Idol Chatter & Voice Views

So, I’m checking out comments on a few Idol sites today, places like MJ’s Big Blog and DialIdol.com, and it dawned on me. The finals are still a week away, and folks are already picking favorites among these Idols.

They’re taking sides. They’re arguing about why one contestant is better than the other. They’re making cases about why certain contestants should be shown the door.

And, hey, we enter round three of the ladies’ semifinals with some intriguing questions.

After last week’s “Lean On Me” disaster, will Didi dip into her bag of tricks and dust off another DioGuardi tune?

Can Crystal keep Simon smiling, never an easy feat, let alone for three straight weeks?

A year ago, that’s what was missing on Idol. This build-up to the finals. Remember that silly format?

We saw a different group of singers each week. Contestants were making the finals based on one performance. The finals rolled around. We knew about the contestants’ various backgrounds. We didn’t know whether they could hold a tune for three straight weeks.

So thanks again, Idol, for going back to the old and better ways of doing things. It’s been a huge improvement.

Which brings us to tonight’s show. I figure there are four contestants worth watching very, very closely. Those being: Paige Miles, Didi Benami, Katie Stevens and Lucky Lacey Brown. I figure they are vying for the final two ladies’ spots in the finals.

Crystal Bowersox, Lilly Scott, Katelyn Epperly and Siobhan Magnus look like a sure thing … as long as their supporters take nothing for granted. If you missed this week’s rankings and want to check back, here’s the link.

Anyone who watched Simon’s appearance on Leno will know what that was about.

Katie Stevens: She’ll open things up singing “Breakaway,” one of my favorite Kelly Clarkson tunes. She slowed down the song, when I wanted to hear her cut loose. For one of the girls on the bubble, I don’t think that was great. Randy hits the nail on the head — sing Kelly Clarkson, and you’re likely to pale in comparision. That wasn’t as bad as Paige’s “Walk Away.” But that might not be good enough to make the finals. To top it off, Katie’s in the death spot, singing in the number one hole. Grade: C-

Siobhan Magnus: She’s singing “The House of the Rising Sun,” a song she grew up hearing her father sing to the piano. Wow, wonder if he sang it this well. That was a wonderful, controlled, masterful performance. Until tonight, I didn’t get Siobhan. Tonight, I did. That is the new best among the girls this year. And another big note near the end. Grade: A

Lacey Brown: I’ve dubbed her Lucky Lacey because there’s no way she should have survived the last two weeks. But no doubt, the judges are on target with their assessment. That version of “The Story” was her best during the semifinals. Lacey looks great and has a distinctive voice. I think we just saw an example of why the judges put her in the semifinals.

That was pretty sleepy though. And you have to wonder if it was memorable enough for someone singing third in the competition, someone who came in needing to win over voters to make the finals. Grade: B-

Katelyn Epperly: After last week’s sleepy “The Scientist,” Katelyn decides to take on something upbeat, “I Feel the Earth Move.” Funny, one of the last lines was “tumbling down.” Vocally, I don’t think that was as good as her vocals the last two weeks. I still think Katelyn should make the finals. Love her look. Love that she plays all these instruments. But that performance fell flat. Simon compliments her hair, not her performance. Grade: C.

Next up, two ladies I think are on the bubble, Didi Benami and Paige Miles.

Didi Benami: Hey, no Kara DioGuardi song. She’s going to try to sing “Rhiannon.” OK, is this wise, taking on Stevie Nicks’ signature song? How can a gal hope to sound good compared to the original? And, just as Katie did with “Breakaway,” Didi’s slowing it down and sucking the juice out of the song. Remember how Stevie used to end that song with the wild Welch Witch routine. Didi took it in the opposite direction. Certainly better than last week, but good enough to be finals worthy? Randy didn’t love it; Kara and Simon did. This time, I’m with Randy. Grade: B-

Paige Miles: She’ll keep up the trend of slow, sleepy numbers. Nothing like giving us a little razzle, dazzle, huh? She’s singing “Smile.” Not badly at first. Not memorably. And the end sort of fell apart with lots of pitchy, pitchy moments. Poor Paige might have just missed out on her chance of making the finals. Instead she turns in what Simon calls a “peanut performance.” Grade: D

Crystal Bowersox: The frontrunner from Ohio is going to bring out the electric guitar and sing some Tracy Chapman. Hopefully, she’ll end the string of sleepy songs. Come on, Crystal, you can do it. She’ll sing “Give Me One Reason.” We’ve heard the judges criticize some of the contestants for not knowing who they are. Crystal knows who she is. Wow! Wow! Wow! Simon just called her the contestant to beat. No doubt about it. Grade: A+

Lilly Scott: Come on, Lilly, end this show on a good note, singing “I Fall To Pieces.” The Patsy Cline classic? Hmm, interesting choice. Not sure it’s what I want to hear Lilly sing. But, hey, decent vocal, even if she sounded sharp in a couple of spots. Simon, again, calls it right: There was never going to be a wow factor in that performance, no matter how well she sang it. The only wow was the song choice. Grade: B.