Finale – Season 13

Recap
It's all Caleb. Jena and Caleb put on a great show at times last night, and I would really be happy with either of them winning, but it's always been Caleb for me.  Allow me to refer to this post from February 22, 2014, where I declared Caleb the winner. (You can ignore the part about Malaya. That was before I knew she was such a spaz.) I called this match three months ago, and I'm two hours from its realization.

Sad Night
Ed just said, "This is always kind of a sad night." We enjoy getting together with Mom and, through our blog, with our friends. We're going to miss you guys!

Idol Finale – Season 13... GO!

Opening Medley
Not bad. We are a bit horrified by Jena's pants, but lucky for her, the voting is over. It's not a fashion competition!

So Many Epic Surprises
Yes, I'm sure.

Sam Woolf – "Home"
If I don't hear a "Ladies and gentlemen, Phillip Phillips!" I'm going to be frustrated. Oh, here he is!

Phillip Phillips & Sam Woolf – "Raging Fire"
Phi Phi is so the real deal. No, the rill dill. He's the rill dill. Ed was just talking about how he didn't particularly dig Phillip during his competition season, but Phillip is now Ed's favorite Idol of all-time. He makes such. good. music. It's so relate-able. His music is fun to play, fun to sing, and fun to use when making slideshows. Ryan just said, "Sam Woof." Is he from this area?

Jennifer Nettles – "That Girl"
Unworthy of an introduction? This performance is a little weird and out of place. Surely it's leading to something else. If not, I'm at least happy with her shirt and pants.

Jennifer Nettles & Jessica Meuse – "Wrecking Ball"
Singing Miley. Hm. It's not bad, though. They make a good team. Oh, there's Haley Reinhart. Ed is happy about that sighting. Jennifer and Jessica sound great when they're singing harmony. I wish they'd done more of that and less back-and-forth.

Jennifer Lopez – "First Love"
Anything will be better than that horrible "I Luh Ya Papi" crap. Now Jennifer is flat hot, but that costume is a little more revealing than I would prefer. It's got a dirty dance costume feel. All the flailing about is little immature, and it's clear that she's lip syncing. Mom: "Tina Turner, she ain't." However, it's far and away better than the Bluh Bluh Bluh Papi. Oh, good heavens. She's floor twerking. It's come to this, JLo? I'm violated.

KISS (2/4) & Caleb Johnson – "Love Gun" & "Shout It Out Loud"
Those guys are old, but they can perform. I would rather watch them than watch Jennifer gyrate on the floor. Caleb is clearly better than them, though. Did I ever tell you about the time Mom saw Gene Simmons in the Myrtle Beach airport? She and Dad were with Sam and Mac, and Mom tried to use Sam and Mac, 15 and 12 at the time, to get close to Gene. However, the boys refused to be pawns in her little game, so she remains Gene Simmons-free. Ah, Caleb's brother in makeup! Ha! Ryan makes Gene Simmons look like a space age giant.

Bad Lip Reading
Some of them were funny, but most of them were indeed bad.

Aloe Blacc & Idol Guys – "The Man"
I have never liked this song because I think it's a ripoff of Elton John's "Your Song." I like Aloe Blacc, though... but a live singer, he is not. Pancake FLAT. Oh, good heavens, CJ is joining him, and is even more out of tune, if that's possible. The other guys are making it better, but Aloe just keeps jacking up his own song. He is so flat. Kansas prairie flat. Olympic track flat. 32 double-A FLAT.

Ford
A NEW CAR! Just like every year, you two.

Mentors
Aw, I always like that. And... A NEW CAR!

Demi Lovato & Idol Girls – "Don't Really Care" & "Neon Lights"
Mom: "She's a lot better than that other guy already." Keith and Harry look like they're having fun, but Jennifer looks like she sees competition.. until she sees the camera on her! I barely remember two of these gals. Jessica and Jena are the only two girls who sounded any good here. I don't know why, but Demi Lovato always reminds me of Kate Winslet.

Jena Irene – "Decode"
I love her behind a piano. Mom notes, "This is her third outfit."

Paramore & Jena Irene – "Ain't It Fun"
Mom has been talking about what a fun party atmosphere the show is creating tonight, and this performance solidifies it. However, much like Caleb was better than KISS, I thought Jena sounded better than Paramore's front gal. In fact, I think Caleb and Jena have been better than everyone tonight. Yay, big yellow balloons.

John Legend – "You And I"
What a good singer. I was a bit bored, though. After that big yellow-ballooned Paramore party, this performance is the brakes.

John Legend & Malaya – "All Of Me"
The lack of braces and glasses makes her look much more mature. This duet is really, really good. Like, touching. Her notes were so lilting and sweet. I would download that.

Where Is MK?
Her absence is not being explained. That worries me a little. I really think she just wasn't into all this business, though.

Jason Mraz & Alex Preston – "Love Someone"
LOVE the harmonies. I realize they are getting some assistance from the BGVs, but it's still choice. Ed likes Jason Mraz's guitar's sound. I feel like these two are channeling Simon & Garfunkel a little. Jason Mraz is my favovrite celebrity performer of the night.

33 Min.
Only 33 min. of Idol 2014 remain. It's so sad.

Ryan's Family
Ryan did not get his hosting talents from his family. God.

Ryan Seacrest – "Right Here Waiting For You"
That was WAY too long.

Richard Marx & Ryan Seacrest – "Right Here Waiting For You"
Classic song. He sounds just the same. Did Ryan really have to join him? Richard Marx's face is stressing me out. It's so plastic surgeried.

Darius Rucker – "True Believers"
Ed: "This is gonna be good until C.J. starts singing." Darius sounds more like he did in his Hootie days than he does in his new reimagining. We think the bad note we hear is being sung not by him, but in the background.

Dexter, C.J., & Darius Rucker – "Alright"
I really like C.J. the dude, but a great singer, he is not. That said, this performance is one of his best of the season. I've missed Dexter. He was a lot of fun. All this unison. Give me some harmonies.

Lady Antebellum – "Bartender"
The "Need You Now" introduction by our final two was a little awkward, but I really liked the Lady Antebellum performance. I love the way Hillary Scott attacks notes. Reminds me of my friend Tammy Sue. Do you suppose that MK would've sung with them? Where is she, anyway? I think she just said, "No, thanks." Also conspicuously absent is Candice Glover, last year's Idol.

#JudgesRockIdol – "True Colors" & "Go Your Own Way"
Why is Jennifer putting on that little girl's voice? Dislike. I liked her dress until I saw that it was just another opportunity for a cleave show. I loved Keith's and Harry's early contributions, but Randy's weird hand motions were... weird. Song change. Wow, Harry. For someone who knows everything about pitch, those were some pretty sour notes. He made up for it with the keys solo, but Keith's guitar solo was better. Why does Jennifer find it necessary to constantly spin?

The Moment
We're there. The moment has arrived. Aw, Caleb is whispering sweetly to Jena. They seem really close.

Who Is It?
I say Caleb. Mom says Caleb. Ed says Jena.

CALEB!
I predicted a winner from the outset! For the first time! I feel like I won, too! I'm a winner! I'm a winner!

Jena
Jena will be fine, and like seasons past, will probably be more successful as a runner-up than Caleb will be as a winner. She is SO pop, and will resonate well with the music-listening public. Caleb is just a seasoned rocker, which plays well on American Idol.

Sing, Baby!
...and he can't even sing. That's kind of funny. Aw, all the hugging. The lifting. The happiness. And now he sings. The hand touching! The confetti! THE CONFETTI! I love that he sang, "Thank you all so much! God bless you all!"

Goodbye
It's been fun, Idol Watchers. Thanks for letting us into your Idol lives this season. The nation is falling out of love with American Idol, but I can't imagine a world without it. Anything, even a TV show, that brings my husband and Mom to hang out with me, and then allows me to have fun discussions with my friends, is top notch in my book. I've had a lot of fun with you guys. Here's to next season. Until then...

Cobb, out.

Top 2 – Calebena

Caleb's Voice
My voice is worse. I hope his is better.

Prom
The Prom trashing scene looked like it'd be fun to shoot. Mom and I want to pop balloons and necklaces.

Coin Toss
Jena won, and chose to go first? What the heck?

Idol Top 2 – Calebena... GO!

Round #1 – Picks from Simon Fuller

Jena Irene – "The Dogs Days Are Over" by Florence + The Machine

What a great pick. Jena voice sounds a little strained and shaky, but I notice it's only when she's moving, and it's likely due to nerves. She was also pushing her voice forcefully. (I'm currently experiencing vocal strain, and all her pushing is making me uncomfortable.) All of that is probably just me being extremely picky, though. It was actually a great performance, especially the end when Jena struck a pose on the stage floor. My favorite part of the whole thing was THOSE DRUMS. Love those drums. And Jena's eye makeup. Mom is a big fan of the eye makeup.

Caleb Johnson – "Dream On" by Aerosmith
Awwww! Ed and I have some history with this song. When Draymond Green played for Michigan State, and an announcer would say his name, I would sing, "Draymond! Draymond! DRAYMOND! DRAYMOND!" <sarcasm> Ed loved it. </sarcasm> Caleb started the song a little weakly. It made me nervous for his voice. However, like Jena, I think he was cobwebbed by nerves, because he completely turned around the mojo in the second half. Mom and I were waiting with baited breath for the higher "dream ons," and we were not disappointed. I was so excited that he was hitting those notes... and not just screaming them, vocalizing. It was flat kilt. Round 1 goes to Caleb. STAND UP, Harry, you piece of crap.

Jo's Round #1 Ranking

1. Caleb
2. Jena

Interlude

When Caleb was twerking on Jena, she laughed, and then she looked instantly stressed. It would be hard to have lighthearted, fun moments right before an important performance.

Round #2 – Contestant's Fave

Jena Irene – "I Can't Help Falling In Love" by Elvis Presley
Oh, yay. We loved this one when she sang it two weeks ago for Top 4 week. Here's what I said originally:

I was worried about the slow pace, but it was wonderful and touching and emotional and BEAUTIFULLY sung. Those runs. Those note progressions. Those dynamics. It was phenomenal. Coupled with her piano playing, that performance was some classy musical genius... one of the best of the season, for any contestant.

I feel exactly the same tonight. Even Mom gave a standing ovation, though I'm not sure if her ovation was for Jena's performance or for Jena's eye makeup.

Caleb Johnson – "Maybe I'm Amazed" by Paul McCartney
Caleb's choice is also from Top 4 week. I said:

This song choice was a great way for Caleb to show the "poignancy" for which the judges keep pining, without sacrificing his rock-n-roll style. Caleb took us on a great ride through the range of that song. I told Mom and Ed, "I can't wait until he does the high ooh-ooh's," and he didn't disappoint. This performance was his best of the evening, in my opinion. He needs to attack each performance like this.

This presentation complemented Caleb's Round #1 song very well. I thought tonight's was a little more "all over the place" than it was two weeks ago. Caleb showed more control in Top 4 week. It was still great, though.

Jo's Round #2 Ranking

1. Jena
2. Caleb

Funny, I thought about calling this round a tie, like Keith did, but I feel Jena edged Caleb here. I wouldn't call them tied overall, though, because I think Caleb beat her by a long shot in Round #1.

Round #3 – Single

Jena Irene – "We Are One"
Unless you are Phillip Phillips or Lauren Alaina, I don't like your single. I never like this part (unless it was PP or LA), because I don't know the song. I can't jam. Yes, I know, you have to try new stuff to learn and like new things, blah blah blah, but yuck. That's not the way I take my Idol. "Home" and "Like My Mother Does" are the only singles I've ever liked. I've typed this whole soliloquy while Jena is singing, and I feel like I haven't missed much. It was flat, not in pitch, but in performance. No up. No down. Same beat. No dynamics. A cheesy, "Thank you, America!" thrown in for good measure. I like Jena. I just didn't like this song/performance.

Caleb Johnson – "As Long As You Love Me"
Typical rocked Caleb performance, but like with Jena, this performance was my least favorite of his three. I just didn't connect with the song. It felt like a plateau. As I'm typing, it's still happening, and I'm waiting for him to do something memorable or outrageous. This is your LAST performance, Caleb... the last competition performance of the season, in fact. Man, he's even getting off pitch. This song sucks. DO SOMETHING, Caleb. Oh, well. I was not satiated.

Jo's Round #3 Ranking

Tie. I'm going there. Sorry. They were both just equally eh to me.

Tonight's Show...
...was a typical Finale Eve show. I got some good, I got some eh, I got some great. No surprises. It unfolded just like I thought it would. Where was MK in the final song thingy?

Jo's Overall Ranking

1. Caleb
2. Jena

Jo's Prediction of America's Ranking

1. Caleb
2. Jena

Round #1 went to Caleb, Round #2 to Jena, and Round #3 was a tie, but I think Caleb was WAY better than Jena on Round #1, and that might win it for him.

As I said MONTHS ago, Caleb is the American Idol. Period. Team Caleb. I wouldn't be upset if Jena won, though. I like her, too. I just like Caleb best, which is cool since he's going to win.

What do you think? Comment on the Facebook link!

Top 3 Results

Recap
Last night, Caleb's voice caused him to falter, and song choices and arrangements blemished Jena. However, both of them brought it all to Round #3 to flat kill their performances. Alex did well, but was shadowed by Caleb and Jena. Therefore, I predicted a Caleb-Jena finale.

Hometown Visits
I've been thinking about it all day. Kleenexes are nearby. BEST PART of every Idol season.

Brain Games
Our team was eliminated in Round #3, tonight's first round. However, that loss allowed me to be at home in time to watch Idol with all of you... silver lining. :o)

Idol Top 3 Results... GO!

Puppy
I like puppies, but that was some high level awkward.

Jennifer's Dress
It's so ugly, it's beautiful.

Alex's Sweater
...would look great in my 1991, 12-year-old girl closet.

Jena's Hometown Visit
I'm already crying. Good heavens. Home for the first time in three months. Crying grandparents. I CAN'T TAKE IT. Her room. Her bed. Her basement keyboard chill room. Plane with her name. Hometown parade. Great big concert. If they show her grandparents crying one more time, I'm going to lose it. Even Ryan is emotional. Classic good hometown visit.

Scotty McCreery – "Feelin' It"
These are the moments when I wish you could all tumble into Casa Cobb and observe Ed. His grave and and deep dislike of Scotty McCreery is one of my greatest enjoyments. Let's just listen in to Ed's comments... or not. I can't type any of it for public viewing. :o) I was never a big Scotty McCreery fan, but I can dig his groove. I just can't watch his sideways mic, sideways face stuff. It enrages me. Wait, here's one from Ed: "He looks like a crappy George W. Bush impersonator." And another: "I'd like to go to one of his shows, pull him offstage, and curb stomp him."

Alex's Hometown Visit
"This was his favorite place to eat in high school. That's $5.08." Ha! All those people in his house to see him... so neat. Both Alex's Dad and friend noted that he doesn't understand what's been going on in his hometown. His friend said, "I've been here while it's been building." Interesting perspective. No wonder it is such a shock to the contestants when they come home. Home is not the way it was when they left. Why does Idol keep showing Jennifer? She looks completely bored. All home visits are fun, but Jena's home visit just kicked Alex's home visit's butt. This one didn't even make me cry.

Caleb's Hometown Visit
Of course Caleb went to a School of Rock. I've always called him Jack Black meets Meat Loaf meets Chris Farley. CALEB'S BROTHER. Hilarious. Ooh, I spy an MAO (Miss America Organization) crown. There's his bro live! Haha! Oh, good heavens, now I spy some crack. Cool that he gets to sing with KISS, but I did not need the crack.

Hometown Visit Award
It goes to Jena. I'm a little disappointed in the hometown visits this year, but Jena's was so good, I can overlook it. I think the smaller towns always do better hometown visits than big cities. I hope someone from Bedford makes the Top 3 someday. We would throw a kick-butt hometown visit.

Jena T2'd
1 for 1. Good for her.

Alex or Caleb?
I really think it's Caleb. I called it from the beginning. But his vocal issues...

Caleb T2'd
*sigh of relief* I hope he's cured by Tuesday.

Alex Gone
Boo. I'm sorry for him, though I'm not surprised. He will have a successful career in music.

Next week will be a great showdown! My money is on Caleb, but we'll have to see how Jena and Caleb perform next week. Don't forget, Idol Watchers, TUESDAY is the day Caleb and Jena perform, and the finale/results show is on Wednesday. See you then! (Comment on the facebook link!)

Top 3

Holy Home Visit Week!
This is my favorite week. Last year, they showed home visits on the performance episode. Tomorrow's results episode is an hour long, so maybe the home visits will be shown tomorrow.

Schedule
Listen up, Idol Watchers. Get the lowdown on the Idol schedule for the next week. Tomorrow, Idol is on at 9:00 and lasts an hour, like it used to do. Next week's episodes are on Tuesday and Wednesday. Tuesday's episode is 8:00-9:00. Wednesday's finale is 8:00-10:00.

500th Episode
The "look back" intro was SO FUN. All those old audition and performance reels make good memory lanes.

Caleb's Voice
OMG. You guys, this is a bit uncanny. I am struggling with an as-yet-undiagnosed vocal chord problem. I've been describing it to people as "the vocal equivalent of a stress fracture." Caleb's doctor described his condition as a runner running with a hurt ankle, which is something from which I just healed, as well. Uncanny. However, the real story is that Caleb is sick, and his voice is affected. SUCKS. I wonder if this development will affect what was his certain win, as well. SUCKS.

Home Visit Preview
Oh, yay. I can't wait. Jena's dog was waiting on her at the airport. C'mon. I'm already crying.

#IdolSelfie
Really? REALLY? I don't get it. I do not get it.

Idol Top 3... GO!

Round #1 – Randy's Picks... YO!

Caleb Johnson – "Never Tear Us Apart" by INXS
His voice is OK in the beginning range. Let's see how it goes for the rest of the song. I like the start in the throne. Do I hear a hint of stress in his voice, or am I looking for it? No, I think he's fine. I like the slow, boiling groove of the song. Here comes the high note... and nailed. He's good to go. Hope he holds out for two more songs. "You on your worst night is better than most people on their best night." I'm going to hazard a guess that Jennifer's comment is no consolation for Caleb. He wants to be his best all the time. Period.

Casa Cobb Comments
Ed: We've been watching all this time, and there's been only one song.
Mom: You must've forgotten that Selfie one.

Alex Preston – "Pompeii" by Bastille

I'm excited to see what Alex does with this song. Ooh, he has a drum. Will he be playing? I hope so. So far, it's a stripped down version, but staying very close to Bastille's original. I like it. Oh, here goes the drum. Hey, Idol, turn on his mic. I like this performance a lot, but I may be swayed by the song, which I've loved since I downloaded it as the iTunes free single of the week on the second-to-last day of school last year. Mom is in heaven. She thinks this performance is Alex's best, and she's furious that Ed doesn't like it. She just said, "I like that he's moving, I like that he played drums, I like that he played guitar, and I like that he didn't play the guitar." :o)

Jena Irene – "Titanium" by David Guetta
Likin' the bedazzled jacket. Not likin' the song choice. Likin' that she is standing on the pedestal with the fly fabric spread like a skirt. Mom is freaking out that she is standing up there. Ed noticed that she has a safety belt of sorts... that she can't disconnect! Oh my! She's handling it well, but it's taking away from the bust-out moment. I think that Jena is a victim of a bad song choice here, though I do enjoy watching her having a great time. Is Keith having convulsions? What is that?

Jo's Round #1 Ranking

1. Alex
2. Caleb
3. Jena

...and my friend Odie is somewhere being thrilled that I put Jena last. :o)

Round #2 – Judges' Picks

Caleb Johnson – "Demons" by Imagine Dragons
Ooooh, you can hear the stress in his voice here. He's having the exact same problem I am: more breath is required to make sound, and he's not accustomed to it. I really, really, really feel for him. How frustrating. It's not bad, by any means. It's just vocally rough. Oh, now it's getting bad. Poor, poor guy. How will America react to this development? The loss of his voice has leveled the playing field in a strange way. Nice encouragement and advice from Keith. Caleb is handling it so well. I would be bawling. When it happened to me in Joseph in March, I was bawling.

Alex Preston – "Stay" by Rihanna

So, our basement is flooding, which marred this performance slightly. However, I heard enough to know that I was very taken by the strings section. Of course, Alex delivered a beautiful, beautiful rendition. I loved listening to the notes tumbling out of his mouth with ease. Bubbling brook, he is. The sounds he's making are daggers to the heart for Caleb right now. Based on personal experience, I can say that those sounds are the exact ones that Caleb can't make and wishes he could.

Malaya
Did Malaya just take out her retainer on national television?

Jena Irene – "Heart Attack" by Devi Lovato

Nice start. Cute shirt. The upped tempo is making it difficult for Jena to get out all those words in that low register. This arrangement is so. freaking. rushed! It's causing Jena to be way behind the beat. The vocal is strong, and I especially liked the bridge. ("Burst into fla-a-a-a-ames.") I liked her phrasing better than Demi's, but the whole thing was ruined by the crazy fast beat.

Jo's Round #2 Ranking

1. Alex
2. Jena
3. Caleb

Poor Caleb's voice.

Round #3 – Home Picks

Caleb Johnson – "Dazed and Confused" by Led Zeppelin
He's going to let it all go here. The beginning started well, but then the cracks started popping up at the most inopportune times. Still, he did a fabulous job with a wounded instrument. It was fun to watch Jennifer and Keith stand up and rock out, even though JLo appeared to be channeling a stripper. What is up Harry's butt? Dude, enjoy yourself. OH MY GOD, the mic stand! THE MIC STAND! Caleb! Every frustration he had with his voice tonight was just taken out on that mic stand. He just earned back every vote he might have lost, and probably gained some more. That was one of my favorite Idol moments of ALL TIME.

Alex Preston – "The Story Of My Life" by One Direction

Loved this one. It's the only Idol performance I've downloaded this season. I like it more than One Direction's. I especially like his hesitation on "It's fro-o-o-zen." I didn't think he performed as well as he did the first time he presented it, but it was still great. Mom had a problem with the graphics. They nauseated her.

Jena Irene – "Creep" by Radiohead

Ed is pumped. He loved this one. He played it back several times the night she performed it originally. She closed the show well with some great musicianship. Professional, emotional, and flat nailed.

Jo's Round #3 Ranking

1. Caleb
2. Jena
3. Alex

Tonight's Show...
...was a great Top 3 collection. Caleb's vocal stress was a bummer, but he made me forget it all with the mic slam. Alex showed all the reasons I like him, and Jena displayed some true artistry.

Jo's Overall Ranking

1. Caleb
2. Alex
3. Jena

Jo's Prediction of America's Ranking

1. Caleb
2. Jena
3. Alex

I have always been attracted to Alex's quirky performances and arrangments, but I think Jena's beauitful and dominant voice resonates more with America than Alex does. Also, that last performance was strong. Therefore, I predict a Caleb-Jena finale.

What do you think? Comment on the Facebook link!

(There is a possibility that tomorrow's notes will be delayed. It depends on whether or not our Brain Games team makes the finals. So everything will probably be biz as usual.) :o)

Top 4 Results

Recap
Though I prefer Caleb to Jena, I predicted America would rank the contestants first to worst: Jena, Caleb, Alex, and Jessica. Jessica had a great final performance in Round #3 last night, but I think it was too little, too late. The others eclipsed her.

Confession
I just spent a good three minutes researching the correct usage for the past tense of outshine. I couldn't decided between, "The others outshined her," and, "The others outshone her." I went with eclipsed.

Hometown Visits
I can't wait until next week's hometown visits. I always cry.

Idol Top 4 Results... GO!

Trapdoor

We missed that last night.

Nothing
I've been sitting here for ten minutes with nothing to type. These results shows are getting lamer than lame.

Jena T3'd

1 for 1.

ALL COMMERCIALS

Is it just me, or are there more commercials than usual? How about a celebrity performance? A group performance? Everyone talks about how Idol is slowly dying. This format is part of the reason why.

Paddle Boating and Picnicking

Slightly less boring than the nearly never-ending commercials.

OMG

Jena: "We've been here for three months."

Jessica: "That's almost half a year."

Almost, Jessica. Almost.

Caleb T3'd

2 for 2.

Commercials

This is embarrassing. I'm embarrassed for Idol.

Alex T3'd

3 for 3.

Jessica

We nailed it, Idol Watchers. Fourth in the biggest singing competition in the country is pretty awesome. Good for her. I'll miss her personality and some of her singing. I think she would be a better studio performer than live performer. Looking forward to her first album. Poor thing. How could one not be emotional? Alex's turn next week.

Normally, I ask if you guys think that America got it right. Since I know you all think they did, I'll ask this: are you as annoyed with these Idol results shows as I? What can they do to make it better? I would even be OK with the lip-synced (lip-sunk?) group songs again. At least it would be something. Comment on the Facebook link...

Top 4

Ryan
Scruffy. Dislike.

Order
The contestants are standing in the order in which I think they'll go home: Jessica, Alex, Jena, and Caleb.

Jennifer
Mom thinks she looks like Judy Jetson.

Idol Top 4... GO!

Round #1 – Break-Ups

Caleb Johnson – "You Give Love A Bad Name" by Bon Jovi
This performance was fun and well sung. Really good. Enjoyable. However, it felt phoned-in to me... for Caleb. The last 10 or so seconds were really bright, but the rest was just like, "I have to do this dumb walk through the audience stuff... I'm just getting this one out of the way... easy peasy..." C'mon, Caleb. Top 4 level, all day long.

Jessica Meuse – "Since U Been Gone" by Kelly Clarkson

Bad karaoke. I have nothing else to say.

Audition Cities
If I were seven years younger, I would SO audition in Nashville.

Alex Preston – "Too Close" by Alex Clare

Lip sync girl doesn't know the words! Hahahahahaha! I don't know why that is so funny to me. "Imma look so cool and mouth the words... or look completely silly." :o) Regarding Alex, he was much improved from last week. I like the acoustic vibe; it honors the original, but gives it a new spin. I love it when he throws the cool chord progressions at the end... the ones HCJ calls the mysterious epic ninth or whatever.

Jena Irene – "Heartbreaker" by Pat Benatar
Jena seems to be channeling Caleb. She sounds professional and is owning the stage. I'm not a big fan of the staging itself, though. She looked a little lonely out there. I wish she'd had some musicians with whom to jam. In any case, her vocal was one of her strongest with the exception of the last note. She is demanding America's attention.

Heels
So lame. Please stop making this show all about the judges, all the time.

Jo's Round #1 Ranking
Caleb
Jena
Alex
Jessica

Even though I thought Caleb was coasting and Jena was doing work, I feel his coast is better than her work doing in this case.

Round #2 – Dedications? (We never really got it.)

Caleb Johnson – "Travelin' Band" by CCR
There's the band with Caleb.  I think that move is genius. It promotes the image of Caleb as the seasoned musician by surrounding him with seasoned musicians. Plus, those musicians are always terribly fun to watch. Enteratinment promotes entertainment. I really enjoyed the rock-n-roll turn on this CCR classic. It was a cool, new way to hear an old tune. The more I see Caleb, the more I want to see Caleb live. (Mom didn't like this performance, by the way.)

Jessica Meuse – "So What" by P!nk

Slightly better karaoke. All her moves seemed half-hearted. Even knocking down the mic stand was kind of like, "Eh. I'm knocking down the mic stand now."

Jena Irene – "Bad Romance" by Lady Gaga
I always appreciate an attempt to change a song, and this was a neat change-up. I just didn't like it very much. It was a little overly screamy for me. Don't get me wrong, I think her performance was nailed. It just wasn't my cup of tea with a pinkie in the air.

Alex Preston – "I'm Yours" by Jason Mraz

This was pretty straight-up identical to the original, but it was good... in his wheelhouse, one might say. The judges will hate it because "he's not doing enough" to be the Idol. There goes Jennifer...

Jo's Round #2 Ranking
Caleb
Alex
Jena
Jessica

Round #3 – Make-Ups

Caleb Johnson – "Maybe I'm Amazed" by Paul McCartney
This song choice was a great way for Caleb to show the "poignancy" for which the judges keep pining, without sacrificing his rock-n-roll style. Caleb took us on a great ride through the range of that song. I told Mom and Ed, "I can't wait until he does the high ooh-ooh's," and he didn't disappoint. This performance was his best of the evening, in my opinion. He needs to attack each performance like this.

Jessica Meuse – "You And I" by Lady Gaga

Fully recovered, but is it enough, or is it too little, too late? Either way, it was a great song choice, and a fabulous performance for her to close her presentations. That song could not have been more perfect for her. She didn't have to change anything about herself to make it work. Her quirks fit right in. (I conjecture that the guy she likes is one of the Idol T10.)

Jena Irene – "I Can't Help Falling In Love" by Elvis Presley
Ed is sad that she's not singing "In The Ghetto." I was worried about the slow pace, but it was wonderful and touching and emotional and BEAUTIFULLY sung. Those runs. Those note progressions. Those dynamics. It was phenomenal. Coupled with her piano playing, that performance was some classy musical genius... one of the best of the season, for any contestant.

Alex Preston – "Yellow" by Coldplay
I loved the little runs Alex put at the end of some of the notes. It was a strong performance, especially at the end when he did the magical mystic minor third fourth. Those parts were uniquely Alex, but I'm missing his bold rearrangements.

Jo's Round #3 Ranking

Jena
Caleb
Jessica
Alex

Tonight's Show...
...didn't surprise me. Most of us predicted before tonight that Jessica would be the next to go home. I'm just disappointed that Caleb seemed like he was playing it a little safe in the first two rounds. He'd better go hard every time, with tenacity, or he's in jeopardy of having his rightful Idol throne usurped. Jena knows what's up... and what she's doing.

Jo's Overall Ranking
Caleb
Jena
Alex
Jessica

Jo's Prediction of America's Ranking
Jena
Caleb
Alex
Jessica

Like we said, y'all.

What do you think? Comment on the Facebook link!

Top 5 Results

Recap
Though my ranking was Caleb, Alex, Jessica, Jena, and Sam, I predicted that America would rank the contestants Caleb, Jena, Alex, Sam, and Jessica. We shall see.

Shocking Twist
A shocking twist! I hope it's shocking! And twisty! Prediction: Whatever it is, it's going to be stupid.

Idol Top 5 Results... GO!

A Peek Into Casa Cobb
Ryan to HCJ: "How far have they come in your opinion?"
Ed: "They've come this far, right here."

Party
So, Idol throws a party for the contestants, but they have to pick up their own party supplies and decor, and have to set it up, too? Nice.

Keith Urban – "Good Thing"
This was a fun performance, and as Mom noted, better than Keith's hideous display last season. I liked the poppy, upbeat atmosphere he created. The best part was Mom's quote at the end: "He looks like Peter Pan. I like him."

Shocking Twist
What is it? Ed thinks they'll give the contestants the option of getting rid of the lowest contestant tonight, or two next week. I think they are going to tell who the B2 are, and then tell the T3 to choose who goes home. (I think that because the shocking twists are always either lame or heinous, and I'm going with heinous tonight.) Mom thinks Ed is right. Sam thinks they're canceling the show.

No Results Yet
Awfully late for the play-by-play. Does that have something to do with the Shocking Twist?

Dramatic Proposal
Ah! The Shocking Twist has become a Dramatic Proposal!

Ed = Right
Like usual. My way would've been more dramatic. That was neither Shocking nor Dramatic. They're going to send home one tonight and one next week, or no one this week and two next week. The math is the same.

Cold Hearted Snakes!
I love it. We think Jena and Caleb were the dissenters. I'll bet things are a little tense in the Idol house this week.

Sam Is Out
Ed and I are cheering. Mom is crying. Sam (Cobb) is laughing. Mom is now lamenting that she didn't vote... espeically now that she sees all the Facebook pics are old women. HA! I'm glad America got this one right. He was in Jo's B2, but I thought America would vote out Jessica. This song performance is the loosest and best Sam has done all season.

Future
Casa Cobb is in agreement: Jessica goes next, Alex will be 3rd, Jena will be the runner-up, and Caleb will be the Idol. Write it down.

What do you think? Comment on the Facebook link!

Top 5

America's Choice
Ugh. I never like America's Choice. I feel like we (America) never make good song choices. This feeling does not bode well for the night... I'm starting with cynicism.

Jennifer's Shirt
Oh, wait, that's a dress. Dislike. Dowdy.

Cologne
Ryan: "Somebody's wearing a lot of cologne. Who is that?"
Mom: "It's ME!" with hand raised... for like 30 full seconds.

Idol Top 5... GO!

Round Uno

Alex Preston – "Sweater Weather" by The Neighbourhood
"I've kind of gotten bad reviews in the past from changin' it up too much." Boo! I like it when he changes it up (too) much. Mom said that Alex sounded off-key at the beginning, but I assured her that it was just the tune with which she wasn't familiar. "In fact," I said, "it sounds exactly like the original." And that's why I'm disappointed. What I love about Alex is his unique perspective. With the exception of the first two seconds and a little run in the middle, this WAS the original. Alex sounded great, but I was missing what I love about him. Thanks, judges.

#IdolSelfie
I'm all for a fun selfie, but Idol is overdoing it.

Caleb Johnson – "Don't Wanna Miss A Thing" by Aerosmith
Ed is upset. He says this song is overdone. (In fact, he said the word "overdone" while I was typing "overdoing" up there.) OH MY GOSH, what is this madness? What is happening to our Caleb? This key is all wrong! Too high! TOO HIGH! It sounds so out of tune and bad. AND BAD! He knows it, too. You can see it in his stance. I don't even like the arrangement; it's too chill for Caleb. The performance is getting better, but nothing can overcome that HORRIFIC beginning. Was he channeling C.J.? Worst Caleb performance ever. He'd better drop something hot in Round #2.

Sam Woolf, Jena Irene, & Alex Preston –"Best Day Of My Life" by American Authors
It was cute. Harmonies were tight. I wish Idol didn't make the contestants worry about these cheesy duets and trios when I'm sure they would rather be focusing on their solos. Mom: "I love Sam. I absolutely love that kid. If I had a daughter, I'd want her to be with him." Um... "If I had a daughter"? You do... MOM. Oh, an available daughter. Gotcha. She knows Ed is the only guy for this daughter. :o)

Jessica Meuse – "Human" by Christina Perri

Shaky. Very shaky. Until the big note in the middle, she sounded absolutely unsure of herself. Her message was heartfelt, but the vocal was so weak. Unless she does something amazing in Round #2, she's toast.

Sam Woolf – "Sing" by Ed Sheeran
Mom is laughing/coughing/crying because Ed joked that Sam would try to get Ariana to give him a high five so she'd raise her hand and her shirt thing would lift. Mom roused from her laughing stupor to note in disappointment that Sam wore the same shirt in his rehearsal that he did in the performance. As for that performance, it wasn't bad for Sam, even a little edgy for him. I thought he seemed more comfortable than I've ever seen him. That said, he still seemed somewhat stiff and a little intense. (Wendy, Keith just told Sam the higher notes of this song weren't in his wheelhouse.) Oh, man, Harry. "In the pocket." Hashtag stupid phrase.

Jena Irene – "My Body" by Young The Giant
All that conversation about movement being necessary, and I don't think it was. Necessary, I mean. I think she could've gotten the crowd energized without walking around the judges. I find that Jena always performs better when she focuses on the song rather than on the audience. That's why I started really digging the song when she landed on the stage from her sojourn to the judges. This performance was the best of the night so far. Great song choice from America, and a great vocal by Jena. "You have that signature phrase... what was it again?" Yes, very memorable, JLo.

Jessica Meuse & Caleb Johnson – "Beast Of Burden" by The Rolling Stones
OK. It was OK. I've had enough duets on competition nights. These are the presentations that should be happening on results nights. Mom noted that seeing Jessica and Caleb together in this performance brought forth images of Meat Loaf's "Paradise By The Dashboard Light" video. They resemble Meat Loaf and Meat Loaf Girl from that vid.

Jo's Round #1 Ranking

1. Jena
2. Alex
3. Sam
4. Caleb
5. Jessica

Ariana

OMG, STOP TOUCHING YOUR HAIR. The unrequited fist bump was hilarious.

Round Dos

Alex Preston – "Say Something" by Great Big World
Again, Alex left this arrangement alone; but this time, I didn't care. It was beautiful. This song, done well, is a winner. Rearrangement would border on sacrilege. I found it very touching. I also found it very difficult to look at his face.

Jena Irene – "Valerie" by Amy Winehouse
Jena exhibited the normally-reserved-for-Caleb professionalism in this song. Her instincts reeked of experience. When I said earlier that she performs better when focusing on a song, this performance is an example of what I meant. Less "Yay, love me audience!" and more "I'm gonna kill this song." That said, I thought the arrangement was overly jazzy. I liked her first performance better. Go figure.

Sam Woolf – "How To Save A Life" by The Fray
Whoa, Sam, crazy faces won't make you hit the pitch. The opening phrases featured some bad, bad notes. As the song progressed, the little melody changes that Sam made suited his voice well. Those slight changes opened up the song for him. However, I'm just annoyed with his face. He always looks so clinical when he finishes a song. I think Jessica is going to go home, but I'd be happier if it were Sam. (Sorry, Mom.)

Jessica Meuse – "Summertime Sadness" by Lana Del Rey
Check. Out. That. Ink. High, high, high thigh! Those early, sultry notes were right on the bullseye. That technique drew me right into the performance. I thought she redeemed herself from the first flop. Her voice and emotion were synchronized and strong. I've never "felt" her like that before. Surely she connected with America after that performance.

Caleb Johnson – "Still Of The Night" by Whitesnake

Here we go. Redemption after that dismal Round #1. Caleb is back. The win is back in his sights. That note with the slide was killed. It was so killed, you can call it kilt. It was kilt. Once again, he put on a professional show. I would not be surprised to see an experienced rocker unzip his Caleb suit and step out. He is that professional. That last note? KILT.

Jo's Round #2 Ranking

1. Caleb
2. Jessica
3. Alex
4. Jena
5. Sam

Tonight's Show...
...was not up to par for a Top 5 show, though Round #2 was a great improvement on Round #1. We had some fun at Casa Cobb, but we made that fun ourselves. There were some good moments, but I was mostly McKayla Maroney again tonight... unimpressed. Jessica's tattoo and Caleb's finale were my favorite parts.

Jo's Overall Ranking

1. Caleb
2. Alex
3. Jessica
4. Jena
5. Sam

That is similar to my Round #2 ranking, but the last round always has the most influence on me. You can put Caleb nowhere but on top after that last performance.

Jo's Prediction of America's Ranking

1. Caleb
2. Jena
3. Alex
4. Sam
5. Jessica

Sucks, but I think America will not be as impressed with Jessica as I was. She's too hit and miss, with more miss. The ol' USA will be untempted by that tattoo.

What do you think? Comment on the Facebook link!

Top 6 Results

Recap
I predicted America would rank our country rock-n-rollers thus: Caleb, Alex, Jessica, Jena, Sam, and C.J. I still think Jena will be in the finale, but I don't think she made an impression on America last night. C.J. is clearly the contestant who needs to pack his bags. He's a nice guy, but he is not Top 5 caliber.

Idol Top 6 Results... GO!

Black Tie
Don't we look snazzy? Jennifer's dress is breathtaking! Want one.

Caleb's Birthday
Aw, his Mommy! Neat. My Mommy is horrified that Caleb "spit on the cake!" when he blew out the candles.

Our Favorite Commercial
"Nope. That a deal breaker?" We love it.

Jessica As A Blonde
I liked it! I think she's one of the prettiest contestants Idol has ever had, whether her hair is black, blonde, or pink.

The Randy Review
Ha. Well done, Idol.

Sam = Safe
My B2 = Busted

C.J. B2'd
That makes me 1 for 2. 50%. F.

Jessica B2'd
I really feel like she's safe. Right? Right?! RIGHT?!

C.J. Gone
They got it right. Nice guy, but definitely time for him to go. It's funny that Ryan explained the highlight reel to him. "Got it, Ryan. You do it every week." Nice of C.J. to thank the band. Jennifer's tears look fake. C.J. is getting the longest sendoff of all time. They must need filler.

Show
Is it just me, or was tonight the most boring episode in Idol history?

Top 6

Theme
We hear it's Country and Rock-n-Roll night. (À la The Osmonds?)  We think each contestant will sing two songs: one country, and one rock-n-roll. Too bad Dexter has to miss (half of) it.

Jennifer's Dress
Material: yes. Design: no.

Signing Of The Signs
Let's just sing, shall we?

Idol Top 6... GO!

Jena Irene – "Barracuda" by Heart

Is it just me, or is this a lot of blah-blah-blah-ooooooeeeeYYYYYYAAAAA screamy-meaminess? It's entertaining as heck, but I feel like it's showing NO SKILL. And what is she saying? Haha, cut to Keith, dance-seizing in his seat. I'm not calling this performance bad, I'm calling it unfortunate. It felt all wrong to me.

Sam Woolf – "It's Time" by Imagine Dragons

This isn't a Top 6 performance. I don't know what else to say. It wasn't bad. I just wasn't moved. I wanted to be moved. I wasn't. JLo was. I wasn't. She said she believed him. Mom agreed. I didn't. It looked like, "I'm going to act like I'm showing emotion and connecting with the audience." Key phrase: ACT LIKE.

C.J. Harris – "American Woman" by The Guess Who

I was kind of into this performance. It was kind of enjoyable. Reading those statements back, I sound really enthralled, huh? :o) Everyone at Casa Cobb HATED this performance... except for me. I agree that it was the worst so far, but I kind of dug it, mostly because my expectations for "Rock C.J." were frightfully low. Thus, he's the only contestant who has exceeded my expectations tonight.

Alex Preston – "Animal" by Neon Trees
I was hoping for "Everybody Talks." I hadn't realized how much Alex sounds like Tyler Glenn. It's a little disconcerting. I'm so accustomed to Alex's cool turns on old faves, that hearing this Neon Trees rerun is disappointing me. Again, it was NOT BAD. It was just a bit safey and samey.

Negative Nancy
Sorry. I am McKayla Maroney tonight. Unimpressed.

Caleb Johnson – "Sting Me" by the Black Crowes

Caleb is my favorite contestant. Caleb is a rocker by nature. I should be loving this. It is most def my favorite of the night, but I am again left wanting. Yes, he rocked. Yes, he was "in the pocket." (Did I just use that phrase on purpose?) Yes, he managed the band and the stage like a professional. I just felt like, "Eh, overly screamy."

Caleb Johnson – "Sting Me" by the Black Crowes
This is not a mistake. We ran back the show in order to see the mic drop. I paid more attention to Caleb's *delivery* of the song this time, and the level of professionalism and band interaction has pushed me into the "love it" category.

Jessica Meuse – "Somebody To Love" by Jefferson Airplane

What a great song choice for Jessica! Tonight's indifference is officially over. This is the best performance of the night so far. It was classy and clean. She belonged there, and she knew it. Her voice was perfectly suited to this song. I loved her casual eye contact with the camera, and the connection with her voice and her demeanor.  "I wanted your body to inform the rhythmic delivery," sayeth Harry. Ah, yes. That.

Jo's Round #1 Ranking

1. Jessica
2. Caleb
3. Alex
4. Jena
5. Sam 
6. C.J.

Sam Woolf – "You're Still The One" by Shania Twain

Zzzzzzzzzzz...zzzzzzzzzzzzz...zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz. Oh, wait. There's a performance happening? Seriously, could this presentation be any more boring? This is a number that one would sandwich, as a breather, between two concert moments requiring energy. And again, I don't buy it. "I'll wear this toboggan and touch girls hands and grimace a little and maybe they'll call it connecting." These judges have Sam all jacked. Is HCJ seriously telling Sam he's too perfect? Good heavens.

Caleb Johnson – "Undo It" by Carrie Underwood
Before we knew what song Caleb was singing, Ed declared that if Caleb sang "Jesus Take The Wheel," he would wish he were voted off. Luckily, Caleb went with a winner with "Undo It." It sounded nothing like country; but then again, neither does Carrie's original. Actually, I prefer Caleb's version. His take on the song sounds like it was the way it should've been sung all along. The eenie-weenie extra bit of time he held the final note was a good decision. It gave the ending a good punch.

Alex Preston – "Always On My Mind" by Willie Nelson
Mom thought Ryan said, "Poison On My Mind." Ha. That's what Mr. Yuk sings, I guess. What a poignant performance. I was totally involved and entangled in this arrangement. Even the band glitch didn't derail my enjoyment. It was over entirely too soon.

Jena Irene – "So Small" by Carrie Underwood

I was hoping for "Cowboy Casanova." Maybe this will set up a nice tender moment, though. I'm missing her behind the piano. I always feel the emotion more when it comes from both her voice and her fingers. The tender moment was indeed felt, though. I just felt it could've been stronger. But, wow, can that girl wail. Jena! Don't EVER say that you messed up! Voice 101, baby.

C.J. Harris – "Whatever It Is" by the Zac Brown Band
I said, "Oh, good! I love this song!" and then I instantly slammed my hands onto my ears. Was one note in tune? ONE? I didn't hear a single one. Bad. BAD. Original audition level bad. Oh, man. Mom is hiding her face. She can't look. Even the mmmmmmm at the end was badly out of tune. I tried to jam my fingers through my temples. You just killed any chance you had of making the T5, dude. (The dedication was ill-placed.)

Jessica Meuse – "Jolene" by Dolly Parton
We finally called a song choice! I thought Jessica's Jefferson Airplane was superior to this performance, though this one was quite good. However, her face communicated indifference until the last third of the song. I would've enjoyed more intensity from her. I liked the yodeling cries at the conclusion. Hey, Keith, IT'S A DARK SONG. Dark arrangements are good matches for dark songs.

Jo's Round #2 Ranking

1. Alex
2. Caleb
3. Jena
4. Jessica
5. Sam
6. C.J.

Tonight's Show...
...was good in places, but I felt unimpressed in many, many places. Sam and C.J. didn't deliver, Alex and Jena didn't meet my expectations, and I've seen better from Caleb. I can't complain too much, though. Jessica, Caleb, and Alex had some strong moments.

Jo's Overall Ranking

1. Caleb
2. Alex
3. Jessica
4. Jena
5. Sam
6. C.J.

Jo's Prediction of America's Ranking
Same as mine.

What do you think? Comment on the Facebook link!

Top 7 Results

Recap
I predicted that America would rank the contestants Jena, Caleb, Alex, Dexter, C.J., Sam, and Jessica. My own ranking was quite different, but I felt the judges' comments were very influential and might persuade America to vote for some contestants and ignore others.

Find The Lame Catchphrase
Last night, I followed the lead of Idol judges and made up some nonsensical phrases that described performing attributes of our contestants. Here are those phrases, with their definitions.

Rocking The Chair: being a wise, professional performer while still rocking and rolling
Hammering The Nail: hitting the performance bullseye
Splitting The Feather: hitting the performance bullseye again
Hitching A Ride To The Beach: finally finding one's niche
Dealing With The Apple Core: closing a performance well
Flipping The Rug: successfully rearranging a song entirely differently from its original version
Vacuuming Consciousness: connecting with an audience (especially for the first time)
Potting The Fern: harnessing a technique that gives a performance a solid base

Start using those in your everyday conversations about music, and maybe they'll catch on, since they're so cool, and all.

Idol Top 7 Results... GO!

Thigh High Boots
When worn the right way, thigh high boots are a do. JLo is wearing them the right way. It's a do.

Ryan
Calm thyself. Last night he was looking down Jennifer's dress. Tonight he's commenting on the short shorts. She looked uncomfortable... like, because of Ryan... not because her shorts were too short.

Tweets
"We got to tweet during commercial breaks." ...because The Man won't let us tweet whenever we'd like.

Dex B2'd
I had Dexter in my lowest spot last night, but I thought America would vote him into a higher position. Wrong.

Jessica B2'd
I had Jessica as #5 for me, but I said America would listen to the judges' inane ramblings and send her home. Hope I'm wrong. This is Jessica's first time in the Bottom 2 or 3.

Goodbye, Dexter.
Well, I'll miss him, but he deserved to go before Jessica. Guess he didn't really deal with that apple core after all. His sendoff song was well sung... one of his better ones, recently.

Ranking
I'm officially reporting my ranking for the remaining contestants. It is:
6. Sam
5. C.J.
4. Jessica
3. Alex
2. Jena
American Idol: Caleb

What do you think?

Top 7

Catchphrases
Has anyone noticed the usage of weird musical words and catchphrases this year, not just on Idol, but also on The Voice? Words like "intonation" are getting waaaaaaay overused.  My least favorite phrase is "in the pocket." Why is everything suddenly in the pocket or not in the pocket? Just say "with the beat," or "in time." It makes me want to create my own lame phrases for musical descriptors. Maybe that's something we should do. Watch for them in tonight's notes.

Competitor's Pick
So, are they going to ruin each other, or pick songs to make a great show? Randy just said, "That does not mean sabotage." Randy is also laughing at every suggestion Jessica makes. So, did each contestant suggest a song for each other contestant, and then each contestant chooses what he or she wants to sing from that list? Ah, yes. That appears to be it. So there's some performing contestant choice involved. That's good.

Idol Top 7... GO!

Caleb Johnson – "Family Tree" by Kings of Leon (picked by Alex Preston)

Let's make up a catchphrase for the professionalism that Caleb exudes. We'll call it "rocking the chair," because he rocks and rolls, but does so with the wisdom of an old man in a rocker. Caleb was really rocking the chair tonight. It took him about five seconds to warm up into some hotness, and when he did, WOW. He fits in well on the stage with the other musicians and incorporates them well. Watching Rickey Minor was fun. Good to see him downstage. I also liked the way the lights matched the beat of the song. You could say the lights were in the pocket. Way to go, Caleb. Rock that chair.

Jessica Meuse – "Gun Powder & Lead" by Miranda Lambert (picked by Sam Woolf)
Idol went to a lot of trouble to act out the attributes the contestants are mentioning about themselves. I'm cracked up at how the audience is gasping at Jessica and Sam saying a$$. *GASP* Bad words! (The existence of forbidden words is funny to me, but that's another story.) I didn't think Jessica's voice was the best I've heard it, but her performing was on the spot. She really hammered the nail. Split the feather, you know? I saw her almost acting, telling the story. We LOVED the wind machine. Made her look like a star. A beautiful star. Jennifer is right about the voice, but not about her performance. HCJ's suggestions were not bad.

Demi Lovato
Here for a visit? Not performing? That's odd. I'm glad her hair isn't purple anymore. Jennifer didn't look happy to see her. HILARIOUS that she had a bodyguard. That whole business was awkward.

Sam Woolf & Alex Preston – "Let Her Go" by Passenger
Oh. Duets. I guess that's one way to fill two hours, though I thought HCJ was trying to do that with his comments. Neat that these two are sitting on a couch. It sets the chill vibe. The arrangement was a lot of fun... one I like better than the original, in fact. Good duet. It just occurred to me that one of the performances is going to have to be a trio (unless someone goes twice), since there are an odd number of contestants. The set was elaborate. Ed says it was a computer projection... and it was. It just disappeared. HCJ needs to shut up. It was a fun performance. Shut up. Oh, now Demi. She can shut up, too. IT WAS A DUET.

Terry Bradshaw
And here's Terry Bradshaw. What an excellent reader of the teleprompter.

C.J. Harris – "Gravity" by John Mayer (picked by Caleb Johnson)
What? What is that sound? I love that vocal sound! It suits him! C.J. has found his true calling. Hitched a ride to the beach, he did. This performance is C.J.'s best yet. He needs to lean more toward a Mayer/Ray LaMontagne style and away from country. He was so comfortable, he was even in tune, and we all know that's saying something. Jennifer's "stank face" looked like anything but a compliment, and did you see her bust into a smile the second she saw "stank face" on the monitor? I cracked up.

Martin Garrix
Who the heck? The appearance of random "celebrities" is baffling me. Idol, we like music, not appearances by random celebrities. Now, here's another. I missed her name. Shorten your shows, dudes. If William Hung shows up, I quit. (That one was for you, Mark Starr.)

Dexter Roberts – "Muckalee Creek Water" by Luke Bryan (picked by C.J. Harris)
Mom notes that Dexter's beard is different. I can't tell. Mom is also annoyed that Dexter's nose regularly touches the mic. This performance wasn't bad, but it was... eh. Not boring. Not badly performed. Just... eh. It's the kind of presentation that would be a really cool closer at the regional jamborees. I guess at this point, I'm expecting more, more, MORE. Top 7, dude. Get it going. The cry in his voice at the conclusion was cool. He really knows how to deal with the apple core, you know? Jennifer and I are simpatico regarding the bigness (or lack of bigness), with this performance. Time to bring it, Dex. Ryan says, "One of you is going to be the next American Idol!" Astute, Seacrest.

Time Killing Filler
The time killing is killing me instead of time.

Jena Irene & Caleb Johnson – "Gimmie Shelter" by The Rolling Stones
They seem to have a cool relationship. Neat. Jena's and Caleb's vocals were buff, but the arrangement shook me up a bit. I couldn't really get into it. That doesn't mean it was bad; au contraire, it was quite good. It just wasn't my bag, baby.

Alex Preston – "A Team" by Ed Sheeran (picked by Dexter Roberts)

Alex is the master of the rearrangement. He can really flip the rug, I'd say. He has yet to do a performance that I find unenjoyable. He makes me believe in him, and believe in what he's selling. Even though Caleb is still my pick to win, Alex is the contestant whose album I will buy first. I'm intrigued by his perspective. I wonder if I will enjoy Alex as much when he's offering his own music as opposed to creatively covering other's tunes.

Sam Woolf – "Sail Away" by David Gray (picked by Jessica Meuse)
See Dexter's comments. Same thing. Top 7. Time to kill it, Boy Who Was Saved Two Weeks Ago. Sam is improving on emoting/connecting with the audience. He's emerging, starting to vacuum consciousness, if you know what I mean. Too little, too late, though? Bridging that gap with the audience was essential to his survival, but the lack of dynamics in this performance may make him vulnerable tonight.

Jessica Meuse, Dexter Roberts, & C.J. Harris – "Compass" by Lady Antebellum
I liked the harmonies, but the performing was a little weak. Casa Cobb proposes that Jessica carried the group. Judges and Demi are saying that the harmonies were crap, but I thought they did a nice job. Honestly though, I wasn't giving this performance my 100% undivided attention. The duets and trios get tertiary attention from me.

Jena Irene – "Creep" by Radiohead (picked by Caleb Johnson)
Ed is in heaven with the song choice. Perfect start, Jena. Nailed vocal. Here comes the rock and roll. I hope she stays at the piano. I feel like her best performing is done on that bench. She really feels a song at all times, but I think the piano grounds her in a way that makes her performances more poignant and rooted. She can really pot the fern, I think. Classy performance. Shocked that they ran out of time after all the nonsensical stuff that went down tonight. Ed is rewinding to watch this one again.

Tonight's Show...
...didn't have enough music. I would love there to be less talk and more tunes. I liked the theme, though. This season's wide open themes benefit the contestants, and thus the audience. Additionally, I gave you eight new stupid catchphrases. I directed you to the first one, but the rest are spattered throughout the notes. Hint: each contestant got one, but Jessica got two.

Jo's Ranking

1. Caleb
2. Jena
3. Alex
4. C.J.
5. Jessica
6. Sam
7. Dexter

Jo's Prediction of America's Ranking

1. Jena
2. Caleb
3. Alex
4. Dexter
5. C.J.
6. Sam
7. Jessica

I think America is going to listen to the venom the judges spewed at Jessica. Boo.

What do you think? Comment on the Facebook link!

Top 8 Results... Again

Idol with EDge
Last night, Ed wrote the notes for me because I was illin'. His notes are always my favorites of the year. It's a good reason for me to look forward to being sick in some way.

Recap
Ed had Jena, Malaya, and Dexter in his B3 with Dexter going home. I really liked Dexter last night, and so did Mom. Ed really liked C.J. I thought he'd done better than he has in the past, and I loved the arrangement, but the pitch was still wicked badbadbad. I don't think America will like it. I say he's going home, and Malaya and Jessica will join him in the B3. I loved Jessica, but I think America forgot her.

No More Save
No safety net! Now that The Save is gone, will two go home some week, or was a week built into the season for The Save? I think the latter is the case. That would give us a finale during the third week of May.

Idol Top 8 Results... Again... GO!

Jennifer's Hair
Yes, please.

STRESS... Again
These poor contestants, especially Sam, look so stressed. It makes me stressed.

Would You Rather
The Would You Rather game was odd. I liked seeing them all play their instruments for a few seconds, though.

C.J. = B2
I like it better when there's a B3. More info.

Alex
I wish Randy and the judges would quit ragging on him about his "original version." I thought it was awesome. Shut up.

Malaya = B2
I guess I was right, in a way. I wonder who would've joined them if there had been a B3.

Malaya?!
I had her in my B3, but geez. I don't think she deserves to go home yet. Poor thing is holding together well. Jennifer looks genuinely upset. Well, that sucks.

What do you think? See you next week!

Top 8 Again (Idol With EDge)

Jo is not feeling well so I, Ed, will be filling in tonight.

80's week.......worst decade of music ever...can't wait.

David Cook.....the songs still stand up?  Since when?  Nice haircut by the way.

Jena "I Love Rock and Roll"

-This is weird.  This is one of the few songs from the 80's that is decent but she has even made it bad.  I really like Jena but this is not good....at all.  But she certainly made it her own.  Fortunately for her I don't think anyone will want to steal it from her.

Would someone please shoot Harry Connick?  I am sick of his poor attempts to be cute and witty.  And for God's sakes get a freaking razor you bum.

Dexter  "Keep Your Hands to Yourself"

-I have heard this done better at 4th of July festivals.  Too much guitar and not enough singing for a singing competition.  Very, very average.  And Dexter, your hat is on backwards.

Alex and Sam "The Girl is Mine"

-Dog gone....this is a sappy song.  I am being reminded why I hate 80's music.

Sam just thanked America.....buddy, they voted you OUT last week.

Malaya "Through the Fire"

-She looks good but this is another snoozer.  Enunciate.....PLEASE!

Caleb and Jena "It's Only Love"

-Finally, a decent 80's song.  This is as good or better than the original.  Oh that Harry....he is a card.  Please tell him it's not about him.

Jessica "Call Me"

-Jessica is one of my favorites.  She has a great rock and roll voice.  I hope she doesn't butcher this one.  Awkward entrance.  This is turning out better than we thought based on her rehearsal video.  Best of the night.....by far.  These judges are lost.

Sam "Time After Time"

-This is a pretty good song choice and it sounds like he is changing it up a bit.  He has made this sound contemporary.  I like it, it's not awesome but great by tonight's standards.

Malaya and CJ "I Knew You Were Waiting"

PLEASE shoot Harry Colonic Jr!!!!!  Another boring 80's song.  No comment.


Alex "Every Breath You Take"

-The National Anthem for stalkers.  This kid is very good.  I would pay to see him...my acid test for idols.  And I loved him in "Little Nicky".  This was the coolest of the night.  I think he can give Caleb a real run for his money.

Jessica and Dexter "Islands in the Stream"

-Your hat is STILL on backwards Jethro.  Jessica is pretty strong to carry this mouth-breather on her back.  The duets have really lacked tonight outside of Caleb and Jena.

CJ "Free Fallin'"

-This has a chance to be good.  We love CJ but he needs a good one.  Cool arrangement.  This is his best effort in awhile.  I hope he is safe, he seems to be a genuinely nice kid.

Caleb "Faithfully"

-Here is the slow song they have been begging for.  Caleb is a beast and I am sure this will be great.  He is killing it....as usual.  Best of the night by a mile.

My standings:

Caleb
Alex
Sam
Jessica
CJ
Jena
Malaya
Dexter

Of course, I could be wrong.

Peace

Top 8 Results

Mom with Mark the Hamster

Recap
I predicted that America would rank the contestants Jena, Alex, Caleb, Jessica, Sam, Malaya, Dexter, and C.J. However, we predicted that the judges will employ The Save tonight. Who can break up this group after such a great show?

Mark the Hamster
Mom adopted a new animal this week: Mark the Hamster. He joins her tonight at Chez Cobb.

Idol Top 8 Results... GO!

STRESS
The contestants all look so stressed.  That saddens me.

Jena
"It's so sad that one of us has to go tomorrow." Not gonna happen, Jenna/Gina.

Dexter Safe
That makes me 0 for 1 on my B3. Not surprising since they all did so well last night.

Chris Daughtry – "Waiting for Superman"
I remember the night he was voted off the show. It was Season 5, Top 4 Week. What a talent. However, all of his songs are starting to sound the same.

B3 = Sam, Malaya, C.J.
These folks were three of my B4.

Half Hour Shows
These 30-minute shows are killing me. I need a longer fix.

Sam?!
Good heavens. Bet we're right about The Save. This song isn't anything special, but Sam appears more comfortable than he's ever been. Whoa, Grandpappy doesn't look happy. Calm down, Pappy, he'll be Saved.

SAVED!
Can we nail it, or can we NAIL IT, Idol Watchers?! We called this business LAST FREAKING NIGHT. And confetti. Listen to all the bleeping. Did you see who was happiest for Sam? C.J. What a nice guy.

This show was over before it even started. I want my hour back! Happy for Sam, though. Hooray, Save.

Top 8

Reruns
Idol is calling tonight's show "remix" because the contestants are performing the songs with which they originally auditioned. We're calling it "reruns," because that's what they are. Thus, this show has the potential to be bow-ring, but it also has the potential to be awesome since the songs were the contestants' original choices, thus displaying what they all initially thought would show off their skills in the best ways possible.

JLo's Dress
Ew. EW. Didn't babydoll fashion go out with the Spice Girls? She looked uncomfortable in it, too. Wasn't even raising her arms.

No Group Song
Boo. Duets instead. Maybe it'll be cool. The duets always feel like half-you-know-whatted afterthoughts.

Idol Top 8... GO!

Jessica Meuse – "Blue Eyed Lie" by Jessica Meuse
Jessica's Dad looks excited to be alive. I'm going to enjoy watching snippets of the original auditions. I was intrigued by Jessica's initial audition, but I had no idea she'd go this far. This performance was leaps and bounds better than her audition, but it's hard to compare a capella with a staged, accompanied performance. I thought this presentation was the best we've seen from Jessica. She seemed really in her element, right where she belonged. The vocal tricks sounded natural and not put-on. The shoulder business did, however, look put-on. Her supporters in the audience had pink streaks clipped into their hair. Ha.

C.J. Harris – "Soul Shine" by The Allman Brothers Band
"There was a lot of emotion in it that made me get off key." Hmmm. He must find the emotion in every performance. Casa Cobb LOVES C.J., the person. He's an over-comer, a hard worker, and a genuinely nice guy. However, we are cringing at the pitch. CRINGING. It's so off, it's almost on. However, he's such an authentic performer that you can kind of overlook the pitch issues. I just read that last sentence to Mom, and she said, "I can't." It's very rare that genuineness trumps skill, but it happens sometimes with C.J.

Jena Irene & Alex Preston – "Just Give Me A Reason" by Pink & Nate Ruess
"We share so many things in common." Profound. Sort of like, "You're closer to the finish than when you started." I'm surrounded by profundity. ... OMG. We missed the entire beginning of this song because Mom said to me, "Pink Feet? The artist is Pink Feet? The screen said, 'Pink Feet Nate Ruess,' but it was f-e-a-t feat and not capitalized." ... "Ummmm, feat. is 'featuring,' Mom." We started cry-laughing, and Mom put the cherry on top with, "I wish Mark the Hamster were here to hear this." (Side note: I had a little toy hamster sent to her this week.) OK, so the performance: I felt a lot of power from these two once I started listening to them. When they sang in unison, the power doubled. Both Jena and Alex have strong presences alone, but together they were downright potent. Tight. Poignant.

Speaking Of Power...
I hope ours doesn't go out. Thunderstorm City.

Sam Woolf – "Lego House" by Ed Sheeran
I've never seen Sam as comfortable as he is here. This theme is allowing the contestants to live it up in their own wheelhouses. Sam connected with the audience, he was easy to understand, his pitch was on target, and he seemed *gasp* relaxed. This performance was the first time I understood why all the gals love Sam. He's always seemed detached in past performances. More like this, Sam. More like this.

Jessica Meuse & Caleb Johnson – "Stop Draggin' My Heart Around" by Stevie Nicks & Tom Petty
This performance was well-sung, if a little cheesy. Jessica seemed less comfortable than she did in her solo, and Caleb just phoned it in. It wasn't bad, just safe and a bit sleepy. Speaking of cheese, that ending. *eyeroll* Sheesh.

Malaya Watson – "Ain't No Way" by Aretha Franklin
Button your shirt, Mr. Watson. I don't think any contestant has matured like Malaya. She still has her free-spirited side, but she is more grounded and is taking her performing more seriously.  She looks the part, she acts the part, and she sings the part. She's really using her time on Idol well. This performance was a great display of that improvement since it could be directly compared to her initial audition. Malaya's strength is in her passion, and she's controlling it well now.

Dexter Roberts – "One Mississippi" by Brett Eldredge
Perhaps this "rerun" format is not as rerunny as I thought! Each contestant is showing growth and style. Dexter is kind of pigeonholed into the "good ol' boy, singin' 'bout bars and my truck" kind of performer, so showing this poignancy displays his abilities in the best way possible. I love it. I hope America does, too. Was Allison Iraheta the harmony vocalist JLo mentioned? She was one of Ed's faves in 2009. He voted for her over 200 times one night. YES! It is her! Neat.

Dexter's Assessment of His Performance
"I've grown'd a lot." Ed's retort? "That costed him."

Malaya Watson & Sam Woolf – "Lucky" by Colbie Caillat & Jason Mraz
Yuck. I didn't like this choice of song for Malaya. Sam sounded OK, but he was masked by her awkward fumbling through the melody. Unfortunate that she followed such a great solo with that mess.

Jena Irene – "Rolling In The Deep" by Adele
I feel like every female contestant on every singing show has sung Adele, and usually this Adele. I was preparing to be bored, but I should have known better. The arrangement allowed Jena to stylize and distance herself from the original tune. Jazzy arrangements aren't usually my cup of fruit juice, but I like to watch Jena work through a jazz performance. Even the looks on her face were nailed. That sly little smile after the opening was genius.

Dexter Roberts & C.J. Harris – "Alright" by Darius Rucker
I think it's cool that these two country guys are such good buddies. Watching them have fun is... fun. However, the pitch from both of them was just bad, bad, bad. Dexter was less bad, but still bad. BAD. Once again, though, their happy vibe made me smile. The "we almost hit hands" high-five made me laugh.

Caleb Johnson – "Chain Of Fools" by Aretha Franklin
Caleb was awesome, as usual, but I thought the performance was lacking the "special something" that Caleb usually brings to the stage. If he did a concert where he sang all the songs he's performed this season, this is the one I'd forget. It wasn't bad; it just wasn't special. I still contend that Caleb is the most seasoned, experienced, and professional performer to ever compete on Idol. (Adam Lambert is a close second.)

Alex Preston – "Fairytales" by Alex Preston
It's cool that Alex was able to sing an original, but I was a little bored with it. Maybe that's because I had a higher expectation of the "About To Be Blown Away" level of the performance because it was positioned last. Caleb and Alex can get away with a little less luster, because their slightly more boring performances are still better than others' best.

Tonight's Show...
...was completely the opposite of what I thought it would be. I was expecting "been there, done that," and instead I was pleased to receive a "check out how far I've come." Good idea, Idol. Good show.

Jo's Ranking

1. Jena
2. Caleb
3. Alex
4. Jessica
5. Malaya
6. Sam
7. Dexter
8. C.J.

With the exception of C.J., I think all these contestants are SO CLOSE together. I didn't think Jena was a whole lot better than Dexter, they're just CLOSE. Even C.J. was fun to watch.

Jo's Prediction of America's Ranking

1. Jena
2. Alex
3. Caleb
4. Jessica
5. Sam
6. Malaya
7. Dexter
8. C.J.

Even though the duets aren't supposed to be "judged," I know that the dismal duet that was half Malaya will affect her placement, and maybe Sam's, who unfortunately hitched a ride on that abomination. C.J., though a fun guy to watch, is just not as good as the others.  HOWEVER, we at Casa Cobb predict that The Save will be used tomorrow. No one goes home.

What do you think? Comment on the Facebook link!

Top 9 Results

Recap
My order for America was Jena, Caleb, Malaya, Alex, Sam, Jessica, Dexter, Majesty, C.J. That gives us a B3 of Dexter, Majesty, and C.J. Jessica is my bubble, once again.

Jen's Dress
Beautiful. She looks great in red.

Yo
Randy picked the same T3 I did.

Half Hour
Why is the show only a half hour tonight (and next week)? Results shows really only need a half hour, anyway, but it still makes me a bit sad. I like to overindulge.

Jena's Shorts
I almost missed them.

Mom Is Psychic
Mom is calling out the "safe" names three seconds before Ryan. Impressive.

Janelle Monáe – "What Is Love"
The first thing out of Mom's mouth was, "Dumb hair." Agree. I really liked the performance, though. I love simple dance steps done in unison, à la The Temptations, The Four Tops, and Bruno Mars. Janelle et al. used elements of the simple unison steps. The whole presentation was party-like and fun. I'm not convinced that she was singing live, but I still enjoyed it. Mom says the showgirls were wearing thongs. If so, gross, but all I saw on their rears were feathers. One more thing: there were a lot of fit abs on that stage.

Majesty-Sam-C.J.
Two outta three ain't bad.

Interrupted
Jennifer's reaction when Harry interrupted her was funny.

The Save
Mom thinks that the judges will use The Save on Sam or Majesty, but not on C.J.  I think they will use it on only Sam.

Majesty?!
Not C.J.? Mom and Ed are convinced that she's getting Saved, based on Jennifer's face when Majesty was announced as the B1. This performance isn't very good. It's both out of tune and out of time... but you look great, baby. It doesn't matter, though, because the judges aren't even watching her. Ooh, Jennifer's face doesn't look happy anymore. Mom and Ed are changing their minds... Majesty is gone if The Save is based on this performance. Why is Majesty acting so drunk/goofy? Ed says she's overcompensating for extreme sadness.

T8
Majesty is gone, and C.J. lives for another week. I'll bet he goes next week, then the judges use The Save the following week. What do you think?

Top 9

Rock Band Week
Also known as "Caleb Johnson Week."

Fall Out Boy
Neat.

Group Song
American Idol, hear my cry! Ask and ye shall receive! I'm glad for the return of the group song. I was going to write something about the vocals being a little weak, and more about it being OK because the contestants seemed to be having fun. However, then Malaya entered the scene. Good heavens, girl, calm it with the head banging. She could hardly sing because she was so concerned about making her hair flop everywhere. All I remember from that performance is flying bronzed-tipped hair and "UP UP UP!!!!! UP UP UP!!!!!"

Idol Top 9... GO!

Alex Preston – "Don't Speak" by No Doubt
I'm glad that Idol has finally started to put the song and original artist on the screen when a contestant sings. Why has it taken 13 seasons for them to do that? I'm not a giant jazz fan. I respect it, I can groove to it, but I don't dig it the mostest. That said, I completely dug this version of "Don't Speak." Well done, Alex. He was a great front man for the big band. Ed just said, "This guy will get second place." I replied, "I said that last week." He answered, "I said that two weeks ago. Scooped." LIES. Shut up, judges. Alex was awesome, and you know it. The shoe-sock theft stuff was kinda funny, admittedly.

Majesty Rose – "Shake It Out" by Florence + The Machine
Hair: Yes. Outfit: YES, even with shoulder pads. However, the outfit didn't really go with the song. Her fashion seemed more "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy" than "Shake It Out." The vocal was weaker than a freshly minted kangaroo crawling in his mommy's pouchie for the first time. WEAK, y'all. I like Majesty a lot, but she just got really spazzy and all over the place.

Theme?
Ed and Mom are telling me I'm wrong on the theme.  They say it's "Band Night," not "Rock Band Night," or, as Mom put it, "Singing With Band Night." :o)

Dexter Roberts – "Down In The Boondocks" by Little Big Town
Nice pants, granddad. GREAT song choice for Dexter. As I say every single week, you may hate country, but this is *good stuff* for those who love country. He did a great job, but it was very similar to the original, though not quite as polished. That may hurt him. However, country America was down with that. I was. Yay, Dexter. His shout out to the band at the end was polite, too.

Giant Gummy Bear
How have I never had one of these? How about you guys talk about Dexter?

Keith's Lizard Move
He keeps flicking his tongue around. Mom *says* she's bothered by it.

Malaya Watson – "The Long And Winding Road" by the Beatles
I'm worried about this performance for two reasons, both of them previous actions by Malaya this evening: 1.) OUT OF CONTROL activity in the group song, and 2.) the pantomimed nose-picking before the commercial break before her performance. Such a classy girl. Oh, wait. Her song choice is going to allow her to stay in control. Yay. "Good girl, Malaya." She is looking mature, acting mature, singing mature. I just wish she would stick with this image. It's cool to be spontaneous and fun, but do it with class. Her vocal was so slick. "Lead me to your door," was heart-melting. And THAT ENDING. Keep doing this, Malaya! More good stuff! Beautiful. Amber, has she been taking classes from you on the side? She's sounding more and more like you every week. Keith just noted the exact same lyric I did.

Sam Woolf – "Hey There Delilah" by The Plain White T's
I'm so sorry you all missed the fly harmonies I was adding. The beat was neat, and I enjoyed the vibe. Mom was excited about the light bulbs, for some reason. However, Sam seemed a bit too rigid for the calm vibe and rosy shirt. When JLo asked to whom Sam was singing, Ed said something about "my pet hamster," and Mom cannot stop laughing because she thought he said "Mark the hamster." I asked why that was funny, and she said, "A hamster... named MARK! Who names his hamster... MARK? HAHAHA!" Welcome to my world, Idol Watchers. Anyway, good performance. Yay, Sam. (Mom just said, "Did they like him or not? I don't even know." Too much laughing about Mark the Hamster.)

Jessica Meuse – "Rhiannon" by Fleetwood Mac
Jessica is hellbent on letting us know that she WORKS HARD on those bar gigs. Setting up, singing, tearing down. Très difficile. It's neat that she plays fiddle, though. Oh, no. I just heard Mom scream, "Jessica... has a... HAMSTER!" (I think it was a gerbil, however.) Mom is choking on her own spit through her uncontrollable laughter. This is one of those "you had to be there" moments, and I really wish you all were. This fit is something to behold. ANYWAY, back to Jessica. (I've turned into HCJ talking about a Gummy Bear when I should be focusing on the singer.) I thought this performance was great. Her higher notes sounded less shaky and more controlled than ever. Full, even. I've said all along that Jessica is a Stevie Nicks-ish singer. Mom thinks she did well because she was forced to focus on the performance rather than "phone it in."

Hamsters Everywhere
Oh, no. Hamster in a commercial. Mom has lost it again.

C.J. Harris – "If It Hadn't Been For Love" by SteelDrivers
Before he sang, Mom said, "I think he's going home this week." When he started singing, I thought, "No way!" He was setting a great atmosphere. I was drawn into his performance. Then, the chorus. Oh, the chorus. Everything fell apart instantly. I wanted to pull a Mom and hide under the blanket, but alas, I had no blanket. Buh-bye, C.J.

Caleb Johnson – "Dazed & Confused" by Led Zeppelin
I'm surprised he isn't going last. Jena must have something to bring. Really, is there anyone more professional than Caleb in this competition? He oozes confidence, charisma, and COOL. Everything about him says, "This is what I do." I feel like I'm watching a seasoned performer EVERY TIME I see him. I want more, more, more Caleb. Winner winner, chicken dinner. His voice is übercontrolled, chill in the right places, and wild in the right places. His instincts with motion and even the mic are A+, dead on, right. STAND UP, Harry! C'mon, man.

Jena Irene – "Bring Me To Life" by Evanescence
She looks like Lea Michele tonight. The first third of the song just sounded bumbly and shouty. The remainder of her performance was flat-out rocked.  I could understand the lyrics, the power and cry in her voice were controlled, and she didn't overdo any bit of it. Best Jena performance I've seen. Happy for her.

Tonight's Show...
...was extra fun, mostly thanks to the hamster fun. I truly hate it that you all missed those moments. Aside from the hamsters, I enjoyed the variety of songs selected and the chances to look at different sides of some of the contestants. I want Malaya to continue with the focused vocals and Caleb to continue being Caleb.

Jo's Ranking

1. Caleb
2. Jena
3. Malaya
4. Alex
5. Sam
6. Jessica
7. Dexter
8. Majesty
9. C.J.

I would put the Mark the Hamster fun in between Malaya and Alex.

Jo's Prediction of America's Ranking

1. Jena
2. Caleb
3. Malaya
4. Alex
5. Sam
6. Jessica
7. Dexter
8. Majesty
9. C.J.

I'm feeling that my B3 and America's B3 will match. Will be tough to see CJ go. I like the guy.

What do you think? Comment on the Facebook link!