Idol Chatter & Voice Views

American Idol’s Top 11 will become a Top 9 tonight.

But first, the Top 11 will perform songs made famous by artists in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

You have to figure Rae Boyd will be singing for her Idol life tonight. She landed in the bottom two last week and survived only because of a Lionel Richie save.

In my mind, she’s one of the top performers on the show, excelling week after week. But Idol fans love their guitar-slinging guys, so watch out above.

Once again, I’ll be provided song by song grades as the night progresses, so keep checking back to see how your favorites are doing.

See also …
Ranking American Idol’s Top 11
Most popular performances from last week
Song by song grades for the Top 12

Chris Tungseth, 27, Fergus Falls, Minn., “Cold as Ice” by Foreigner: Chris didn’t think his last performance went great. He seems more self-assured as tonight’s performance opens. And did he do someting to accentuate his hair? Chris has a unique sound. Not sure it worked best on this song with this arrangement. Carrie called it a fantastic performance and called it one of her favorite Chris performances. I didn’t like the arragnement. For most of the performance, it seemed as though Chris was trying to break out and the arrangement was holding him back. Grade: B–

Rae Boyd, 24, Frederick, Md., “MacArthur Park” by Donna Summers: Rae says Carrie did this song on Idol. And she knows she needs to deliver after landing in the bottom two last week. Rae begins with a superb vocal, because that’s just what she does. This young lady loves the stage and the stage loves her. I do question the song choice. Of all the rock songs — even Donna Summer songs — this is the one she chooses? That ending was pretty special though, and is a reminder of why she should stay. Grade: B+

Braden Rumfelt, 22, Murphy, N.C., “Superstition” by Stevie Wonder: Braden says his brother told him to go up beat this week, that no one wants to hear another slow song from him. Love Braden’s opening on this. Someone sure gave Braden an injection of self confidence this week. I mean, he strutted across the stage throughout that performance. Again, I wasn’t thrilled with the arrangement. Hey, Idol, if you’re going to switch up these songs, make them better, not worse. But Braden delivered some extra sauce in the words of Lionel Richie. Grade: B

Brooks Rosser, 22, Bel Air, Md., “These Days” by Jackson Browne: Brooks immediately seems a bit more relaxed on stage tonight. I would have lovd to see him go upbeat on rock night, but that probably would have taken him out of his comfort zone. This stripped down arrangement is certainly putting his unique vocals front and center. They are unique, but he looked nervous again at the end. He still needs to just “chill.” Carrie called it “perfection.” They’re billing it as a comeback performance of some sort. He still has a long, long way to go. I want to think he’s enjoying performing, and it’s not coming across that way. It seems more like he’s surviving the performance. Grade: B–

Daniel Stallworth, 27, Moss Point, Mississippi, “Living on a Prayer” by Bon Jovi: Daniel says he had trouble picking a song this week and said it’s the first time he performed a rock song. At least he picked a true rock song. This is the funkiest version of this song you’ll ever hear. And Daniel is delivering a fun performance. He’s even getting down and interacting with the crowd. I actually think he did a very good job with that perfrmances. One of my favorites so far tonight. Carrie called it awesome. Grade: A–

Keyla Richardson, 29, Pensacola, Fla., “Signed, Sealed, Delivered” by Stevie Wonder: The opening and ending of that were brilliant. In between, there was a how lot of shouting going on. But it is rock night, and Keyla certainly rocked out on stage. She got some great advice from the mentors. That soft opening reminded us how special her voice is. After that, Keyla cut loose in what was one of the night’s best performances. Carrie called it awesome. Grade: A–

Lucas Leon, 17, Gallatin, Tenn., “Bennie and the Jets” by Elton John: Brooks, watch Lucas. This is a young man embracing and having fun on stage. He’s taking plenty of liberties with the song. I’m sorta surprised he stayed behind the keys the entire song. The tried and true Idol strategy is to get up midway through and let the vocals take center stage. His ending was fabulous. Luke praised his charisma. Carrie found him entertaining even behind the piano. Grade: B

Kyndal Inskeep, 29, Fishers, Indiana, “Piece of My Heart” by Janis Joplin: Kyndal’s voice is perfect for this song. And I felt she had a bigger chance to make an impact with this song than the other song she considered — “Message in a Bottle” by The Police. I was wrong. That song needed 100 percent more grit. And it isn’t a song to tackle when your voice isn’t up to par. I too wondered by she kept turning away from the audience. That was Kyndal’s shakiest performance on the show. Grade: C

Philmon Lee, 25, LeGrange, Ga., “Hot Blooded” by Foreigner: Philmon took the assignment seriously in terms of song choice. His vocals are on point, but I want him to cut loose on stage. Come on, this song needs attitude. I hearing nice notes and an impressive high note at the end. I was not seeing attitude. Lionel reminds him there’s a difference between singing and performing. And that’s exactly what he needed to hear. Grade: B–

Hannah Harper, 25, Willow Springs, Missouri, “Landslide” by Fleetwood Mac: Hannah says she didn’t grow up listening to rock music. But this is a great song choice for her. Prediction: This will be the best performance on a night that’s delivered a surprising number of misfires. And, yep, she doesn’t do anything really surprising with the song. It’s just a song that fits her like a glove. Lionel calls it a classic song, a classic performance and altogether amazing. Grade: A–

Jordan McCullough, 27, Murfreesboro, Tenn., “Somebody to Love” by Queen: Jordan said he listened to the song for the first time the day before his rehearsal. Oh, my. What an amazing performance from Jordan. He just created an Idol moment. That’s what you call a performance worthy of the pimp spot. The vocals were fabulous. He stalked the stage like he owned it. Simply outstanding, from the first note to the last. Easily, easily, easily, the best rock performance of the night. Grade: A+

The results: Rae, Kyndal and Philmon were the last three standing center stage. Rae and Philmon were eliminated. No way Rae should be heading home this early, but she needed a surprise song choice and a truly memorable performance tonight and I don’t think she picked a memorable song.