Week 4: Top 9

The theme this week is "most popular downloads on iTunes." My initial reaction was uh-oh. This is going to be a disaster. Your favorite artists are not always the ones you should be singing.

Anoop — "Caught Up" by Usher
See? Anoop is a much better vocalist than required of this song. It did not showcase his talent enough. It's a fun song, but not right for this competition. Simon called is a "complete and utter mess" and said it was a "wannabe" performance.

Megan — “Turn Your Lights Down Low” by Bob Marley
I wasn't crazy about this one. I'm thinking Megan's time on this show may be up. [She didn't shimmy this week!] Simon said that "all the things we liked about you are disappearing." Randy said, "You can love a song, but that doesn't mean you're going to sing it well."

Simon's word of the season is "indulgent." His overuse of that word is annoying...so is the crowd. Seriously, shut up and let them talk. Some guy shouted "broken record" when Kara was talking about picking the right song. Moron.

Danny — “What Hurts the Most” by Rascall Flatts
All I could think during this performance was "wow." Danny was absolutely captivating tonight. His powerful voice swept me away during the chorus. I hated the end note. Why do they always try to finish without resolve? But other than that minute thing, I loved this performance. Paula said that this is where Danny thrives. Simon said it was Danny's best performance of the season and actually started a round of applause.

Allison — “Don’t Speak” by No Doubt
Allison busted out her guitar this week. I love seeing the contestants other talents. Her hair was awful. As for the performance, she had some nice melodic riffs, but I would like to hear her annunciate more. It was a good performance, but not amazing. Randy said, "What are you wearing?!" Of course the judges spent more time debating her outfit than her performance. Paula thinks Allison is "skating by and going right to the finish line." I disagree. I think she's got a lot of work to do if she wants to keep up with the guys.

Scott — “Just the Way You Are” by Billy Joel
So I know the judges raved about this one, but I was annoyed by the second note. Scott has no volume control and such a weird tone; I'm just not a fan. Paula said that of all the contestants ever, she is most proud of Scott, and "it had nothing to do with your challenge, but everything to do with making me forget about your challenge." blah, blah, blah. Simon said it was Scott's best performance.

Matt — “You Found Me” by The Fray
As soon as Matt said what song he was singing, I got really excited. I love The Fray, and I had high expectations for Matt with this song. I liked it, not as much as last week, but it was still a good performance. I loved the arrangement, with the bold verse into the tender chorus with another build. I wish Matt had stuck to the tender moments more. He was definitely trying to sound too much like Isaac (original artist--lead singer of The Fray) when he would have been incredible just as Matt. His falsetto riff toward the end was brilliant. The judges weren't so keen on this one. Randy suggested One Republic instead. Kara wants to know whether Matt is going to the Rock genre or R&B. Why does he have to choose?

Lil — “I Surrender” by Celine Dion
Finally, Lil picked a diva song. I hated her hair and dress...neither were flattering. I thought it was nice to hear Lil's powerful vocals; it was my favorite performance of her's. Paula is so annoying. Does anyone ever know what she's talking about? Simon said Lil reminded him of a wedding singer and called her performance "safe and old fashioned." Ryan talked to Lil's daughters and one of the gave Randy a hug because he was "tough on Mommy." Lil started to cry a little bit. It was adorable.

Adam — “Play That Funky Music” by Wild Cherry
I thought the arrangement was really cool and Adam's performance was fun. I really liked this one. As always, Adam showed off his sick vocals. I couldn't stop smiling. Paula, stop trying to be deep. Simon called it "brave and original." Kara said, "every week I can't wait to see what you're going to do next." I think America agrees.

Kris — “Ain’t No Sunshine” by Bill Withers
Hold up. Kris plays piano too?! I love him. He has such a beautiful tone. Tonight was incredible. The arrangement was great, and Kris made an old song contemporary. I loved the breakdown in the bridge. I also loved that Kris brought diversity to this performance; he had tender moments and soulful strong moments. Randy called it "creative and cool." Kara said, "I have three words: That is artistry!" (Hey, she learned to count!) Paula said that Kris is "pacing the competition to play to his strengths." Simon said that Kris has gained his confidence and that was his best performance. I couldn't agree more. Kris was the unknown--the dark horse--and he's taking this competition by storm.


My favorites of the night--Danny, Adam, and Kris
My predictions--Megan, Anoop, and Lil are in trouble. I would like Lil to go, but I think Megan's going home tomorrow night. I just feel like Lil doesn't realize that this is a competition. While I liked her performance tonight, she's just making all the wrong decisions and she's completely forgetable.