Final 8 females – Performance Night

The singers, the songs-

Katie Stevens, “Break Away”, Kelly Clarkson

Dirgy and uneven. She was singing scared, and it showed on her face and in her voice. She strained on her high notes, and she never seemed to get on top of the song. I think that the hectic schedule and the constant pressure are starting to wear her down a little. This is a lot for a high school kid to deal with.

Siobhan Magnus, “House of the Rising Sun”, traditional

OnlyCrystalhas a better voice among the females, and better intonation. With so many singers struggling with pitch, Sha-Von’s intonation stands out even more. Her version was unique, and it was memorable. It would have been even better if she was allowed the 4 minutes that this song needs to really nail the full dynamic range. I really liked that she added that dark last note at the end. It put a nice ribbon on the performance, and set the atmosphere perfectly.

Lacey Brown, “The Story”, Brandi Carlile

Lacey is in the barrel tonight as one of the expected casualties on Thursday. She started out very well but she was losing her command as she went on, little by little. By the end I was just hoping that she could hold it together. Sha-Von could have used another 3 minutes. Lacey wouldn’t have lasted another 10 seconds.

Katelyn Epperly, “I Feel the Earth Move”, Carole King

I liked it. Katelyn doesn’t have a power voice, but she was pretty good with what she has. There were some rough spots, and I don’t think that playing the piano was the right choice. She should have probably just sang the song and moved around some. I still don’t see her with any chance to win, but she has been showing off some cool stuff the last couple of weeks.

Aside- I am getting a little worried about the judges continually calling for the contestants to have a “moment” every time they get out of bed. It can’t be good for their nerves, and it sure as heck isn’t good for their confidence. Confident singers sing well. It’s good for the show if the singers sing well.

Didi Benami, “Rhiannon”, Fleetwood Mac

I’m having a hard time figuring out what I think of this performance. I liked it, but I always like her performances. It meandered around without ever reaching a crescendo, and honestly it was pretty boring. She’s been getting hammered by the judges for a couple of weeks, and it’s making her unsure of herself. That’s not a good sign.

Paige Miles, “Smile”, Charlie Chaplin

Charlie Chaplin? I didn’t hear anything special, and she was nervous and very pitchy.

Crystal Bowersox, “Give Me One Reason”, Tracy Chapman

Bluesy, powerful performance.Crystalcan do this all day and all night. I see no reason to add anything else. She’s great, and she’s the one to beat. Only her health is a worry.

Lilly Scott, “I Fall to Pieces”, Patsy Cline

Lilly is like Didi in that everything that she sings will be signature Lilly. She built to a terrific crescendo, and nailed everything but maybe that high note. The falsetto high note was a little bit screechy, but not horribly bad.

I like the variety of styles that the girls bring to the stage. That variety should make for a terrific Idol tour this season. Didi, Lilly,Crystaland Siobham will all be terrific contributors. The other four females left have some work to do if they want to join them. Safe to in danger….

Crystal

Lilly

Siobham

Didi

Katelyn

Katie

Lacey

Paige

Any of the final four on the list could go home on Thursday. Katie has had a strong voting block, but she was really bad and she went first. If I have to guess, Katie and Paige will be the surprising ousters this week. If so, Lacey will make the final 12. She was, in my mind, about 100-1 to make it this far just three weeks ago, back at the beginning of the semifinals.