Apparently the theme for tonight’s show is “Songs of the 21st Century,” and I’m guessing that’s just a fancier way of saying “songs that are somewhat current.” For what it’s worth, I’ve had a feeling all day long that Scotty McCreery is going to sing a Dierks Bentley song (“What Was I Thinking,” maybe?), but I’m guessing this hunch is pretty much completely inaccurate considering that I’ve never been very skilled at, you know, PREDICTING THE FUTURE.

Anyway. Top 7. Here we go.

Scotty McCreery – “Swingin'” – Before LeAnn Rimes recorded it, this song was some straight-up early-80s John Anderson goodness, and I know that because I recorded from the radio to my sah-weet red Panasonic tape recorder so that I could listen to it over and over and over. As far as Scotty’s performance, I thought it was okay – but a little boring, maybe? I liked when he dropped down to a lower key, but as far as wowing the audience, that didn’t happen. It felt safe and predictable, but it wasn’t interesting.

(You know what would have been interesting?)

(A DIERKS BENTLEY SONG.)

(I’M JUST SAYIN’.)

James Durbin – “Uprising” – Much to my surprise, I sort of loved it. It was interesting. The touch-o-drum line was clever, and even though I didn’t really know what to make of the riding crop, I thought James did a great job (with the exception of a couple of really screechy parts – but I’ll forgive the screechy since he sounded so good on the other parts). Super creative.

Haley Reinhart – “Rolling in the Deep” – This was the PERFECT song choice for her (I had high hopes that this week would be better after watching her hit it out of the park during last week’s duet with Casey), and I think she did herself a whole bunch of favors by playing to her strengths tonight. It wasn’t perfect by any stretch of the imagination, but I don’t think it had to be. I especially loved how she changed up parts of the song to make it her own, and if she makes it through to next week, I would just like to say: YES. MORE OF THIS, PLEASE.

Jacob Lusk – “Dance With My Father” – The first part of the song sounded a little strange to me – almost like he had a little bit of a frog in his throat (which is totally possible – it’s a super-emotional song). And while the rest of the song was better, I kept thinking that the problem with singing a Luther song is that you’re singing a Luther song. Big shoes to fill.

Casey Abrams – “Harder to Breathe” – I’m starting to think that Casey has the musical equivalent of my home decor problem: I like everything, so it makes it very difficult for me to stick to one “look.” Casey seems to like all sorts of music, and for that reason we can’t ever predict what he’s going to do when he hits the stage. On one hand that’s fun, but I wonder if America is going to be patient with him? Don’t get me wrong: I thought his performance tonight was great and fun and wonderful – I’m just curious to see how people are going to react to it.

Stefano Langone – “Closer” – Um, did Stefano attempt to break it down about mid-way through the song? Because I’m pretty sure that he tried to break out some moves. It was definitely the most animated he’s been in terms of interacting with the audience, so that’s good improvement, but he didn’t blow me away with the vocals. It wasn’t bad – it just wasn’t my thing.

Lauren Alaina – “Born To Fly” – I LOVED the arrangement, and I thought Lauren was darlin’. I feel like she’s sort of locked in the country wheelhouse – and there’s nothing wrong with that – but I’d love to see her step outside of her comfort zone and sing something unexpected. I feel like she needs A Moment – for her confidence as much as anything else. She has no idea how talented she is.

Best of the night: This is a tricky one, but I’d say Haley or Casey
Might have cause for worry: Scotty (sang first), Jacob, Stefano
Favorite moment: JLo’s make-up – it was spectacular

What did y’all think?

Well, apparently I’ve tied up with a touch of the plague. And this particular plague? Comes complete with razors in the back of the throat, a hearty fever and no small degree of congestion.

Oh, it’s a delight. It truly is.

Anyway, I’m taking the night off from posting about “American Idol” so that I can stay under the covers and try to convince this fever to break.

After school today Alex walked in the guest room / sick suite and handed me a glass of ice water, a bowl of gingersnaps and a piece of paper. He’d drawn something on the paper, and when I looked at it, I saw a big red heart and the following message:

“Hope you fell beter Mama.”

It was all I could do not to wrap up that boy in a plague-ridden hug.

And I’ll be back when I fell beter. Can’t wait to read what y’all thought about tonight’s show!

Okay. I was all prepared to write a riveting post about how I cleaned that bottom vent thing on my refrigerator this weekend (seriously. did you hear my cries of despair?) and how I went to a meeting at church that totally warmed my heart and how I bought a super-cute and comfortable pair of shoes for about a bajillion percent off and how there’s an eight year-old in this house who has developed the ability to make me laugh so hard that I cry.

(Maybe “riveting” wasn’t the best word choice.)

(Maybe “random” would have been more appropriate.)

(Nevertheless.)

All my posting plans (lame-ish though they were) went right out the window when I fired up the DVR after supper. And now I am dying to know: did anybody else watch The Judds’ new show last night? Because I watched. Oh yes I did.

And that was just about the most riveting two hours of television I’ve seen in a long time. I mean, I think I sort of assumed that each show episode have a couple of “reality” plot lines running (Naomi buys new shoes! Wynonna tries to decide on sets for the show!), but that’s not it was at all. It was (at least to me) an unexpectedly wide-open look at the ins and outs and ups and downs of a very complicated mother-daughter relationship, and it was fascinating.

FASCINATING.

So apparently the theme for tonight is songs from the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. So I guess the theme could also be Really Good & Famous Rock Songs. Take your pick, I reckon.

Here we go.

Jacob Lusk – “Man in the Mirror” – I don’t know what it means when singers take that ear piece out of their ears (Travis? help?), but removing that ear piece didn’t seem to hurt Jacob during the first half of the song. When he hit the chorus, though, he sounded a little sharp and shrill. But I really liked what he did at the end of the song (which was more like the first verse). And the mama in me was tickled that he stood by his principles when he picked his song. Refreshing to see someone who’s thinking about what message he’s sending through the words that he sings. Good for him.

Haley Reinhart – “Piece of My Heart” – I’m a fan of this song, but I thought the arrangement was a little strange tonight. And I also felt like Haley was screaming at me a lot. She started off screaming, and she continued screaming until the bitter end. Even Janis Joplin had a few relatively mellow moments in the original version of this song, you know? I guess it just seemed like Haley took the first fast train to Screamytown, and Screamytown really isn’t for me. BECAUSE IT’S NOISY THERE.

Casey Abrams – “Have You Ever Seen The Rain” – I was about to say that Casey’s performance was a little too straightforward – not much of an original spin on the song – but then the second verse happened. And I loved that second verse. And also the ending. And also the bass. Very cool performance, Mr. Abrams.

Lauren Alaina – “You Make Me Feel Like A Natural Woman” – That was the perfect song for her voice, and while I was prepared to be a little bored (not my favorite song by any stretch of the imagination), I thought she did a great job. She was settled and calm on the stage and didn’t rush a single note. Impressive.

James Durbin – “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” – Switching things up and going with a ballad was a risky move for James, especially when he’s danced and hopped all over the stage for the last few weeks. And while there were definitely a few rough notes here and there – especially on the verses – he sounded strong on the chorus. It wasn’t his best performance, but it was a good one.

Scotty McCreery – “That’s All Right, Mama” – Well. That was FANTASTIC. It was so fun to see Scotty do something a little more upbeat (with loads of personality), and you could tell that he wasn’t taking himself too seriously. Loved it.

Pia Toscano – “River Deep, Mountain High” – There’s no question that Pia can sing. She can SANG. SANNNNG. And she sang like crazy tonight. But there’s still something missing for me when she performs. I almost feel like she’s counting off the beats and steps in her head – like she’s choreographed every single element of the performance. I think that’s why it’s still hard for me to watch her without thinking that she should totally win the talent preliminary. If she can figure out how to loosen up onstage and let her personality shine, watch out.

Stefano Langone – “When A Man Loves A Woman” – I’m officially tired of people sitting on the stairs at the beginning of their songs. Just in case you were wondering. As far as the performance, it was a little uneven. It started off rough but got progressively better. I’d like to see Stefano have a week where he really backs off the big runs and the big notes and does something with more of an acoustic, laid-back feel. It’s officially time for him to mix it up and wow us with something a little different.

Paul McDonald – “Folsom Prison Blues” – This was hands-down my favorite song choice of the night, and this was the only performance where I wished I was there to see it in person. So, so good. Great combination of solid musicianship and showmanship. Very fun.

Best of the night: Scotty, Paul
Might be in trouble: Jacob (sang first), Haley, Stefano
Made me so happy: Jimmy Iovine and will.i.am giving pointers to Stefano and Paul – they were funny and dead-on.

What did y’all think?

I am so excited about tonight’s show because Elton John! Elton John! Elton John! He’s one of my all-time favorite singers, and so many of his songs are memory-specific for me. “Goodbye, Yellow Brick Road” reminds me of my childhood bedroom and one of Sister’s Elton John albums playing on the stereo. “Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me” reminds me of driving back to college in my Buick Regal while listening to a cassette of Elton John’s Greatest Hits. I could go on and on, but I won’t. Because the show is way more fun than taking a stroll down my musical memory lane.

Here we go.

Scotty McCreery – “Country Comfort” – After the Casey debacle last week, I’m guessing that the first spot in tonight’s line-up wasn’t exactly in big demand. Given that, Scotty’s in a tough spot right off the bat, but it probably worked in his favor that he picked a lesser-known EJ song. I’m not sure that the playing the guitar added much to his performance, but he did his usual Scotty thing. Didn’t wow me, but he hit that way-down low note at the end and probably did more than enough to keep the teenage girls voting for him.

Naima Adedapo – “I’m Still Standing” – I’ve been on the Naima train since day one, but tonight’s performance was a little affected for me. The Reggae arrangement wasn’t terrible, but the Jamaican accent? And kind of talking her way through the verses? And the slow chorus? It was hard to follow. It was different, and she definitely made it her own, but this was an instance where someone’s personal spin got in the way of the music. And if everybody else has an “on” night, I’m afraid it might be hard for Naima to recover from what some people might see as a misstep.

Paul McDonald – “Rocket Man” – Here’s what I loved about this performance: there wasn’t a single forced thing about it. It was a great arrangement, and save a couple of notes, he sounded great, too. For some reason the fact that he dialed it back a notch or five made me like him more than ever. Thumbs up.

Pia Toscano – “Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me” – Y’all. I can’t take a single thing away from her talent. But I am tired of the ballad, mainly because seeing her sing them week after week feels like I’m watching another preliminary at another pageant and PIA IF YOU COULD JUST PLEASE SING SOME OTHER GENRE THAT WOULD BE FANTASTIC. The ballad thing isn’t bad – Pia could sing the phone book and sound great. BUT IT’S BORING.

Stefano Langone – “Tiny Dancer” – This isn’t my favorite Elton John song, but I didn’t mind what Stefano did with it. Somehow the whole R&B vibe made it better. The chorus sounded a little off to me, but I liked the bridge a lot. I don’t think this was his best – but it was good. I’m just not sure that “good” will be enough to keep him safe this week.

Lauren Alaina – “Candle in the Wind” – I really liked seeing Lauren do something more subdued and more mature. The arrangement gave her a chance to do some neat things with her voice, and I especially loved the ending. Parts of this performance reminded me of MIranda Lambert, but more than anything it reminded me that Lauren is crazy talented and poised for a 16 year-old. Good for her.

James Durbin – “Saturday Night’s All Right” – He really was born to perform, wasn’t he? Something about seeing him onstage makes me smile, and he works the crowd without venturing into cheesyland (though he does step on the cheesyland line from time to time). You could just tell that he had a blast tonight, and his joy was contagious. I enjoyed his performance a lot.

Thia Megia – “Daniel” – At first I thought this song had some promise for Thia, but by the time she got to the chorus, she’d lost me. For whatever reason she’d lost her momentum by the end of the song, and it all just sort of faded away. That being said, I was tickled that she didn’t pick “Can You Feel The Love Tonight.” #thatisprogress

Casey Abrams – “Your Song” – Well. That was beautiful.

Jacob Lusk – “Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word” – This wasn’t a bad performance, but I really, really, REALLY wish he had started the song in a lower register. It was so high at the beginning that it didn’t get to build like it could have, and as a result I felt like Jacob didn’t play to his strengths as much as he did last week. It was just a’ight for me, dawg.

Haley Reinhart – “Bennie and the Jets” – I thought starting off on the piano was a bad call (YOU HAVE TO SOMEHOW FIND A WAY OFF OF THAT THING), but her voice was fab, and for the first time I felt like I understood why the judges seem to believe in her so much. So, bottom line: she sounded great, but as a performer Haley still hasn’t won me over. However, I think that tonight she bought herself a little more time.

Best of the night: Paul, Casey
May have cause for concern: Scotty (sang first), Naima, Stefano, Thia
Just so you know: I totally enjoy Jimmy Iovine’s pre-performance comments. He is dead-on.

So. What did y’all think?

And by the way, I’ve been trying to vote for the last forty minutes – and haven’t gotten through yet. Anybody else having any luck?

I’m always a fan of a Motown show, because as I’ve said before (and I’ll say again): the songs are great. Great songs make for great performances, and here’s to hoping that holds true tonight. Also, here’s to hoping that Casey doesn’t do anything too strange. And that nobody sings “Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch.” And that somebody does a really cool cover of some old Motown song because oh my word, we are way past due as far as a cool cover is concerned.

There. I believe I’ve made enough demands. So here we go.

Casey Abrams – “Heard It Through The Grapevine” – My first reaction to this song choice is that I wish he’d picked something that hadn’t been featured thousands of times in California Raisin commercials. But I liked the little bit of blues infusion that he put into it, and I also liked how he stayed just a little bit behind the beat…it made a song that we could all sing by heart feel less predictable. All in all, nice job. Really good to see the “old” Casey this week.

Thia Megia – “Heat Wave” – I’m happy to see Thia sing a song that breaks her out of the Disney princess genre. And this particular performance was an important one for her, I think. She actually moved around the stage and showed some personality. The weakness was that her voice was weaker on the high notes – and did she forget the lyrics at one point? It sounded a little muddled toward the end, but good for her for mixing things up a bit.

Jacob Lusk – “You’re All I Need To Get By” – Now listen. I have been tough on Jacob for SCREAMING HIS HEAD OFF the last couple of weeks. But I adored the first part of this song. I loved hearing him sit in that pocket and build some momentum. And when he got louder, it wasn’t too much (save one section when it sounded like he and the background singers were cancelling each other out). All in all, it was an original, memorable performance – totally infectious and fun and sing-along-able. (Let’s just pretend that’s a real word.)

Lauren Alaina – “You Keep Me Hangin’ On” – It was fun to hear her do something different at the beginning of the song, and what I appreciated the most about this song was that she didn’t scream her way through it. I liked that she was confident without being over-the-top (as opposed to a couple of weeks ago, when she sort of skipped! across! the stage! and acted! very excited!). Nice to see her settle into the zone.

Stefano Langone – “Hello” – If y’all knew how many times I sang this song when I was in junior high? OH MY WORD. I recorded the video off of “Friday Night Videos” on NBC and watched it OVER AND OVER AND OVER. So all that to say: Stefano picked a good ‘un as far as I’m concerned. However, I didn’t really like the first part of the performance because it felt abrupt and a tad overdramatic, but once he got going it started to grow on me. He put a modern R&B twist on it, and he sounded great. If there was any drawback, it’s that it seemed very rehearsed – so while everything sounded okay, it didn’t really make me feel anything.

Haley Reinhart – “You’ve Really Got A Hold On Me” – Haley has an interesting voice, but this song was hard for me to follow. I never really figured out where she was going with it. And as much as I like her voice – which is unique and textured and controlled – I don’t have any feel for her personality, and in this competition, that’s important. So while I appreciated this performance, I can’t really say that I enjoyed it. And that makes me a little sad.

Scotty McCreery – BABYLOCKTHEMDOORSANDTURN“For Once In My Life” – When I was a little girl, my daddy had all sorts of country music 8-tracks in his car: Charley Pride, Ray Stevens, Kenny Rogers, etc. And honestly, that’s sort of what Scotty’s performance tonight reminded me of – something I would have heard in Daddy’s green Capri back in the early 70s. The arrangement was a little on the hokey side (all that harmonica? really?), and I guess I just would’ve liked to hear something more modern. He can sing, no question – but this wasn’t my favorite.

Pia Toscano – “All In Love Is Fair” – Well, after a one week break, it’s back to the power ballads for Pia. I thought the first few bars of this performance were rough – it was almost like she couldn’t find her footing – but she was back on course at the end. However, if at some point she doesn’t break out of this sing-a-moving-song-with-a-big-finish tendency, Chris Harrison is going to walk out on the stage, crown her Miss America and send her on her way. The big voice is great, but there also needs to be an element of fun and surprise, you know?

Paul McDonald – “Tracks In My Tears” – INTERESTING COVER ALERT! INTERESTING COVER ALERT! First of all, I think the having the guitar worked for Paul because it sort of anchored him on the stage. Second of all, tonight’s song choice – and arrangement – really capitalized on the qualities that make Paul unique. So for me, this was leaps and bounds better than last week. LEAPS AND BOUNDS.

Naima Adedapo – “Dancin’ In The Street” – The first thing I thought when Naima started to sing? Oh, I would totally wear those pants. I would, however, pass on the cropped top. There’s something about Naima that I just adore. She’s creative, original and fearless when she performs. And while I don’t think she necessarily put some big, memorable twist on the song, she clearly paid attention to everything the judges told her last week – and made changes accordingly. Smart girl.

James Durbin – “Livin’ For The City” – Let me just get this out of the way: THIS IS ONE OF MY FAVORITE SONGS EVER. And all things considered, James did it proud. Parts of his performance were a little rough around the edges, but he has that thing – whatever you call it – that just compels people to root for him. It’s a combination of talent and personality and a very real sense that he’s doing what he was born to do. So fun to watch.

Best of the night: Jacob (I KNOW!)
May be in trouble: Thia, Haley (again, it’s the respectable-but-not-memorable factor)
And as a side note: There were a couple of comparatively weak links in tonight’s show, but across the board it was probably the strongest Top 11 show ever. Pretty impressive.

What did y’all think?