Coming down a bit too hard

Robbie Carrico is up next and he talks about how he was in boy/girl pop group and how they toured with Britney Spears in 2000. But now he wants to do rock, and there's something about him that I find very bland. I don't dislike him, but there's nothing really there to really grab hold of, nothing to relate to, nothing to root for.

He sings "One Is the Loneliest Number" by Three Dog Night. It's OK, but again, there's nothing about him that's fantastic. Plus, he wants to be a rocker, but he doesn't seem to really fit the part. I don't know - I'm very confused by him.

Randy says it was nice and Paula tell him he picked the perfect song and that he's authentic. Simon says it's the only performance that they've seen tonight that makes any sense, meaning that the performance was current. He kind of hits on my thoughts by wondering if he's really comfortable being a rocker or is he meant to be a pop singer. Robbie says he can sing anything but he loves rock and this is him.

David Archuleta is a bit of a dork, but I love it. He seems to be so genuinely excited about everything and so genuinely flattered when people tell him he's great. I'm hoping he won't turn into Melinda Doolittle, who always looked shocked when they praised her, to the point where you start to question the sincerity.

He sings "You Better Shop Around" by Smokey Robinson and the Miracles (I think) and as expected, it's awesome. It's not as good as "Heaven," which he sang in Hollywood, but it's still pretty fantastic. He's a perfect mix of a man and a little boy. His voice is so mature, the voice of a man, but he's so cute and so boyish, that it's crazy to hear such a big voice come out of his body.

And he has this crazy nervous energy - he keeps giggling and breathing heavy, which makes him seem even younger than he is. I love him... can't wait to see more of him.
Randy tells him he was brilliant and that he has a gift because he sanf the song so mature for someone who's 17 years old. Paula says it was a bold choice for him and that he did a great job and Simon says, "When you got it, you got it." He tells him it was the best performance of the night so far.


Danny Noriega is next and he's another one I love. I still think he looks like a really pretty girl - his features are flawless - gorgeous, almond shaped eyes, full lips, nice cheekbones - he's incredibly beautiful, and somewhat feminine, but he starts singing and his voice is perfectly masculine. Although listening to him talk about his swagger was somewhat not masculine, but you know what, whether masculine or feminine, gay or straight, subdued or flamboyant, I could care less. He can sing and I like watching him. He sings Elvis Presley's "Jailhouse Rock," and for the most part, it's awesome - he falls behind the music in a couple of spots, but he's so entertaining that you barely notice.

Randy tells him it was pretty good, that the song choice didn't allow him to do his thing, but that he loved the performance. Paula tells him she loves listening to how his voice goes in and out of these colors....huh? Simon tells Paula he doens't understand a word of what she just said and asks her, "What color was that?" He then tells Danny that the performance was verging on grotesque. He says if he's going to take on Elvis, at least do it well. He tells him it was hideous, awful and if people tuned in during his performance, they would not believe the show contained some of the most talented kids in America. I think he's being way too hard on him - his performance was not bad at all and his voice is better than most. I'm not sure why Simon is picking on him, but he's wrong this time.

And I feel so bad for Danny, because he's having a hard time taking it all in. You can see he wants to cry and is doing all he can do keep it together. When Ryan is calling out his phone number, he can't even bring himself to smile for the camera. It wasn't fair for Simon to be so mean - I hope this doesn't get Danny down - he did a great job - not his best, but certainly way above average.

So, finally, the debut of Luke Menard, an incredibly good-looking guy from Indiana. He auditioned last season and didn't make it and I have to be honest, I don't really know what he said during his interview - I was so taken by how gorgeous he is.

He sings "Everybody's Talkin'" by Harry Nilsson and it starts out pretty good, but he has a hard time staying in tune - he's not off-key completely, just slightly off the note he's supposed to be on... he's probably really nervous, which we've seen in past seasons in the first show. The problem is that this season, no one has screwed up due to nerves, so his pitch problems are that much more noticeable. But have I mentioned how yummy he is?

Randy tells him it was very pitchy, almost consistenly sharp the whole time, tells him it wasn't great. Paula says it wasn't the best song choice and Simon says he was forgettable. Now, I need to disagree there - I may not remember what he sang by tomorrow or how well he sang it, but I can safely say that I will certainly remember Luke Menard.