AI Semifinals - Top 10 Guys

Tonight we will see if the guys step things up in response to the girls' killer performances last week. All songs are "dedicated" to someone and the vid clips will explain who & why....

Phil is up 1st & dedicates his to his military outfit. He sings "Missing You" and it's good but nothing outstanding; at least it doesn't have a 'really bad' section like last week's. Randy & Paula like it; Simon says he's popular & likable but it wasn't unique vocally.

Jared dedicates his song to his parents and sings "Let's Get It On"... ok, it sounds freaky summarized like that! Obviously not all of the songs are actually related to the dedications lyrically... He's no Nikko, but it's decent.

AJ also dedicates to his folks. He sings "Feeling Good" and I'm impressed! Part of me is glad he didn't get screen time until last week, because I had no expectations (whereas people I had high expectations for often let me down...). He has a great voice, range, & control (& didn't grin through the whole song); *very* good performance! Randy & Paula loved it; Simon admitted it was "nearly very good" and acknowledged that he did something different / out of his comfort zone.

Sanjaya dedicates his song to his grandfather (who died when he was 5). He sings "I'm Stepping Out" and is wearing a shiny shirt and a hat (his hair is pulled back); he looks a lot (it's jazzy) and it didn't showcase his voice at. all. Paula advised him to pick songs that fit his youth (he said he picked something "classic" because of his grandfather & the dedication. Randy & Simon said it was bad.

Chris S. dedicates to his wife Sarah; he sings "Trouble" which is good, but nothing outstanding. To me it seemed strange on Idol to sing a love song to your wife in the audience at this stage of the game... The judges liked it alright.

Nick dedicates to his girlfriend. He sings "Fever" and... it doesn't work. Like Sanjaya he sings in a soft voice, but unlike the other song this one calls for a stronger, more powerful delivery IMO. Randy said it was pitchy but he liked the "vibe"; Simon said it lacked charisma. (Oh, I also finally figured out which actor he reminds me of: Robert Downey, Jr.!)

Blake dedicates to his folks. He sings a song called "Virtual Insanity" which is apparently originally by Jamiroquai, but Blake adds some beatboxing & scat to the middle section. I thought it was good, current & appealing to hip hop fans (he also had some good dance moves). Randy & Paula loved it, but Simon was disappointed (he said the first section seemed like a copycat of the original video).

Brandon dedicates to his (deceased) grandmother. He does "Time After Time" & it's too similar to last week's choice; like Sanjaya & Nick, it's too soft to show off his vocals. There was nothing wrong w/it but nothing great either. Randy & Simon agree, saying they were bored, but Paula enjoyed it & says she "felt" the emotion he put into it.

Chris R. also dedicates to his grandma. He sings Jason Mraz's "Geek in the Pink"! I love Jason Mraz, & this song is tough to sing; Chris pulls it off and I am impressed!! Excellent performance; the judges agree.

Sundance is last and I wonder if it's because he's actually decent, or because he's bad again & TPTB really want to get rid of him... fortunately, it's the former! He dedicates to his (2 month old) son Levi and is all teary in the video because he's missing many of the 'firsts' since he's in AI. He sings "Mustang Sally" and rocks the house!! This is the Sundance from the first audition! Great vocal tone, range, & power. The judges love it as well.

Best: Chris R., Sundance, & AJ
Weakest: Nick, Sanjaya, & Brandon
My picks to go: Nick, Jared