American Idol 8.1 - The Top 13 sing the music of Michael Jackson

Tonight marks multiple firsts for Idol. It's the first time there have been 13 in the finals. It's the first time there's not an even split of boys and girls. It's the first time there's been a ridiculous, cheesy entrance.... Oh wait, that one is pretty much a standard.

There's a lot of depth in the field this season. It should be interesting.

Oh - and Simon just announced that two are going home tomorrow night so it's not so abnormal after all.

Lil Rounds
The Way You Make Me Feel
I really like Lil. Tough song to sing but she sang really well. She was in a little slower groove than MJ hit on this song and she really made it work for her. Not 100% perfect, but she should easily be safe tonight.

Scott MacIntyre
Keep the Faith
Scott doesn't have the most perfect voice ever, but he definitely has a feel for the music. For those who are familiar with early Christian rock, he reminds me somewhat of Keith Green - both vocals and keyboarding. Again, I think Scott will get through with flying colors to the next round.

Danny Gokey
P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)
Danny is my current favorite to run away with the whole kit and kaboodle. He's got the look, he's got the vocals, he knows what he can do with his voice, and he's a great showman. His dancing skills may need some work, but otherwise he's ready to go. Great job tonight.

Michael Sarver
You're Not Alone
I'll be honest: I am not Michael's biggest fan. That said, I think he did a very respectable job tonight. This is not the most engaging MJ song, but it suited his style well.

Jasmine Murray
I'll Be There
Probably the best possible song choice for her. This was Michael's breakout hit when he was just a teeny-weeny guy so it's a very good range fit for Jasmine. She is singing nicely... but just nicely. Nothing hugely interesting. I'm getting a little buzz on the chorus and I'm not sure if it's her voice, AI's sound, or my old crappy TV. And she wrapped it up perfectly with a little power. I thought she did ... nicely.

Kris Allen
Remember the Time
Kris is strummin away on his gee-tar. Yay. He looks a little like a country hayseed trying to get a feel of the big city. I'm not sure the plaid shirt does him any favors. But his voice is very good - probably more interesting than Scott's or Jasmine's. I'm guessing he'll be a crowd favorite because of the cute factor... and he probably even deserves to stay.

Allison Iraheta
Give In to Me
She reminds me of Heart or maybe Pat Benetar. It's amazing to me to see someone so young who has such a polished performance with such raw vocals. Wow - great performance in every way. Outstanding.

Anoop Desai
Beat It
Earlier in the night Simon told somebody that he'd chosen the wrong song because it wasn't one people would know. Simon was dead wrong. Anoop isn't performing badly, but he does not compare favorably to the original which even I know. His energy was probably a little lower than I would have liked. His pitch was weird in a few places. It just didn't work at all. Anoop came into this with a lot of teenybopper fan support, but tonight he did not do well.

Jorge Nunez
Never Can Say Goodbye
Hmmm... first phrase was not in the right key. He tightened it up after that, but overall I was really bored with the performance. I was unimpressed. *shrug*

Megan Corkey
Rockin' Robin
Megan is one of my personal favorites. I think she's adorable. Her personality reminds me of somebody, but I'm not sure who. Her vocals, on the other hand, are completely unique. I thought the song choice was brilliant - who even knew that old 50's standard was covered by the Jackson 5. Despite Simon's poo-pooing, I thought it was great. It was who she is.

Adam Lambert
Black or White
He is a caricature of himself, but dang if the boy can't sing. Adam is not my favorite, and he was a little flat on a couple of his siren notes, but the fact that he could pull off this song at all is saying something. Andrew just said that he sounds like Axl Rose constipated on the toilet and I just had to share. :) Adam will be safe, but that doesn't mean I have to like him.

Matt Giraud
Human Nature
I don't like anything about Matt. He can sing OK I guess, but that's the only good thing I have to say about him. Listening to him is making me feel nauseous. His pitch is absolutely solid and he can play the keys, but I find his voice irritating and the whole thing feels overcooked to me. His high note at the end was like fingernails on a chalkboard. He'll still be here next week, but I will be counting the days until he's gone. Ugh.

Alexis Grace
Dirty Diana
She's a little breathless so the overall flow of the song maybe isn't what it should be, but I love her to bits. Her pitch is very good. Her overall performance is fine. She needs to get a little more stage presence. I agree with Randy - it wasn't great but it was good with an attitude.

Pretty decent night overall. I think Jorge, Anoop and Jasmine might be in trouble, although you never know about someone as quirky and interesting as Megan - she's a bit of an unknown because it is a little hard to classify her.