LOS ANGELES, Calif. --It was the guys’ turn to take the stage on Wednesday night’s “American Idol,” as the show is just one day away from revealing the final 12 contestants who will vie for the crown.
Two more men will be sent packing on Thursday night, but if the “Idol” judges have anything to say about it – Michael Lynche won’t be one of them.
“Big Mike” brought the house down – and brought Kara to tears – with his performance of Maxwell’s “This Woman’s Work” – a performance which Simon dubbed the best of the season so far.
“This is crazy,” Randy beamed. “It was dope… I want to call Maxwell!”
“Oh my God! That was so beautiful. You are the one to beat now,” Ellen proclaimed.
“It’s amazing – you’re amazing,” Kara said, fighting back tears, as she got a comforting hug from Simon.
“This was so needed tonight,” Simon concluded. “You 100 percent nailed it. Not just the best performance of the night – it’s the best performance of all these live shows we’ve had so far.”
However, Michael was the final contestant to take the stage. Here’s how the other seven male finalists faired on Wednesday night:
Lee Dewyze, a strong competitor since the show has gone to the live format in the Top 24, kicked off the show with “Fireflies” by Owl City – a song which Randy Jackson called a “strange song choice… but you made it work.” Meanwhile, Ellen DeGeneres revealed that “a lot of people have crushes” on the young rocker. Kara seemed to sum up the judges’ consensus opinion, telling Lee it was “not your best moment, but very solid.”
Alex Lambert performed the blues classic “Trouble” by Ray Lamontagne – and it appeared that’s what the young contestant found, at least according to Randy. However, Ellen praised the singer’s “innocence” and continued her fruit stand metaphor for Alex, likening him this week to an overripe “mushy banana.” Both Simon and Kara admitted they were fans of the youngster and his unique voice, but agreed he needed to find his comfort zone – and some confidence – up on the stage if he was going to go far in this contest.
Tim Urban opted for a melodic, acoustic version of Jeff Buckley’s “Hallelujah” – his best performance by far since replacing Chris Golightly in the Top 24. Randy noted the song had become a regular in the rotation over the years on “Idol,” telling Tim “you walked in some pretty big shoes and I think you did a pretty good job.” Ellen was so moved by the performance, she stood up from her chair and rushed the stage to give him a hug, calling the song “fantastic.” Kara went as far as to say the performance may have vaulted Tim to the “top of the boys.” Even Simon offered praise to the singer, while at the same time complimenting himself, noting he felt “responsible for [Tim] doing well tonight” after giving him a “confidence boost” last week. The biting Brit said it was a “very, very smart choice.”
Andrew Garcia continued his trend of covering female pop standards – after choosing songs by Paula Abdul, Alicia Keys and Adele in previous rounds. This time, he chose Christina Aguilera’s “Genie In A Bottle” – however, the singer’s wish was not granted as the performance felt rushed and a bit off from the start. “It was a good idea, but it didn’t quite work for me,” Randy told the spectacled singer. “It was a little pitchy all over the place.” Ellen also dubbed it a “great song choice” but added the “Genie came out of the bottle too late.” Simon even called the song “a little bit desperate.”
After a rockin’ electric guitar performance last week, Casey James went unplugged with “You’ll Think of Me” by Keith Urban – the fifth consecutive song of the night featuring the contestants on the acoustic guitar. Randy called it “a very safe choice,” while Kara said she was “kind of back on the Casey train.” She called it an “honest” performance but said he’s still “missing that spark.” Simon said it was the singer’s “second best” performance to date and made him come across “sincere.”
The Top 24’s youngest male singer, Aaron Kelly, bucked the acoustic guitar trend, opting only for his voice as his instrument, but kept the country theme going with Lonestar’s 2001 hit “I’m Already There.” Randy said the teen “still had some work to do, but a job well done.” Ellen said it was “a little too much song” for Aaron. Kara pointed out the disconnect of the song, which is about a man who calls home to his family and was out of reach for Aaron at his age. However, Simon called Kara’s comments “rubbish” and said the song had “emotion.”
Todrick Hall took on Queen’s “Somebody To Love” – a song recently performed on another FOX hit show – “Glee.” “Let me just say, Todrick is back!” Randy proclaimed after the gospel rendition. “That was one of the best vocals I’ve heard all night, all in the last couple of weeks by a man.” Ellen commended the singer for being brave with his song choice, while Kara praised his vocals and Simon said it “was good in parts.” However, Simon said the song showed Todrick was a “Broadway singer – that was ‘American Idol: The Musical’ doing Queen. I see you more as that than a recording artist.” Although it “may have saved” Todrick, according to Simon.
Two males and two females will be eliminated on Thursday night, as the show will unveil its Top 12.
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