Night of disappointments

Kady Malloy's unknown fact is that she's been singing opera since she was 9 years old and she likes to sing it in the bathroom - then she kind of mocks Simon, saying that he'll probably roll his eyes when he finds out and say, "You sing opera better than you sing up here."

She sings Heart's "Magic Man" and I'm not sure I can accurately describe the song because it seemed completely out of tune, almost every note. It's disappointing, too, because I find her very intriguing. She really has a knack for impersonations and the opera thing is completely unexpected. But her performance was just terrible. Up until this moment, I would have said that Amanda Overmyer and Alaina Whitaker would be the two going home, but I think Kady Malloy just saved Amanda from elimination. It was really awful.

Randy says he loves that song but that she never found the pitch, from the beginning, she just never found the notes, that it didn't work. Paula says when she powered, she was great, but she lost it on the low notes. Simon tells her he's struggling as much as she's struggling, that he's very, very frustrated because everything she does on film is fantastic, but then she comes out on stage and he says this time it sounded like she was trying to impersonate Christina Aguilera singing at the back of her throat with a song he's never heard before, which has no melody. He says it just didn't go anywhere.

Asia'h Epperson closes the show tonight and the thing America doesn't know about her is the fact that she used to be a cheerleader. It's easy to believe, she's always so cheerful. She says she really loved it and that it helped prepare her for "Idol" because with cheerleading, you have to put your all into it, you have to have spirit and personality, just like being on stage.

She comes out with hair extensions and her hair straight. It looks OK, but I love her natural hair so much better. She sings Eric Carmen's "All By Myself," better known as a Celine Dion song. It starts off kind of rough, maybe too low for her. I normally love Asia'h, but much like the rest of the girls tonight, I'm disappointed by her performance. She gets better when she gets to the big notes at the end, but it's not enough for me. I feel like she could have done some other song and blown us away. Instead she chooses a song that, while it falls into the category of the 1970s, is more recognizable as sung by Celine Dion, who is unmatchable, incomparable. I think she did herself a disservice and left viewers feeling let down at the end of the show, when the last performance is usually the killer, the one we remember and talk about.

Randy is apparently giving her points for being sick and for attempting such a high degree of difficulty because he tells her she did a good job. Paula says it was great. She acknowledges that she had trouble with the low notes but that the ending is what counts on this song and she brought it home. Simon says it is one of the diva songs of all time and that you have got to be one heck of a singer to pull that off and he tells her that unfortunately, she's not. He goes on to say that she nearly did it, but the truth is, she's not that good a singer, so she shouldn't have attempted that song. He says she almost got away with it but that the song was too big for her and it showed her up and that he thinks her song choice was a silly decision.

Well, now that they've all sung, it's time to guess - who will go home tomorrow?

My official picks for elimination tomorrow are:
Jason Yeager and Luke Menard
Kady Malloy and Alaina Whitaker

Yuck and yuckier

Alaina Whitaker says the one thing we may not know about her is that she doesn't like the food on her plate to touch. She says the worst is when the juice from one food flows over to other food on her plate. She also admits that when she was younger, she used to have to use different forks for the different foods on her plate but that she's gotten much better, so she's hopeful that she'll one day get over it.

I almost can't believe she's really doing this, but she's singing Olivia Newton-John's "Hopelessly Devoted to You." It's a horrible mistake and here's why. First off, the song is so well-known from "Grease" that anyone who has ever watched the movie - and that's pretty much everyone - will be unable to keep from envisioning Olivia Newton-John swirling that piece of stationery in the kiddie pool. Besides that, Olivia Newton-John has such a distinct and beautiful voice - there's no way Alaina, just 17 years old, is going to be able to top it, or even come close to comparing. I fear this will be her downfall, quite possibly her last song on the show. And now that she's actually singing, it's confirmed. It's not good... at all. She's out of tune through most of the song, which is a shame because her voice is so powerful - it could have really been good if she had stayed in tune. Ugh... it's just really bad.

Rand tells her it wasn't the right song choice for her, that the verses were really pitchy and even when she belted, she overshot it, going a little sharp. Paula says she did a real good job, which is completely insane. It was terrible. Simon says he likes her, but that he says it's almost as if he grandmother prepared her for the performance, told her what to wear, how to do her hair, what to sing. he says everything about her very old-fashioned. He says he knows the theme is the 70s, but that there's still a way to be be current. But on a positive note, he tells her he thinks she's a dark horse, that he likes her more now than he did weeks ago, but that she has to sort herself out and become relevant.


Alexandrea Lushington's little known fact is super-duper boring. She says she used to be a poster child for the Atlanta Fire Department because her dad worked for them for like 19 years. She says she sang every year for different ceremonies and that she sang at Ground Zero a couple of months after 9/11. She said it wasn't planned, so it was a huge moment for her to have so many people watching her sing, that it was very emotional.

I have to be mean here for a minute. The Sept. 11 attacks happened like 61/2 years ago, when she was like 10 or 11. It was tragic and horrifying and it's a day that has been etched into my memory - visions of the towers falling - watching it LIVE on TV - it will never fade for me. I find her saying that her Ground Zero performance was emotional really bothersome. Was she emotional because there were tons of people there to watch her sing? If so, then that's just selfish and insensitive. Was it emotional because of the significance? In that case, I still don't buy it - at 10 or 11, she was too young to understand the magnitude of the impact that day had on history, too young to grasp the loss and grief felt here in New York and across this nation. I'm getting sidetracked here, but she totally rubbed me the wrong way in that interview.

But let's move on. She comes out dressed all funky - her top is dressed for winter, but her bottom is ready for the beach. Plus it seems kind of tacky to wear shorts for a performance. She sings Chicago's "If You Leave Me Now," a beautiful choice of song, but I feel like it doesn't suit her - plus she insists on singing these really high notes and it's like her voice totally thins out and loses its tone when she does that. Plus, she was out of tune in some spots - I don't know - I may still be annoyed by her interview, who knows? But I didn't think it was her best performance at all.

Even she seems a bit defeated and Randy asks her, "What did you think?" and she says, "It's over." He tells her the problem is that the song was so safe for her, that she's one of his favorite performers and that she should never make safe choices, that she should always challenge herself. Paula says a bunch of nothing and Simon tells her he was a big fan of hers in the early stage but he thinks she's struggling right now. He tells her that song has never been covered because it's so stuck in its time period and there's nothing she could do with the song. He also tells her she was inconsistent on the song, in tune, out of tune, that she looked uncomfortable with it and that it was boring.

Rocker chick loses her charm

The thing we would be surprised to know about Ramiele Malubay is that she used to Polynesian dance. She demonstrates some hula moves and says that she's been dancing Filipino cultural dances and Polynesian dances for about 12 years.

Finally, some disco. Now, I'm not generally a fan of disco, but how can you have a 70s theme without at least one disco song? And there are a few that I happen to love. Ramiele sings one of them, "Don't Leave Me This Way" by Thelma Houston. Now I know the song was recorded by someone else before her, but Ramiele is clearly singing the disco version made famous by Houston.

I have to say, last week, she blew me away. I actually felt like she was the only girl who could give David Archuleta a run for his money. And while I love her song choice, her performance is only so-so. For starters, the contestants have full use of the stage. She's singing a song that is meant to be danced to. Se could have performed a little, moved around the stage or something. I mean, she just finished telling us that she's been dancing for 12 years - she could have done something to make the performance really pop. Besides that, the vocal weren't what they were last week. I mean, she's still really good, but it's almost like she's taking a break tonight, maybe feeling safe after she blew them away last week. I don't know. It just wasn't what I was expecting - it was actually a bit lazy, for me.

Randy says it was rough because she was so good last week. He says it was OK vocally and that he didn't like her song choice. He says there are so many other songs that would have suited her better. Paula says her vocals are amazing, but that she agreed with Randy, it wasn't a good song choice for her. Simon says he too agrees. He says the trouble with that song is that he's heard it so many times at weddings and stuff like that. He says she was much better last week, that she showed more personality, that she stood out more. He says this was one of those performances he wouldn't really remember. He tells her he thinks she's terrific, one of the top 3 singers in the competition but that this performance wasn't one of her best.

Ryan asks about the song choice and it turns out Ramiele changed her mind like four times on what song to sing. She says she had chosen a couple of ballads but was afraid people would start calling her Lullaby instead of Malubay.


Kristy Lee Cook says she thinks America would be surprised to know that she's a tomboy. She says she enjoys being outside and getting dirty - she loves fishing and softball and athletics in general. But she says it's still nice to dress up every once in a while, even though she still can't walk in heels.

She sings the Linda Ronstadt version of "You're No Good" and I'm not crazy about the song - it's just so repetitive. I mean, how many times do you have to say "You're no good" in a song? It's just too much for me. Plus, Kristy Lee is clearly a country girl - why didn't she sing some country song instead? Maybe some Dolly Parton or something. I mean, I think she sings the song well - I just wish she had chosen another song, that's all.

Randy says its a 100% improvement from last week. He says it was a good song choice for her, but he was waiting for some breakout moment and it never came. He says it was pretty in tune and he liked it. Paula says it was a good song choice and that she did good. Simon says he couldn't even remember what she sang last week, which tells you it didn't work, but that this week, it was a huge improvement. But he says his only worry with her at the moment is that he doesn't know how to label her yet, he doesn't know what type of singer she really is. He says he has a feeling that if she were to sing some country, she'll find it easier to make a statement, which she didn't do with this song, but that she has real potential.


Amanda Overmyer says that while America already knows that she rides a Harley and is a nurse, they may not know that she's a real bookworm. She likes to read quite a bit, biographies of rock icons and things of that nature. She says she believes you can't ever be over-educated and that reading is a really good form of entertainment.

Oh no - they've turned her into a joke. She comes out wearing some crazy pants and her hair is hairsprayed all out so the blond is showing - it looks almost like the rays of the sun. She looks really awful, like a caricature of herself. I don't know why she would agree to come out so overdone, I can only hope she does a good job. She sings Kansas' "Carry On Wayward Son," a song I've never heard before. I kind of wish she had avoided the rock thing this week. I mean the verses of the song seem to be kind of soft, but unfortunately, the verses are where she falters, kind of going in and out of tune. In the chorus, she comes alive, but all the charm of last week is gone. She seemed so genuine last week and this week, for some reason, her performance seems kind of fake - maybe it's because they overdid her appearance. I don't know. I'm so bummed because I think she's awesome and she's so bad tonight, I fear it may be her last performance.

Randy says it wasn't the right song choice for her... it seems like song choice is the key tonight. It's come up in almost every critique, if not all of them. He says there was too much melody in the song - I don't get what he means at all with that, but he also mentions that the verses were pitchy, which was hard not to notice, so I can't disagree with him there. He also adds at the end that it wasn't the right look, but doesn't elaborate. Paula totally contradicts herself. During Hollywood week, the judges all suggested that she stop singing Janis Joplin, that she needed to show her versatility, but now Paula mentions how Amanda had said in an interview that she didn't plan to do Joplin again and tells her not to worry about that - that she needs to just sing what feels right. Talk about confusing. Simon says that in her interview, she came across so natural and cool, but that in her performance, everything felt contrived, from what she wore, the terrible hair, the indulgent song. He says none of it felt natural or real and that he couldn't wait for it to finish.

Simon's so vain

I heard the funniest thing today. TMZ was reporting that Robbie Carrico, the wannabe rocker with the long hair is actually wearing a wig. How funny is that? I'm dying to know if it's true.

But anyway, it's girls night and I'm dreading it a little bit. I found last week to be a bit dull and I just don't think the girls have as much character as the guys do - at least not so far.

First up is Carly Smithson and the thing we don't know about her is that around the corner from the tattoo shop she owns with her husband, she works at an Irish pub. She also says she loves her house - she loves to clean and cook, but other than her home, she feels most at home on stage, so she's willing to be away from home in order to pursue her singing career.

She comes out all in black and I'm left wishing she had some color on. She almost gets lost on the stage - it's too much black for my taste. Anyway, she sings Heart's "Crazy on You," and I love it, but it could just be because I love the song. I mean, here's my thing... I think Carly has a great voice, great range, great presentation. But for some reason, I still feel like she doesn't stand out. I know lots of people will think I'm crazy, but I think the viewers were led to believe that she was untouchable the way she got more air time than anyone else, and she still hasn't blown me away. Having said that, I enjoyed her tonight.

Randy tells her the beginning was a little rough, that he liked it better toward the end. Paula says she's an amazing singer and that she did an amazing job. Simon says it was much better than last week, but that he still thinks she hasn't connected with the right song yet. He says he thinks she is an incredible singer, that none of the other girls can touch her vocally, but she hasn't chosen that one song that's going to give her that moment.


The one thing we don't know about Syesha Mercado is that she's done a lot of commercials in Miami and that she does a good impersonation of a baby crying. She does it and it's actually really good.

She sings Billy Paul's "Me and Mrs. Jones" with a twist - she changes the Mrs. to a Mr. I hate to say this, because I love Syesha, but I could fall asleep right now - it's really dull. I mean, truth be told, I've never liked the song. The first time I heard it was in the episode of "A Different World" where Walter takes Jaleesa out on their first date and they dance to it. Syesha has such a beautiful voice - I don't understand why she would choose this song to sing. It's just all wrong for her, but maybe the judges disagree.

Randy tells her it wasn't a great song choice because she has such a big voice. He says when she belts out those big notes, she sparkles on the stage, but when she sings softer, like in the verses of this song, she seems uninterested and it goes nowhere. Paula says she tends to go off on the softer notes, too, but she says she liked her interpretation. Simon says it was indulgent and that the song wasn't written for a girl, so it was silly of her to have changed the lyrics to suit her. He says it wasn't a particularly clever choice for her


Brooke White's unknown fact is that she went to beauty school. She started doing hair when she was 11 years old - she says doing hair is an art form and so when she meets people, she's constantly thinking about things she could do to their hair. But halfway through beauty school, she discovered music and dropped out to start singing.

She sings Carly Simon's "You're So Vain" and plays the guitar for part of the song. Brooke isn't one of my favorites, but I tell you what - she did a great job tonight. The low notes were a little hard on her... she probably should have sung the song in a different register, but after the first two girls, she feels like a breath of fresh air - it was really good.

Randy tells her it was a good song choice, that she didn't really add anything to it, but he still liked it. But then he mentions that he and Paula noticed the way she was looking over at the judges during her performance and he asks her whether the song was about someone on the panel, but Paula doesn't really let her answer - she goes into her critique by saying that this was a perfect song choice for her, that it suited her. Simon says he absolutely loved it. He says it was the absolute perfect song for her, and that it was one of the rare occasions where he felt the artist had genuinely chosen the song. He said it absolutely connected, that she sang it well and that it didn't sound old-fashioned.

Then Ryan comes up and says, "It's probably because you think this song about you." And how funny... Simon says, "I'll be honest with you - I actually did."