IDOL MADNESS (Jackson) Sweet 16: #1 Carrie Underwood vs. #12 Gina Glocksen

Opinion Polls & Market Research

Cowell Bracket
#1 Kelly Clarkson vs. #5 Bo Bice
#6 Jasmine Trias vs. #10 Kellie Pickler

Seacrest Bracket
#2 Clay Aiken vs. #3 Melinda Doolittle
#9 Constantine Maroulis vs. #13 Bucky Covington

Abdul Bracket
#3 Elliott Yamin vs. #7 Anthony Fedorov
#5 Blake Lewis vs. #9 Ace Young

Jackson Bracket
#1 Carrie Underwood vs. #12 Gina Glocksen
#3 Latoya London vs. #7 Josh Gracin

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IDOL MADNESS (Jackson) Rnd of 32: #4 Katharine McPhee vs. #12 Gina Glocksen

Division: Jackson Bracket

The Match-Up: #4 Katharine McPhee vs. #12 Gina Glocksen

Idol Thoughts Prediction: Glocksen knocked off Justin Guarini in the first round, and McPhee barely squeezed by Jon Peter Lewis, so this could be a tighter battle than one might think. I still think Kat will be able to pull this one out, although it might be close -- perhaps 58%-42%?

Opinion Polls & Market Research

Round of 32 Match-Ups:

Cowell Bracket
#1 Kelly Clarkson vs. #9 Chris Richardson
#2 Ruben Studdard vs. #10 Kellie Pickler
#3 Tamyra Gray vs. #6 Jasmine Trias
#4 Jennifer Hudson vs. #5 Bo Bice

Seacrest Bracket
#1 Taylor Hicks vs. #9 Constantine Maroulis
#2 Clay Aiken vs. #7 RJ Helton
#3 Melinda Doolittle vs. #6 Vonzell Solomon
#5 LaKisha Jones vs. #13 Bucky Covington

Abdul Bracket
#1 Fantasia vs. #9 Ace Young
#2 Jordin Sparks vs. #7 Anthony Fedorov
#3 Elliott Yamin vs. #6 Nikki McKibbin
#4 Kimberley Locke vs. #5 Blake Lewis

Jackson Bracket
#1 Carrie Underwood vs. #9 Mandisa Hundley
#2 Chris Daughtry vs. # 7 Josh Gracin
#3 Latoya London vs. #11 Anwar Robinson
#4 Katharine McPhee vs. #12 Gina Glocksen

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IDOL MADNESS (Jackson) Rnd of 32: #3 Latoya London vs. #11 Anwar Robinson

Division: Jackson Bracket

The Match-Up: #3 Latoya London vs. #11 Anwar Robinson

Idol Thoughts Prediction: Anwar pulled off a big upset over Paris Bennett -- can he do the same thing against Latoya? I'm betting the Season 3 fourth place finisher will hold him off, 61%-39%.

Opinion Polls & Market Research

Round of 32 Match-Ups:

Cowell Bracket
#1 Kelly Clarkson vs. #9 Chris Richardson
#2 Ruben Studdard vs. #10 Kellie Pickler
#3 Tamyra Gray vs. #6 Jasmine Trias
#4 Jennifer Hudson vs. #5 Bo Bice

Seacrest Bracket
#1 Taylor Hicks vs. #9 Constantine Maroulis
#2 Clay Aiken vs. #7 RJ Helton
#3 Melinda Doolittle vs. #6 Vonzell Solomon
#5 LaKisha Jones vs. #13 Bucky Covington

Abdul Bracket
#1 Fantasia vs. #9 Ace Young
#2 Jordin Sparks vs. #7 Anthony Fedorov
#3 Elliott Yamin vs. #6 Nikki McKibbin
#4 Kimberley Locke vs. #5 Blake Lewis

Jackson Bracket
#1 Carrie Underwood vs. #9 Mandisa Hundley
#2 Chris Daughtry vs. # 7 Josh Gracin
#3 Latoya London vs. #11 Anwar Robinson
#4 Katharine McPhee vs. #12 Gina Glocksen

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IDOL MADNESS (Jackson Bracket) Rnd of 64: #5 Justin Guarini vs. #12 Gina Glocksen

Opinion Polls & Market Research

Jackson Bracket First Round Match-Ups:

#1 Carrie Underwood vs. #16 Brandon Rodgers
#2 Chris Daughtry vs. #15 Camile Velasco
#3 Latoya London vs. #14 Corey Clark
#4 Katharine McPhee vs. #13 Jon Peter Lewis
#5 Justin Guarini vs. #12 Gina Glocksen
#6 Paris Bennett vs. #11 Anwar Robinson
#7 Josh Gracin vs. #10 Nikko Smith
#8 Christina Christian vs. #9 Mandisa Hundley

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American Idol Best-Of Lists

News, Recaps, Rankings and Commentary

News on Former Contestants

IDOL MADNESS: THE GAME

Top 20 Performances of the Season

With only three weeks remaining until our new winner is crowned, I thought it might be a good time to revisit my list of the 20 Best Performances of the Season.

Jordin Sparks and Melinda Doolittle lead all contestants with four performances each, with Jordin grabbing three of the Top 10 spots. Interestingly, while three of Jordin's performances came from the Top 12, only one of Melinda's has been since the boys and girls merged on the bigger stage. In fact, Melinda's highest ranked performance in the Top 12 comes from "inspirational songs" night two weeks ago (at #15).

Blake Lewis, meanwhile, has two songs in the top 5, with a third just outside of the top 10, while LaKisha Jones has two in the Top 10 and third at #14. Recently eliminated contestants Phil Stacey and Chris Richardson have two and one entries on the chart, respectively.

Another interesting note -- nine of the top 20 come from Semifinals performances, while seven of the Top 20 occurred in the past three weeks. That means only four of the Top 20 songs occurred between the Top 12 and the Top 7.

Here's the list...how does it differ from your Top 20?

1	Jordin Sparks	I Who Have Nothing	Top 11
2	Blake Lewis	You Give Love a Bad Name	Top 6/5
3	Melinda Doolittle	My Funny Valentine	SF #2
4	LaKisha Jones	And I Am Telling You	SF #1
5	Blake Lewis	Time of the Seasons	Top 11
6	Jordin Sparks	Broken Wing	Top 7
7	Melinda Doolittle	Woman	SF #3
8	Jordin Sparks	You'll Never Walk Alone	Top 6
9	LaKisha Jones	God Bless The Child	Top 12
10	Gina Glocksen	I'll Stand By You	Top 10
11	Sabrina Sloan	Never Loved a Man	SF #1
12	Chris Richardson	Geek in the Pink	SF #2
13	Blake Lewis	Somewhere Only We Know	SF #1
14	LaKisha Jones	Ain't A Love Song	Top 6/5
15	Melinda Doolittle	There Will Come A Day	Top 6
16	Phil Stacey	Where the Black Top Ends	Top 7
17	Melinda Doolittle	Since You Been Gone	SF #1
18	Chris Sligh	Trouble	SF #2
19	Jordin Sparks	Heartbreaker	SF #3
20	Phil Stacey	Blaze of Glory	Top 6/5

Who is in Danger This Week - Top 8?

Last Monday I suggested that Sanjaya Malakar, Haley Scarnato, and Phil Stacey were the contestants most in danger of facing elimination. As it turns out, two of these three individuals found themselves in the Bottom 3, but it was Gina Glocksen, who I had given an 11% chance of elimination, who somewhat surprisingly got the boot.

So...who is in danger this week? As I have done the past several weeks, I will identify the contestants I think should be most concerned going in to the Top 8 Performance Show, and then look at the likelihood that these contestants will actually be going home.

Of course, song choice and performance order could effect the outcome (Gina's choice of "Smile" certainly contributed to her relatively early ouster), but here's how I view the landscape with approximately 32 hours to go until showtime.

Melinda Doolittle/LaKisha Jones/Jordin Sparks
These three girls have separated themselves from the pack, consistently providing stellar vocal performances. None has spent any time in the Bottom 3, and I don't think their fanbases will let them down now. If each chooses an appropriate Latin-themed song this week, this year's version of the "Three Divas" should sail through to the Top 7.
Chance of going home (combined): Less than 6%

Blake Lewis
Last week, on "Mac the Knife," Blake showed he could really sing. This week is the perfect opportunity for him to bring back some of his beatboxing excitement on a funky Latin song, and really amp up the excitement factor. Also, since he led off the show last week, I expect he'll perform toward the end of the evening, if not actually receive the "pimp" spot at the end. This will only help assure he's around another week.
Chance of going home: 8%

Chris Richardson
Chris gave one of his strongest performances of the competition last week, and as long as he comes through with another solid showing he should be okay. The Latin theme could be tricky for him, so song choice will be, in the immortal words of Paula Abdul, "key important." Depending on how Sanjaya's fanbase is holding up, Chris could find himself in the Bottom 3, but even if he does spend some time center stage on Wednesday evening, he will most likely be around for the Top 7.
Chance of going home: 12%

Sanjaya Malakar
As Sanjaya continues to outlast more talented contestants (Chris Sligh, Gina Glocksen), it is looking more and more likely he'll end up at least a Top 6 contestant, a la Carmen Rasmussen and John Stevens. There is always the chance that his supporters will get overconfident and forget to vote for their boy, but I'm predicting Sanjaya will avoid elimination once again this week. It should be interesting to see what song (and hairstyle) he chooses, though -- possibly, as one commenter suggested, Carmen Miranda?
Chance of going home: 18%

Phil Stacey
Phil has found himself in the Bottom 3 on three separate occassions this season, which can't possibly inspire confidence in his fans that the guy will proceed much further in the competition, despite showing off pretty consistent vocals and a (slowly) improving sense of style. Kimberley Locke was able to overcome a shaky first few weeks to finish in 3rd place, but if Phil is going to accomplish a similar comeback, he's going to have start the turnaround immediately. Otherwise, I'm afraid it will be too late
Chance of going home: 26%

Haley Scarnato
After two Bottom 2 showings in a row, it's pretty clear Haley (and her fanbase) are running out of steam. How much longer can her legs save her? I'm thinking not much longer, and that we'll be seeing a montage of her time on American Idol come Wednesday evening.
Chance of going home: 30%

So there it is -- going into the Top 8, I think Sanjaya, Phil, and Haley need to be the most worried. As I said, anything could change after Tuesday night, but these contestants, especially, better give their performances all that they've got -- it could be their last shot.

Ten Best Top 8 Performances of All Time
Ranking the 9th Place Finishers
Ten Best Top 9 Performances of All Time
Ranking the 10th Place Finishers
Ten Best Top 10 Performances of All Time
Ten Best Top 11 Performances of All Time
Ten Best First Finals Performances
Ten Best Semifinals Performances of All Time

Top 9 Results - Gina's a Goner

For the second week in a row, an American Idol elimination has left me a little bit blue. Not devastated, not worthy of “I’m never watching this show again!” declarations, but just a little sad. Granted, I didn’t think Gina Glocksen was going to win this competition, or even be in serious contention for the title, but I did expect to enjoy several more weeks of her performances, especially after last week’s stunning “I’ll Stand By You.” Like Chris Sligh’s elimination, I’m not shocked to see Gina go this week (I predicted she would be in the Bottom 2 in my post Who’s Going Home Tonight?), but I really thought Haley's time on Idol had expired.

Yes, Haley Scarnato has foiled me again. I guess it’s time I start taking her more seriously, even if she was in the Bottom 2 tonight. She’s outlasted Stephanie, Chris Sligh, and now Gina, so clearly she’s got some legs, both literally and figuratively.

Of course now that I’ve said that she’ll be eliminated next week.

Phil Stacey, meanwhile, found himself in the Bottom 3 for the second week in a row, but was sent back to safety relatively early on. The judges don’t seem to have much love for Phil, but clearly he’s struck a chord with at least part of the audience.

As for the rest of the show, did the separation of the contestants into three groups make anyone else a little nervous? It seemed too obvious that Phil, Gina, and Haley were going to be the Bottom 3, that I became convinced we were going to see Melinda or Blake’s groups identified as the lowest votegetters. Luckily there was no repeat of the 3 diva disaster of ’04.

And how ‘bout that Michael Buble? Yes, he was a last minute replacement for an ailing Tony Bennett, but did it not seem like he was in on a joke that the rest of us weren’t in on? And that awkward joke about Antonella (which was so six weeks ago)? I guess I just don’t get him.

So Gina goes and Sanjaya stays, yet again. How will Mr. Malakar wear his hair during next week’s Latin theme? Will Melinda or LaKisha perform J-Lo’s “Waiting for Tonight”? Guess we’ll have to wait and see…

Top 9 - Who's Going Home Tonight?

Yes, it's time once again to try and figure out who will be going home tonight, joining the illustrious company of former 9th place finishers Jim Verraros, Corey Clarke, Camille Velasco, Nikko Smith, and Mandisa Hundley.

As I have done the last three weeks, I think the best way to make a prediction as to who is going to get kicked off tonight is by process of elimination -- figure out who is most likely to be safe, and go from there. Right now my track record is 1-for-3 -- I correctly predicted Stephanie's ouster two weeks ago, but I thought Haley would get the boot in the Top 12 and the Top 10. Will Ms. Scarnato (and her legs) foil me again?

I've identified three zones: Green (safe), Yellow (not on solid ground), and Red (danger danger danger!) Here goes...

Click here to read my Top 9 Performances Recap.

Green Zone: Safe
This category is looking pretty sparse this week, as it has only one contestant -- Melinda Doolittle. Her smoky, sassy, nuanced performance last night (along with the revelation that she does, in fact, have a neck) should allow her to easily sail into the Top 8.

Yellow Zone: Not on solid ground
LaKisha Jones makes her debut appearance in this category, joining fellow front-runner Jordin Sparks. Since I thought both were excellent last night (I even gave Jordin my "best in show" honors), why are they here? Because this is the point in the competition when voters start to get a bit lazy when it comes to the leaders of the pack, and I have a small concern (though just a small one) that viewers may not have hit the phones quite as hard as in weeks past in support of these girls. I can't imagine either one of them will be sent packin' tonight, but if one or the other slipped into the Bottom 3, while I would be disappointed, I would not be shocked.

Blake Lewis and Chris Richardson also belong in the Yellow Zone this week, but for very different reasons. Blake had the dreaded one-spot last night, and while he was pretty memorable jazzing up "Mac the Knife," that first performance spot has been killer in the past -- will it bring down Mr. Lewis as well? My thought is no, but like LaKisha and Jordin, I wouldn't be surprised if he spends just a bit of time on center stage tonight. Chris, while pretty solid, was, I thought, slightly over-praised by the judges, and the last time that occurred Chris ended up in the Bottom 2. It's not impossible that won't happen again tonight.

Phil Stacey, meanwhile, was given a bit of an unwarranted lashing from the judges, but I think the criticism, along with his Bottom 3 showing last week, will have inspired his fans to come out in support of their bald-headed boy. Like LaKisha, Jordin, Blake and Chris, there is a chance Phil might put in an appearance in the Bottom 3, but I don't think it's his time to go. Yet.

Red Zone: Danger! Danger! Danger!
That leaves us with Haley Scarnato, Sanjaya Malakar, and Gina Glocksen-- in my opinion the likeliest candidates for the Bottom 3 slots tonight.

It's nearly impossible to figure out what is going on with the viewers and Sanjaya, but I actually think that toning down the hair and the performance style, not to mention singing closer to on-key than he has in weeks, is actually going to net him less votes. With Sanjaya, the worse he does, the more votes he'll get. I'm still betting he's got a week or two of life left in him, but he could very well be making his first trip to the Bottom 3 since the Top 12.

Gina Glocksen, meanwhile, came out roaring last week, delivering what I thought was the best performance of the night. Unfortunately with the Idol viewers, it's a constant case of "what have you done for me lately?" and I'm not sure her just-above-average performance of "Smile" will be enough to satisfy the Idol masses. There is also the possibility that due to her strong showing last week her fans will assume her to be safe. Hopefully that assumption won't result in Gina getting shown the door before...

Haley Scarnato. Haley sang better than she has all season, and looked, as always, great, but I can't shake the feeling that she is just out of her league in this competition. If you took away her admittedly amazing legs, what does this girl have that makes her in any way unique? I never believed that she had much of a fanbase to begin with, but with the competition (particularly among the girls) really heating up, I would be shocked if Haley lasts one more week.

So there it is...for the third time this season I am predicting that Haley's gettin' the boot.

Gulp.

Ladies and the Tramp: Top 9 Performance Recap

A few notes about tonight’s show before I get to the Top 9 Performances:

1. Tony Bennett – great guest coach. He gave some constructive criticism and didn’t look embarrassed to be there. Take notes, Gwen Stefani.

2. Um, Simon’s shirt was cut way too low for my liking. I don’t need to see that.

3. Kelly Clarkson is coming back to Idol! Yay!

Okay, on to the performances –
(Click on any contestant’s name for more detailed commentary)

In seasons past, having to sing standards has brought out surprisingly strong performances from contestants, and there have even been a few Idol classics to come from the genre (Kelly Clarkson’s “Stuff Like That There”, Katharine McPhee’s “Come Rain or Come Shine”). This season was no exception, as almost every contestant really stepped up to the challenge and delivered the goods on songs that were written decades before they were born. There was hardly a dud in the bunch, and shockingly (shockingly!) that includes the infamous Mr. Malakar. (More on him in a bit – but, he cut his hair! Has Samson-jaya lost his power?)

It was the girls, however, who definitely brought their A-games into the Top 9, in my opinion collectively far outshining the boys. Melinda Doolittle was the first lady to take the stage, and she gave a playful, sassy performance of “I’ve Got Rythym” (and looked great doing it). She also revealed to America that she does, in fact, have a neck! Baby steps, Melinda, baby steps.

LaKisha closed the show with a soulful rendition of “Stormy Weather” that was exactly what we’ve come to expect from LaKisha – powerfully sung and emoted. The problem may be, though, that she’s becoming a bit predictable in her excellence, and she doesn’t have quite the spark of Melinda or her other nearest competitor…

Jordin Sparks, who proved once again that she is a real contender for the title by giving an infectiously bouncy, appropriately crystal clear vocal performance of “On a Clear Day.” Every week Jordin grows on me, and her voice never fails to impress – in fact, she hits notes each week I didn’t know she could hit. Melinda and LaKisha definitely have some serious competition in this young’en.

Gina Glocksen followed up last week’s fantastic performance with another strong effort, but the song, “Smile,” didn’t quite take off the way I kept hoping it would. Haley Scarnato, meanwhile, appeared as though she might actually start removing some of her clothing as she performed “Ain’t Misbehavin’”. It was actually her strongest vocal of the competition, but I was so distracted by her stripper-esque movements and very short skirt that I forgot to listen!

As for the boys, Phil Stacey, surprisingly, was actually tops in my book, with an effortlessly well-sung version of “Day and Night.” I was shocked at how much I enjoyed it! I thought Blake Lewis was pretty entertaining prancing around the stage singing “Mac the Knife,” and I was glad that he showed that he could really belt it out toward the end, but it felt a bit muddy to me – not his best.

Chris Richardson, meanwhile, who I love (I have his picture in my locker at school…or I would, at least, if I went to school…and had a locker…well, you know what I mean), I thought was vastly overrated by the judges. I thought he was good, but I’m still having trouble figuring out who he is as a performer, aside from a Justin Timberlake clone. (I still love you, though, Chris…call me!) The last time I felt Chris was overrated by the judges he ended up in the Bottom 2 – is that his fate again?

And then there’s Sanjaya. I’m gonna come out and say it – I didn’t hate the kid tonight. I was prepared to, I really was, but he was actually halfway decent. In fact, I’m not sure his performance tonight was any worse than anything John Stevens put on the stage.

What does this mean? Am I a Sanjayahead now? (The answer to that is no. No. No. No.) I’m actually hoping that the Sanjaya supporters will not flood the phone lines for their boy since he wasn’t the mockery he has been the past few weeks. Well, I can hope at least, right?

So there you have it, I’m thinking the Bottom 3 will be made up of some combination of Chris, Haley, Gina, Sanjaya, and, even though I quite liked him tonight, Phil. Check back tomorrow at around 1PM for my prediction on who will be going home.

My rankings (click on any contestants name for more detailed commentary)
1. Jordin Sparks
2. Melinda Doolittle
3. LaKisha Jones
4. Phil Stacey
5. Blake Lewis
6. Gina Glocksen
7. Chris Richardson
8. Haley Scarnato
9. Sanjaya Malakar

Top 9 Performances: Gina Glocksen

Gina got my “best in show” award last week, and at the start of tonight’s performance I thought she might get repeat honors. By the end, though, I knew it wasn’t gonna be back-to-back victories for Ms. Glocksen.

While she was vocally solid and seemed to connect with the lyrics, the performance just left me a little cold. It definitely wasn’t bad, it just didn’t go to the places I was hoping it was going to.

What was bad, though, was Gina’s pseudo-punk-bouffant. Not cute. And the angle the camera was at so that we could clearly see her tongue ring was kinda scary. Just sayin'.

GRADE: B


1. Jordin Sparks
2. Melinda Doolittle
3. LaKisha Jones
4. Phil Stacey
5. Blake Lewis
6. Gina Glocksen
7. Chris Richardson
8. Haley Scarnato
9. Sanjaya Malakar

Who is in Danger This Week- Top 9?

Last week I suggested that Sanjaya Malakar, Haley Scarnato, Chris Sligh, Gina Glocksen, and Phil Stacey were the contestants most in danger of facing elimination. As it turns out, three of these individuals found themselves in the Bottom 3 this past week, with Chris, somewhat surprisingly, gettin' the boot.

So...who is in danger this week? As I did last week, I will identify the contestants I think should be most concerned going in to the Top 9 Performance Show, and then look at the likelihood that these contestants will actually be going home.

Of course, song choice and performance order could effect the outcome (it is no coincidence that the first three eliminees sang in the first half hour of the show) , but here's how I view the landscape with approximately 32 hours to go until showtime.

Melinda Doolittle/LaKisha Jones
These girls ain't going anywhere, especially during a week where they will get to show off their respective vocal prowesses on good, ol' fashion standards. Neither has a thing to worry about.
Chance of going home (combined): Less than 3%

Blake Lewis
While Blake is clearly still the male front-runner, he is going to need to amp up the excitement a bit in his performances in order to maintain significant fan support. Don't get me wrong, I loved both "Time of the Season" and "Love Song," but I'm a bit nervous that if Blake doesn't do something significantly memorable this week, he could be assumed to be safe and find himself slipping into the Bottom 3. I don't, however, think that will result in his elimination this week.
Chance of going home: 4%

Jordin Sparks
Jordin made huge leaps forward a couple of weeks ago with "I Who Have Nothing," but took a couple of steps back last week with an ill-advised rendition of "Hey Baby." She should be able to wrap her golden voice beautifully around a Tony Bennett classic this week, though, and solidify her spot in the Top 4.
Chance of going home: 6%

Gina Glocksen
Last week I thought Gina might be approaching her last performance in the competition, but she came roaring back with a stellar "I'll Stand By You" that should buy her at least a couple more weeks. Her only potential downfall is the yo-yo effect, which occurs when a contestant performs well and then is assumed to be safe, and is thus voted off. I'm still bettin', though, that we'll have Gina around in the Top 8.
Chance of going home: 11%

Chris Richardson
Chris rode the "pimp" spot last week into safety, but if he gets placed early in the line-up come Tuesday night, he could find himself with some problems. I am thinking, though, that his Bottom 2 showing a couple of weeks ago will still be in his fans' minds and they will vote him to safety once again.
Chance of going home: 14%

Phil Stacey
Despite delivering his best performance of the competition last week, Phil still found himself in the Bottom 3 -- the second time he has been in that position this season. If he comes out strong again this week I think he'll make it through another elimination -- if not, though, we could be viewing a montage of his "time on American Idol" come Wednesday night.
Chance of going home: 17%

Sanjaya Malakar
Of course Sanjaya should be in danger this week, he's terrible! Will he actually go? That depends, of course, on how ridiculous his hairstyle is as much as how he performs vocally. We can say a lot of things about Sanjaya's performances over the past few weeks, but they have certainly not been forgettable -- the best chance of him gettin' the boot is if he is just boring and unmemorable, a distinct possibility on a week where the contestants will be asked to sing songs from more than 5 decades ago. Unfortunately, I think he's still got one more week of life left in him.
Chance of going home: 21%

Haley Scarnato
After weeks of ho-hum performances Haley (and her fanbase) has gotta be running out of steam. The audience has got to be a bit de-sensitized to her legs at this point, and, besides, wearing short-shorts probably wouldn't be appropriate for a performance of a standard anyway. Does Haley have anything left in her bag of tricks? I'm guessing not, and that we'll be seeing the last of her tomorrow night.
Chance of going home: 24%

So there it is -- going into the Top 9, I think Phil, Sanjaya, and Haley need to be the most worried. As I said, anything could change after Tuesday night, but these contestants, especially, better give their performances all that they've got -- it could be their last shot.

Nearly 100 Performances In: Top 15 Performances of the Season

When the 7th performer takes the stage tomorrow evening, we will have arrived at the 100th performance of this season of American Idol. In honor of reaching this milestone, I have compiled my list of the Top 15 performances of the season so far. I will check back in each week to see which of these performances hold up, and which new performances get added.

A few interesting notes about this list:

-9 of the 15 entries are from the Semifinals -- a remarkable 60%! Does this mean that the contestants started out the competition strongly but have lost a bit of steam? How many of these semifinal performances will remain on the list as we get deeper into the competition?

-3 of these performances are from contestants who have now been eliminated. How long will they hold up?

-Melinda Doolittle dominates this list at the moment, with 4 of the Top 15 entires. LaKisha Jones and Blake Lewis are the only other 2 contestants to have more than one entry on the list.

TW	Name	Song	Round
1	Melinda Doolittle	My Funny Valentine	SF #2
2	LaKisha Jones	And I Am Telling You	SF #1
3	Jordin Sparks	I Who Have Nothing	Top 11
4	Blake Lewis	Time of the Seasons	Top 11
5	Melinda Doolittle	Woman	SF #3
6	LaKisha Jones	God Bless The Child	Top 12
7	Gina Glocksen	I'll Stand By You	Top 10
8	Sabrina Sloan	Never Loved a Man	SF #1
9	Chris Richardson	Geek in the Pink	SF #2
10	Blake Lewis	Somewhere Only We Know	SF #1
11	Phil Stacey	Every Breath You Take	Top 10
12	Chris Sligh	Trouble	SF #2
13	Melinda Doolittle	Since You Been Gone	SF #1
14	Melinda Doolittle	Heaven Knows	Top 10
15	Stephanie Edwards	Dangerously in Love 2	SF #3

Top 10: Who's Going Home Tonight?

Yes, it's time once again to try and figure out who will be going home tonight, joining the illustrious company of former 10th place finishers EJ Day, Julia Damato, Amy Adams, Jessica Sierra, and Lisa Tucker.

As I have done the last two weeks, I think the best way to make a prediction as to who is going to get kicked off tonight is by process of elimination -- figure out who is most likely to be safe, and go from there. Right now my track record is 1-for-2 -- I correctly predicted Stephanie's ouster last week, but I thought Haley would get the boot in the Top 12. Hopefully this week I'll rise above the .500 mark.

I've identified three zones: Green (safe), Yellow (not on solid ground), and Red (danger danger danger!) Here goes...

Click here to read my Top 10 Performances Recap.

Green Zone: Safe
Even though I thought they both made snooze-inducing song choices, once again Melinda and LaKisha have absolutely nothing to worry about tonight -- both were spot-on vocally, and there is no reason to think either lady's fanbase will abandon her this early in the season. For the third week in a row I'm also going to put Blake Lewis into this category -- his soulful, sexy performance, even without beatboxing (or spiky hair), should definitely earn him a spot in the Top 9. I'm also not too worried about Chris Richardson -- his fans know he was in trouble last week, so they most likely took to the phones in droves last night to save their boy.

Yellow Zone: Not on solid ground
In my article Who is in Danger This Week, I identified Gina Glocksen and Phil Stacey as two of the contestants who should be feeling butterflies in their stomach. However, I think that they both did enough last night to buy themselves some more time in the competition -- especially Gina, who, in my opinion, was the best of the night. It is possible Phil could slip into the Bottom 3, but I don't see a 10th place elimination in his future.

While I assumed that Jordin Sparks' stellar showing last week earned her enough goodwill to coast into the Top 9, I am actually a bit (just a bit) concerned about her. As I said in my recap, her performance of "Hey Baby" was so unexpected that it was a bit jarring, and I'm not sure how much it inspired people to pick up their phones. Even if she does make a surprise Bottom 3 showing, however, I don't think she is in actualy danger of being eliminated this week. At least I hope not -- the girl can siiiiiiiiiing!

Red Zone: Danger! Danger! Danger!
That leaves us with Haley Scarnato, Sanjaya Malakar, and Chris Sligh-- in my opinion the likeliest candidates for the Bottom 3 slots tonight.

Chris Sligh started this competition with such momentum -- he was going to be Season 6's quirky follow-up to Taylor Hicks. Unfortunately for him, he hasn't quite achieved the level of vocal or performance excellence that people were hoping for, and last night's performance was definitively his worst of the competition so far. What he has going for him, however, is that his fans know that he is in trouble, and as such his 'Fro Patrol devotees most likely dialed their little fingers off to save him. I don't think it will have been enough to keep him out of the Bottom 3 (or even the Bottom 2), but I do think he will be spared elimination this week.

Sanjaya Malakar's fanbase, meanwhile, must be diminishing at this point, especially after his utterly ridiculous performance last night. I mean, his "fans" must be abandoning him, right? Right? While I still think he has a week or two of life still left in him, I wouldn't be surprised to see him make a return trip to the Bottom 3 this week.

Chris and Sanjaya should both thank their lucky stars for Haley Scarnato, though, who took about 5 steps back from last week's playful and fun performance. Although she looked beautiful, she reverted back into Robo-Haley who performs as though she is the 50-year-old headliner on a cruise ship. She was so utterly forgettable singing "True Colors," that I would be shocked if she lasts one more week.

So there it is...Haley's gettin' the boot.

Gulp.

Top 10 Performances: Walking into Spiderwebs

(Click on any contestant's name to read a more detailed commentary on their performance)

Can someone please explain the logic behind this week's theme? Yes, I understand Gwen Stefani is the guest coach, so how about pop songs? Or songs currently on the radio? Or songs of the new millennium?

Nope, we get No Doubt songs, and songs by bands and artists who have "inspired" Gwen Stefani, such as Donna Summer, The Police, and The Cure. Restricting the theme in this way makes literally no sense. Congretulations Nigel and Ken, you have reached new levels of ineptitude.

Now, I love me some Gwen Stefani -- I've seen her VH1 Behind the Music about five times. But let's be clear -- when it comes to Idol guest coaches, Gwen Stefani ain't no Lulu and Peter Noone.

(Who thought those words would ever be uttered?)

It seems Gwen had barely had any interaction with the contestants, and she didn't have much substantive to say in her clips except "maybe he/she should sing the melody." We get it, Gwen, you're a huge fan of melody. Excellent.

And is it just me, or did she look a little embarrassed to be on the show? I'm just saying.

Okay, on to the performances. In compiling my list of Ten Best Top 10 Performances of All Time, it became clear to me that the Top 10 has not traditionally been a highlight of season's past. And after last week's season-best showing from the contestants, unfortunately tonight lived up to it's Top 10 predecessors.

There were some solid performances from front-runners LaKisha Jones and Melinda Doolittle, but both picked Donna Summer tunes (yawn!), and neither was able to inject enough originality to provide the spine-tingling effect both are capable of delivering. I'm going to chalk it up to the restrictive theme and hope they come back next week ready to really get down.



Blake Lewis left his spiky hair and his beatboxing skills at home but still sounded swell on The Cure's "Love Song." And while Simon accurately pointed out that Blake is the clear male frontrunner in the competition, he too lacked a little bit of the spark we've seen from him in weeks past. However, he is still bring a freshness and modernity to the competition that is unparalleled in Idol history, so for that reason alone I hope he continues to thrive in the competition.

While Jordin Sparks certainly did not embarrass herself on No Doubt's "Hey Baby," the song was so far from what we've come to expect from her that it was a bit jarring. While it was a bit of a letdown after last week's tour de force, Jordin did show that she is able to cope with the various themes being thrown at her, and that she deserves a healthy life in the competition.

Chris Richardson, still reeling from his Bottom 2 showing last week, made No Doubt's "Don't Speak" far more believable as an R&B flavored song than I thought possible, but he still seems to be lacking the fire of someone who really wants to win this competition. There's only so long he's going to survive on his cutie-patootie-ness -- but for this week, I'm guessing it'll be enough to get him through.

Chris Sligh and Haley Scarnato, meanwhile, took a few steps back from last week, and I wouldn't be surprised to see either one or both of them holding hands tomorrow night at 9:28. Chris butchered The Police's "Every Little Thing She Does is Magic" in ways I didn't even know were possible, but there was something appealing about him admitting point blank that he had done so. Haley, meanwhile, brought her legs back, but left her spark at home, giving a snooze-inducing rendition of "True Colors." Looks like those legs might be walkin' her right out of the competition.

Oh yes, Sanjaya. Sanjaya, Sanjaya, Sanjaya, who is practically making a mockery of the competition at this point. That hair? I mean, you have got to be kidding me. He fumbled the words, he looked totally awkward, his pitch was all over the place -- and did I mention the hair? I'm really not sure how much more of this kid I can take.

Which brings us to Phil Stacey and Gina Glocksen, who, for me, were the two biggest surprises of the night. Phil finally put all of the pieces together, pairing his impressive vocals with an appropriate song choice, and not flailing around like a fool on stage. Phil has never been one of my favorites, but I've got to give him his props tonight.

Gina, meanwhile, wisely toned it down a notch from her last two frantically bad showings, made a great song choice, and really felt her performance of "I'll Stand By You." And not only did she stay on pitch the entire time, her voice was actually quite pleasant to listen to. Shockingly, I think she was the best of the night.

So, there it is. I'm guessing the third person kicked off American Idol this season will come from a group that includes Haley Scarnato , Sanjaya, Chris Sligh, and, despite his improved performance, Phil. Check back at around 1PM tomorrow for my final prediction.

My Rankings:
(Click on any contestant's name to read a more detailed commentary on their performance)
1. Gina Glocksen
2. Blake Lewis
3. Melinda Doolittle
4. Jordin Sparks
5. Phil Stacey
6. LaKisha Jones
7. Chris Richardson
8. Haley Scarnato
9. Chris Sligh
10. Sanjaya Malakar