american idol 7 - top 10

Contestants performed songs from the year in which they were born.

Ramiele Malubay - ALONE - it paled in comparison to Carly Smithson's Hollywood version, and Carrie Underwood sang the song a million times better during season 4. Ramiele screamed through the chorus and made me want to cover my ears. The whole "big voice, little body" thing is getting old.

Jason Castro - FRAGILE - unfortunately, the song showcased how "fragile" Jason's voice is! I could barely hear him over the background singers at times. The performance was a little safe, not as memorable as previous weeks. That being said, fragility = vulnerability, which is why I like Jason so much.



Syesha Mercado - IF I WERE YOUR WOMAN - when she goes for the big notes, it's the equivalent of my typing in ALL CAPS, ALL OF THE TIME. *rolls eyes* I'll be honest... I'm not a fan, never have been. I feel like she's a Whitney/Mariah/Celine wannabe and it just annoys me. I personally prefer someone who can bring something unique and fresh to a song, not just regurgitate it the same way we've heard it a thousand times before.

Chikezie Eze - IF ONLY FOR ONE NIGHT - pretty good vocal, but not the kind of song I could really get excited about. I do agree with Simon in that the old Cheesy Chikezie was back in full force tonight.

Brooke White - EVERY BREATH YOU TAKE - minor slip up at the beginning aside, I loooved her version of The Police classic. She's got such a great vibe on stage playing the piano, and I totally love her voice. I do, however, wish she would have done the whole arrangement *without* the band.



Michael Johns - WE WILL ROCK YOU/WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS MEDLEY - total hotness! I swoon once again!! Michael delivered a knockout performance, the best of the night up to that point. He totally rocks the Queen songs, i.e. Bohemian Rhapsody and now these, which is no small feat because the songs are so iconic.



Carly Smithson - TOTAL ECLIPSE OF THE HEART - good song choice, pretty good performance. I wish she and Ramiele could have switched songs tonight.

David Archuleta - YOU'RE THE VOICE - at least the song was upbeat, even if it was an obscure choice. Dude, you were born in the 90's! Oh, what could have been. Check out this list of Top 25 Hits of 1990 I found on the web (#13 is the perfect choice *brownie points*, Johnny Gill's RUB YOU THE RIGHT WAY is a close second):

1. Hold On, Wilson Phillips
2. It Must Have Been Love, Roxette
3. Nothing Compares 2 U, Sinead O'Connor
4. Poison, Bell Biv Devoe
5. Vogue, Madonna
6. Vision Of Love, Mariah Carey
7. Another Day In Paradise, Phil Collins
8. Hold On, En Vogue
9. Cradle Of Love, Billy Idol
10. Blaze Of Glory, Jon Bon Jovi
11. Do Me!, Bell Biv Devoe
12. How Am I Supposed To Live Without You, Michael Bolton
13. Pump Up The Jam, Technotronic
14. Opposites Attract, Paula Abdul
15. Escapade, Janet Jackson
16. All I Wanna Do Is Make Love To You, Heart
17. Close To You, Maxi Priest
18. Black Velvet, Alannah Myles
19. Release Me, Wilson Phillips
20. Don't Know Much, Linda Ronstadt and Aaron Neville
21. All Around The World, Lisa Stansfield
22. l Wanna Be Rich, Calloway
23. I Remember You, Skid Row
24. Rub You The Right Way, Johnny Gill
25. She Ain't Worth It, Glenn Medeiros Featuring Bobby Brown

So I was just kidding about the Paula and Johnny songs! LOL. I sure wish he'd spice things up a bit next week... flip the script, take a risk. He needs to channel the youthful exuberance of week 1's SHOP AROUND, the poignant sensitivity of week 2's IMAGINE and, most importantly, pick a better song.



Kristy Lee Cook - GOD BLESS THE USA - what could the judges say? They couldn't dis the song or even the performance all that much, for fear of sounding *unpatriotic*! Clever song choice, indeed, with a beautiful vocal to boot.

David Cook - BILLIE JEAN - I. Love. This. Guy. His performance was the breath of fresh air, the infusion of originality this show desperately needed! He totally rocked the Chris Cornell version of that song... a-MAH-zing!!



** MY TOP 5 ** David Cook, Michael Johns, Brooke White, David Archuleta, Jason Castro

** MY BOTTOM 5 ** Kristy Lee Cook, Carly Smithson, Syesha Mercado, Ramiele Malubay, Chikezie Eze