also did great…

I think Didi Benami, Tim Urban, or Katie Stevens will be going home. Who do you think will be leaving?

My take tonight was a bit similar to the judges – I’m wondering where huge talent is  this season. Many are still struggling with determining who they are or who they want to be as an artist. Many are also in need of experience and refining. Some have truly improved, and a few have seemed like stars from the beginning – but there is something strange about this season of American Idol. Maybe Paula Abdul’s absence is having more effect than anticipated … perhaps Paula’s input during auditions and Hollywood has been more vital than we imagined… or maybe her cheering on the contestants brought out the best in them…

Anyway, I’m predicting the top 5 contestants: Michael Lynche, Lee DeWyze, Crystal Bowersox, Casey James, and Siobhan Mangus.

Michael Lynche is already a star to me – I think his performance could have been showcased at the Grammys – he just feels polished.

Crystal Bowersox is amazingly talented. I do agree with Ellen that I hope she can break down whatever barrier is between her and the audience – so we get some connection. That’s the only thing that will hurt her at this point – is distance from fans. She was the best of the night and in a completely different class than some of the others.

Siobhan Mangus – that girl can sing. I love her uniqueness. She is certainly different and I think she could pull off a win if she continues to do well.

Of course Lee DeWyze has the coolest voice of them all. I love the tone and grit in his voice. He does need more experience in performing and song selection – and determining exactly who he is going to be as an artist (I picture Snow Patrol, Daughtry, David Cook type stuff for him).

Casey James – again he’s really talented and I like that he seems confident when he performs. I could easily see him making an album and doing well. Tonight he wasn’t really original in his song but I enjoyed it anyway.

As for who is going home: Please let it be Paige Miles. She’s just out of her league with the others and hasn’t seemed to improve at all – tonight was just painful for all of us. Katie Stevens is improving in her song choice but didn’t blow me away. Andrew Garcia didn’t really have a wow moment and I’m afraid his early fans will jump ship and vote for some of the other contestants who are shining more. Aaron Kelly is getting better. His young tweeny boppers will certainly keep voting for him, even though I thought the song was too big for him. And Tim Urban could do a duet with Miley Cyrus at some point in the future if he can gain the experience he needs so desperately. Didi Benami did pretty good but I find myself tuning out when she performs.

It must be frustrating for the judges this season of American Idol … and they say it week after week… where are the contestants truly FIGHTING for the title? Where is the PASSION? Where is the INTENSITY?

I’m just saying…

I just had a comment on a previous post that the contestants seem to lack diversity. As they introduced the contestants… actually it was a bit skewed to 9 white contestants, 2 black contestants, and 1 Latino. I did think that the talent was skewed to a “vanilla” flavor – but I meant that many seemed to lack a strong identity and a lot of the contestants seemed to sound the same. But this observation from one of my readers, brings up a question…

Do you think there is a lack of diversity on American Idol?

In my opinion from season’s past this hasn’t seemed to be an issue – and I likely would not have noticed it if not for my reader’s comment.

I wonder if Kris Allen’s win last season brought out more of the singer/songwriter contestants or if producers leaned towards that style after seeing Kris’ fan base as buyers of music. Hmmm.. something to consider.

Anyway… on to my critiques for American Idol’s Top 12.

Michael Lynch “Big Mike: I love Michael. My problem tonight is that they are having the contestants perform The Rolling Stones. I mean, unless they completely alter the song to fit their own style and voice – it’s a huge challenge. I don’t really like The Rolling Stones anyway – but comparing a regular performance with the original – really and truly – no one can do it like Mick Jagger. However, Mike did a pretty good job and his personality is simply adorable. I think he’ll get really far in the competition – top 3 for sure.

Didi Benami: I like Didi and she has a cool voice. She did a good job and certainly sings well. I wouldn’t buy an album as it feels that most of her music seems quite the same each week. She’s a cute girl but I don’t think she’ll be around much longer as she doesn’t stand out as a star yet.

Casey James: I like that Casey is a country guy and I hope he stays true to that side of him – even in making a rock song change into a country tune. He actually did a great job – reminded me a bit of some Travis Tritt songs – country with an edge. He’s got the country fan vote and for sure will be around for a while. The thing I liked the most was that the song and performance felt like a Casey James song – rather than something from The Rolling Stones.

Lacey Brown: Boy she was a darling kid. Loved her family and the comment from her dad that she was really shy as a child – but heard someone say: “If you remain shy, you’ll miss your destiny.” Love that quote and the thought behind it. I wanted so much to like her performance but it was just not good. Kind of whiny, pitchy and boring for me. (I’m not sure what the judges were hearing.) It’s sad because I like her personality. But I think she’s at risk to going home this week.

Andrew Garcia: I loved Andrew’s dad – so sweet – you can tell he really cares about his son. It shows that even without money and the advantages of the world – if you are determined, you can do great things. I thought Andrew’s performance was pretty good – it just didn’t fit his personal style very much. I wish he had changed up the song a bit more. But as he’s done that in the past and the judges have told him to not change it up too much – I think he’s likely trying not to change things as much as he has in the past. It’s a hard spot to be in for him – to find that balance. I hope he sticks around because he has a lot of talent.

Katie Stevens: Oh boy, I still can’t believe she stayed and Lilly Scott went home last week. She’s darling but should be going home this week. She just needs more experience, more polish and a definition of what kind of artist she’s going to be. Again… she’s a cute girl… just out of her league, in my opinion.

Tim Urban: Wow – a family with 10 kids. That’s awesome! I could completely see him as the next Disney teen idol (if he could act even a little bit) – but not the next American Idol. He’s adorable and will appeal to the younger girls. The song he performed was okay but forgettable – I did like that he made it different and didn’t try to be one of The Rolling Stones – but it just didn’t blow me away. I can’t call it if he’s going home – because you never quite know what the voting crowd is going to do. But I think he probably should be going home as some of the other guys are much stronger than he is right now. I’d love to see him combine his singing with acting … Disney… are you listening?

Siobhan Magnus: I have to say I was really looking forward to hearing what Siobhan would do with The Rolling Stones. I’m sad to say I was very disappointed with the song choice and performance. It just didn’t showcase her style or her range until the very end – and then reminded me a bit of Adam Lambert’s high notes. Didn’t like it at all. Apparently I was all alone in not liking it – as the judges gushed about everything and said she was the standout performance of the night. Obviously I love her voice and think she sang well – and is unique – but I just didn’t like the song choice. Top 3 and likely could win.

Lee DeWyze: His voice is my favorite of all of the contestants. Even if he doesn’t win the overall competition, I think he’ll have a great career. I absolutely love the quality, tone and raspy coolness of his voice. Can’t wait for his album to come out. The thing I liked about his performance tonight was that he totally made the song his own – it didn’t feel like a Rolling Stones knockoff – he stayed true to his own style. I think his tone was the best he has done – as in past weeks he’s struggled with pitch issues – but it was great this week.

Paige Miles: Paige has a great voice. I just don’t see her as a star yet. I think she’s at risk for going home – and I was actually surprised she stayed around from last week. I did like that there was a little bit of a country twist on the song and she did a good job. I’m not sure her personality has stood out as much as some of the other girls.

Aaron Kelly: He looked so cute with his cowboy hat on as a kid – it kind of made me wonder if he could put a country twist on some of his songs – if that would do well… any thoughts? I did like what he did this week with hair – spiking it out — it made him seem a bit more put together and not quite so young – well done! He could be another teen idol – just like Tim Urban. I don’t see him as a big competitor for American Idol. I think he did the best he’s done in the competition so far tonight.

Crystal Bowersox: That girl can sing. I love that she can make a Rolling Stone song seem like it’s completely her own. She’s extremely talented and I think is a contender for the title. I’m still looking for a little more connection from her – to the audience. Even though she’s amazing… I feel a lack in emotion or genuine expression from her. Her performance was great. I was glad that the judges mentioned that she seemed to feel “too comfortable” and there was a lack of personality – hopefully she’ll show more of herself to connect the fans and not come off as cocky.

So after all is said and done … I don’t really care who gets eliminated as long as it’s not Lee DeWyze, Michael Lynch, or Siobhan Magnus. I will however be surprised if Casey James or Crystal Bowersox get eliminated.

Who do you think should stay or go this week?

My problem with the American Idol girls this year is that most of them seem to be choosing slow, boring, and dragging songs. I haven’t seen many performances that have left me tapping my toes or with a big smile on my face. Most are “nice” or “good” but not many “incredibles” yet.

Crystal Bowersox seems to be a favorite this season – and I have to say I think she is incredibly talented. I like that she knows who she is – and stays true to that. I’m still missing a little “connection” between her and the audience though. I’m not sure if she’s just really reserved, or a little too much into her own groove to “get me” with her music – even though she’s really super talented. Anyone else feel the same way?

Siobhan Magnus. Actually she’s my favorite of the girls. She stays true to her own style and I love that she picks songs where she can showcase not only her vocals, but also her personality a bit. I’m curious about her styling and wonder what the stylists will do when they get a hold of her – but I like her the best. 

Didi Benami is one who is talented and has quite a unique voice actually. I think with the right songs she could really shine. Unfortunately I think her voice tone is so limited that an album would get a bit monotonous for me and I wouldn’t be buying it – maybe a song or two – but not a whole album.

Katelyn Epperly is darling. I really think she’s genuine and feels her music. I think she’s done great so far and I hope she shines more and more each week.

Katie Stevens. She is so cute. But very young and inexperienced. I felt bad for her this week as it just wasn’t very good. I think she’s at risk this week. If she does stay I hope her song is upbeat and has tons of energy – to showcase that she can be a pop star rather than only choosing ballads. But I’m not sure she’ll be around long enough to let us hear that type of song from her.

Lacey Brown. I really liked Lacey during Hollywood week but she hasn’t impressed me as much during the competition. Again it may be the song choices and like the others, she is talented, but I actually don’t remember much.

Lilly Scott. During Hollywood week I thought she would be one to watch. Although I have a hard time getting past her hair – as it’s so colorless white that it feels gray to me – her eyes are gorgeous and her voice is unique. I hope she’ll do better next week as I think she has a star quality about her.

Paige Miles. Oh I felt bad for her this week – it just wasn’t good. I think she’ll be going home.

I know the judges have said many times they think the girls on American Idol this season are stronger than the guys. Do you agree? I actually don’t agree this year – I think the guys are much stronger as a whole, with a few standout girls.