It's Michael Jackson night, and for the most part, we get reasonably good performances. There aren't any revelatory moments, perhaps, but it's an entertaining night.
Lil, "The Way You Make Me Feel" -- She's got great pipes, but this song doesn't need to be shouted all the way through. A little understatement, a little slinkiness, maybe a little seduction would be nice. Good start to the night, though.
Scott, "Keep the Faith" -- His falsetto notes are consistently out of tune, and his singing style is too tidy and polite for even so mild a piece of R&B as this. I've only heard him twice, but he's already locking down a spot in my brain as Mr. Nice -- nice guy, nice voice, nice performance. And nice isn't going to win this thing.
Danny, "P.Y.T." -- Forced, over the top, and working far too hard for far too little reward. Unpleasantly frantic. There's a good voice there, but this didn't show it off well at all. (The judges, on the other hand, are wildly generous with their praise.)
Michael, "You Are Not Alone" -- His vowels occasionally get a little pinched and nasal, but there's nothing terribly wrong with the performance. There's nothing terribly exciting about it, either, and I fear that Michael's lack of star quality and charisma will doom him rather quickly.
Jasmine, "I'll Be There" -- I have much the same complaint I had with Lil: Just because you can belt every note doesn't mean you should belt every note. That aside, though, it's a pretty performance, and she's got a sweet, appealing presence on stage.
Kris, "Remember the Time" -- The song is duller than dishwater, and Kris can't bring much to it; his dismal enunciation doesn't help. But there's energy to it, and he's not pushing too hard; it's an easy, comfortable sound. I'd be worrying, though, that it's not going to be memorable enough to get votes.
Allison, "Give In to Me" -- Claiming her niche as the blues-rock chick right off the bat with a solid performance. She's very confident on stage, and (unlike, for instance, Jasmine) she projects a maturity beyond her years. One of the strongest so far.
Anoop, "Beat It" -- A few minor pitch problems, but he certainly knows how to work a stage, and it's not a bad performance. Doesn't have the tense, paranoid quality or the aggression of the original -- a touch bland emotionally -- but it'll certainly get him through to next week.
Jorge, "Never Can Say Goodbye" -- Bland and instantly forgettable. I wonder (as does Kara) whether learning a new song each week in his second language will keep him from solidly connecting to the material. (He was much better in earlier rounds, when he could choose songs that he already knew well.)
Megan, "Rockin' Robin" -- There are one or two brief moments near the end when Megan's voice lightens up a bit and you realize what a charming job she might have done with this song. But instead she bellows and blusters through it as if it were a condemned building and she were a wrecking ball. A disaster.
Adam, "Black or White" -- Way too over the top and theatrical for me. He's not a rock star; he's an actor playing the role of a rock star (and playing it far too broadly).
Matt, "Human Nature" -- One of the few singers tonight who doesn't feel the need to overpower the song; it's a laid-back relaxed performance that is mostly effective, though the falsetto riffs in the middle did go on a bit too long.
Alexis, "Dirty Diana" -- I'm not fond of her voice, but it was certainly a passionate and committed performance with no glaring flaws. In the top half for the night, and she shouldn't have any trouble surviving to next week.
For the night: Lil, Allison, Matt, Anoop, Alexis, Jasmine, Michael, Kris, Jorge, Danny, Scott, Adam, Megan.
Should go home: Megan and Adam, but the judges' love will keep Adam around for a long time.
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