Wednesday, March 9. Tonight, the Top 13 contestants got to perform songs by the artists who inspired them. On the whole, they impressed the judges more than me. For the first time, instead of working out arrangements with the vocal coaches and house band, everyone was paired with a current hit producer who also recorded a full length version of their selection in the studio. At 10:00 PST, all 13 tracks were released in a digital compilation album on itunes for $7.99.
1. Lauren Alaina. Shania Twain: “Any Man Of Mine.” Don Was, producer. Alaina loved Twain’s country/pop crossover style, but the contestant performed this hit in a style too country for my tastes. Steven Tyler said he wished she’d chosen a song that had been more “kick ass.” Randy Jackson felt she sang it well but agreed that it didn’t allow her to shine as much as in the past.
2. Casey Abrams. Joe Cocker: “With A Little Help From My Friends.” Jimmy Iovine, producer. The chairman of Interscope Records reminded Abrams that Cocker’s version of the Beatles classic was a very physical performance and that he had to approach it the same way. We even saw video clips of Cocker all fat, pale, and sweaty with his voice stuck in his throat letting out an “uhhhhhh!” Yuck! The contestant didn’t really get into it until he hit the chorus. Overall, I thought it was more style over substance. Naturally, all the judges loved it.
3. 
Ashton Jones. Diana Ross: “When You Tell Me That You Love Me.” Rodney Jerkins, producer. Of all the hits in Ms. Ross’s catalogue to pull out, Jones chose one of the most boring, non-hit ballads from 1991. Jones sang a bad note in the beginning, and she never really took off. Jackson said she was both sharp and flat but managed to “pull it back in.” Tyler usually likes everything and he liked this one. Jennifer Lopez agreed about her being off key and wanted to hear a song the audience knew.
Ashton Jones. Diana Ross: “When You Tell Me That You Love Me.” Rodney Jerkins, producer. Of all the hits in Ms. Ross’s catalogue to pull out, Jones chose one of the most boring, non-hit ballads from 1991. Jones sang a bad note in the beginning, and she never really took off. Jackson said she was both sharp and flat but managed to “pull it back in.” Tyler usually likes everything and he liked this one. Jennifer Lopez agreed about her being off key and wanted to hear a song the audience knew.4. Paul McDonald. Ryan Adams: “Come Pick Me Up.” Don Was, producer. I thought he said Bryan Adams, which would’ve almost guaranteed a boring performance of a lame song. But McDonald meant the non-hit artist so obviously, we were going to be stuck with another unknown song. His bottom notes all but evaporated. I’m beginning to wonder what I saw in this guy before. Tyler uttered the first use of the word “pitchy” this season but loved McDonald’s raspy voice. Lopez actually admitted she wasn’t familiar with either the artist or the song, and she wasn’t sure if the audience would get it either. Jackson said he loves “the character of who you are” adding, “I hope America gets it.”
5. 
Pia Toscano. Celine Dion: “All By Myself.” Ron Fair, producer. I was expecting to be annoyed as Dion absolutely trashed Eric Carmen’s version in 1997, taking a power saw and pulverizing this thoughtful ballad into submission, unjustly winding up with a #4 gold single. Thankfully, although Toscano hit the big, showy notes at the end, she also pulled the melody back down to ground it and prevented the chorus from hitting us over the head. Lopez loved it so much, at first, she was speechless and just shook her head in amazement. Jackson reminded Toscano that in the past, the judges usually warned contestants not to take on “the big three”--Mariah Carey, Whitney Houston, and Celine Dion—because they usually aren’t able to do their songs justice. But she did. Of course, Tyler loved it and wished her “Happy International Women’s Day.” Huh?!
Pia Toscano. Celine Dion: “All By Myself.” Ron Fair, producer. I was expecting to be annoyed as Dion absolutely trashed Eric Carmen’s version in 1997, taking a power saw and pulverizing this thoughtful ballad into submission, unjustly winding up with a #4 gold single. Thankfully, although Toscano hit the big, showy notes at the end, she also pulled the melody back down to ground it and prevented the chorus from hitting us over the head. Lopez loved it so much, at first, she was speechless and just shook her head in amazement. Jackson reminded Toscano that in the past, the judges usually warned contestants not to take on “the big three”--Mariah Carey, Whitney Houston, and Celine Dion—because they usually aren’t able to do their songs justice. But she did. Of course, Tyler loved it and wished her “Happy International Women’s Day.” Huh?!6. James Durbin. Paul McCartney: “Maybe I’m Amazed.” Jim Jonsin, producer. I was already picturing Durbin owning this toward the end with screeching vocal riffs but was surprised he did it in a more subdued, thoughtful way. It might work in the long run to not be too predictable. Jackson asserted that he “slayed it” and that it showed his sensitive side.
7. 
Haley Reinhart. LeAnn Rimes: “Blue.” Rock Mafia, producer. Oooh, bad choice. Rimes’s first hit sounded so dated even back in 1996 like it came out of the ‘30s or ‘40s with all that yodeling. At least the contestant didn’t try to Christina Aguilerize it with her usual tiresome melisma; Reinhart sang the tune pretty true to its country roots, but it was just too boring. Jackson began with a nervous laugh, which usually signals his discomfort with a performance. He agreed with me that it was “a little boring,” “little sleepy.” Lopez, who’d already said she liked it, had to have the last word saying Reinhart didn’t have to move all over the stage to do it justice, seemingly mirroring what Paula Abdul often did after Simon Cowell delivered a critical verdict.
Haley Reinhart. LeAnn Rimes: “Blue.” Rock Mafia, producer. Oooh, bad choice. Rimes’s first hit sounded so dated even back in 1996 like it came out of the ‘30s or ‘40s with all that yodeling. At least the contestant didn’t try to Christina Aguilerize it with her usual tiresome melisma; Reinhart sang the tune pretty true to its country roots, but it was just too boring. Jackson began with a nervous laugh, which usually signals his discomfort with a performance. He agreed with me that it was “a little boring,” “little sleepy.” Lopez, who’d already said she liked it, had to have the last word saying Reinhart didn’t have to move all over the stage to do it justice, seemingly mirroring what Paula Abdul often did after Simon Cowell delivered a critical verdict.8. 
Jacob Lusk. R. Kelly: “I Believe I Can Fly.” Rodney Jerkins, producer. I’ve already said I hate this guy. I hate his fat face, his fat tongue, and his over-the-top gospel style. So what does he do to make this inspirational song even more cliché? He brings out a 10-member gospel choir in navy blue robes to back him up. He was so intent on being stylistic from the start that I’m not sure he sang much of the melody—more an approximation of it. And he hit a sour note shifting into the B-(second) part of the verse in an attempt to break out of the monotony of the melody. And of course, he did a lot of crowd-pleasing vocal riffing toward the end. Yawn. Jackson also noted the sharpness of the B-verse, but overall, the three judges loved it. Eh.
Jacob Lusk. R. Kelly: “I Believe I Can Fly.” Rodney Jerkins, producer. I’ve already said I hate this guy. I hate his fat face, his fat tongue, and his over-the-top gospel style. So what does he do to make this inspirational song even more cliché? He brings out a 10-member gospel choir in navy blue robes to back him up. He was so intent on being stylistic from the start that I’m not sure he sang much of the melody—more an approximation of it. And he hit a sour note shifting into the B-(second) part of the verse in an attempt to break out of the monotony of the melody. And of course, he did a lot of crowd-pleasing vocal riffing toward the end. Yawn. Jackson also noted the sharpness of the B-verse, but overall, the three judges loved it. Eh.9. 
Thia Megia. Michael Jackson: “Smile.” Jimmy Iovine, producer. This is the girl I’m rooting for, but I was disappointed. She started off with acoustic guitar backing her up on this bittersweet ballad first done by Charlie Chaplin, then the drums kicked in in an attempt to give it some rhythm, but it’s hard to do that to a song with such simple lyrics. Jackson agreed saying he wish she’d just stuck to the way she began the performance. Tyler said she got “a little pitchy” in the middle. Lopez liked seeing her move and that “it doesn’t matter, you sing like an angel.” If Megia wanted to sing another ballad, she would’ve been better off doing “I Just Can’t Stop Loving You,” Michael Jackson’s mystical 1987 duet with Siedah Garrett.
Thia Megia. Michael Jackson: “Smile.” Jimmy Iovine, producer. This is the girl I’m rooting for, but I was disappointed. She started off with acoustic guitar backing her up on this bittersweet ballad first done by Charlie Chaplin, then the drums kicked in in an attempt to give it some rhythm, but it’s hard to do that to a song with such simple lyrics. Jackson agreed saying he wish she’d just stuck to the way she began the performance. Tyler said she got “a little pitchy” in the middle. Lopez liked seeing her move and that “it doesn’t matter, you sing like an angel.” If Megia wanted to sing another ballad, she would’ve been better off doing “I Just Can’t Stop Loving You,” Michael Jackson’s mystical 1987 duet with Siedah Garrett. Coming out of commercials, we usually heard a short interview with one of the contestants who’d just performed talking about how they felt about they were about to do. Interestingly, though, for the first time, we saw a contestant—Megia—discussing how the actual performance went, and she was in tears, agreeing she did better in the beginning. “It’s in America’s hands.” At first, I thought this was a ploy by producers to garner sympathy for her from voters, but succeeding segments also showed a recent performer talking about what they just sang.
10. Stefano Langone. Stevie Wonder: “Lately.” Polow Da Don, producer. He botched the low note in the verse, and his voice sounded a bit shaky. But then, the bass started thumping, and he turned it into an uptempo anthem. A wise choice. Lopez was surprised by the transition but loved it. Jackson agreed with me that Langone had a “rocky start” but that ultimately, Stevie Wonder would be proud of it.
11. 
Karen Rodriguez. Selena: “I Could Fall In Love.” Jim Jonsin, producer. Jimmy Iovine told her not to over sing it. Well, that she didn’t. But she didn’t sing it well at all, screwing up the title of the song. Rodriguez tried to salvage the performance by going into some vocal riffing, but too late. At least she resisted the urge to sing half of it in Spanish as she’s done with at least two of her past performances. I knew Rodriguez was in trouble when Lopez (apparently the new Paula Abdul), began by saying “You look so beautiful tonight!” Oh oh… Yeah, the judge said both her lower end and high end were off key. Jackson said it “felt like you were fighting the song” and that it was a “little sleepy for me.” Even Tyler agreed it lacked energy. Which means… curtains.
Karen Rodriguez. Selena: “I Could Fall In Love.” Jim Jonsin, producer. Jimmy Iovine told her not to over sing it. Well, that she didn’t. But she didn’t sing it well at all, screwing up the title of the song. Rodriguez tried to salvage the performance by going into some vocal riffing, but too late. At least she resisted the urge to sing half of it in Spanish as she’s done with at least two of her past performances. I knew Rodriguez was in trouble when Lopez (apparently the new Paula Abdul), began by saying “You look so beautiful tonight!” Oh oh… Yeah, the judge said both her lower end and high end were off key. Jackson said it “felt like you were fighting the song” and that it was a “little sleepy for me.” Even Tyler agreed it lacked energy. Which means… curtains.12. Scotty McCreery. Garth Brooks: “The River.” Don Was, producer. I hate seeing this guy’s smirky face, but he did an OK version in his usually traditional country style. Jackson continued to rave about McCreery staying true to his calling, exclaiming: “If it ain’t broke, don’t even think about fixing it!... You could put that out as a record now!”
13. Naima Adedapo. Rihanna: “Umbrella.” C “Tricky” Stewart, producer. OK, I absolutely loathe her idol. She can’t sing, her accent is annoying, and she doesn’t deserve all of those #1 hits. But the contestant gave one of the most memorable performances of the night when she began dancing at the bridge of the song and thunder effects flashed on the screen behind her. To his credit, Tyler mentioned she was a little pitchy. Lopez said she didn’t care about that but then warned that “you need to work on the control.” Jackson let out some nervous laughter again and said, “I do care about the pitchiness” and that she had to know when to take breaths in between so she doesn’t screw up the closing of her notes. Still, he liked the reggae part. Talking to host Ryan Seacrest afterwards, Adedapo admitted, “I really can overstand [sic] what they’re saying about that breath.” Yikes!
OK, based on the feedback of the judges and the performances themselves, I’d say the bottom three are: Ashton Jones (remember, the viewers didn’t vote her into the Top 10 in the first place), Haley Reinhart, and Karen Rodriguez. Also possibly in trouble: Paul McDonald and Naima Adedapo (the viewers didn’t want her in the Top 10 either). My guess as to who will receive the lowest number of votes and will be going home: Karen Rodriguez.
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