top 3 picks on AMERICAN IDOL
Kellie Pickler - "Fancy" by Reba McEntire (written by Bobbi Gentry) - I had actually gotten to a point with Kellie where her presence didn't completely irritate me. It wasn't that she was so obviously fake that irked me, but that the judges were initially glossing over terrible vocal performances and pimping her on this fake "personality". The past couple of weeks saw the judges picking apart her vocals, finally. Funny thing, the performances they were picking apart were actually better than her early outings, when all the judges had to say were "Kellie, yer just so gosh durn likable!" I actually started feeling a little sorry for her. But I'm right back to being irked. Thanks to her pre-song interview with Ryan--a lame, scripted attempt to spin the bad press Kellie has been getting lately. "Ahhhh spend threeee hunnard dolllars fer mahhhh haairrr cuts but ahhhhh donno whaat Cah-lah-mah-ri is!" Sorry, still not buying it! Kellie's vocals were ok on this tune--all about a mother who turns her 18 year old daughter out for tricks--charming! Kellie's phrasing can be really strange, with a tendancy to swallow her words. She really doesn't have much vocal power where it counts. And as she performs, she lurches awkwardly around the stage. For Kellie, little country novelty songs like "Fancy" and last week's "Suds in a Bucket" are best--because she really is all about the "personality." This week, she's back in the judge's good graces--all three praised her performance.

Ace Young - "I Wanna Cry" by Keith Urban - Who would have imagined Ace pwning on Country night? Ace, sitting on a stool, canned all the corny mannerisms and delivered a straightforward, intimate and heartfelt performance. His vocals, rather than sounding breathy and weak were sweet and highlighted his earnest vulnerability. Despite a few pitch problems here and there, his vocal was good and he acquitted himself nicely on the falsetto parts. When Ace isn't self conscious or trying too hard, there's a real attractive sincerity that comes through his performances. He'd be fine if he relaxed, and allowed himself to tap into that quality. This Ace, with all the pretension and awkwardness stripped away, is the guy who could advance deep into this competition. Randy thought the performance was boring, but Paula and Simon liked it.
Katharine McPhee - "Bringing Out the Elvis" by Faith Hill - Katharine really knows how to work that stage and the camera. And tonight, her vocals were good. But the entire effect left me cold. I don't think this was a really good song choice for her. But maybe not a good choice for anybody--"Elvis" isn't a great song. There was a lot of strutting around the stage, punctuated by Katharine belting out that chorus, "bringing out the Elvis in me." But I couldn't really hear the verse. I kept wondering who or what was turning Katharine into Elvis and why? Nice save, though. When Simon started out his critique negatively by saying he didn't like the song, Katharine shot back, "You just don't like Country music, Simon." That shut him up quick.