American Idol - MC² = David x 2 = #1

Top 7 Performance Night - Theme: The Songs of Mariah Carey

I really had to restrain myself from titling this post with some variation of "Touch My Body". Also, if I used that in a sentence with David Archuleta, I'd probably be arrested.

So Mariah Carey is desperate to sell some records huh? She of the incredible stage fright and only shows one side of her face comes onto the juggernaut sales pitch to "mentor" our Idols but that also means all the Idols must sing all her songs, which are generally not the best songs in the world. Just ones that one can belt to to show off powerful pipes. Oh, how convenient for Mariah who generally screams every single line of her songs! Let's see how the others do:

David Archuleta sings "When You Believe" sings another soaring hopeful song but when you believe in his amazingly talented voice, he soars above the maudlin lyrics and the second rate ballad. I do believe David, I do!

Carly Smithson sings "Without You" with all the technical chops required but as the judges pointed out, it somehow lacks confidence or soul behind it. She almost seemed afraid of stepping on Mariah's toes which is to bad because she actually could have done some pretty good justice with her rock-ier voice.

Syesha Mercado sings "Vanishing" sings another belty R&B song. She's good at it. It's just really boring, but granted, her selection this week pretty much forces her to do what I've been saying she should avoid, the ghetto of the black woman songs (and to change it up with something completely different).

Brooke White sings "Hero" and while I LOVE LOVE LOVE Brooke, I thought she was a bit weak and faltered the first half and I was worried about her. But then when she started belting it out in the second half, I thought she regained her usual momentum and finished it off pretty decently, saving herself in the end. Funny, Randy thought the EXACT OPPOSITE of me. Dawg. What?

Kristy Lee Cook sings "Forever". Which is what seems like her stint on this show is. Forever. Yet, for the second time in the Top 12, I'm going to choke on my words because I actually liked her performance a bit. Her voice is still weak, and she plays the square states crowd like a violin, but she managed to avoid most of her weaknesses again and let her few strong notes shine.

David Cook sings "Always Be My Baby". Okay! I will! What else can I say? Just listen for yourself after the jump. It was mesmerizing. I'm totally eating my words from my comments in the first few weeks of the show. I was totally wrong. TOTALLY wrong. Cook is AWESOME! Plus, funny now that he's definitely in the running, he seems to have been spiffied up all hot and all (and REALLY looking like Chace Crawford's brother).

Jason Castro sings "I Don't Wanna Cry" was actually pretty good and not the disaster I thought it would be, but coming off of David Cook's superb performance, my mind was elsewhere. Still, it wasn't bad and while still chill, it wasn't as chilled as his usual performances.

Ah shoot, no one did "Touch My Body" or "Shake It Off". That would have been kinda funny actually.

Best of the night: David Cook, in what is becoming the back and forth exchange of the top spot between the two David's.

A Close Next best: David Archuleta

Worst of the night: I actually don't know. It was almost even between the usually strong girls Brooke and Carly, and the usual bottom of the barrel Kristy (who was better this week but still not as strong as the others).

Most forgettable of the night: Syesha Mercado, sadly again.

Bottom three? - Brooke, Carly and Syesha

Going home? - Syesha Mercado.

Though I might have a bad feeling for Carly Smithson.

All the videos of the performances are after the jump:


David Archuleta - "When You Believe"




Carly Smithson - "Without You"




Syesha Mercado - "Vanishing":




Brooke White - "Hero":




Kristy Lee Cook - "Forever":




David Cook - "Always Be My Baby":




Jason Castro - "I Don't Wanna Cry":




For more on American Idol Season 7:
Click here for the most recent posts.

Top 8 Performance Night - Cause They Are Give'ers (includes videos of all the performances), Idol Gives Back - Giving Us The So You Think You Can Dance Dancers, Results 8 to 7 - Idol Gives Back SyeWHAT???

Top 9 Performance Night - Dolly and the Two Big Ones (David and David) (includes videos of all the performances), Results 9 to 8 - Third Time Was A Charm

Top 10 Performance Night - Okay, Now there Really IS A Race! Or I'm Just Getting Soft (includes videos of all the performances), Results 10 to 9 - Chikezie, Meet Daniel Powter... Back in Obscurity

Top 11 Performance Night - That Old Awkward Phase (includes videos of all the performances), Results 11 to 10 - When The Stylists Finally Called In

Top 12 Performance Night - Death Race 2008 (includes videos of all the performances), Results 12 to 11 - Strippers and Prostitutes Are Not The Same Thing

Top 16 - Girls Night - Brooke's and Done, Boys Night - He Plays Piano Too?

Top 20 - Boys Night - Who Are Those Hotties - American Idol Hairdo's Edition

Top 24 - Boys Night- American, Should I Do Idol?

Thanks to Rickey for the photos.