AI9: Top 6 Perform

It was Shania Twain Night last night on American Idol. I hope that's as close as they come to Country Week this year. I can tolerate Shania Twain - in fact, I like a lot of her songs. And she was a great guest judge during the tryouts. She signed Crystal Bowersox's guitar after her audition. She's got a lot of energy and a lot of talent.

Lee DeWyze started off with "You're Still the One." I recognized the song - I wasn't aware it was by Shania. Anyway, he blew the first note. Fortunately, he recovered, and gave a decent performance overall. He seemed a little more comfortable on stage, although he still looked like a deer in the headlights after he performed. Randy thought he did a pretty good job with it. Ellen thought it was better than pretty good. “All aboard the Shania Twain!” Kara drew attention to his smiles. Simon thought it was the perfect song for Lee.

Michael Lynche chose “It Only Hurts When I'm Breathing.” He sang beautifully; you really believed he felt what he was singing. Shania, in the audience, looked entranced, and later she admitted she had a tear in her eye while he was singing. He used his beautiful falsetto at the end. Randy thought Mike has found his zone on the show – the balladeer, R&B singer. Very good. Ellen thought he sounded like Luther Vandross. Kara thought he was connected to what he sang. Simon thought the performance was a little bit "wet." When asked to define what he meant by "wet" he said "The opposite of dry." He clarified it by saying it was a little bit “girly” for him. Kara and Randy pointed out that it was written by a girl. (Shania, meanwhile, was hooting from her position right behind Simon.)

Casey James sang “Don't.” I had to go back and listen to this one again. When he started singing, I thought he sounded amazing, but in the chorus, he got kind of choked and nasal. But all the judges loved it, so I went back to listen again, and I got caught up in it. He played a simple accompaniment on acoustic guitar. An excellent song choice for him; he seemed very comfortable with it. Randy thought it was one of his best performances ever. Ellen thought this sort of song is really where he belongs. She thought it was his best performance to date. Kara thought he showed it all – the good, the bad and the ugly. He didn't hide behind his guitar-playing. Simon thought last week was a much-needed wake-up call. This was probably his best performance so far. The song felt like it was his own.

Crystal Bowersox, in a conversation with Ryan before she performed, said Shania "glows." She chose “No One Needs to Know.” She said the song was a message to her boyfriend. The lyrics, in part: “I want the bells to ring, a choir to sing/ The white dress, the guests, the cake, the whole darn thing/ But no one needs to know right now.” It was a lightweight song, cute, bouncy, very country. Crystal used a much lighter voice than usual, and it wasn't always pleasant. Not her best performance, but even a weak Crystal performance is stronger than most of her competitors' offerings. Randy said it wasn't his favorite performance, but he liked the country version she did. Ellen said there's nothing Crystal can't do. It wasn't her favorite performance, either. Kara thought it was believable. It wasn't her favorite, either. Simon thought it was limp. He didn't feel any conviction from Crystal, and he thought the song was forgettable (he apologized to Shania). Crystal said “bigger isn't always better.”

Aaron Kelly did “You've Got a Way.” Shania thought the song suited him. I thought it might be a little bit too much for him. It's a love ballad, and I thought something lighter might have suited him better. There were some nice moments, though. Randy thought Aaron was their country artist on the show this year. Ellen thought he showed a lot of emotion and depth. Kara agreed with Ellen. Simon thought he really got it tonight. It sounded like his own song. Aaron raised a few eyebrows by saying he was singing it to his mother. (He changed a line about making love to something else.)

Siobhan Magnus chose one of Shania's comical songs, “Any Man of Mine.” I thought it suited her. She strutted all over the stage and into the audience. She did a major dramatic ending, with her signature high note. There were weak moments, but generally it was awesome. Randy loved it. He loved her look, and the big notes. Ellen said, “Way to pull the Shania Twain into the station.” Kara said, “Guess who's back?” Simon really, really liked it. He thought the song was perfect. Wasn't sure about the last note. “It was almost like you were giving birth up there at the end.” But it was fun, it was good.

This is one week when top honors won't go to Crystal Bowersox. I'm inclined to make my Top Three Casey James, Michael Lynche, and Siobhan Magnus. That being said, I can't imagine Crystal ever placing in the Bottom Three. Aaron Kelly will almost certainly be there, and I'm not sure about Lee DeWyze. We're down to the Top 6, and five of those performers (all but Aaron) really deserve to be there.

Here's the way I think the eliminations will go down in the next few weeks:

Aaron Kelly should go home tonight.
Lee DeWyze should go home next week. I know some people have put him in the Top Two. I don't see it. He has brilliant moments, but his pitch control is shaky, and he just doesn't have the confidence in himself.
Casey James should place fourth.
Michael Lynche should place third.
Siobhan Magnus should place second.
And Crystal Bowersox should be the next American Idol.

Frankly, positions 2 through 5 could be in any order. It doesn't matter, as long as Crystal wins.