Time for the A-Game

Top 8 Girls Perform on American Idol

The Top 8 girls competed for six slots in the Top 12 of season 9 of American Idol,, so they should have been bringing their A game to last night's performances. In some cases, however, it was more like a C game.

As host Ryan Seacrest introduced the judges, Ellen DeGeneres was discovered sitting on Simon Cowell's lap, nuzzling his face. "I didn't know we'd started," she said. This was clearly an effort to dispel rumors that the two judges dislike each other. Ryan remarked, for Simon's benefit, or perhaps for any clueless people in the audience, "I think Ellen's taken."

First to take the stage was Katie Stevens, who had earned high praise from the judges during Hollywood week. She chose Kelly Clarkson's "Breakaway," wearing a black shirt, black shiny beaded necklaces, a banded collar jacket, dark jeans, and heels. She looked a lot more contemporary, and it was a current song, but her rendition of it was kind of lifeless. As she sang the lyric "Something felt all wrong here," I had to agree. She didn't quite seem to have the melody on the verse, though the chorus was slightly better.

Randy Jackson said that "Kelly Clarkson is one of the greatest contestants we've ever had" but that Katie's version "paled in comparison" and was "almost like karaoke." Ellen loved that Katie had taken the judges' notes and chosen a young song. She told her, "You have a great voice" but criticized her for not feeling the words. She concluded, "It's a singing competition, but let's see some personality, as well." Kara DioGuardi said Katie has "a great radio voice." Still, "I don't think you really know who you are as an artist." Simon acknowledged, "This has been very confusing for you," since Katie has received a lot of advice. He said that, to her credit, she's taken that advice. "You look 100 percent better than you did two weeks ago. You've chosen a young song." He agreed that she didn't seem to know who she was as an artist. He added that, in the second half of the song, she "sucked the energy out of it." Seemingly feeling sorry for her, though, he gave her "ten out of ten for trying."