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BBC MUNDO RADIO
May 19, 2010 by TJ
American Idol season 9's top 3 - FOX
There was a battle going on last night on American Idol. The battle consisted of the three remaining contestants, Lee Dewyze, Crystal Bowersox, and Casey James, singing two songs each, with the winners living to duke it out next week in the season 9 finale on May 26. The loser will go home to wipe the shame of coming so close away from his or her face…or something less dramatic.
The rounds were simple: round one, the contestants pick the song they would like to sing; round two, the judges choose the songs. This ultimately led to a couple song choice fails and one HUGE pimp out for the judges’ favorite — and it’s probably not who you’d assume it is.
Here’s a rundown of how the top 3 did:
Round One: Contestants’ Pick
Casey James – OK, It’s Alright With Me: Casey’s pick turned out to be a relatively unknown (but insanely adored by NeonLimelight.com) song by a relatively unknown (but insanely adored by NeonLimelight.com) artist, Eric Hutchinson. Casey stayed true to the original arrangement and had decent vocals, but there was nothing exciting about the performance, and his guitar was useless. It was just alright with Randy. Ellen wishes he “would have brought it.” Kara blamed the song being sorta unknown. Simon compared the performance to having a salad at dinner and hoping for “something more substantial” to come.
Crystal Bowersox – Come To My Window: Breaking out her harmonica and guitar, Bowersox took on Melissa Etheridge’s rock classic. Crystal made the song a bit more folksy and her voice meshed well with the arrangement, though, it seemed she was trying to inject some grit into her voice to match Melissa’s. The judges were all on the same page, saying the arrangement was a little off, but her vocals were great. With one more song left for Crystal, Kara was hoping for “a moment.”
Lee Dewyze – Simple Man: Lee went all sensitive rocker to perform his rendition of “Simple Man” by Lynyrd Skynyrd. His rendition was simple, but that’s what made it cool. It was to the point and honest. Randy thought it was a brilliant song choice and really loved that he could feel Lee’s determination to win the competition. “Round one goes to Lee,” Kara said. Simon thought the song choice was “absolutely on the money,” and added “I don’t think you won round one. I think you crushed the other two.”
Round Two: Judges’ Pick
Casey James -Daughters: Kara says the mellow John Mayer tune would be the perfect song for Casey so he can play to his fanbase of “girls and women.” It definitely didn’t harm Casey. He was able to stare longingly into the camera and strum his guitar. While it wasn’t Casey’s best and won’t save him from elimination, Casey should get credit for not copying Mayer. Randy, who chose the song with Kara but wasn’t convinced initially, thought the song fit him like a glove, but Simon thought it lacked the “wow factor.”
Crystal Bowersox – Maybe I’m Amazed: Ellen wanted Crystal to “show some range” and surprise people with the Paul McCartney ballad. The performance turned out to be part awesome — Crystal showed some brilliant colors in her voice we haven’t heard before — and part W(hy)TF are you screaming!? Randy loved it, saying she was “in it to win it.” Ellen “couldn’t ask for more.” Kara loved that she “really pushed.” And Simon, who was worried about the song choice, says Crystal proved she’s “got soul” and will be thanking Ellen for putting her in the finals.
Lee Dewyze – Hallelujah: The pimp train has come in! Simon gives Lee a chance to perform his favorite song ever because he thought it would allow Lee to have a “moment.” “Hallelujah” has been done time and time again on Idol, but Simon was super sure Lee could do it best. They definitely set him up to do so. He had by far the best staging of the night. At times, Lee’s voice was purely enchanting, but at other times, his voice was too rough for the delicate song. The judges all wet themselves. “Unbelievable,” Randy said. “Just stunning,” said Ellen. “Incredible, epic moment. You are the heart of the show this season and you just owned the entire night,” Kara gushed. “I’m very, very, very proud of you,” Simon told Lee. “Tonight, with that performance, you proved that you are a fantastic singer, a great person, and I really hope for you, you make it there next week.” What’s that in the air, you ask? Those are feathers from the plum purple pimp hat Simon just put away.
Predictions: Casey’s gone.
Tonight on the results show, we learn who makes it into the finals. We’ll also see a performance by Justin Bieber.
