Music To My Ears: CC Reviews The Top 10

From my recap at americanidol.com

Matt Giraud - “Let’s Get it On” by Marvin Gaye
Kara, get a grip ... he most certainly did not need to push the vocal riffing further, and has been criticized for doing just that. Don't confuse these poor kids, please. I loved this -- Matt is really bringing all of his strengths together and improving each week. Started with the piano (was too low in the mix, but never mind that); then didn't use the piano as a crutch, got out from behind it and grooved "Let's Get It On" right out!! Yes, Matt!! Great song choice that really suits his voice. The vocal imperfections didn't distract from the overall performance at all, because he sang it with so much conviction. Very, very smart performance. The sweater / tie combo was an interesting choice, sort of retro chic harkening back to the era well. He says he's trying to "get better every week." And he is. Matt, the dark horse, pulls up in the front of the pack.
MTME Rating: 4.5 / 5

Kris Allen - “How Sweet it Is” by Marvin Gaye
Very nice slow start with a build to the characteristic Kris energy. He is great with the guitar, but seems not to need it--he strikes a very nice balance between vocal, instrumental and performance skills. He is so very comfortable performing and his joy is obvious. Big, but non-cliche ending--very nice! "To be a star, you've got to be conceited" - says Simon. I think he may be kind of right, in that, while Kris is very, very good and has an internal calm about him that can only come from self-confidence ... he is not self-promotional enough. I only hope that he won't end up being overlooked and overshadowed by the more flamboyant performers in the competition.
MTME Rating: 4.25 / 5

Scott MacIntyre - ”You Can’t Hurry Love” by Diana Ross & The Supremes
So, kind of the same treatment as Kris -- a slow intro, then he broke out into the main body of the song. That's where the comparison grinds to a complete halt. I'm hearing elevator music. Musical wallpaper. The risks he took with the arrangement did not work at all, he was simply speeding up and slowing down, and that brought an awkwardness, not an artistry, to the performance. Scott claims to have found a personal meaning in the song, but I'm just not hearing anything that sounds like a real 'interpretation.' At this point, his performances simply pale in comparison to the others. Even with an uptempo song like this, Scott just doesn't bring any energy to it. This performance bordered on the cheesy--or as Randy said: "very average." For the record, I liked the pink pants and pink paisley shirt, with the pinstriped suit jacket--another fashion-forward look that was reminiscent of the era.
MTME Rating: 2.25 / 5

Megan Joy Corkrey - “For Once in My Life” by Stevie Wonder
Ok, I was on her side up until this point, even when I couldn't really get a handle on her quirkiness, her singing hurt my ears and her dancing made me a little seasick. But I've just pulled the plug, and unless she all of a sudden a) improves her vocal skills dramatically or b) returns to that sweet spot at the corner of idiosyncratic and interesting, she's lost me. Previously, in everything but Rockin' Robin, I could forgive the missed notes and other random vocal misfires, because her stylings were (are) so unique. But this performance was a disaster from top to bottom, side to side. The song did not lend itself to her treatment of it. She brutalized "For Once In My Life" to within an inch of its life.
MTME Rating: 2 / 5

Anoop Desai - “Ohh Baby Baby” by Smokey Robinson and The Miracles
Pretty, but boring. He's starting to overplay the smooth, sincere card. Anoop can't seem to settle upon a style that is really him. I also think he is struggling with song choice. While it was vocally above average, this was another performance of musical wallpaper. (And you know what Oscar Wilde said on his deathbed: "either this wallpaper goes, or I do.") I tuned out.
MTME Rating: 2.75 / 5

Michael Sarver - “Ain’t Too Proud to Beg” by The Temptations
This is such a great song, but I'm not sure it was so great for Michael. He overperformed it; hence the karaoke-cruise ship-lounge singer commentary. Michael seems content to have made the Top 10, and seems to think he's being "true to who he is" as an artist. But while he tells us he's some kind of artist, he's not showing us what kind he is. Singers like Michael are a dime a dozen in every bar across North America. I don't see any artistry--I just see (and hear) a fairly average singer, in a field of better ones.
MTME Rating: 2.5 / 5

Lil Rounds - “Heatwave” by Martha and the Vandellas
Great dress and hair-do. She finally breaks free from the mother-of-the-bride look. She, Adam and Scott (runner-up, Matt) win the retro-chic fashion awards tonight. I'm pulling a Paula and talking about how she looks, because the rest of her performance was disappointing with a side order of frenzied. She bottomed out on way too many of the low notes and rushed through the rest. Lil, once the judges' darling, has had the biggest fall from grace. And while she made a compelling case for how much the song meant to her, that didn't translate into a performance that the audience could respond to. Since the female contestants struggle so much to gain a rabid enough voting block to keep them in, Lil may be in the biggest trouble tonight (even though Scott or Michael should really go before her).
MTME Rating: 2.75 / 5

Adam Lambert - “Tracks of my Tears” by Smokey Robinson and the Miracles
Mesmerizing. This is the performance everyone was waiting for from Adam--especially those of us not convinced that he could tone down the dramatics and let his vocal skills take centre stage. I'm now convinced that Adam is just playin' with us. He has the confidence and performance skills to bend the audience to his will. He can draw upon what seem to be multiple personalities and moods, become many different characters and deliver a performance that unites song, staging, costuming, make-up and astonishing vocal skills. It feels "complete." But having said all that, it was still a carefully constructed act. Yes, of course, it was head and shoulders above the others, and it takes a remarkable skill to stay in falsetto for an entire song. But, as skilful and technically strong a performance as it was, it's still one step removed from the true emotion of the song. Many said they cried; I did not. The whole thing was a little too carefully contrived and staged to let me feel like Adam was really putting himself out there. I'm still putting him in a tie for the top mark of the night, though.
MTME Rating: 4.75 / 5

Danny Gokey - “Get Ready” by The Temptations
Adam tones it down, and leaves the title of Mr. McScreamy to Danny. Perhaps just a trick of performance order, but this was disappointing in any number of ways: the vocals sounded strained and rushed, and there was little of interest in the staging or costuming (except for the brief dalliance with the BG vocalists--were they excessively prominent tonight, or what?). At least he picked something upbeat and he brought a certain energy to it, but those positive aspects were far overshadowed by what, next to Lil, was the second most frantic performance of the evening. Coming into this competition, Danny's vocal skills were lauded--but over the past several weeks, and certainly tonight, I just hear straining and bellowing, with little modulation or variances in intensity that shows any degree of control. It seems to me that unless he's singing a song that has a cheap sentimentality to it (and even when he does), Danny has trouble bringing it all together to deliver a coherent and compelling overall performance. His star is fading as others' (Matt G's, Kris A's) are rising. Danny could be a surprise elimination, especially given that Adam clearly has a number of aces up his sleeve, and Matt and Allison are coming on strong. The judges were clear tonight that Danny didn't measure up--of course, knowing this show, that could all be a set-up to light a fire under Danny's fanbase (and save them from having to save him too early! hehe).
MTME Rating 3.5 / 5

Allison Iraheta - “Papa was a Rolling Stone” by The Temptations
NOW we're talking ... and Allison is rocking!! As the final performance of the night, Allison threw into stark relief what I felt were the shortcomings in both Adam's and Danny's performances. First, this girl connects to her songs and delivers them with a heartfelt passion that comes from somewhere deep inside of her. There is no artifice in her performance. Adam could learn from that. And compared to Danny, she has a vocal skill and power that is natural and effortless. The vocal flaws--and yes, there were some, including that last note--weren't worth even mentioning, since the performance itself was delivered with utter conviction. If there is any justice, this gal will never again be in the bottom three. I'd like to see her bring some additional nuances to her performances. Her mannerisms on stage are convincing, but she could use some help on wardrobe and staging.
MTME Rating: 4.75 / 5

MTME Rank Order:

Adam: 4.75 / 5
Allison: 4.75 / 5
Matt: 4.5 / 5
Kris: 4.25 / 5

Danny: 3.5 / 5

Lil: 2.75 / 5
Anoop: 2.75 / 5
Michael: 2.5 / 5
Scott: 2.25 / 5
Megan: 2 / 5

Music To My Ears: CC Reviews The Top 11

From The Archives at americanidol.com

Michael Sarver - "Ain't Goin' Down 'Till the Sun Comes Up" by Garth Brooks
More energy than I've seen from him since the auditions, and he picked a pure country song. I agree with judges that I don't know if it was the best choice to show off his vocals: just remembering and getting the words out is not quite enough, is it? Then again, it was definitely playing in to the country purists. There's just not enough 'oomph' with this guy--nothing stands out as being exceptional; he's just a nice, average, likeable guy (as Simon says). I just don't know if has the fanbase to keep him in this thing. MTME Rating: 2.75/5

Allison Iraheta - "Blame It on Your Heart" by Patty Loveless
Big power belting voice, lots of energy (she is a GOOD performer--she really uses the whole stage and dramatic gestures to get her performance across). I would say overall she did the best she could in this genre; she picked a pretty good song and applied her very distinctive style and vocals to it. She's outside of her comfort zone, though, and it showed. I really hope she's not in trouble, but ... she's a rockerrrr chick, and there's only going to be so much flexibility she can show. MTME Rating: 3.75/5

Kris Allen - "To Make You Feel My Love" by Bob Dylan
This was a very unique choice, very non-country (he got away with it because of the Garth Brooks' cover). I'm very impressed with the song choice--very impressed indeed. Also very impressed (now that I've researched the Dylan version, which I didn't know), with Kris's interpretation of the lyric. He captured the poignancy, the desperation, the pain and yearning of it. No one writes a love song like Dylan; no one can wring as many double, triple, quadruple meanings and nuances out of what appear to be the simplest of lyrics. But it usually takes someone with a ton of life experience to truly deliver these lyrics with the passion and heartbreak they deserve. Kris seems to be an old soul, and I think he did a fine job. MTME Rating: 4.25/5

Lil Rounds - "Independence Day" by Martina McBride
The judges nailed it -- the first half was tremendously boring. Here's the problem with Lil: her strike zone is that big, booming R&B diva song. If she stays there, though, she will eventually be called boring. So she needs to try some different things, but when she does, she strikes out. She's in a no-win situation, and I feel for her because she's a very good technical singer when she's in her niche. In past years, that maybe would have been enough to see her through to Top 5 or 6. But this year, we have some truly talented and flexible singers, even some who are NOT technically as skilled as Lil, but who are able to apply their style to lots of different genres. Lil is struggling to do that, and I think she has fallen from being one of the judges' three favoured contestants, to the bottom of the list. Sorry Lil. MTME Rating: 2.75/5

Adam Lambert - "Ring of Fire" by Johnny Cash and June Carter
Adam is THE most polarizing contestant of this year, or maybe of any year. I've been straddling the fence on him, but I'm not straddling with this song, and I don't think anyone else will be either. The country and Johnny Cash purists will hate it (it was at this point in the show that most on the PBP were starting to wonder just WHAT was going on with tonight's GOO theme. We weren't really hearing much that was traditional country, were we?). Those who like "sound-alike" covers will hate it. Still others -- and I'm in this camp -- who value creativity and artistic interpretation above genre purity or vocal technique, will love it, unless of course they just don't like Adam. Couple of things I must commend Adam for: better modulation! He started soft, stayed soft when he needed to; and really limited the shrieky thing (not 100%, but much better than in prior weeks). I still got the 'stagey' bit from him, but at least he knows how to tell a story, how to project that story to the audience, and tonight he managed to sell it without yelling it, so that's good. Another thing: smart song choice and clever research* to find a version of a country song that he could make work for him. I was so hoping he would do Johnny Cash--the man in black--a perfect choice for Adam. Very cool. And very hot. ;-) MTME Rating: 4.75/5

* One little niggly thing: while I appreciate these contestants being smart researchers, the technique of finding a you tube version of a song that they can use to get them through a tough theme week is starting to get old. Daughtry did it first; and Cook perfected it. If you want to really impress me, Idolers: apply YOUR artistic vision to a song and do a truly original version, not a cover of a cover.

Scott MacIntyre - "Wild Angels" by Martina McBride
Oh, sigh. I feel bad for what I am about to write. Scott, it's all coming across as overly sentimental and trite. Again, it's not that you're not good: it's just that so many others are better. You fade away into obscurity about 10 mins after your performance ... kind of like Chinese food. You are picking boring, safe, "old" songs. You are singing and performing them in very conventional ways. There is no edge; there is nothing unique, and there is nothing much else to say. He's in trouble this week, I think. MTME Rating: 2.5/5

Alexis Grace - "Jolene" by Dolly Parton
Geez, this gal confounds me. Last week, the judges' loved her Dirty Diana; I didn't. This week, the judges' didn't love her Jolene, and I kinda did! Here's what I liked: I thought Alexis hit exactly the right emotional tone for the lyrics. She connected with the song brilliantly. This song is all about a woman, maybe a plain woman, maybe a woman who lacks self-confidence, who is desperately trying to hold on to her man in the face of another sexier, more attractive woman coming along. Man, that Dolly can write a lyric!! "You could have your choice of men / But I could never love again / He's the only one for me, jolene." The pathos, the resignation, the plea in this lyric is so .... so .... so heartbreakingly sad. (been there, done that). Alexis masterfully conveyed the sentiment and meaning of the song in a very understated but highly effective delivery. Dang those judges anyway, telling her to go back to "dirty it up" (don't listen to them, Alexis! Be the artist you are and want to be!) She achieved what she wanted: she showed another side of her vocals, a softer, more vulnerable side. It was GOOD! Enough with the dirty girl; you have many more facets than that ... and I want to see all of them. MTME Rating: 4/5

Danny Gokey - "Jesus, Take the Wheel" by Carrie Underwood
I, too, was distracted by the glare of the bright spotlight off of Danny's blazing white straight jacket, errr, jacket. (credit to rosemilagain for nailing that fashion description!) LOL Well, I'll give him this: he hooked me. He pulled me into the lyric through his delivery, and when he hit that chorus, I was sold--despite myself. But you know what, it then kind of went downhill for me. Too many yeah, yeah's, whoahh ohh ohhs and too much straining for the big note and the big emotional crescendo. The song is annoying because it is emotionally exploitative. I'm just going to highlight that and let that resonate as it will.

As soon as Danny stopped singing lyrics, I lost the connection with the song and with him. And when he was singing the lyrics, I found myself feeling exploited by the cheap lyrical trick inherent in the song. So it was on the good side of ok, because his performance was strong, but this song is a classic example of why so much country music irks me: too much bludgeoning me over the head with an overt, cliched, sentimental message, and not enough subtlety, ambiguity and poetic nuance. MTME Rating: 3.5/5

Anoop Desai - "You Were Always on My Mind" by Willie Nelson (among others)
Ok, I'll rave about this one!! First, it's a GORGEOUS song. I mean, no one does it like Willie, but Anoop covered it very, very well. AND -- he showed his true self. No acting a part, no silly pretense or costume, just heartfelt emotion, connection with the lyric and a very strong performance. I loved that he wasn't jumping around all over the place. He nailed it using his vocals and projecting his passion through the cameras to the audience. Anoop shows true competitive spirit and pulls it out of the bag this week after the debacle of last. MTME Rating: 4.25/5

Megan Corkrey - "Walkin' After Midnight" by Patsy Cline
Am I lovin' watching this gal, or WHAT?!?. She is neck-and-neck with Adam for splitting the audience in two: you're either for her, or you're against her! I can't help but want to root her on, just coz she inspires such a strong response in people! (I'm a little bit evil that way.) Ok, no, she's not a great singer. It simply must be said, she overreaches for that idiosyncratic delivery and she goes sharp and flat and all over the place. And you know what, so what?!? She is carving out a niche for herself unlike any other performer in this year's line up. She's a Jason Castro to me (and almost as pretty LOL) -- one of those truly original contestants, completely untrained, but who bring an artistic vision that you either buy into or you don't. Every week, she walks a tightrope, and the viewers stand below, gasping with every wobble. That is exciting to watch. Song choice: phenomenal!! I SOOOO wanted to hear Patsy from her, and I even thought of this specific song (I'm remembering Kellie Pickler's version). Like Adam and Johnny Cash, Megan and Patsy made a great couple -- a hip choice, with an original interpretation. I'm pro-Megan on this performance--America, please keep her around, she adds lots of spice to the competition with her unique artistic sensibility. (just one word to the wise, Megan: underwire) MTME Rating: 3/5

Matt Giraud - "So Small" by Carrie Underwood
He deserved the pimp spot. A great song for him. A beautiful performance. Vocals, not 100% (even I could hear him missing the lows and some of the highs). Again, though, it was a performance that was fully integrated: his piano playing, his singing, his song choice and his connection with the song and the audience. It came across as a coherent whole, and reflected who he is as an artist. I don't think he is the best interpreter of songs, but I do think that he presents himself as a 'total package' in a way that, among the rest of the contestants this year, maybe only Adam can match. Keep it up, Matt ... you're the sleeper contestant (you, and maybe Kris) of this year's competition. MTME Rating: 4.5/5

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

I'll be listening to the performances again tomorrow, and will put my MTME ratings on after I do. For now (subject to change), I'm going to say:

Top: Kris, Adam, Alexis, Anoop, Matt

Middle: Megan, Allison, Danny

Bottom: Michael, Lil, Scott

Music To My Ears: CC Reviews the Top 13

From the Archives at americanidol.com:

Lil Rounds: The Way You Make Me Feel
"The day you let go of your dreams, is the day you let go of your life." Lil is spunky, and I like her vocal inflections and her style. This was a professional performance, but it left me feeling a bit cold.
Song Choice: She brought something almost innocent and playful to it. But it's not an innocent and playful song.
Performance: Highly competent. She is clearly comfortable on the stage, but in this performance, I didn't feel she was tremendously dynamic.
Vocal Quality, Conviction in Delivery or Both? Very convincing and lots of tricks and treats in the vocals--maybe a little too many vocal curlicues for my tastes.
Connection to the Song, Connection to the Audience or Both? Both, but not enough of either unfortunately. She seemed to go through it by rote. Something lacking in her passion.
Music To My Ears? 3.5/5

Scott MacIntyre: Keep The Faith
He's a deeply genuine contestant who is truly sharing a part of himself with the audience. Scott felt he was being artistic. "It's fine being artistic, just not on this show" says Simon. Well, that's a sad, sad comment.
Song Choice: It's a far-too-literal song designed to be inspirational, but it's filled with non-sequiturs. Still, it's got a catchy melody, and I disagreed with Simon choosing to slam Scott for the song choice when it was really the song, not Scott's performance, that Simon didn't like.
Performance: Sitting at the piano inhibited Scott's ability to connect with the audience, at least on TV. He is certainly an awesome piano player, though.
Vocal Quality, Conviction in Delivery or Both? Both, I thought he delivered a bad song well.
Connection to the Song, Connection to the Audience or Both? I'm not sure he was totally connected to the song, seeing as he had just learned it a few days before. Still, he must have picked it for a reason, and like I said, he did deliver it well. I do think there was something missing in his connection to the audience, both because the song is less well-known, and also we saw only his shoulders above the piano.
Music To My Ears: 3.5/5

Danny Gokey: Pretty Young Things
Yes, Simon, he is a goofy dancer. I can recall another goofy dancer who went pretty far, ok, all the way, in the competition. What you see in Danny is that same inherent, deeply-felt sense of musicality, and a self-confidence that lets him engage with the audience and share his joy. This was an awesome performance.
Song Choice: hated the song, loved his interpretation of it. He brought just the right energy and joy to it.
Performance: deeply felt, nothing contrived and he absolutely commanded the stage. And looked great doing it (loved the red glasses and shirt combo!!)
Vocal Quality, Conviction in Delivery or Both? Yes, both in spades, clubs, hearts and diamonds.
Connection to the Song, Connection to the Audience or Both? BOTH. Unbelievable connection to the audience, offering the judges and the audience the mic was not the least bit staged, but a natural expression of his connection to the music and desire to share it with others.
Music To My Ears: 4.75/5

Michael Sarver: You Are Not Alone
Song Choice: Big song, and it could have been too big for him. There's an epic feeling to it, and he delivered up to the promise and potential of it.
Performance: There was something "loungey" about this performance -- something a little over the top in both mannerisms and vocal delivery. But he really felt it, and I'm always a little surprised that he ends up being as good as he is.
Vocal Quality, Conviction in Delivery or Both: He was totally committed to the song. I thought he was bellowing it out a bit -- good thing he knows how to pull that mic back!
Connection to the Song, Connection to the Audience or Both? He was connected, but he also seemed really nervous. He didn't move into the audience at all, or use the stage much--he kept his distance from the audience, both in vocal delivery as well as staging.
Music To My Ears: 3.25/5

Jasmine Murray: I'll Be There
I'm surprised to say that I got a couple of chills during this performance -- she was good!! Her voice has a depth to it that sneaks up on you. She was a little flat here and there, but the richness of the vocal overcame that.
Song Choice: there's not a lot to hang your hat on lyrically with this song, but it has a great melody and it worked well for Jasmine's voice.
Performance: here's where Jasmine falls down a bit, since she's still a little young and green to really deliver a knock-out performance of a song. Gorgeous dress -- I liked the retro vibe to go with the song, but it looked age-appropriate too (she has struggled with that, at least in terms of song choice)..
Vocal Quality, Conviction In Delivery or Both: Both
Connection to the Song, Connection to the Audience or Both? Stronger than I would have thought in terms of song connection based primarily on the strength of the song itself and her vocal skill; but while a technically good performance, it wasn't a huge stand-out in terms of audience connection.
Music To My Ears: 4/5

Kris Allen: Remember The Time
I'm really not sure why he bothered to bring the guitar, since we barely heard it over the band and from the looks of it, he can really play!! I'd like to hear him more with it. That green-checkered shirt -- it looked like he wasn't really trying on the fashion front. That said, Kris is very talented, very comfortable performing and has a cuteness to him that is endearing. Awwww, and he's five-month newlywed!
Song Choice: Great choice for him, and he put a nice contemporary twist on it. It felt a little jazzy--someone on the PBP said it sounded Fray-like; Randy said Jason Mraz ... I'm thinking John Mayer.
Performance: good, nice energy and lots of comfort on the stage. Bad green shirt though--not sure what the heck he was going for in the way of a fashion statement. LOL
Vocal Quality, Conviction In Delivery or Both: huge conviction, and he sounded good to me even despite the few off notes.
Connection to the Song, Connection to the Audience or Both? Oh yeah, really nice eye contact and an engaging performance. I really like his bouncy delivery, which may have impacted the vocals a bit but really enhanced the performance and connection with the audience.
Music To My Ears: 4.25/5

Allison Iraheta: Give In To Me
She totally blew me away, second week in a row! This show finally may have found a true rocker chick! (sorry Gina Glocksen and Amanda Overmyer fans ... but they weren't it). Too many of the contestants this year are already so "packaged" -- they are contrived and practiced, and everything they do, say, wear is pre-planned. Did you hear Allison counter Simon's comment about the song being not very happy with: "well, it's a dark song ... it's not like I'm cutting or anything..." That slipped out, and good for her. She is unfiltered. It might end up backfiring on her, but for now, what you see is what you get. Just when we thought this show had lost its way in terms of finding raw, untapped talent and bringing it to light ... Allison might be it.
Song Choice: GREAT song choice to bring out her raw, rocker edge.
Performance: Riveting, raw and real.
Vocal Quality, Conviction In Delivery or Both: she nailed this on both counts. And why? Because she got the darkness of the song, and she matched her performance to it.
Connection to the Song, Connection to the Audience or Both? Totally both.
Music To My Ears: 4.75/5

Anoop Desai: Beat It
Oh, Anoop. Anoop, Anoop, Anoop. I think I've got you pegged: you are an actor. You figure out who you need to be based on the lyrics and context of the song, and you know how to act the part, but it's not really coming from YOU. It backfired on you tonight because you picked the wrong song: again, like last week, a song that is just fundamentally inconsistent with your personality. The stylists did a good job on you, but you were playing a role and it showed. And so ... you got the "k" word from the judges, and from so many who watched you.
Song Choice: the only thing that might have been worse would have been Billie Jean.
Performance: the clothes don't make the man. I didn't even believe MJ when he tried to act tough with this.
Vocal Quality, Conviction In Delivery or Both: He was having trouble with the mic, and there was a little too much movement to let him retain control over his vocals. Everything about this looked staged.
Connection to the Song, Connection to the Audience or Both? Ummm...not so much.
Music To My Ears: 2.75/5

Jorge Nunez: Never Can Say Good-Bye
Song Choice: I disagreed with the judges. I LIKED this song choice -- yes, it's a bit old-fashioned, but that suits Jorge. He's got a retro, Latin-lover, romantic crooner persona, and this song fit that perfectly.
Performance: Solid.
Vocal Quality, Conviction In Delivery or Both: Nice on both counts...he still has challenges with enunciation, but he overcomes it with vocal technique, quality and control.
Connection to the Song, Connection to the Audience or Both? Bit of both
Music To My Ears: 3.25/5

Megan Joy Corkrey: Rockin' Robin
WHAT?!? Megan picked a strange, gimmicky song and then corkscrewed through it, adding a crow's caw right at the end to just cap off what was a truly bizarre set of performance choices.
Song Choice: abysmal.
Performance: uncomfortable to watch from start to finish.
Vocal Quality, Conviction In Delivery or Both: she "cawed" at the end of it. Like a CROW. Need I say more?
Connection to the Song, Connection to the Audience or Both? More like, made the audience recoil.
Music To My Ears: 2/5

Adam Lambert: Black & White
I'm up and down with this guy. There is no denying his incredible mastery of the stage; he OWNS it. But ... he's a screamer. Even when he's not screaming; he's projecting a little too much.
Song Choice: this was a great song choice. First, it was a little unexpected, but also felt right. It has a great message in it and it's a message that has resonance when a personality like Adam -- who is decidedly uncloseted and probably knows a little about prejudice and inequality -- sings it.
Performance: what's to say -- he DELIVERS. I love to watch him, even when I know it's a very staged performance, it's FUN. I'm always entertained, but I'm not always moved.
Vocal Quality, Conviction In Delivery or Both: Both. A lot of both, with the caveat that he needs to find a way to modulate -- he made some choices to go over-the-top with certain phrases, where he could have pulled back and put some subtlety into it.
Connection to the Song, Connection to the Audience or Both? Another one, like Danny Gokey, who has the self-confidence to put himself right among the audience and really connect with them. When you watch an artist like this, you feel comfortable, because they feel comfortable. As an audience member, you can lose yourself in the performance, just sit back and let yourself be entertained.
Music To My Ears: 4.5/5

Matt Giraud: Human Nature
I. LOVED. THIS. Again, Matt won me over with a song and style to which I'm not naturally inclined. He has a lovely, smooth tone; a whispery, sexy quality to his voice that worked really well with this song.
Song Choice: it's a great song, great lyrics and has a poignancy, yearning and "urban" quality to it that let Matt's expressive intonation and phrasing fly....
Performance: gorgeous. Loved him on the piano. He can really play. In comparison with Scott, we saw more energy from Matt's performance, even though he was seated, than we did from Scott. It's probably not a fair comparison...but there it is.
Vocal Quality, Conviction In Delivery or Both: Both. Matt's piano playing and vocals are perfectly integrated; one complements the other -- together, they make a unified whole. I think this is NOT a song that he just learned this week--he has likely performed this before. As a result, he had a looseness and comfort level that allowed him to take liberties with the melody and timing, both vocally and on the piano.
Connection to the Song, Connection to the Audience or Both? Both. His comfort level and superior performance skills, with his vocals playing off his piano and vice versa, let him open up and connect better with the audience, and us with him.
Music To My Ears: 4.75/5

Alexis Grace: Dirty Diana
I don't know this song. I also confess, when someone's in the pimp spot, my expectations go up. So maybe she was great, but I'm only going to judge her as good. I think I'm definitely going to be in the minority on this one.
Song Choice: great song, really raw with terrific edge, and I admire her for picking it. But ...
Performance: ... but, she didn't really sell it to me. She dressed the part, but I don't think she's got that grit in her. She also took the lyrics and acted them out in first person, instead of how they were written, in third person. She should be singing ABOUT Dirty Diana, not acting as Dirty Diana. That didn't work for me. Plus, her shoes were too high and she looked like she was going to fall off of them. It made for an awkward performance.
Vocal Quality, Conviction In Delivery or Both: Here's where it gets really dicey. Her voice was thin, again, not gritty and growly enough for this song. Plus, something REALLY strange in her diction and phrasing. She was rushing or something; she seemed out of breath and as though she was struggling to get one phrase out and keep up to the music. Someone with a more musical or professional ear can likely explain this. I'm just trying to describe what I heard, and I started to fixate on it as I was listening. That's never good.
Connection to the Song, Connection to the Audience or Both? Yes, she was definitely connected. , but I wasn't.
Music To My Ears: 3.5/5

MTME Ratings:

Allison Iraheta: 4.75
Danny Gokey: 4.75
Matt Giraud: 4.75
Adam Lambert: 4.5
Kris Allen: 4.25
Jasmine Murray: 4
Alexis Grace: 3.5
Lil Rounds: 3.5
Scott McIntyre: 3.5
Jorge Nunez: 3.25
Michael Sarver: 3.25
Anoop Desai: 2.75
Megan Joy Corkrey: 2