Top 12 - Beatles Theme

So we finally have a Beatles theme. I'm sure all of the producers were really excited about this because these are all classic songs. I, however, am not the biggest fan of the Beatles. Sure, they have some great songs but they also have a lot of weird, psychdelic stuff that isn't my cup of tea. Listening to a bunch of their songs in a row is a little boring for me so it'll be interesting to see how I feel at the end of the night.

Ooh, new opening. I like it. It makes everything look more futuristic. WHOA! The new stage is monstrous! Having seen the show live a few times I can tell you that this stage is massive (that room isn't too big). I like the mosh pit in front but I'm glad there are still seats in the back.

Syesha - I have never heard this song so I'm not sure what to expect. Well she still has a great voice. Nice and strong. However, it's pitchy in places. It's picking up in the middle and ending well. But it didn't really move me. Syesha really needs to have a great week or she'll be gone sooner than later. Grade B-

Chikezie - oooh! I have never heard this song before but I love this bluegrass opening to the song. I can tell it's going to be a different arrangement (I doubt the Beatles wrote it that way). He sounds great and is having fun with a easy, playful vibe. I love the breakout of the "bluegrass/rock" thing. Wow. This performance is AWESOME! Where the hell did that come from? Finally! The contestants are learning how to make these songs their own. I never would have thought that he would be able to pull something like this off. That was great. Grade A

Ramiele - "In My Life". I love this song. It's so heartfelt. Let's see how she does. Well, it's a pretty rendition. She sounds nice with the softness of her voice. However, it's kind of boring to watch. There's nothing new or special about this performance. Grade C+

Jason - "If I Fell". Again, never heard this song before. Everything he does just comes out so smoothly. It has a lazy vibe to it. He's basically a "Coffeehouse Idol". Again, it sounds great and is a solid performance. I have no idea if he did anything special to it but it was a nice performance. Grade B

Carly - "Come Together". I'm really digging the performance. Carly makes this seem so effortless. I love the hint of gravel in her voice. This is more of the type of voice I was hoping she'd, a little rock behind that powerhouse vocal (much like Kelly). I loved the swagger-type vibe she was giving off. She was having fun and really enjoying every minute of it. That was great. Great A

David Cook - "Elanor Rigby". Hm, right off the bat i can tell that this isn't going to be the same as last week. In fact, I'm not enjoying this at all. I don't know if it's the song or the arrangement but something isn't working for me. Well, it's a little better (but pitchy) towards the end. That was definitely not his best. Grade C

Brooke - "Let It Be". Her coffeehouse vibe should lend itself well to this song. I'm excited to see her interpretation of it. Well, she can play several instruments. Her voice is perfect for this song however, she's getting a little pitchy towards the end of the song. It's emotional and heartfelt (as all her choices thus far have been). The song is good but a little repetative which isn't the most exciting to listen to. But her vibe definitely fits with the song. Grade B

David Hernandez - "I Saw Her Standing There". I love his voice and I think it sound great on this song. He's playful and having fun. However, I don't think he's really making the most out of this song. He could have really rocked it and made it something memorable. Instead, it's a good karaoke performance that started losing it's life about midway through. Grade B-

Amanda - "You Can't Do That". Never heard this song. Let's see what happens (and hope the band doesn't try to cover up her vocals again). You know, half the time Amanda sing I don't understand a word that she says. I can't figure out why that is. This isn't a great performance. I really think she's getting to be out of her league. Towards the end of the song she's starting to zone in on her comfort zone, but the rest of it was a mess. Grade C-

Michael - "Across the Universe". His voice sounds really strong today. It sounds great on this song. I kinda like that he's not trying to do a "rocker" thing on this but really just standing there and singing this song with as much emotion as he can behind it. I feel like, vocally, this is the best we've heard from him since Hollywood Week. Nice job. Grade B

Kristy - "8 Days A Week". Changing it to country. Interesting. We'll see what happens. It's not working. This is not country, it's a hoedown! The song seems to be a little faster than she's used and is falling just behind the beat. Yeesh, this is pretty bad. The worst of the night so far. She's so far off of the beat now that it's not working at all. I'll give her credit for trying something different but it didn't work. Grade D

David Archuleta - "We Can Work It Out". Uh oh, he forgot the lyrics. That's been the kiss of death for the #12 spot the last few years. Will the same happen to David this year? This actually isn't that great of a performance. You can sense his nerves. It's not really until the 2nd half of the song that he really connects and seems to be having a little fun. His vocals aren't as strong and his voice is going in and out throughout the song. Probably the weakest we've seen him all season. Grade C+

So there we have it. The official Top 12 has performed. Overall I think it was a strong night. There were some great performances (Chikezie!?).

Bottom 3 are Ramiele, Kristy and Amanda. I think Kristy will finally be going home tomorrow.