Crystal Bowersox - Okay, so maybe I am still riding high from eating so much krumkake tonight, but I actually thought she was really good this week. She looks less like a dirty hippy this week and gave a pure smooth vocal. I try not to pick favorites and support them no matter what and vice versa. Even though I completely did not like her performance last week she more than made up for it this week and I feel like she definitely deserves to be in the competition. Grade: A-
Haeley Vaughn - The song choice (The Climb) was good for her, but her execution was not. I completely agree with the judges that she has NO connection with the song. She could be singing about a flesh-eating robot destroying humanity and she would swing her hips, bop her head and smile incessantly. I get that she is a bubbly, smiley person and that's ok, but you need to understand and know what you are singing about and convey that to the audience. Her pitch was all over the place and she didn't have enough "sweet" notes to make the song work. I really liked Haeley in the earlier rounds because she is kind of an oddity and is talented for being 16, but she needs more work. Grade: D+
Lacey Brown - First off, I have to say I L-O-V-E her hair. I wish I had the chutzpah to pull it off and maybe someday I will. That being said, it was an ok performance. There was nothing earth shattering about it, but she delivered a better performance than last week. I'm still not really sure where I see her in the competition but she did well enough to maybe stick around another week. Grade: C
Katie Stevens - I.want.those.shoes!!! I kinda felt like the performance was Jessica Rabbit:The Early Years. She is adorable and I feel bad for her because she seems like an old soul and doesn't know how to make herself sound "current". I can empathize with her because this is the problem I imagine myself having on the show. She is not "edgy" and "hip" but she has legitimate talent and is basically being told to go counter-intuitive to her gut. I hope she stays in the competition longer to see if she is able to make the judges and herself happy. Grade: B
Didi Benami - Deep sigh...eye roll. This girl is driving me nuts. This is the same reason I got irritated with Brooke White because she has a very thin skin, not tremendously talented and makes bad song choices. I don't know why she thought singing Lean On Me was a good idea. She doesn't have a "soul" voice and it just made her sound screechy. I don't have a soul voice either, but I don't try to sing songs like that and think that people will like it. Every week I just feel like screaming, "Toughen up, Cupcake!" because there is no mystery that you are standing in front of judges to be critiqued. They give you the chance to sing for lots of people, you agree to hear their opinions....THAT'S THE WHOLE SHOW. Anyway, the performance is awful and I am starting to think she will be heading home soon. She has no concept of how to compete. Grade: D
Michelle Delamor - I really don't like Creed as a group, but I think she did a good job with the song (With Arms Wide Open). I think Simon was dead on when he said she got it 80% right. She really tried to make it her own and for the most part it worked. I kept waiting for her to have more dynamic energy with her voice while she was belting, but that may not be her strength. She seemed connected to the song and proved that she is capable of doing more than sound alikes of other contemporary female artists. Grade: B-
Lilly Scott - Here is where the judges and I part ways. I just DON'T get what they love about her. She has some talent, but I feel like she is always looking to be an outcast instead of singing well without all the weirdness. Her lavender hair seems to have made a reappearance with a big, fat roach clip poking out from behind her ear. Kara was giving her all this credit for "changing the game" and I wonder if that is the secret agenda of the judges...to make the show more a search for the weirdest and most unique instead of the person who has the best vocal chops. And, by the way, if we are giving credit out for that, Adam Lambert did it on both accounts. I just miss when the show was about real SINGING not making cutesy sounds to be "indie". Long story longer, I didn't get it. Grade: C-
Katelyn Epperly - zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz. Oh wait screaming last note...I'm up, I'm up. That was the slowest rendition of an already slow song. Wow. I am not sure why Kara is so in love with her. I think she has a good voice, but I don't think is quite the genius Kara has dreamed her to be. To quote Sue Sylvester, "Somewhere in the English countryside in a stately manor home [Chris Martin] is weeping!" In case you haven't picked up on it yet, I am anxiously awaiting Glee's return on April 13. Anyway, back to the leader of the Lullaby League, she did well enough to stay in, but I have my doubts about her. Grade: C
Paige Myles - Even though I don't think it was 100% the right song choice for her (Walk Away), I think she did do an ok job with it (minus the big Whoooohooo). She is someone you can definitely can SING. I agree with Simon that next week she needs to come out, really sing something that showcases her voice and claim her spot in the competition. Once again, I could've done without all the explaining from Kara about how wonderful her song is. I hope Paige is back next week because she is one of the few contestants not using a gimmick to get by. Grade: B-
Siobhan Magnus - She is such a weirdo, but I like her in the strangest way. What I love most about her, is that aside from having an interesting personality, she has major talent to back it up. That high note was insane! She and Idina Menzel should have a belt-off singing contest to see who could go the longest. What I also find really funny is that Haeley and Paige act and sing like white girls and the whitest girl in the competition, Siobhan, tackles Aretha. That is gutsy and fearless -- another reason why I love her. She isn't trying to make some crazy unusual version of an already good song. Siobhan is just proving that pure talent just needs a great song to showcase their talent. Grade: A-
So overall, the winners tonight were Crystal and Siobhan...losers are Haeley and Didi.
What did you all think? Do you think the show is going in a weird direction?