Syesha Mercado
performed One Rock & Roll Too Many from Starlight Express

You could really tell that Syesha had fun singing that song. She really made a performance out of it, her personality came out and it reminded me why I liked Syesha so much in the beginning of the competition. She got great marks from all three judges; this song could keep her in the game this week.

Shame she went first. By process of elimination, she and Carly are in danger of being part of the Bottom 3, deservedly or not. This was her best performance. Ever. She has never done anything nearly as exciting or fun. And you know what? I STILL don't care about her. Her voice is fine, I guess, but she doesn't connect with me. Too little, too late. She goes home before the finale, but not this week.

It was REALLY good, and I think she hit a clam at the end. Like RIGHT before the end. Clyde, can I say that?

What? The clam thing? Sure.

SWEET. She hit a BIG clam at the end. But other than that, it felt like she was in her element. I would go see [insert Broadway show name here], starring Syesha! Big voice, nice movement, trottin' around on stage...a little out of Idol's regular performance zone, but I liked it a lot. Pretty big clam, though. Dogg.

Nice use of clams, Artie. I'd almost forgotten that catchphrase.

Thanks. Oh, and did I mention that she looked SMOKIN' hot, too? Because she diiiiii'.

Jason Castro
performed Memory from Cats

You know what? It was a bit overly-emotional, but I never perceived it as fake. He tried his best with a well-known song, and I actually listened to it the entire way through. He connected. It was a good performance, I thought. Nothing wrong with it, very Jason-y. At this point, either you like that or you don't. I happen to like him, and think the show suffers if and when he goes home. Could be this week, but you never know. He took a chance with this, and made it into a Castro song. Archie was complimented for making his song sound like a David Archuleta song, but Jason was bashed. Don't get why the producers and/or judges are so anti-different, this year. I guess they're dying to crown Daughtry 2.0 or Archie the Mouseketeer.

What a shame this season turned out to be. I sense great disappointment ahead, already. The wrong people have America snowed, completely. Sorry, Jason. Bottom 3, because a lot of people don't get you and the show doesn't WANT them to.

It was good! Really clean, and he brought that Castro Purity (TM) to the song that we've come to expect, know and love from our boy. And, he had my favorite quote of the night: "I didn't know it was sung by a CAT." Dude. It's a show...called CATS. EVERYBODY'S A CAT. Still love him, though. Oh, and by the way...Clyde, I'm with you on the whole fix theory, here. I can't believe that NONE of the judges liked his performance. Yo, what the [expletive]?!

Hearing Jason sing "Memory" was a little weird for me. His voice sounded a little whiny doing it the way he did, and I was not impressed by the vocal. I hate to say it, but Jason’s days are numbered and we all know it. He’s just not good enough to go a lot further in the competition.

Brooke White
performed You Must Love Me from Evita

Brooke had a cute moment with Andrew Lloyd Webber when he was explaining the song to her, and I liked that. She had a hard start in the beginning, which wasn’t as cute and forgivable this time around. She def sang with emotion for the song, but I think the song itself was a little too hard for her. Maybe if she wasn’t so nervous she could have done a better job.

Awww...MAN! Crap! She's gone. She needed to have Her Moment of the Entire Show to make up for the restart thing...and all she did was hand in a solid performance. That's not going to be enough to overcome her SECOND restart of the competition. People aren't going to vote for that, and that makes me sad. But...ouch. The only way this could work out for her is if she gets the sympathy outpouring, but I kinda' don't think that's coming, because she's already been in the Bottom 3 a couple times.

Shame she had the false start, and also that she was part of the Obvious Trio Producers Want to Go Home (TM) at the top of the show. It was handled as well as it could be, again...but it may be one too many screw-ups for the most vocally interesting singer left this season. I'd also like to note that she's the new Vote for the Worst contestant, with KLC out of the way.

What can I say about it? Well, the judges hate her, the producers hate her, and America's patience for her may have run out. I still think she's the best one out of the bunch, but what I think doesn't matter anymore, this season. Once she started again, her vocals were fine. Any shakiness worked well with the lyrics and the mood. Is THIS the song she'll sing on her way out the door? It's quite sad, if so. I want her to go out on a high note, because it's clear to me that the fix is in and none of the contestants I like are going to win. The pity vote, as Artie said...or Vote for the Worst...may save her this week - MAYBE - but she's in serious danger of elimination.

David Archuleta
performed Think of Me from Phantom of the Opera

David looks and sounds like a little Disney prince on stage singing this kind of song. He was theatrical as always…but I guess that was ok this week? It was a good vocal, because he always has a good vocal, but I agree with Simon –it was forgettable.

That was really...it was good. I'm surprised Momma Funk didn't call me up last night and ask how to download a song she heard on American Idol. ALL of his fans loved that. I don't know who to give credit to for the arrangement, but it was appropriate and cool. The one to beat!

Clyde, here. I officially hate this week, again. This kid schlock-ed his way through another song, and his fans will eat it up. He should be in the Bottom 3. Sadly, he will NOT be. If there's any week in which he MIGHT end up in the Bottom 3, it's this one. He was just as vanilla as ever. Yuck. Whatever, America. If this is the kind of trash you want to love, far be it from me to stand in your way. You and Archie deserve each other.

Carly Smithson
performed Jesus Christ Superstar from...well, Jesus Christ Superstar

Yo, Clyde! She did it, ha ha ha!

Here's a "Get to Know the Real Clyde Collins Moment" for you. One of my biggest guilty pleasures is Jesus Christ Superstar. I love the music. I know all the lyrics. I watched it over and over again as a kid and teen. Haven't seen it in a while...but I said to Artie, going into last night, that anyone who did a song from that particular show would get my vote. I'm here to make good on my word. I am THRILLED that Carly was steered in the right direction by the ONLY decent mentor so far this season, Andrew Lloyd Webber, and went with this song. Had she done "I Don't Know How to Love Him," I'd have peed myself. But I'll take this. It was fun, it was cheeky, it wasn't religious-for-the-sake-of-votes, like Kristy pulled off. That said, she's probably safe BECAUSE, I predict, the KLC supporters who liked her BECAUSE of the Jesus stuff will probably get behind Carly. She's also in danger of Bottom 3, just by nature of being Carly. But I think Syesha takes that bullet, instead. Good work, Carly. You made Clyde care about you. FINALLY. Now, keep it up...give into the Dark Side and embrace your Pop-Rock past. The Celine thing? Yuck. I will drop you SO FAST if you bore me, next week.

Yay, Clyde...we agree on something! I’m SO glad that Andrew Lloyd Webber convinced Carly to do Jesus Christ Superstar- that rocked! With her big voice, she was really in her element with this song. Easily one of the best of the night, but will it be enough to keep her out of the bottom three?

She was CLEARLY havin' fun, and it wasn't even Jesus she was happy about...it was the gargantuan notes she was punchin'! And they ALL sounded good, tons of energy...I think AL-Dub was totally right to switch her song. It was probably the most fun I've seen her have during a performance, and that was reflected IN said performance, yo! It was pretty good!

David Cook
performed Music of the Night from Phantom of the Opera

That was really refreshing hearing David Cook just sing "Music of the Night" the way it was meant to be sang. I think he made a good choice not changing it, and may have surprised people that he really can sing. You all know that I love David Cook, but this made me fall for him again.

I find him fakey and overrated. This didn't win me over. He's all muddy and muttery on the lower notes, and injecting that rock scream at the end was unnecessary and tacky. Look, I really don't want to go into it, because it's quite clear that this season's turning into the Battle of the Davids (TM), and I'll have plenty of time to hate on him to no avail in the weeks ahead. Safe, but sorry.

So...I'm trying to decide whether or not that was GENUINELY David Cook...or if that was even more of the same FAKEY FAKERSON thing. For once, I can say I thought that was a really good vocal. I know the song well, and he did a good job singing it. The weird thing is that he didn't put a spin on it. Archuleta performed a version of a song from the SAME musical, and that version was a Pop version. This was, like, straight out of the musical...and I don't know if it means that David Cook is secretly harboring dreams of Broadway stardom. Is this who he REALLY is? Because I don't know if he'd be doing as well on this show if this is who he REALLY was...because he'd lose if he took on David Archuleta's style head-to-head. He genuinely thinks he's a rocker, and he's stuck to those guns until tonight. There was no Rock element, except for the last note...I don't know. If this is NOT who he is, he's just playing the game, and he's reaching out for new fans. Irregardlessly, it was a good performance, dogg. I'm just so conflicted on the inside, and I just don't see why he had any trouble picturing Andrew Lloyd Webber as a 17-year old girl. Interesting, that's all I can say.

David was my best of the night with that amazing vocal, but Syesha has a close second with a fantastically entertaining performance. The bottom two are easily Jason and Brooke, neither had a great night in this category, I would say David Archuleta deserves to join them, but with all his fans he never will –so I’ll put Carly in the bottom three because I think she has fewer fans. I also wouldn’t be surprised to see Syesha in the bottom three as well because she sang first. I think Jason will be the one to go home. The two David’s are the only ones that you can be pretty sure are safe.

The Bottom 3 will be the first three performers on last night's show - Syesha, Jason and Brooke. It'll come down to Brooke and Jason, and Brooke will be sent home. Part of me wants to say it'll be Jason. It'd be more exciting...the world would be shocked, Brooke would probably fall down and die, and Vote for the Worst pulls her through. But I doubt she gets the causal voters, this week. I don't know if KLC's fans will flock to her after the big mistake, though they might've if she hadn't false-started. I don't think anyone can save her, because her mistake was too big to overcome at this stage. What a sickening shame. Best of the Night was Carly Smithson, honorable mention to Jason Castro for having some cajones. Worst of the Night was David Archuleta.

Tonight was weird. I think I expected a lot more of what David Archuleta did...different versions of Broadway songs. Strangely enough, I think some of the more solid performances came from the straight-up Broadway-style performances! Bottom 3...man, after the beating he took from the judges, Castro's down there. After the restart, Brooke is down there. And, because she went first, Syesha's down there. Best of the Night were the Davids, honorable mention to Syesha. Worst of the Night had to be Brooke, because the only thing you remember about it is she had to restart...and the awkward silence from the audience during the judges' comments. Things are looking dark...for Brooke White. I think she goes home.

***** DISCLAIMER *****
The opinions expressed by the three "FOX43 Idol Experts" do not necessarily reflect the opinions of FOX43, Tribune Broadcasting or FOX.
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