I think for the first time since season 3...I'm actually going to be rooting for a girl this season. Its been a long time.

An interesting dynamic tonight with my top ranked girls. They all took worn out, sometimes boring songs, and breathed new life into it in different ways. The girls do have some talent this season.

Top Tier
---------

Crystal Bowersox - Gimme One Reason - Again, she's on top. Yes, Simon is pimping her but for a good reason - she deserves it. Kara and Simon were right. She has gotten her confidence, she is being herself, she is unique and talented and at the top of the heap right now. Excellent rendition of a song i'm very tired of. I enjoyed it.

Siobhan - House Of The Rising Sun - Could she pick a more cliched, overplayed, boring as hell song? No. But she did make it current and not boring. Amazing job.

Didi - Rhiannon - Again, overplayed, somewhat boring song, and Didi comes out with just her acoustic guitar and totally remakes the song and it fits her quirky voice to a tee.

Lilly - I Fall To Pieces - Totally risky! But that is Lilly. She brings out a 'classic country' Pasty Cline song and again makes it current. This girl is ALWAYS on pitch. She is amazing.

Mid-Tier
---------

Lacey - The Story - Finally Lacey delivers. She is not going to go too far in this competition but it was nice to see her come through with a believable performance.

Bottom Tier
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Katelyn - I Feel The Earth Move - Damn, that was a boring cruise-ship caliber performance. What happened? Total backslide.

Katie - Breakaway - Again with the Kelly Clarkson songs? How stupid. Besides, the performance was horrible. I think you could be going home.

Paige - Smile - Who told her that singing this song was a good choice? First off, its a damn hard song. Second - if a song makes you cry...would you perform it in teh Top 8 Girls week? Paige is going home.

geekboy

"I think what Randy Travis was trying to say was 'What the hell was that?!'" - S. Cowell

• RE: Rankings - Top 8 Girls,FFantasyFX, 03:10 AM, 03-10-10
• RE: Rankings - Top 8 Girls,Glow, 08:07 AM, 03-10-10
• RE: Rankings - Top 8 Girls,emydi, 09:51 AM, 03-10-10
• RE: Rankings - Top 8 Girls,Tummy, 10:14 AM, 03-10-10
• RE: Rankings - Top 8 Girls,zazzy, 11:07 AM, 03-10-10
  • RE: Rankings - Top 8 Girls,thndrkttn, 11:15 AM, 03-10-10
    • RE: Rankings - Top 8 Girls,LFJ, 06:05 PM, 03-10-10
      • RE: Rankings - Top 8 Girls,geekboy, 06:23 PM, 03-10-10
        • RE: Rankings - Top 8 Girls,whimsey, 07:33 PM, 03-10-10
        • RE: Rankings - Top 8 Girls,zazzy, 08:14 PM, 03-10-10
          • RE: Rankings - Top 8 Girls,Snidget, 08:18 PM, 03-10-10
• RE: Rankings - Top 8 Girls,kingfish, 06:22 PM, 03-10-10
• RE: Rankings - Top 8 Girls,Snidget, 07:00 PM, 03-10-10
• RE: Rankings - Top 8 Girls,DoodleBug, 01:32 PM, 03-11-10
• RE: Rankings - Top 8 Girls,frodis, 07:42 PM, 03-11-10

LAST EDITED ON 03-10-10 AT 03:11 AM (EST)

Last Tuesday I said the show was in danger of having its weakest Top Twelve ever. I'm more optomistic after last Wednesday's performances and especially tonight's offerings - the best semifinal round so far this season. We may still have the weakest crop of boys ever though.

One thing that does puzzle me though is the amount of contestants that have voices I just innately don't care for (Lacey, Lily, Alex, up until tonight Didi). It's rather grating to have that many performers who you know, no matter how technically proficient, you'll still probably not find pleasing to the ear.

1.) Crystal Bowersox - Well done all around. She comes across like she's holding back though, like this is all very easy to her. Maybe it is.

2.) Siobhan Magnus - I think tonight was the weakest of her three semifinal performances, but Siobhan is the only girl to consistently excel and surprise each week. I love her vocal control and intensity.

3.) Didi Benami - A revelation. I actually enjoyed her tonight. Nice song choice, very emotionally attuned to the song . . . I'm curious whether she can build off this performance or if she just lucked into catching lightning in a bottle at the right time.

4.) Katelyn Epperly - Perhaps somewhat low energy, but I enjoyed Katelyn's performance overall.

5.) Lacey Brown - Her best performance to date and excellent song choice. I now understand why the judges put her through to the semifinal round.

6.) Lily Scott - Technically well done, but as stated above, I'm not fond of her voice. I thought the performance itself came across as a bit affected, overdone, and indulgent.

7.) Katie Stevens - I missed the actual performance, but based on the snippet shown at the end of the show, the judges' comments, and feedback from the live thread, this ranking seems fair.

8.) Paige Miles - A complete trainwreck. I love her voice, but Paige has, for the most part, not been able to leverage her talent effectively.

Based on personal preference, I think I'd rather have Lily & Lacey go, but based on merit, Paige and Katie probably deserve to go.

I listened to all the judges last night and found myself agreeing with them a lot. Weird.

Didi - it was gorgeous. Love the song. Love her voice.
Siobhan - I like how you never know what she's going to do.
Crystal - you always know what she's going to do. I'd like to see her try something else. It's bordering same-same territory.
Lilly - she makes me smile. Brave song choice.
Lacey - I really like her. I do not, however, like her chances in this.
Katelyn - hmmm. Didn't like it.
Katie - She's a very throaty singer. Or something. The girls are too strong for her to stay around.
Paige - I could tell she was trying not to cry. She should have reached a bit more when Ryan asked her why. She could have gone for pity votes.

again dvr is my savior but even an hour show was too long ...but I was waiting to watch Lost with a Bencentric episode...

1. Crystal-love the song and her..and did you notice the yellow is coming back to her teeth.

2. Lacey-this was great imho but irony may rear its ugly head

3. Sibhon-I liked the beginning and I liked this better than last week

4. Katie-I liked the chorus a lot better

5. Katelyn-wrong choice...I kept thinking of the Spanish teacher at my hs...this song was sung when she was walking down hall...

6. Lilly-meh...i agree FF it was indulgent and something about her with me feels off

7. Didi-meh I did not like this I don't like her

8. Paige-I thought of Michael Jackson too bc didn't they play this at his funeral? It was bad...but I hope VFTW comes thru!

Don't forget I will start PTTE next week...

1. Siobhan - I love her voice and her quirkiness. She's probably the only one that's not going to get on my nerves by the end of the season.

2. Didi - did a wonderful job with that song. Yay, because I like her.

3. Crystal - She's really good but there's something about her that I'm not sure I really like. I don't think I'd go to see her in concert.

4. Lilly - she's not that far off Crystal's talent and I like her personality more.

5. Lacey - Great song choice.

6. Katelyn - last week I thought she was really good, this week she looked cute but that was about it.

7. Katie - her voice seemed muffled last night. Not good at all.

8. Paige - the only one I fastforwarded thru.

We know that AI has vocal coaches and behind the scenes help. Did those people go on strike this year? Because it doesn't seem like they are helping **anyone**.

Why would they let Paige sing Smile when it is a technically hard song to do and she couldn't make it through rehearsals without breaking down? And the arrangement? Sucked!

Where was the feedback for Katelyn that she was just blah with that song? Or did she purposely downplay her skills? Seemed like it. I don't know whether the arrangement or the tempo was to blame.

And for Katie--has she gotten any behind the scenes help at all? After some pre-semifinals pimping and the pimp spot at top 24, it seems like they are trying to derail her. Sing a young current song! Yet Sioban sings one from 1964 and is praised. I imagine that Katie could sing a song from the 60's and deliver it, but then she'd be singing "old". Sigh. Like I felt at the beginning, they don't want another Kat McPhee who has struggled to find an audience after her season. If Katie makes the top 12, likely she'll be an early out.

Didi--now she seems like a plant, because we know she can stand and deliver. Were they just messing with her last week? I like her but I think I might tire of her over the weeks because she uses the same nuances and stylings in each song.

Lilly, Lacey, not my thing. Are they headed down the country path this early? Still waiting for Lacey to do a Dolly song.

Ranking:

1. Crystal --thank goodness for Crystal. I feel like she's calling BS in her head as she listens to the judges. I have a feeling she doesn't respect them much or their games that she sees that they are playing. Yet, she is the one benefitting from the games.

(gap)

2. Siobhan-- I liked the accapella part and I hope she does an entire song without the band at some point. I think she's studied the show.

(huge gap)

3. Ugh. Why did I spend time on the show? I may have to go back to waiting for the top 12 to be announced before watching. This is getting to be a big drag.

I feel like she's calling BS in her head as she listens to the judges. I have a feeling she doesn't respect them much or their games that she sees that they are playing.

I get that too. She doesn't have much of a poker face. I'm the same way. Whatever is in my head, is written all over my face.

All she wants to do is sing and make money. Sang in a subway? Can't get much tougher than that. No money to fix her teeth, nevermind whiten them. Could have lost them as a result of her Diabetes. Who knows? Aren't getting all the back story we got with Danny Gokey. She is flat out in this to win it - no sob stories and no BS necessary for her. I think that is why Simon likes her so much.

Let me be the first to say it.

SHUT UP ABOUT HER TEETH!!! WHO CARES????

Its a sining competition, not a 'cookie cutter model with good teeth' competition.

The girl can sing teh a$$ off everyone else this season. Leave her teeth alone.

geekboy

"I think what Randy Travis was trying to say was 'What the hell was that?!'" - S. Cowell

Word!

Trying to remember...were Elliot's teeth discussed his season? I recall that a dentist redid his teeth for gratis after the season ended.

http://community.realitytvworld.com/boards/DCForumID69/544.shtml#9

LAST EDITED ON 03-10-10 AT 06:27 PM (EST)

1. Lilly Scott. I would be suprised if any of the others could do a Cline song that well. Maybe Crystal. Three great performances, can't wait for more. This girl is a pro.

2. Crystal Bowersox - Nice, very nice. I put her below Lilly because she's only had two great performances, and only one of them (last nite) was better than Lilly's.

3. Siobhan - I agree, amazing job with a song that's been done to death. She's had three second or third best performances, and probably has the best all around voice of any of them.

4. Lacey - Finally, a decent performance.

I think the top three of these (Lilly, Crystal, and Siobhan) at least all have a musical career assured, regardless of how they finish. So far I can't say the same for any of the guys. Maybe Casey.

1. Siobhan. I just like her and she is different enough each week to keep me interested.

1.5 Crystal. Was good, again, but getting to be kinda the same each week for me.

-big gap-

3. Katelyn. Didn't like the keyboard with it, but otherwise I liked this more than other people did.

-big gap-

4. Lilly--didn't annoy me as much as

5. Didi--would like to place this lower, for some reason really annoyed me, but it wasn't awful.

6. Lacey--was better, but I feel like she is singing with a put on voice, not her real one. Like she thinks the Betty Boop on Helium thing is better than her real voice.

-huge chasm-

7. Katie--I know actual human emotion is a problem for the pagent girls, but yikes.

8. Paige--Poor, poor, Charlie Chaplin. If he wasn't dead, that would have killed him. That poor poor song, what did it ever do to you?

Thinking that Paige and probably Katie are leaving tonight.

My top three girls are Crystal, Didi and Lilly.

Katelyn and Lacey are good in their own way. Not idols though.

Not a fan of Siobhan, but she's got chops.

I am having the hardest time with the girls' names. I know Siobhan, Crystal and Lily. I get the rest mixed up.

I can not remember who left last week.

Big hair 80's girl has a nice voice but she makes a distracting "something is stinky" face when she sings.

Lily bugs me.