Scott or Anthony? Unfortunately, only one can go on Idol

It’s a good thing that this week’s American Idol offered up two performances apiece from each of the contestants, as it gives me the chance to double up on reviews and make up for last week’s absenteeism.

I would have been dead wrong last week, anyway. I was fairly confident that Scott would be packing his suitcase per Simon’s instructions, and the overwhelming majority of fans (and reviewers) who want the big boy booted could finally put their boycott threats to rest.

No dice. Not only did Scott avoid the axe after a thoroughly boring performance, he inexplicably made his way into the top three. And Constantine made the misstep of returning to rock, which cost him dearly.

If there’s a bright side to Connie’s too-early ouster, it’s that we won’t have to see his creepy-looking brother in the stands anymore. (Seriously, it’s like he lived his whole life hoping to be cast in an Addams Family remake.) But who will the nice Greek boy’s fans migrate to?

Constantine was a favorite amongst the screaming young girls, and I can’t see them heading toward Scott or Anthony. Bo? I don’t see him getting young girls excited. So Constantine’s exit may end up benefiting one of the two remaining girls, Carrie or Vonzell.

The producers picked a nicely contrasting pair of themes this week – songs written by Leiber & Stoller, followed by anything on the current various Billboard charts.

ANTHONY FEDOROV opened up with “Poison Ivy” by the Coasters. He told us he brought the specs back out because he was going to be jumping around and he didn’t want to break his neck. He didn’t do that, but he might have committed Idol suicide with this awful, woeful performance.

It was reminiscent of a bad high school musical audition. On second thought, it wasn’t even that good. Anthony was the guy we all know who sings along to everything in the car. He’s got a decent voice, can sound good when the right song comes on, but really should have changed the station or just shut up when a song like “Poison Ivy” comes on.

Simon called it “incredibly amateurish.” That was downright sweet of him, as the performance was one of the worst since the voting began two and a half months ago, out of any of the contestants. If the contestants only did one song, Anthony wouldn’t have even needed to bother to show up for the results show – the choice would have been that obvious.

But he redeemed himself somewhat and got back into the race to stave off elimination with his second effort of the night, “Incomplete” by the Backstreet Boys. It was a solid performance. Not overly great, but pure Fedorov. Was it good enough to make voters forget his poisonous song earlier? Maybe not.

SCOTT SAVOL told us during the intro clip that he wasn’t going to leave until he was a star “On Broadway” – which is why he picked that song by George Benson. The best part of his performance, and the best part of the entire show, was his dig at Simon during the song. Even Simon seemed to like it.

There was a moment where he looked like he saw a cheeseburger in the crowd and was struggling to not go out after it (oddly enough, it came when he sang about not having enough to eat). There was also a spot where his voice got away from him, but overall it was a pretty nice performance. He was miles better than Anthony, seemingly the guy that he needs to do better than to stay on the show.

Unlike Anthony, Scott would have been better off letting his fate hang on the one song. Before he even came back out the second time, he undoubtedly made 20-some million viewers gag when he bragged about having a fashion coordinator help pick out his outfits (that person needs to find another line of work).

He then came back with Bryan McKnight’s “Every Time You Go Away.” It wasn’t impressive at all the first time I watched it, and only slightly better the second time. It wasn’t an inspiring effort, though to be fair, not nearly as yawn-inducing as Scott’s performance last week that sent him into the top three.

However, he scored points again once the song was over. After a bad review from Simon, Ryan Seacrest asked Scott what he thought was going to happen on the results show. The response: “Probably going to have start thinking about what I’m going to sing next week.”

Scott takes a lot of heat for his apparent cockiness, whether the harsh words are coming from fans on the message boards or writers who are paid to write objective reviews. But the guy has to be cocky, because if he doesn’t believe in himself, who will? (And Paula doesn’t count.)

VONZELL SOLOMON went with “Treat Me Nice” by Elvis Presley. You could barely hear the hook the first two times she sang it, but she came back and slam-dunked the last couple. Randy said “That’s how to win this thing,” but Simon thought “the whole performance was a bit of a mess.” The truth likely lies somewhere in the middle – it was good, but it wasn’t spectacular. Vonzell needs to be spectacular, because this might just be the last week she can skate by simply on good.

Then she slowed it down with “When You Tell Me that You Love Me,” a song on the charts because of the overwhelming popularity of Idol (for those with short memories, it’s the song the whole group of finalists cut for a CD to benefit the American Red Cross). It was an amazing vocal performance. It wasn’t off-the-charts amazing, and it wasn’t as inspirational as it could have been, but it was still excellent. Very classy.

Again Randy and Simon squared off against each other after offering their critiques. Randy called it a “perfect vocal – unbelievable,” while Simon predicted that Vonzell would be very vulnerable and that “I think you’ve had a very off-night tonight.” For the life of me, though, I have no idea what he was watching to come up with that. Simon’s pull with the voters will be put to the test this week.

BO BICE picked an old classic, “Stand By Me” by Ben E. King. Everybody knows that song; everybody at some point in their life has sang along to that song. And the vocals aren’t terribly exciting.

Neither was Bo as he began his performance. It was solid and safe and boring, but the Alabama rocker really finished with a flourish, prompting Paula to say he had taken a classic song and “colored it all up with Bo.”

He could have done the same thing later when he sang “Heaven” by Los Lonely Boys. Just last week, my brother – a fan of the group – said he could see Bo fitting in with the Texican rockers.

I can, too – but not with this performance. I’m sure I’ll be in the minority – Randy made Bo the captain of the Dawg Pound and Simon told him he was “acting and performing like the real thing” and making the others look like amateurs – but I thought it was awful. His vocals were wobbly and too gruff, and since Simon didn’t say it, I’ll co-opt one of his overused lines – it was an OK copy of the original.

CARRIE UNDERWOOD got in some “Trouble,” an Elvis Presley song. Just when I think there is no possible way she can be any more adorable, she goes and does that little Elvis lip-wiggle thing in her intro clip. Loved it.

She added a little bit of a rough edge to her voice with this performance, and it worked a little better than when she tackled Pat Benetar a few weeks ago. She was also having fun on stage again, even kicking over the mic stand. It still seems as though she’s forcing a bit of the attitude, but this performance made me wonder if she’s not actually holding back a little bit of an inner rebel.

When Carrie returned to the stage, with her choice of anything currently on the billboard charts, you knew there was only one chart she looked at. Naturally, she picked a country song. Surprisingly, though, she picked a male vocal – “The Broken Road” by Rascal Flatts.

Aside from anything by Martina McBride – who Carrie took on last week – “The Broken Road” might be the most beautiful vocal performance on the country charts, and therefore one of the most challenging. Surprisingly, Carrie didn’t do the song justice. She sang well, no question, but she didn’t make the song beautiful (like Nashville Star finalist Jayron Weaver did a few weeks back).

Nonetheless, she is clearly safe. Combine the two performances, and she had the best night, just slightly ahead of Bo. Vonzell rounds out the top three – and in two weeks, those should be the three that remain – unless voters are paying more attention to Simon’s barbs than what they see and hear on stage.

But who becomes the last member of the final four, the contestant sure to inspire incredulity at their unbelievable luck?

Sorry America – Scott escapes again. Both he and Anthony have deserved the axe many times before, but only one can be sent packing this week. Anthony was in the bottom two last week, and there’s nowhere to go but down.

Scottie's body of work likely complete on Idol

Admit it, you’ve asked the question. I know I have. And judging by the message boards, tens of millions of Americans have wondered the same thing. Tonight on American Idol, Simon Cowell gave a voice to us all when he said what we’re all thinking:

How has Scott Savol lasted this long in the competition?

Call it the blessing of low expectations. When we first met Scott in the Cleveland auditions, no one imagined a voice like his would emerge from a 250-pound sedative. Once he reached Hollywood, everyone expected him to slip up. He didn’t, which landed him in America’s lap. And each step of the way since, the millions of voters who have chosen someone else have been baffled by Scott’s evasion of elimination.

If callers voted for who they wanted to boot off, Scott would have been sent packing ages ago. But that’s not the way it works. A series of solid early performances helped bolster a fan base that no doubt is rooting for the underdog, no matter how odious and unappealing he may be.

But Scott’s in a catch-22. The longer he stays alive, the more the expectations rise and the less of an underdog he is. All of a sudden, he finds himself being judged solely on how his performances match up with the shrinking pool of contestants, all of whom are eminently more likeable than the big boy from Ohio.

Scott’s exit has been in the cards for weeks. But with this week’s theme being ’70s dance hits (c’mon, Scott Savol and disco?), is it possible he could surprise us once more?

Much was made of CONSTANTINE MAROULIS’s decision to quit his band to pursue stardom via American Idol. We even got to be there with him when he broke the news to his bandmates (and what a dramatic moment that was – as dramatic as a blatantly staged performance can be, anyway). While his continued run on the show has immensely heightened the profile of Pray for the Soul of Betty, the remaining band members had to gag as they watched their former ringleader sing the Bee Gees’ “Nights on Broadway.”

But those hard rockers might have been the only ones (other than Simon) who didn’t enjoy a very solid effort by Constantine. A week ago, Paula proclaimed him as the one to beat (making him at least the fourth clearly identified favorite during the last two months). While I thought that was premature, it is clear now that Constantine can win the competition. He has picked up steam with each passing week.

And confidence. He appears completely comfortable on stage, much more so than earlier in the competition. And his vocal performances are catching up with his charisma, which kept him alive through some of his weaker efforts. He is one of only two contestants who has yet to make an appearance in the bottom three, and he’ll easily avoid that mess again this week.

CARRIE UNDERWOOD is the only other contestant who has escaped the wrath of the voters, though she herself wondered aloud if her luck would turn with this week’s theme. True, she may not know much about ’70s dance music, but she’s certainly become a master at the adorable intro clip. She rightfully took some flak from Simon about her outfit – what she wore on the dance floor during that intro would have been far more appealing.

She sang “MacArthur Park” by Donna Summer. I’d love to get ahold of the list of available songs, because it would seem as though there would be any number of other Donna Summer songs that would have been a better choice. But it did once again allow her to showcase her chops, which is the trump card she holds over most of her competitors. It actually wasn’t her strongest vocal performance, especially at the beginning, though she was enthralling at the end – belting out the penultimate note for more than 10 seconds, with an eight-second encore.

But for as big a voice as Carrie trots out, she brings so little energy to her performances. She just isn’t a whole lot of fun on stage, once you look past the eye candy bit. Tonight, she was flat and dull, and based on the gusto of the other Idols, it may lead to her first trip to the bottom three. That’s the worst that could happen, though, as she may have the largest fan base out there, which will certainly quell any fears of elimination.

SCOTT SAVOL followed his mama’s advice by picking Carl Carlton’s “Everlasting Love.” For the second straight week, Scottie flashed a few glimpses of personality – predicting during the show’s opening that “Nobody’s going to be able to keep up with me,” and exhorting the crowd to get into his performance.

He added some gruffness to his voice in spots, which I liked, but it seemed like he was holding back through most of the song. It wasn’t until near the end that he really allowed himself to get into his own act, and only then did his talent finally shine through. But he needed to summon up a great performance from start to finish, and this wasn’t that. It was completely non-descript to begin with, and it only built itself up as far as good – not great.

Scott’s a clear candidate to wind up back in the bottom three for the third straight week, though for his critics, the third time might finally be the charm.

ANTHONY FEDOROV promised to shake his boo-tay during “Don’t Take Away the Music” by Tavares. He didn’t deliver on that promise (thank goodness), but he did ramp up his effort once again and provided enough of a reason to keep him around for another week.

The lone remaining teenager in the competition certainly has a wonderful voice, but he has yet to learn how to completely harness it. That has been evident in some of his previous dreadful showings. But he was in control tonight, and save for one or two high notes that he didn’t quite hit, he sounded quite good.

He also avoided the trap that several of the men (himself included) have fallen into this season – trying to cover up an uneasy act with a few big notes at the end. Anthony spread his big notes around all over the song, and it was his best performance in weeks. Due to the talent that he’s up against, though, it still probably won’t be enough to save him from another trip to the bottom three.

VONZELL SOLOMON cheated a bit with her selection of “I’m Every Woman” by Chaka Kahn. Vonzell was born in 1984, long after Chaka’s song came out. However, she was no doubt amongst the many young girls who fell in love with the cover that Whitney Houston recorded for They Bodyguard soundtrack.

Vonzell, who has already done Whitney and done it well, wasn’t as impressive tonight. She was still electric, and was still one of the night’s best. But there were some problems. When she sang soft and low, it wasn’t wow-worthy. She struggled with some transitions. And her backup singers were mic’ed up way too much, as it was sometimes hard to hear Vonzell over them.

But you heard her when she screamed, and when she unleashes the power in her voice, she’s a star. She’ll comfortably move on to the next week, and may even be in the process of supplanting Carrie as the girl to beat.

ANWAR ROBINSON turned back the clock to “September” by Earth Wind & Fire. He has apparently taken some of Simon’s criticisms to heart, as he was careful not to neglect the beginning part of his song tonight. He started off well, and once again stayed true to form by stretching his vocal chords spectacularly at the finish. (However, the leadup to his ending blitz was a bit rough; lucky for him, that’s real easy for voters to forget).

Anwar does not have the stage presence of either of the other shaggy men, but he clearly had fun in front of the audience tonight. That can only help.

He’ll go on for another week, but he may have to sweat out another bottom-three ordeal first. He outsang Carrie tonight, but the country girl’s anthology of past performances might nudge her ahead of Anwar, which could drop him into the dreaded trio.

BO BICE went with “Vehicle” by The Ides of March. In his intro clip, he admitted to being a horrendous dancer, someone who would rather stay off the dance floor himself and instead play music to make others move around. Yet the song he picked wasn’t really the type to draw a crowd under the disco ball.

Didn’t matter – Bo had his best showing in several weeks. Trapped by some unfriendly themes and some questionable song choices, he finally was able to return to that rough, husky rock sound that is his specialty. Simon called it the “only authentically good performance” of the night. It may not have been the most dazzling overall, but as Randy alluded to, Bo definitely offered up the best pure audio effort.

His bottom-three scare from last week won’t be repeated; Bo will easily sail through to next week.

So should Constantine and Vonzell. Carrie and Anwar will as well, though one of the two of them will likely have to wait an extra few minutes tomorrow night to find out. Once again, the two most anxious Idols figure to be Scott and Anthony.

By the end of the results show, Simon won’t have to be confused anymore. Scott’s loyal legion of fans may be disappointed, but the rest of the show’s viewers will finally get what they’ve wanted for weeks.

All ain't fair in love and Idol

If there’s one thing that American Idol takes pains to remind us of, it’s that everything is up to you, the home viewers.

Upset about Jessica Sierra or Nikko Smith getting booted off? It’s your fault; you failed them. Stunned that Vonzell Solomon landed in last week’s bottom three? You put her there. Can’t fathom how Scott and Anthony have survived this far? You’re the ones voting for them.

As Simon and others have said countless times, it’s a fair competition. And it usually is, but there was something decidedly unfair about tonight’s theme. Idol wannabes were asked to pick a song from the year they were born – and with the disparity in age amongst the contestants, that meant some songs were a decade older than others.

In other words, for the first time, the contestants weren’t playing on the same field. I won’t presume to judge which years were better than others, but I think I can safely assume that they weren’t all equal, leaving some of our friends tonight at a bit of a disadvantage.

(And while we’re on the subject of fairness, how in the world do the producers get away with putting Hall & Oates in the crowd while one of the contestants takes on one of their songs?)

NADIA TURNER looked as though she was trying to channel Tina Turner as she did in her successful semifinal run, coming out especially ’fro’d out with a whole lot of leg showing. Unfortunately, the performance didn’t match the appearance.

She sang something from 1977 by Crystal Gayle (yeah, that’s how memorable it was). Randy didn’t even recognize the song, and that’s never a good sign – if someone who works in the biz can’t place it, what hope is there for the millions of viewers at home?

Nadia immediately demonstrated the problem with this week’s theme. At 28 years old, she’s a member of the “old guard” – contestants born in the ’70s. Most of the music from that decade – and remember, she only had one year to pick from – is foreign to the show’s core audience. It has long since slipped away from standard rock stations, but hasn’t settled into the oldies category just yet.

I’ll give Nadia credit for one thing, though: She contorts her face better than anyone else on the show. The most memorable part of an otherwise blasé performance was the sly smile she flashed right at the end. Still, I think Simon may be onto something when he warned that “I think you could go home after that.”

BO BICE had to go back a couple more years to 1975, and tried to avoid the same obscurity problems that Nadia faced by picking the widely known “Freebird” by Lynard Skynard. The song was obviously popular with the studio audience, who cheered through Bo’s intro clip.

The problem with a choice like “Freebird” is it is, as Simon called it, a “sacred song.” Which makes it hard to meet the expectations that come with performing it, especially when you’re Bo, and through a series of excellent earlier showings you’ve jacked up the expectations even more.

He didn’t meet. The opening salvo of the song was dreary and forgettable. The transition into the uptempo ending (along with the uptempo bit itself) saved it from being an utter train wreck, but it was still completely unsatisfying, Randy and Paula’s hyperbole notwithstanding.

ANWAR ROBINSON also had to dip into the ’70s, going with 1979’s “I’ll Never Love this Way Again” by Dionne Warwick. (Insert your own Psychic Hotline joke here.)

OK, Anwar, you can hit the big notes. I get it. Technical proficiency aside – and for the musically uneducated masses that keep this show afloat, what does that mean, anyway? – he has yet to grab my attention and hang onto it for a full song.

Still, there was nothing wrong with his effort tonight. There just wasn’t anything great about it. And at this stage of the game, not being great can be costly.

ANTHONY FEDOROV is the youngest competitor left at age 19, so he got to pick the most “contemporary” song with 1985’s “Every Time You Go Away” by Paul Young. He could barely be heard through the first two lines, which is probably a good thing given his karaoke-itis – he seems to always need a line or two to settle into his voice.

He needed more than a line or two tonight, though. For the most part, the kid just has not been able to cut it on the bigger stage with the bigger band behind him. Drop the instruments and just let him sing, and he’s wonderful – just as he was on the song’s final line, belted out as the music faded.

Surprisingly, Simon thought it was a pretty good performance. Perhaps he couldn’t bear to bash the teenager for a third straight week. But if Simon showed sympathy for Anthony, does that mean that the voters won’t?

VONZELL SOLOMON picked one of the most fun songs of the night, 1984’s “Let’s Hear It for the Boy” by Deniece Williams. Before she even stepped on the stage, I applauded that choice. I knew it would fit her perfectly, and once she got going, I almost half-expected Scott to jump out on stage and do somersaults in his best Willard impression from Footloose.

The song was a perfect fit, if not a perfect performance. Don’t get me wrong; she did a wonderful job, but I expected more. And that’s entirely Vonzell’s fault – her performances of recent weeks have ratcheted up the expectations. At times, it seemed she was more concerned with her movements around the stage than singing the song itself, which wound up leaving the performance just a little bit dry.

But I’ll say this about Baby V – she might just be the only true pop star left in the bunch. She’s not the only one with star quality, but she’s probably the only one left that fits snugly into the pop star mold (especially after that flashy disco-ball top she tossed on tonight).

Before he even took the stage, SCOTT SAVOL just might have made this the most shocking episode of Idol yet. He actually – you may want to sit down for this – showed glimpses of a personality, forcibly claiming that he’s the true rocker of the final eight.

With Daryl Hall and John Oates sitting amongst the crowd, Scott sang “She’s Gone,” the duo’s song from 1976. He tried to go low at the beginning of the first two verses, and I’m not sure if it worked or not – I was too distracted by the frog in his throat.

But then he found his groove and his old voice, the one that had pushed him through this far. And he found something else as well – a little bit of stage presence. He was bouncing all over the stage, clearly enjoying himself for the first time in a long, long while.

The big boy can sing, for sure. Better than some, not as well as some others still left, so there’s no way he’s a serious contender. However, with some production work and some more guidance, I can certainly see him cutting a record.

CARRIE UNDERWOOD sounded like she might have a little bit of a cold during her intro clip, though you couldn’t tell it when she belted out 1983’s “Love is a Battlefield” by Pat Benetar. For the first time, she displayed an edginess in her voice. It worked for the most part, though there were times when it seemed as though she was trying too hard (as Simon said, “like a kitten who wants to be a tiger”).

It just wasn’t quite authentic – especially when she tried to bring the same edge to her stage act. Though it was nice to see her make an effort, even if it wasn’t much more than a little hip swaying and shoulder twisting (though I loved the kick-punch at the end – she must be picking up some pointers from Bo).

Idol addicts may remember that she had a slight mix-up with the lyrics during her first Hollywood audition. “Hopefully I get the words right this week,” she said during her intro clip after recalling how she constantly butchered lyrics as a kid. She had another slight mix-up again tonight, though probably only the most diehard Pat Benetar fans would have caught it had Randy not called her on it.

In Carrie’s defense, she has to take a well-known song that she’s heard, and no doubt sang along to, hundreds of times, and condense it to less than two minutes. Can’t say that I blame her for forgetting which words go where. I’m looking forward to hearing her sing a full-length piece, and she will unquestionably make it far enough to do that.

If nothing else, CONSTANTINE MAROULIS showed his gutsy side by attempting 1975’s “Bohemian Rhapsody” by Queen. A song that everybody knows and nobody can sing (the whole thing, anyway). This song could have sank Constantine, sending him to his first bottom-three sweat-out, or it could have vaulted him to the front of the pack.

With all due respect to Paula Abdul (and really, who pays attention to her anymore anyway?), it did neither. It’s no surprise that Constantine is certainly no Freddie Mercury, whose vocal range was legendary. But the guy who hasn’t wanted to be a rocker for a few weeks didn’t fall flat, either, which is the risk you take with a choice like “Bohemian Rhapsody.”

Constantine enjoyed the benefit of an exuberant lighting and camera crew as well; however, the song’s truncated arrangement did him no favors. Just as you allowed yourself to get into the performance, he veered off in another direction. That’s the magic of Queen’s version, but it takes the depth of a full-length song to pull it off.

At any rate, Constantine is a mortal lock to sail through to next week, along with Carrie. Vonzell should be, and Bo probably will be, though I wouldn’t put it past those quirky voters to scare either one of them by inexplicably sending them into the bottom three.

But the other four remaining contestants – Nadia, Anthony, Anwar and Scott – should feel far more anxious. Simon was less than impressed with Scott, but his disappointment will be counter-balanced by the nod of approval given by Hall & Oates when Ryan Seacrest sought their opinion. And Scott’s sudden personality influx will likely bolster the fan base that for some reason saw fit to keep him alive for weeks.

Anthony has managed to avoid the bottom three after two straight wretched performances. This was much better – still far from good, but Simon’s vote of confidence might help him survive another week, even if he has to suffer through another few scary minutes standing next to Seacrest.

And Anwar’s just too nice to kick off the show. There is greatness there. It hasn’t shown up yet, which is why he’ll land in the bottom three. But it is there, and I hope we’ll see it before he leaves.

Which leaves Nadia. I’m not sure how much of fan base she has – I get the sense that even when she was on a roll, the fans were loving her performances more than they were loving her. Without a solid fan base to carry her through the rough spots, she needs to be dazzling each time out. She wasn’t tonight.

Drawing the opening slot didn’t help. Leading off the show, she needed to be memorable. She wasn’t. By this time tomorrow, she’ll be a memory.

Musical to our ears? Not on Idol

American Idol had a rough week. First came the untimely exit of Jessica Sierra – the Florida teen’s banishment from the show seemingly awoken a sleeping fan base that couldn’t muster enough votes to keep her around, but sure mustered plenty of outrage after she was booted.

Then came the seemingly annual dirt-digging exposition courtesy of The Smoking Gun, who revealed that Scott Savol – already one of the most unlikable characters on the show – has a rap sheet. Toss in the fact that Idol was bumped from the top spot in the ratings by CSI (with more competition this week by the NCAA basketball title game), and the show could have used a good night to keep itz buzz alive.

This wasn’t the show.

The theme this week was classical musicals, which could have been fun. It was anything but, as most of the contestants settled on boring ballads that were eminently forgettable. The judges’ comments fit nicely into their predetermined roles – Randy thought most everything was a’ight, Paula was proud of everyone, and Simon was extraordinarily hard to please.

SCOTT SAVOL came out sporting some new threads, but that was the only thing flashy about his performance “The Impossible Dream” from Man of La Mancha. It started average, and didn’t ascend from there.

Give credit to the big boy for making a mention of his mama in the intro, which I’m sure he’s hoping makes him look like somebody’s son instead of a brute who roughed up his fiancée. Scott certainly had built up some momentum in previous weeks, which carried him past a ghastly effort last week, but that momentum was almost assuredly derailed by the news that broke about his past. He should make his first appearance in the bottom three.

By the way, has anyone else noticed how often Paula interrupts Simon? Doesn’t matter what he says, she either yells at him or kisses him.

With every show, CONSTANTINE MAROULIS seems to be distancing himself further from the whole rocker image. (Perhaps because he knows on that plane alone, he can’t compete with Bo.) Now, he talks about his dramatic roots and shows us his cultured side in the preview clip, introducing his choice of “My Funny Valentine” from Babes in Arms.

A little dangerous bringing up Frank Sinatra – dude, you do not want to invite comparisons to The Voice – but Maroulis is quite the contrast from Ol’ Blue Eyes. His performance wasn’t stellar, but it was good enough. The last note was awfully flimsy. I understand the desire to end it softly, but that was pretty weak, Connie.

Maroulis was one of the only contestants to feel comfortable in this category, and also one of the only performers to elicit a complement from Simon, who uttered one of his best lines of the season when he called what he just saw “the best pouting performance ever on American Idol.”

A few weeks ago in the semifinals, Simon told CARRIE UNDERWOOD that no matter what she sang, she sounded fantastic. Tonight was no exception, as she picked “Hello, Young Lovers” from The King and I. It wasn’t her best performance, but that’s simply because she’s already posted so many dazzling numbers.

But it was still a shade disappointing, and Simon’s point about it being too old-fashioned was right on, even if it did get lost in his bizarre analogy. Carrie is exceedingly likable, but she hasn’t shown that “fun” quality yet. She had a golden opportunity during ’60s week, but fell flat. She’ll still go very far in the competition, but could run the risk of being bounced in the final weeks if her competitors can compete vocally and are more fun onstage.

VONZELL SOLOMON thought that “People” from Funny Girl would show off her range. It did. Vonzell gave another marvelous performance, though she may face a bit of the same problem as Carrie, in that the song she picked was simply boring.

But the girl’s definitely got a set of pipes, and she has used them well in recent weeks. She may just have the best voice in the competition this side of the farm girl from Oklahoma. She is one of four I’d consider mortal locks to move on.

Before we move on, I was just wondering: Is it possible to install a seat belt on Paula’s chair? She needs to be strapped down before she ruins the meaning of a standing ovation.

ANTHONY FEDOROV – again without the glasses, though oddly looking even younger this week – needed a big performance after last week’s excruciating performance. He tried for it with “Climb Ev’ry Mountain” from The Sound of Music.

It was OK. The ending note could have been a shade higher, but overall Anthony was still miles better than last week’s dreadful effort. But he wasn’t particularly mesmerizing, and his stage act didn’t work – he does all right with the uptempo stuff, but he can’t sway worth his salt. About the only thing he did up there didn’t look ridiculous was his eyes-closed send-off to the band.

The kiss of death came from the judges. Randy hated it, Paula doesn’t matter because she’s lost all credibility by this point, and Simon didn’t even bother trying to be nice again. He simply called it “hideous," "horrible” and "awful." Before he could get much nastier, Ryan Seacrest cut him off, but even Ryan won’t be able to save Anthony from returning to the bottom three.

NIKKO SMITH picked a selection from a most classical musical, West Side Story, when he sang “One Hand, One Heart.” Should Nikko go on to win this competition, he’ll likely to be the first Idol with his own clothing line. Week to week, Nikko has consistently been the most stylish contestant.

His songs haven’t always matched his outfits, and he fell a bit short again this week. The song had some promise, but Nikko failed to deliver completely, especially at the end when he was obscured by his background vocals. He certainly did enough to move on, though I wouldn’t guarantee he’ll avoid the bottom three.

ANWAR ROBINSON picked another slow and boring showtune, “If Ever I Would Leave You” from Camelot. He did a nice job, with one ghastly slip-up leading into the final belt-out line. It was a wonderful improvement over last week, and should send him on for another week.

BO BICE picked out a book, closed his eyes, and pointed to “Corner of the Sky” from Pippin (1972). Finally, someone picked an uptempo piece. Despite that, it was still boring. It wasn’t suitable for Bo’s voice – not sure anything from a musical would be – and it didn’t fit his personality either.

But he’ll still stand out from this week’s crowd, and based on his past performances alone, he’ll sail through into next week when he should be able to return to a genre he’s a better fit for.

NADIA TURNER went with “As Long As He Needs Me” from Oliver. She’s been noticeably prickly when the judges have told her that she doesn’t have the greatest voice in the competition (even though that comment usually precedes another compliment), so apparently she wanted to prove the doubters wrong. It didn’t work.

She sang the song well, but it showcased nothing more than her vocals, along with her limitations. Her voice simply isn’t in the same ballpark as the other two remaining women. What she brings is performance, though in her defense it probably would have been tough for her to rock out to a showtune.

Just about all of the contestants were out of their element, though Nadia and Bo seemed the farthest away. While Bo has the backing to make it through easily at this point, Nadia may not. It would not be a surprise at all to see her back in the bottom three.

But she won’t leave yet. Not with Anthony and Scott still around. One of them won’t be next week. The pick here is Anthony, as Idol continues its purge of teenage competitors.

Curtains for the Ukrainian Idol?

The 1990s were the first full decade that I lived through with the radio on, so when the ’90s theme was introduced tonight, I got excited at first. Until I remembered that the decade wasn’t all that memorable for traditional rock-n-roll or pop music. Sure, there was the whole Seattle-based grunge scene, as Constantine mentioned tonight. But that doesn’t mesh with most of the Idol wannabes. Neither does hip-hop, which was beginning to hit its stride during the decade. So what’s left to pick from?

The contenders managed to come up with some pretty good songs, though after tonight’s show, it’s sad to say that some of those songs may be ruined forever.

After a low-key performance last week, BO BICE was at his audacious on-stage antics again, taking on “Remedy” by the Black Crowes. The choice of headwear was a bit odd – a Holstein-colored cowboy hat that he dropped on Paula’s head after jumping onto the judges’ table – and along with his table-hopping, it actually detracted from his song a bit.

Which may not have been a bad thing – Bo’s show wasn’t nearly as electric as his rendition of “Spinning Wheel” two weeks ago, or “Whipping Post” in the semifinals. It probably would have helped him to have a band on-stage to play with. Still, Bo should have no problem sailing through to the next round. With enough solid performances in the bank, he is one of the few contestants that can deliver an OK act and survive another week.

JESSICA SIERRA tackled one of the more obscure Leann Rimes songs, “On the Side of Angels,” which was probably a mistake. Jessica wants to be a country girl – she was planning a move to Nashville before striking gold with Idol – but that role has already clearly been staked out by Carrie Underwood. And Jessica doesn’t have the range to impress with a Leann Rimes ballad. She does have a powerful voice, but it’s best put to use on songs like “Total Eclipse of the Heart,” which she nailed last week.

Simon surprised his cohorts, and undoubtedly millions of viewers, when he opined that Jessica doesn’t have the likability factor of some of the other contestants. I’m not so sure – she flirts with the camera (in almost a hard-to-get kind of way) with the best of them, and very little so far has been more fun to watch than her performance of “The Boys Are Back” in the semifinals.

Perhaps what Simon meant to say is that all that is likable about Jessica was missing from her performance tonight, as simply standing still at a microphone and singing doesn’t showcase a lot of her strengths. She may earn another ticket to the bottom three, though it would be surprising (and a shame) to see her booted so soon.

ANWAR ROBINSON mixed things up a bit by starting his song out in the crowd near the judges’ table before returning to the stage to finish R. Kelly’s “I Believe I Can Fly.” Blessed with one of the best voices in the competition, Anwar choked tonight. The first half of the song was hideous, and he was deservedly bashed by both Randy and Simon. He tried to save it at the end by belting out the big notes, which earned praise from all three judges, but it came off as a man trying to show off his pipes rather than sing a song.

Two weeks ago, I predicted Anwar would be in the final four. Now, I’m not so sure. Based on tonight’s performances, he may find himself in the bottom three, though he should have the opportunity to redeem himself next week.

NADIA TURNER needed a big performance to erase the memory of last week’s horrid take on Cyndi Lauper. Performing Melissa Etheridge’s “I’m the Only One” was an interesting choice, but she definitely made it work. It was not her best effort – her version of “Try a Little Tenderness” from the semifinals is still one of the highlights of the entire competition – but it was one of the best of the night. (But c’mon, Nadia – I know you’re the artsy-fartsy sort, but if you’re going to sing something edgy like that, try and dress the part.)

Nadia is another contestant that I predicted would make the final four, but her showing last week threw her chances off course. And while she recovered nicely tonight, I wouldn’t be entirely shocked if the standoffishness she showed during last week’s results show still has a residual effect on the voters.

Before tonight, I would have guessed that CONSTANTINE MAROULIS could be in danger of being the next to go, though the fact that he hasn’t landed in the bottom three yet may indicate that I may be out of touch with the rest of the country in regards to the New York rocker. Like Mikalah, Constantine has survived thus far more on raw charisma than talent.

But tonight, he did show some talent. He spoke glowingly about the Seattle grunge scene in his interview clip, and I fully expected him to rock out to something from Nirvana or Pearl Jam. Instead, he came out with a take on Bonnie Raitt’s “I Can’t Make You Love Me.” (Idol addicts may recognize this as the song that Carrie sang during her St. Louis audition.) It wasn’t terribly good, but it was much better than some of the night’s other performances, so Constantine will easily make it through another week.

NIKKO SMITH ditched the expensive threads in favor of ripped jeans and a graffiti-covered jacket for his take on Tevin Campbell’s “Can We Talk.” The duds were similar to what he wore in his return performance two weeks ago, though he did a far better job this time around (not quite as good as his Sisqo impression of a week ago, however). He showed an excellent stage presence, though the song’s high notes sounded a bit forced.

Based on tonight’s performance, he should be safe for another week. However, since he already has been voted off once, it wouldn’t surprise me to see him in the bottom three, a place where he doesn’t deserve to be just yet.

ANTHONY FEDOROV was just dreadful. The boy must have been reading all the reviews and various blogs that wanted him to ditch his glasses, because the specs were gone. Bad idea. The lime green shirt was gruesome, as was just about every note in the song, Elton John’s “The Way You Look Tonight.” Several spots in the song made me cringe, just as Simon did before launching into his blistering critique in which he called it “absolutely excruciating.”

Unfortunately, that’s exactly what it was. Anthony has a great underdog story and is an easy kid to root for, and Simon even seemed to feel guilty about slamming the performance. But it had to be slammed. Perhaps because of Simon’s comments, or maybe even because he knew he was awful, Anthony looked to be near tears up on stage (so did Paula in trying to defend him).

This could be the end of the line for Anthony, who landed in last week’s bottom three after what was a far superior performance. He has consistently struggled to open his songs, though has generally found his groove and saved the performance. Not much could save him tonight, though.

No matter who your favorite is, it’s just about impossible not to like CARRIE UNDERWOOD. The country girl from Oklahoma has arguably the best voice in the competition. She was my favorite coming out of the auditions, and Simon has anointed her a couple of times as a likely winner.

She didn’t do anything tonight to change that. She repeated a song she sang during her final Hollywood audition, “Independence Day” by Martina McBride. A great song, to be sure, though I’m not excited about hearing it again from someone who’s already done it. Unless that someone is Carrie. Taking on Martina McBride, who has by far the most powerful voice in country music, is incredibly ambitious, and Carrie is the only one in the competition capable of pulling it off. And she did tonight.

It wasn’t perfect – the opening was a little shaky, and at one point it appeared that Carrie forgot where she was in the song (the same thing happened to her in her first Hollywood audition). And she still lags behind the remaining three female contestants and most of the men as well when it comes to stage presence. But that shouldn’t hurt her too much – when you look and sound like Carrie, stage presence is simply superfluous (as anyone who has seen Faith Hill perform can attest).

Oh, and as an aside, even seeing her dad cleaning out shotguns wouldn’t be enough to drive me off.

As easy on the eyes as Carrie is, SCOTT SAVOL is at the extreme other end of the spectrum. Despite Ryan Seacrest’s best attempts – by now, I’m so sick of the “Scotty the Body” references – Scott has failed to deliver to those of us who keep waiting for him to grow a personality. He has almost zero stage presence, given that his only move is the vastly overused one-arm reach.

It’s too bad, because he has a marvelous voice, and when you simply go off the audio feed, it is certainly enjoyable to listen to him sing. But not tonight. Scott’s one of the few performers that simply cannot afford to not be great, and he wasn’t even in the ballpark of OK with his crooning of Brian McKnight’s “One Last Cry.” The song requires a certain amount of soul to be injected to it, and Scott can’t bring that.

It also didn’t help that he picked an outfit that appeared to be a pair of pajamas. I would advise him to get a good night’s sleep tonight, because it very well could be his last as an Idol contender. It will be a stunning upset if Scott avoids the bottom three. Since he hasn’t been there yet, he may still survive, and if he does, he should be able to thank Anthony.

VONZELL SOLOMON’s performance was stunning before she sang the first note, owing to the natural beauty she brings to the stage every night and the form-fitting black dress she brought on this night. Whitney Houston’s “I Have Nothing” was a genuine risk, for no other reason than Whitney had one of the most remarkable voices of the early ’90s. Vonzell did fine through the first verse, but then sounded remarkable in her own right once she hit the chorus.

So far, Vonzell has built her fan base on the sense of fun she brings to the show, as Simon alluded to last week. She seems to genuinely enjoy every minute she gets on stage, and knows how to play to the cameras. But tonight, she put the spotlight on her vocals, and that was a smart move – she has emerged as a serious contender.

Barring another graphics glitch, we should find out soon who will be joining Lindsey Cardinale and Mikalah Gordon on the interview circuit. I can’t imagine it being anyone other than Anthony or Scott. Both should be locks for the bottom three. I would send Anwar there with them, though I fear it may be Jessica instead. Neither of those too, however, should be too worried. I’m willing to give Scott one last chance, and my gut tells me America will also. But it looks like Anthony has run out of chances.

Idol Worship

All right, I give in. The first of the 12 steps is admitting you have a problem, right? Well, I admit it, and I’m here to confess my vice. My name is Jason, and I’m an American Idol addict.

When Idol first hit the airwaves in the summer of 2002, I didn’t want to go anywhere near it. I was fed up with the whole reality TV craze (I still am, actually), and the show held no appeal for me. Still, owing to its status as the newest watercooler hit, I felt I owed it to myself to check it out at least once. So I watched the season finale, and couldn’t help but wonder how in the world that Guarini guy lasted as long as he did.

I didn’t watch any of the second season, though I did keep up with the Ruben-Clay controversies. I finally did check out a bit of Season Three, but only through the auditions – once the William Hungs were done, I figured it wouldn’t have been nearly as entertaining anymore.

But I must confess, this season, I’m hopelessly hooked. Perhaps it was the advent of TiVo into the family home, which has helped make each episode an event for the whole brood. My little sister feels as though several of the contestants are close personal friends. My younger brother transfers recordings of his favorite performers onto his iPod. My mother is in her late 40s, well outside the show’s target demographic, yet can speed-dial a vote as soon as the lines open with the best of them.

As for me, I’ve found myself watching each show with a critical eye, seeing how my comments match up with the panel of judges. After all, I have occasionally used the word “a’ight,” and as long as I can add “dawg” and “pitchy” to my vocabulary, I ought to be able to match wits with Randy Jackson. If it’s truly warranted, I can be just as effusive with praise as the new Queen of Nice, Paula Abdul. Though lately, I’ve noticed that my opinions more closely match up with Simon Cowell’s, and since I’m not on live TV, I shouldn’t have a problem creating my own pithy insults.

One thing prevented me from trying my hand at being an amateur reviewer before this week: my affection for Mikalah Gordon. There was no gray area with the Las Vegas teen; you either loved her or hated her. I loved her unabashed enthusiasm and pure joy she brought to each broadcast, but every review I ever read seemed to slam her with a tremendous dose of vitriol.

But I do admit, it was time for her to go last week – she breezed through on personality as long as she could, but there was no way to justify sending someone else packing. On the belated results show, Mikalah told the audience that they had settled on a fabulous top 10 – who will tell America tomorrow they’ve picked a nifty nine?