American Idol 2010 - Top 9 - Lennon/McCartney

1. Aaron Kelly - The Long & Winding Road.
Shaky. Massively out of his depth now. He performed it sincerely but his voice isn't up to the challenge.
Randy: Sleepy.
Ellen: Felt long and winding.
Kara: He's getting samey. Needs tempo.
Simon: Old-fashioned.

2. Katie Stevens - Let It Be.
Quite good actually, but it was a bit exposing.
Randy: Her best so far.
Ellen: Amazing.
Kara: Never sounded better, liked the confident attitude.
Simon: She's got it right this week. Less robotic.

3. Andrew Garcia - Can't Buy Me Love.
Horrid jazzy arrangement. Hated it. His voice is so mediocre. And I don't get this performing behind the judges thing at all.
Randy: Solid, but corny.
Ellen: A lot of fun, loved it.
Kara: Liked the breakdown, but wanted to like the whole thing more.
Simon: Old-fashioned. The band overpowered him. They all got it wrong.

4. Michael Lynche - Eleanor Rigby.
Completely OTT with the trills and ad libs. Good voice, but didn't enjoy it at all. He clearly was more interested in showing off his voice than telling the story.
Randy: A bit too much, but it worked well when it worked.
Ellen: A risk, but she loved it. Incredible.
Kara: Fire. Which is good. Made it relevant and commercial today.
Simon: Didn't love it as much, sounded like something from a musical.

5. Crystal Bowersox - Come Together.
Another natural performance. Her voice did sound a little strained.
Randy: Distracted by the didgeridoo, but enjoyed it.
Ellen: Could hear that on her album.
Kara: One of her favourite perormances-slinky, sexy, playful.
Simon: Terrific, contemporary. Could hear it on the radio.

6. Tim Urban - All My Loving.
Very strong vocals this week. The guitar helped his performance too. Possibly his best ever.
Randy: A good Tim performance. Loving the Beatles 'do.
Ellen: His second-best performance after Hallelujah.
Kara: He's listening to criticisms. He can smile.
Simon: He did really well tonight. No gimmicks, not oversung and it sounded current. He takes criticism like a man.

7. Casey James - Jealous Guy.
Another exposing choice. His worst in a while. Didn't like the way he changed the vocal melody at all. Much like Michael's performance, but more vulnerable.
Randy: Liked the sensitive side, and his individuality, and thought it was heartfelt.
Ellen: His best to date, soulful.
Kara: Showed vulnerability and depth.
Simon: The best performance of the night so far. Liked the emotion.

8. Siobhan Magnus - Across The Universe.
Simple and beautiful. Captivating. She's back! My best of the night.
Randy: A little sleepy, but loved the tender side and vocal control.
Ellen: Special and beautiful.
Kara: Restrained and polite, but vocal control was perfect. Not sure she'd hear it on the radio.
Simon: Likes her unpredictability. Big improvement on last week.

9. Lee Dewyse - Hey Jude.
Bloody awful from note one, and didn't improve. At least he's consistent. I'm starting to miss Jedward.
Randy: Another hot one. He needs to believe.
Ellen: More confident.
Kara: Can hear him on the radio. Hot.
Simon: The bagpipe player was a mistake.

My top three: Siobhan, Crystal and Tim.
My bottom three: Aaron, Andrew and f***ing Lee again. It's Taylor Hicks all over again. Hated Michael's performance this week too.

Results show:
These lip-synched group songs are excruciating. They manage to cheapen everything about everyone involved. Please, stop it. For real.
Jason Derülo very disappointing. Good moonwalk though.
David Archuleta could sing Imagine beautifully. Shame he sings the Imagine lyrics to a shit melody instead. At least it wasn't as excruciating as when he did it competitively.
Bottom three: Michael, Aaron and Andrew. Good call.
Safe: Aaron. Thought it'd be Big Mike.
Out: Nobody! Judges saved Michael. Good call.