Idol Chatter & Voice Views

American Idol’s Top 8 take on Billboard hits tonight, and they’ll have plenty of help.

In addition to the weekly pep talk from Scott Borchetta, they’ll get help from a trio of hit-makers.

That would include the country duo Florida-Georgia Line and Jason Derulo. I’ll be interested to see how that works.

Regardless, I’ll be doling out the usual song-by-song grades for the Idols, while stealing a glimpse at what’s going on over on NBC during commercial breaks as The Voice names its Top 12.

And it’s time for some singing …

1. Jax: OK, Jax, time for something memorable. Something that people will remember two hours from now. She’s going to sing “Poker Face.” And, once again, she’s made the song her own, based on what we’re hearing from the rehearsal. Yep, she made it her own. Not sure that was the greatest idea in the world. This song was hugely popular, and Jax’s version was barely recognizable. Give her an A for originality, not sure the execution was quite as good. Keith likes her originality. Jennifer asks a relative question: Would you hear that version on the radio today? The answer is a no. Jennifer didn’t love it. Harry didn’t love it either. I’m with Jennifer and Harry. Grade: C

2. Nick Fradiani: The mentors have Nick looking into the mirror to try to be seem more comfortable on stage. He says he’s comfortable, even if he doesn’t seem so. Nick has decided to sing Katy Perry’s “Teenage Dream.” Harry isn’t quite sure about the song choice. I’m equally confused. But Nick’s turning in another decent performance. At one point there, he seemed to run out of breath while tackling these rapid-fire lyrics. And he winds up with another solid, but not spectacular performance. Still a little baffled by the song choice. Jennifer liked the way he changed the song. Harry liked the energy, but likes it when he tackles grittier lyrics. Keith liked the spirit of the performance. Grade: B

3. Quentin Alexander: He says he’s excited to do “something different.” As though he’d do anything else. He’s going to sing “Latch.” And he’s followed Harry’s advice, perhaps, in toning down his unique look. Following Jason Derulo’s advice, Quentin shows off his falsetto. Well, he showed off more range than normal, but I did not love that performance. Harry says there are still some pitch issues, but liked the song choice. Keith thought it was a great performance. Jennifer calls him an artist with a capital “A.” Hmm, the judges liked it more than I did. Grade: B–

4. Joey Cook: She’s going to sing “Wrecking Ball,” and she’s promising that she won’t change the arrangement. And the mentors are giving Joey a little grief over her “crab hands.” Yes, Joey. This is going to be special. But you’re doing that thing with your hand again. Who cares? Her voice sounds great on this. And you could tell she was emotionally invested in the performance, too. Keith liked it overall, but wishes the chorus had been bigger. Jennifer says she did a good job with the song and liked the different quality of her voice. Harry called it an okay vocal. Grade: B+

5. Clark Beckham: Clark is going to sing “Make It Rain” by Ed Sheeran. Jason is encouraging him to act more like a preacher on stage. He wants him to command the stage and preach to the audience. Yep, folks, we’re in for another fine performance by Clark. Not sure that guitar solo was the greatest idea, considering how condensed these Idol performances already are. But he sure came back with a memorable ending, didn’t he? Nice bluesy tone to that and another great vocal. Jennifer calls it “so amazing.” But she wants him to be a “little bit cooler.” Harry called it “very good.” Keith says “killed” the ending. Grade: A–

6. Tyanna Jones: She’s going to sing “Stay” by Rihanna. She says she’s going to be thinking of her grandmother while performing this song. Scott Borchetta wants her to show more emotion in this performance. Really strong opening for Tyanna. Well, Tyanna is back. That was her best performance in weeks. And you could tell it was heartfelt. Look at the tears at the conclusion. Harry called it “extremely touching.” Keith likes the maturity in her voice. Jennifer calls her voice heavenly and says “everything came together in the right way.” Hey, I think Tyanna just scored the best performance of the night. Grade: A

That means tonight’s bottom two is Qaasim and Rayvon. And it’s time for the instant save.

7. Rayvon Owen: He’ll sing “Set Fire to the Rain,” saying he wants to show some passion and emotion. Interesting. The last 15 seconds were fantastic. Before that, though, I found myself questioning whether that was a good song choice for Rayvon. It wasn’t as good as last week. Will it be good enough? Grade: B–

8. Qaasim Middleton: He calls last week the worst performance of his life. This week, he’s performing “Hey, Ya.” Scott says he’ll have to deliver a great vocal performance. OK, he isn’t. Between the faces he’s making and the notes that are flying all over the place, this is easily the night’s weakest performance. Qaasim throws in some interesting dance moves, but this isn’t “So You Think You Can Dance.” Grade: D

Let’s save Rayvon, folks.

And the save goes to Rayvon.