The Top 13: The Return of J!

Alright little tasters, it's been a rough few months for J. I have only been able to check in sporadically with Idol, but I am back. I watched a bit last week. I have missed you guys. I'm so excited to be back! :)

Here we go with our Top 13!

Tonight they are singing a song by their personal Idol.

1. Lauren - Her Idol is Shania Twain, and she is singing "Any Man of Mine". This song is risky because it is so fast . . . she's gonna have to keep up with the beat. She's got a good connection with the camera, and she's working the stage well. I think her vocals are on the good side. As Simon would have said, "I'm not jumping out of my chair". . . but she did a respectable job.

Steven - wanted to be a bit more kick ass
JLo - wants her to kick it into high gear
Randy - wants her to be that girl they first saw

2. Casey - His Idol is Joe Cocker, and he is singing "With a Little Help from My Friends". I wonder if he will do the Cocker physicality in his performance. . . Casey wants to be "felt". Oh no, here comes the choir . . . I always think the choir is an unfair adavantage. . . but damn this boy sounds good. He is really turning this song out! Casey? Yes, please!

JLo - Thinks she is watching somebody important
Randy - Thinks he is unbelievable
Steven - Thinks Casey is a rainbow of talent and a plethora of passion

3. Ashton - Her Idol is Diana Ross, and she is singing "When You Tell Me That You Love Me". This song is huge. Her opening is a very nervous sounding. She isn't quite getting up to the notes. Good for her, she hit the big note. The back half of the song was definitely better than the front half. However, thus far, neither girl even approaches Casey.

Randy - Thought it might be a safe song, but she did herself some good
Steven - Thinks there is a lot more in her than she is showing
JLo - Thinks there were moments when she went astray, but that she got it together well.

4. Paul - His Idol is Ryan Adams, and he is singing "Come Pick Me Up". Somewhere Allison has developed a case of the vapors. Not a good beginning for my boy . . . but I love this guys voice. It's kind of quirky and awkward. Y'all know how I am. The back half of the song was much better than the front.

Steven - Thought it was a little pitchy, but loves the character of his voice
JLo - Hopes America gets it
Randy - Loves who Paul is

5. Pia - Her Idol is Celine Dion, and she is singing "All By Myself". Yikes! Do not choose Celine people . . . my fingers are crossed for her. She's making some changes without going outside the boundaries of the original. WOW! I literally just got chills. STUNNING! Nothing more to say.

JLo - Got a little teary eyed and thinks it was beautiful
Randy - Thinks she has that quality of Celine, Mariah, and Whitney (pre-crack)
Steven - Thinks that she slammed it

6. James - His Idol is Paul McCartney from the Beatles, and he is singing "Maybe I'm Amazed". Hello cuteness. :) He is kind of Adam Lambert lite. He's got nice stage presence and connection with the camera. He's got a lovely voice . . . impressed.

Randy - James is one of his favorites. Yo, this dude can do anything.
Steven - Thinks he took everything he had and kicked it into the middle of next week.
JLo - Thinks he has a melodic quality to his voice

7. Haley - Her Idol is LeAnn Rimes, and she is singing "Blue". James is going to be a tough act to follow. This song has the potential to send her to the bottom three . . . we'll see. The twangy voice isn't my personal favorite, but she has a lovely voice and she is spot on with her pitch. However, I think it is a boring song choice and could cause her some trouble come tomorrow night.

Steven - Thinks she did a very good job.
JLo - Thinks she does things with her voice that are so diverse and unique
Randy - Thinks it was a little boring and sleepy

8. Jacob - His Idol is R. Kelly (Yikes!), and he's singing "I Believe I Can Fly". I don't love this guy. He just hit a really bum note. I think he is out of control. He's got a very strong voice, but it is certainly not among my favorites.

Steven - Thinks he can't even judge it . . . that's how good he is.
JLo - Thinks he is at the top of the list
Randy - Thinks he has a signature sound . . . thought he fell off a bit in the middle, but brought it back in the end.

9. Thia - Her Idol is Michael Jackson, and she is singing "Smile". She had better work this out because this performance could be very boring . . . lovely voice . . . she is mesmerizing me a bit. She has surprised me here. She has perfect pitch and is making this song entertainig for me. I think if she had done it acapella it would have been stunning.

Randy - Liked the first half, but didn't love the second half.
Steven - Liked the first half more than the end
JLo - Again, liked the first half better

10. Stefano - His Idol is Stevie Wonder, and he is singing "Lately". For those vintage Idol folks, he is bringing back a little R.J. Helton from Idol Season One. Bum note at the beginning . . . Oh Sweet Jesus . . . this mix is horrid. He is so much better when he just sings. His voice is quite good, but this mix is, in my opinion, butchering this song. I think I might be on the island of unpopular opinion . . .

Steven - Thinks he pulled it off
JLo - Thought it was really him, and he sounded great
Randy - Thought it started out rocky, but thinks Stevie would be proud.

11. Karen - Her Idol is Selena, and she is singing "I Could Fall in Love". This song is GORGEOUS! If she doesn't put her own spin on it she could go to the boring side of the Top 13. The opening is a little off . . . It is a little low for her range. She has a very pretty voice, but it is coming off on the really good end of karaoke. I did not love that performance . . .

JLo - Thought she was a little bit uncomfortable with some of the notes
Randy - Thought she was fighting the song, and it was a little sleepy
Steven - Thought it was lacking a bit

12. Scotty - I missed the beginning of this song . . . so I have no idea who Scotty's Idol is, nor do I know this song. The song is a bit boring, but he definitely has an amazing country voice. He will get a country recording contract, but he will not win this competition. I can see him having some difficulty with some of the theme nights. However, this performance was strong.

Randy - If it ain't broke, don't fix it. Ahhh, Garth Brooks!
Steven - Thinks he did the Garth justice
JLo - Thinks he is "taking us on the ride with him"

13. Naima - Her Idol is Rihanna, and she is singing "Umberella". She's gonna need to bring something new to the arrangement. She's a wee bit sharp . . . pitchy . . . ok, I kind of like this middle part . . . but when she goes back to singing she is still a little pitchy . . . I like her, but I'm not sure about the vocals.

Steven - Think she was a little pitchy, but brought flavor
JLo - Doesn't care about the pitchy because she brought the fire
Randy - Thinks she was a little rough but loved the reggae thing

I thought this was a really good night. I'm impressed with the first night of the Top 13. Here are my rankings:

Pia
(HUGE SPACE)
James
Casey
(HUGE SPACE)
Scotty
(SPACE)
Jacob
Thia
Stefano
Paul
Haley
Ashton
Naima
Lauren
Karen

My bottom three: Ashton, Lauren, Karen
America's bottom three: Karen, Haley, Ashton
Going Home: Ashton