Top 7 Round Two

Tonight's theme is disco. There is no mentor this week, which means no video beforehand so the show will go faster. All four judges are critiquing each contestant tonight. Good. No one will be robbed of Simon's opinion.

Lil Rounds—“I’m Every Woman”
Lil chose an annoying song and she was all over the place vocally. It was awkward and dull. As comedian Michael Buckley said last week, "another week, another weave." Randy said it sounded wild. Kara said that Lil picked the right song, but it just "wasn't worth the wait." The judges repeated their mantra of not knowing who Lil is as an artist. Simon said Lil's performance was a mess, and this was her final shot.

Ryan asked Lil what she thought of their critiques. Really, Ryan? No one cares what she thinks.

Kris—“She Works Hard for the Money”
As soon as I hear what song Kris was singing, I knew he was going to be amazing. Tonight's performance is exactly why I adore Kris. He turned a disco song into a Latin acoustic song. It was incredible. Kara said he took a risk and it paid off big time. Paula said it had a "classy Santana aspect" to it. Simon called it the "polar opposite to Lil's performance," and said that it was "original, well thought out, and a fantastic performance." Randy said that Kris is ready for the big time because he knows who he is as an artist.

Danny—“September”
Danny got to dance around again. It was a good performance as expected. Danny is a solid vocalist, but he doesn't surprise me like Kris and Adam do. I just want him to "wow" me. Kara said he is an incredible vocalist and that his pitch is always right on. Paula said that Danny has "one of the sexiest voices ever."

Allison—“Hot Stuff”
Allison turned a disco song into a rock song. I actually liked her take on it. The end was great. I love when she goes into her higher range. Kara said that Allison shouldn't have slowed down the tempo. I agree. Simon called it a "brilliant performance."

Adam—“If I Can’t Have You”
Adam looks like a stud tonight. (Sorry Ladies, he likes studs himself.) It was a great vocal as always, but is it possible to "connect" too much? Adam was so emotional that it didn't seem sincere. Kara said that Adam is "brilliant" and "inspiring." Paula cried and said that she "felt his pain and vulnerability." Simon said that he "didn't quite feel the pain," but he said that no one expected that song from Adam tonight and called it "memorable."

Matt—“Staying Alive”
I had banked on Adam picking this song, but it was a fun choice for Matt as far as the lyrics go. Matt mixed it up this week by ditching the piano and singing a fast song. I was torn by his performance. I liked his interpretation of the chorus, but the verses were just too fast. That fancy ending he tried was awful. The judges looked really disappointed. Kara said he "brought disco back" because everyone else had changed the arrangements of their songs. Paula called it a strike in her weird bowling analogy and predicted that Matt will be sticking around. Simon called it desperate and said it lacked originality.

Anoop—“Dim the Lights”
My first thought was "shave, please." Anoop has such a pure voice; it really is beautiful. He had a shaky ending but overall I thought it was a good performance. The applause he received was notably quieter than that of the other contestants, however. Kara said Anoop made a great choice by choosing a ballad with a beat. Paula said that "real men know how to wear pink" and said he should smile because he was "beautiful teeth." (Really, Paula?) Simon hated the beat and called it mediocre. He also thought it was Anoop's worst performance, with which I totally disagree.

My favorite of the night was Kris by a mile. Adam, Allison, and Danny also delivered solid performances.

I predict that Lil, Anoop, and Matt will be in the bottom three, with Lil and Anoop going home.

Can Paula go home too?

Overall, I was impressed by tonight's performances. It was not the disaster I was expecting from disco week.

David Archuleta performs tomorrow night!