This is the point in the competition when I think we really start to see who has a chance to win this thing – and who doesn’t. And because of that, I’m sometimes tempted to fast forward through the contestants who will probably be gone in a week or two or three.

But tonight I will resist the temptation and soldier through every single performance because I am just that selfless.

Not to mention obsessive.

Katie Stevens – “Breakaway” – She did what the judges suggested last week and picked a song by a younger singer, but I don’t know, dog – it was a little pitchy for me. It was a lot pitchy, in fact. She has a big voice, and she seems to be finding her way in terms of wardrobe and stage presence and whathaveyou, but I felt like she took a couple of steps backward with her vocals this week.

Siobhan Magnus – “House of the Rising Sun” – Siobhan perplexes me. Because on one hand she’s very skilled technically, but on the other hand there’s something about her stage presence that’s a little off-putting. It’s almost like I appreciate her, but I don’t necessarily enjoy her. And to me this song was a wee bit boring. She was pitch-perfect, but somehow I wasn’t interested. And she’s so talented – don’t get me wrong – but there’s a piece of the Siobhan puzzle that I feel like I haven’t found yet.

Lacey Brown – “The Story” – For the first time I feel like she really showed us what’s special about her voice. It was a great song choice, and I thought, “Oh, I GET IT NOW – she has sort of a Susanna Hoffs / Kate Bush thing going on.” And tonight, it totally worked. She wasn’t trying too hard – just doing her thing. Loved it.

Kaitlyn Epperley – “I Feel The Earth Move” – I really liked her performance last week – loaded with feeling, a little moody – but tonight felt more like karaoke. Nothing interpretive, nothing new – just a bland cover of a song that most of us have heard a million times. It was almost too straightforward. I wish there had been a surprise WOW moment in there somewhere, but not this week. I hope she’s still around for another chance in the Top 12.

Didi Benami – “Rhiannon” – Oh, this was absolutely the right song for her. Great interpretation, great vibe, great voice. She reminded me of a young Shawn Colvin, and that is ALWAYS a good thing. I think this was a Big Moment for her. It got a little rough in spots on the chorus, but it was definitely my favorite performance of the night (so far). I feel strangely proud of her.

(And also: I think maybe Ryan has a wee crush on her? Anyone else picking up on that?)

Paige Miles – “Smile” – She was so tentative at the beginning, and then it seemed like she was about a half a beat behind her music once the tempo picked up. This performance was so much more hesitant than what she’s done in other weeks that I almost wondered if she’s having trouble with her voice? Maybe a touch of laryngitis? I want to hug her and bless her heart.

Crystal Bowersox – “Gimme One Reason” – In the interest of full disclosure, I should tell you that this is one of my favorite songs of all time. And it would be so easy to do a straight cover of this song – because it’s brilliant without a single modification – but Crystal put a very bluesy, original twist on it. She’s so talented. Head and shoulders above the rest of the girls. Didi may have been my favorite tonight, but I think Crystal was the best.

Lilly Scott – “I Fall To Pieces” – This is a song where quirky vocal stylings don’t necessarily work for me, and I thought the whole thing was a little weird. That being said, she probably did enough to make it through to next week.

As far as official predictions? I think Katie and Paige will probably be the two to go, but Kaitlyn didn’t do herself any favors in the Remember Me department.

What did y’all think?

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So I know I’m tardy to last week’s Office party (hey! that was another Teal Mousefives reference for those of you playing at home), but my lateness has done nothing to dampen my enthusiasm.

And as always, I’m hoping for an extra dose of ‘Nard Dog in this week’s episode. Andy makes everything better. Especially a cappella singing.

1. “Hey there. Dwight Schrute here. Listen. Uh, would you be interested in restocking on paper? My cousin came down with a case of that nasty new goat fungus.”

2. “Now I’m halfway through the Twilight cookbook. Last night I had Edward’s Cornflake Chicken.”

3. “Pregnant Pam and I, we get hungry at the same times, so we’ve been eating together a lot. Not all meals. Just second breakfast, lunch, second lunch and first dinner.”

4. “I do not plan on helping unless it’s a boy.” // “I cannot wait for that joke to be over.”

5. “Don’t get revenge on me, nerd.”

6. “Bear my child. I want to have a child for business reasons and I want you to be the mother. If you agree, say nothing. If you disagree, say anything.”

7. “Word of advice, speaking as a former baby.”

8. “I’m sort of a master of distraction. When I was little, my mom always received compliments from teachers about how I was able to distract others in class.”

9. “I can do the ‘Evolution of Dance’ dance.”

10. “Item 1: Child will be breastfed by the mother for exactly six months then weaned onto a nutrient-rich winter vegetable mash provided by the father, Dwight Schrute, hereafter referred to as Morpheus. Agreed?” // “Agreed.”

11. Meredith: “I have a shirt like that in my car.”

12. “I’m not crazy. She’s crazy. 5-7 minutes. 5-7 minutes. 6 minutes. Different. But not really.”

13. “We’re having a little girl.”

14. “Our Ultra Feast menu theme: Hollywood.”

15. “Are you kidding?” “Are you kidding?” “You can do this.” “You can do this.”

16. “Let’s check how dilated she is. THIS IS RIDICULOUS.”

17. Dwight in that TransAm – ohmyword it made me howl. And when he thew the sword out the window? Delightful.

18. “I’ve gotta go wash my eyes.”

19. “Love you. As a friend.”

20. “I searched everywhere, but I didn’t find it. What I did find was mold. And lots of it. So I did what anyone would do: I read a book, had a bath, got a good night’s sleep and made plans to eradicate it. I also made plans to ask Jim where he bought his marvelous sheets. Time to get to work.”

21. Meredith: “Like Clooney.”

22. “Oh good. You know everything.”

23. “Say nothing. You will learn to love me.”

24. “Read the fax. I’m asking you out.”

25. “I couldn’t find your iPod.”

Okay. So maybe not so much with the Andy. But it was a Dwight Showcase, and for that I am deeply grateful.

Plus: a sweet baby girl. It was an embarrassment of Office riches.

What did y’all think?

Anybody else’s ears still ringing from that last note Siobhan Magnus hit at the end of “Think”?

Sweet mercy. I think my windshield may have shattered.

Tonight was sort of a mixed bag for the girls, and I really wanted to hug Haeley Vaughn and Didi Bernami. Honestly, I thought the judges were a little hard on Didi, and you could tell that she was so stinkin’ frustrated in terms of trying to figure out how to please them.

But there were definitely some standouts. I really liked Crystal Bowersox (who’s in a little bit of a league of her own), Katelyn Epperly (yes, the song was slow, but it was interesting) and Paige Miles (her voice reminds me a little bit of Whitney – pre-Bobby B., of course).

What did y’all think? Any favorites yet?

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Two quick things before I put up the Mr. Linky:

1) I don’t need to hear any Idol contestant sing “What’s Love Got To Do With It” or “My Girl” ever again in my whole life ever and I’M NOT KIDDING ONE BIT ABOUT THAT.

2) I thought Michael Lynche and Lee Dewyze were great. Also: Alex Lambert is going to be one to watch when he gets a little more comfortable on stage.

What did y’all think?

p.s. If you’re doing the Linky thing, please add the link for your specific post – not just your general blog URL.

So I’m a little late getting started with the watching of the Idol, but rest assured that my tardiness has not diminished my enthusiasm, oh no it has not.

In the immortal words of Dr. Phil, “let’s do this.”

Todrick Hall – “Since You Been Gone” – Oh, I am such a fan of an inventive cover. But there was one primary problem with this cover: he took one of the best pop songs of all time ever and re-worked it in a way that wasn’t really recognizable. That being said, I love his originality, love the way he moved around on the stage – but I didn’t think his vocals were that strong. It was a little more talk-y than sing-y, and yes, those are absolutely the technical terms.

Aaron Kelly – “Here Comes Goodbye” – I think was probably a good song choice for him, but it sounded a little bit like he was doing his Rascal Flatts imitation. Plus, his voice didn’t really do him any favors on the chorus. However, he has a decided advantage in that he’s sort of a 2010 David Archuleta, isn’t he? The tween girls are gonna vote for him like crazy.

Jermaine Sellers – “Get Here” – This song is one of my all-time favorites. I didn’t really care for the overly complicated R&B arrangement, mainly because the beauty of this song is its simple, sweet melody. It felt a little bit like he was pushing too hard – trying to have a moment, maybe? His voice got lost in all the busy-ness.

Tim Urban – “Apologize” – Since he was a last-minute addition to the top 24, I was really rooting for him, but it seemed like he never really got control of the song. The high notes made me wince a little bit – but I did like this song choice for him, and I think he did enough to stay around for another week.

Joe Munoz – “You And I Both Know” – He surprised me. The tone of his voice is really pretty, and he was so much more comfortable on stage that I anticipated (based on what we saw during the auditions). That being said, the chorus was a hot mess in parts – but when it was all said and done, I thought, “Yep. He’ll be back next week.”

Tyler Grady – “American Woman” – I’m not entirely sure what I just saw. It was all very poser-ish and rock star-ish – didn’t feel very authentic – and so I’m left wondering what his voice really sounds like when he’s not putting on a 70s show. I think that if he makes it through to next week, he needs to simmer down and sit on a stool and sing. Just my two cents, of course.

Lee Dewyze – “Snow Patrol Chasing Cars” – I actually enjoyed his guitar-playing more than I enjoyed his singing tonight, which was surprising because I love his voice. Interesting song choice for sure – but lots of trouble hitting the big notes in the chorus. He seemed very nervous, so I’m curious to see what kind of performer he’ll be once he settles down a little bit. Hope he gets to stick around.

John Park – “God Bless The Child” – This was the wrong song for him by a million miles. And listening him try to do all those runs made me want to hide in my closet until it was over. I do think that the second half of the song was better than the first half. That’s all I know to say about that.

Michael Lynche – “This Love” – Oh my goodness. Such a great song choice. HOWEVER, it felt at times like he was on the stage at a wedding reception, singing his heart out while people walked in front of him so they could get a second piece of groom’s cake. It was okay, but it was nothing special. I expect bigger and better from him next week.

Alex Lambert – “A Wonderful World” – I barely remember him from the auditions, so I was pleasantly surprised when I heard him sing. Very, very cool voice, and I love that he doesn’t sound like anybody else. The main drawback tonight was that he didn’t seem even a little bit comfortable on stage, but I imagine that will come with time. He just seemed terrified – but I can’t really fault him for that because, hello, MILLIONS OF PEOPLE WATCHING.

Casey James – “Heaven” – I hereby renounce any comment I’ve ever made about not singing a ballad the first week of the competition. Because that worked. Yes ma’am. Totally worked. The end.

Andrew Garcia – “Sugar We’re Goin’ Down” – This performance was a little more straightforward than the stuff he did during the auditions, and I found myself wishing he had done something a little more upbeat and quirky. That being said, he’s not going anywhere, and I’m willing to bet that he rebounds big time next week.

What did y’all think about tonight’s show? I have no idea who’ll be voted out tomorrow night, but I feel fairly certain that the last four guys who performed aren’t going anywhere anytime soon.

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I don’t want to overstate my excitement about the new season or anything, but I’m pretty sure I just felt shivers all the way down my spine when Ryan Seacrest said, “THIS. IS AMERICAN IDOL.”

Of course, considering that we’ve been subjected to approximately 471 rounds of audition shows, it’s no wonder that I’m experiencing a slight degree of anticipation. After all, it’s always fun to get to your destination after you’ve been in the car for SIX SOLID WEEKS.

Paige Miles – “It’s All Right Now” – At the beginning she sounded a little sharp (or flat? or just off?), but she seemed to get more comfortable after the first verse. She can definitely sing – but I think maybe a different, less karaoke-ish song would have been better. She’s one of the contestants we didn’t see very much during the audition shows, and I appreciate that she went for a little bit of a rock-ish vibe. I like her.

Ashley Rodriguez – “Happy” – I always feel like a ballad is a bad call on the first show. It’s like being at a wedding where there’s a really long solo during the lighting of the unity candle and everybody ends up shifting uncomfortably in their seats while the bride and groom stare at each other. Good times. So while I think Ashley can sing, I think she needs to sing something that shows off her personality next week. Not that anyone cares what I think, of course.

Janell Wheeler – “What About Love” – I’m seriously not trying to be a Nellie Negativity, but I think Heart songs are tricky for this early in the show – it’s a whole lot of earnest for this early in our “Idol” relationship. Plus, Janell always struck me as sort of quirky and eclectic during auditions, and this song was a completely different direction. Good voice, though.

Lilly Scott – “Fixing A Hole” – I’ve never heard this song in my life, and I think it’s a little weird, but I don’t mind it so much because I really like her voice. It was a little rough at the beginning, but I feel like she stuck with the music she loves, and it totally worked for her. The weirdness of the song was just a little bit off-putting – but in the most charming way.

Katelyn Epperly – “Oh, Darlin'” – Confession: I rolled my eyes a little bit when Ryan announced her song. I worried a little bit that it was going to sound like something from a high school talent show. But she absolutely surprised me. She took command of the stage, and she has a big voice. Definitely one to watch.

Haeley Vaughn – “I Wanna Hold Your Hand” – She reminds me so much of Sarah Jessica Parker in “Girls Just Want To Have Fun” that I CANT STAND IT. Cute as a button. I thought she started off strong, but the problem was that she didn’t have anywhere to go after the first verse – she’d sort of maxed out volume-wise – which led to a very shrill-y chorus and second verse. She’s so infectious, and I loved the arrangement – but I thought the vocals were lacking a little bit.

Lacey Brown – “Landslide” – I adore this song and am tempted to make an exception to my no-ballad-on-the-first-show rule for it. HOWEVER, I thought this performance was odd. It felt like she was about a half a beat behind the music the whole way through. I just never felt any real connection between her and the song. Her voice is normally so lovely and unique, but on this particular song it just sounded shaky. Bless her heart.

Michelle Delamor – “Falling” – Songs like this one are a little bit of a trap – because it’s one of those songs that’s so associated with the person who recorded it that you almost have to completely re-do the arrangement to avoid the karaoke label. And sadly, I think karaoke applies here a little bit. She has a good voice, but it felt like she was singing like Alicia Keyes instead of singing like Michelle. If that makes any sense at all. Which it probably doesn’t. But at least I understand myself. Sort of.

Didi Benami – “The Way I Am” – This performance was weird for me, because as much as I love her voice, her performance made me nervous because I felt like she didn’t know what to do behind the microphone. Maybe a guitar would’ve made her feel more comfortable? I really like her whole vibe – I just felt like she needed a hug.

Siobhan Magnus – “Wicked Game” – Her voice was absolutely beautiful on the chorus, but I thought it was one of the strangest song choices of all time. It’s not exactly a crowd-pleasing song, but it definitely showed her range and how well she can control her voice. I’m intrigued.

Crystal Bowersox – “Hand In My Pocket” – I think she’s something special. And I would listen to her sing just about anything. The end.

Katie Stevens – “Feelin’ Good” – She has a good voice, but she never really found her place during the last half of this song. It felt a little over-rehearsed and pageant-y to me – much more like the talent portion of Miss America than something a teenager would sing on “American Idol.” (Hey! Simon just used the word pageant-y, too! WHAT ARE THE ODDS?)

What did y’all think? Who were your favorites tonight? I really liked Lilly, Katelyn and Crystal the best in this round – but in fairness I have to say that I think it’s an unusually strong group of girls.

(And if anyone’s interested in linking to your own post about tonight’s Idol, let me know in the comments and I’ll add a Mr. Linky to this post ASAP.)