"Jesus Christ superstar!" Carly Smithson was actually good tonight!

Carly Smithson says she started singing, "All I Ask of You," from "Phantom of the Opera," and Webber stopped her after the second verse. He says, "That's not the song for a girl with a great big chest voice. She's a big, big singer, that girl." He says to Carly that he saw that her other choice was "Jesus Christ Superstar," and he tells her to give that song a whirl. Carly says that once she started singing that song, she just came alive, that it was more her vibe, more her personality. Webber tells her she's a completely different girl with that song, that the old Irish eyes are smiling. He then says in his interview that you've got to go for a song that suits your voice, a song that you can live in, you can inhabit, and she kind of got it. Carly says that this song has her written all over it, so she's just going to go out there and have the best fun she's ever had.

The song definitely does suit her - it has a rock feel to it and it's definitely not a ballad, thank goodness. She actually looks like she's having a good time and her dress is really nice, it has a really cool 1960s feel to it. This is one of the first times that Carly has looked like happy and comfortable onstage - she's moving around, really performing, and she sounds better than she has in a while. I still think she has a tendency to strain her voice, making it sound like she's screaming, but she only did it in a few spots tonight, so it was an improvement.

Randy says it's no surprise to him that the bigger voices so far this year are doing better tonight because these songs are hard songs to sing because of their ranges. he says he doesn't know if it was her best performance, but it was definitely good and he says he likes her outfit, too. Paula says she loves so much how it was so unexpected and she thought at first that it may have been too high of a register for Carly, but that she loved what she did in the chorus. Simon says that other than the fact that it got a little bit shouty in the middle (See? I'm not the only one who hears the yelling), it was actually one of his favorite performances of the night. I can totally agree with that, too, because it was one of the only songs that wasn't a ballad, a sad depressing love song of some kind. It was fast, it was upbeat and quite entertaining.


Last, but absolutely never least, is David Cook. He says he's singing "Music of the Night," from "Phantom of the Opera." He says he grew up doing musical theater and that Andrew Lloyd Webber is like, the dude. Webber tells David that "Music of the Night" is probably the most sensual, most sexy song he's ever written, that David's supposed to be singing to the most gorgeous girl he's ever seen in his life. He says, regrettably, he is not that person, but David has to imagine that he is. David, of course, is laughing, and Webber, sounding fake offended, says "Don't laugh - this is supposed to be a serious lesson here." David says it was a little strange having to stare longingly into Webber's eyes. Webber says if Davis can get some of that raw passion and yet that sophisticated passion that the Phantom also brings to it, he might bring this off. (My guess is he means he might just pull it off.) He says if David just comes out of himself and really allows himself to speak, maybe it will work.

I'm so glad that Davids is going to play it straight tonight and show us that he can really sing, without the guitar, without the rocker image. I've been wanting to see him just stand in front of the microphone and belt one out. I had heard that he wanted to wear a full suit tonight, but the stylists told him not to, so he's just wearing a blazer instead. I would have loved to see him in a suit. It's nice to know that he really took this week seriously and didn't try to rearrange the song into some rock version. And the great thing is that he really can sing - he sounds wonderful and confident. It's almost strange watching him sing this type of music, but that's what is so great about him - he's so versatile. It's a nice break, but I'll admit, I hope to see the rocker back next week.

Randy tells him the same thing told David Archuleta, except this time, it's totally deserved... he says if you can really sing, you can sing anything and he says that it was an amazing vocal performance, unbelievable. Another hot, molten hot, lava bomb tonight. Paula says that this song proved that he is so well-rounded as a performer and she thought it was fantastic. Simon says he made the most of the song - this is not the side of him he likes. He says he much prefers the grittier, more raw side. He says it was too rounded off, but he made the most of the song he was given.

That comment strikes me as odd...why would he say the song he was given? I thought the contestants get to choose their own song. Huh...something to ponder over, I suppose.


Anyway, now for my guesses. I've completely lost track of my track record so far, but I know it hasn't been great the past few weeks. This week, I think the bottom three will probably be Brooke, Jason and Carly. I think Jason might be in danger, but ultimately, I really think Brooke will go home because of her error tonight. It's no longer just a fluke - this is the second time she's restarted a song and it just doesn't look good, not when you're competing for a record contract. So my vote for who's going tomorrow is for Brooke.