1. David Archuleta:  while he didn't deserve the tongue bath the judges gave him last week, Lil' Davey managed to pull himself back to the top of the PL.  And with his strongest competitor already finding herself in the B3, he's likely at the top of this list to stay.

2.  Brooke White:  she wet the bed with last week's performance, but she's the #1 female of this year's contest.  She'll be around for several weeks to come.

3.  Jason Castro: Mr. Puff & Pass has nearly as many girls squealing for him as Lil' Davey.  Can Jason change up his fast-becoming one-trick style to get to the finale?

4.  David Cook: in any other season, this guy would be closer to the top of the PL.  But he's got a lot of competition to overcome to become AI champ.  If one of the guys in front of him falter, Big Davey makes to the Top 3.

5.  Carly Smithson:  the writing is on the wall for her.  America just doesn't like her all that much.  The judges will do what they can to save her for a while, but they can't compensate for her deseperate and somewhat unlikeable personality.  She's got a couple of weeks left to try and remedy the situation, but I think it's pretty hopeless at this point.

6.  Michael Johns: the Ace Young for S7--all hype, no real delievery.  His voice is much better than his perfomances suggest, but he's just going through the paces.  Now that he's got his spot on the tour, I don't think he cares all that much about winning anymore.

7. Chikieze:  his all-or-nothing approach got him onto the AI tour.  The great thing about him is that his guns-blazing style doesn't seem desperate, even though we realize that it's the only that's saving him so far.  He needs to continue to give original twists to his performances.  He might knock off one of the early favorites if fate deals him the right hand.

8.  Syesha Mercado:  she's in the same boat as Carly--decent singer, but something about her has caused the AI voters to dislike her.  If she picks some decent songs, she might squeak by for another two weeks, but that's about it.

9.  Ramiele Mulabuy: she's fallen flat week after week, but her fanbase is putting her through.  But with several other contestants being so popular, I don't know if she stay out of the B3 for much longer, barring a spectacular performance.

10. Kristy Lee Cook:  the rest of America clearly heard Kristy promising to blow Simon Cowell's man sock off, too.  How else can you explain why she's still disgracing our TV with her presence?  I think her time on AI is near its end, but I said the same thing last week.  Is KLC this year's Sanjaya?  Let's hope not! 

If there is one thing that all AI contestants should know by now, it's that once you sign on, you have to play the game.  You can play by Nigel Lythgoe's rules 100% or you can find creative ways to get around things.  But make no mistake--you will play the game.  Participation is not an option once you make it to the AI stage.

Amanda Overmyer's too-cool-for-this-show attitude, coupled with her half-a-trick caterwauling, sealed her fate last night.  We AI fans suffer through a lot for the sake of this show, but allowing an ingrate to stay in the game is not on the list.  We expect gratitude in our AI champions.  Call it ass-kissing if you want, but AI has been played to the same tune for seven years. No one gets off the hook when it comes to this.

During the group sing-along, Amanda could barely hold down her lunch to point her left hand in the air.  We all know it's stupid to have the contestants do that Up with People montage.  But if your fellow  contestants can grin and bare it, you best get on the same page.  Michael Johns is nearly 30 years old and could pass for David Archuleta's dad in the right company.  I doubt he jumped for joy while doing the dumbed-down Seasme Street musical.  But he did it.  He knew what he was giving up some of his freedom by auditioning for AI.  But he probably figures that the rewards outweigh the risks.  Amanda obviously thought that too, at least at first.  She should have stuck with that mindset.

I'm sure there are those that see Amanda's refusal to commit to the AI way similiar to a suspended student flipping off their principal--the little person fighting the big, bad machine.  But once you step into the AI machine, you can't fight it.  It's not that kind of mechanism.  It will chew you up and spit you out, regardless.  It will not break down due to one contestant pounding her fists against it.   The question is how you handle yourself while you're a cog in the machine.  Amanda was being a rusty bolt and the AI voters took the wrench to her.  Out with the squeaking squwacker.

Kristy Lee Cook should be long gone by now.  Her singing sucks, be there a Confederate flag in the background or not.  By all rights, Amanda should been making travel plans around the AI summer tour.  Instead, Drunken Nurse will be gassing up the Harley for a beer and pizza run back in Indiana.

When it comes to AI, would-be contests, one thing is clear:  know your role.

Break out the Scooby Snacks, because what we witnessed was a nonsense-ridden but groovy ride in the AI Mystery Van.  Last night was nothing short of Bizarro World.  It was surreal.  I was waiting for Rod Serling to appear and set up for the story for us:

The time--8:00 PM Eastern, 5:00 PM Pacific. 

The place--Los Angeles, California. 

The event--the Top 11 contestants of American Idol, singing Beatles songs for a second straight week. 

The reason--who the f*ck knows?  But whatever the reason:  it was crazy then and it's even crazier now.

Last night showed how you take a good thing and set on fire, boys and girls.  Didn't Nigel Lythgoe's momma tell him not to dip from the same well too often?  It's his fault that we have to deal with this jacked-up mess.  No one was super good, but there were a few noteworthy moments:

Who Was Interesting:

Chikezie singing I've Just Seen a Face:  this wasn't as cohesive as last week's triumph, but kudos to Mr. Eze for coming out and trying to do something different.  He's managed to become the most intriguing contestant for S7.  I look forward to seeing what he'll do each week.  I want him to stick around so he can get the needed exposure and then move on to release a Gnarls Barkley-meets-Charley Pride avant garde/psychobilly bluegrass album.  I think he's got it in him to pull it off.

Jason Castro singing Michelle: another guy who's becoming a favorite.  He doesn't have Chikezie's energy or range but what he does, he does pretty well.  He didn't take the song or himself too seriously and that helped the performance.  I still think he's passing out hash brownies to his fellow Idols, but I like his mellow yellow vibe.  His style works for me.

What I get from both Chikezie and Jason is that they really enjoy music--listening to it, singing, performing, the whole spectrum of it.  Nothing about either of these guys feels forced.  They're just two regular guys who are living out a dream.  It's easy to root for Chikezie and Jason.  I can see myself buying music from both guys.  I hope both stay around for a while.

Everyone else was was medicore to pitiful.

Lil' David Archuleta was technically sound, but boring.  But he remembered the lyrics this week, so let's thank Daddy Dearest for putting the rawhide to his boy's behind and getting him back on track.  All hail overbearing stage parents!

David Cook was OK-ish, but not interesting enough to hold my attention.  And I didn't appreciate the Peter Frampton/Roger and Zapp voice box rip-off.  And I didn't realize how ugly he was until last night.  And not an interesting ugly, either.  Just effing fug, is that guy.

Syesha was solid, but she's got a bit of an affected vibe.  She's too actress-y, which makes sense in that she's done some acting before AI.  Still, she needs to tone down the mannerisms. 

Amanda was average, but I don't think she's got even the range of one full octave to her voice.  She's starting to grate my nerves.

Michael bellows too much for me to like him.  He's not the kind of singer that does soft, airy songs.  He needs to shout and yell.  And he swallows his notes a lot.  I expect more from a ringer.

Carly bugs and it goes beyond the ringer thing.  She's got a good voice, but she reeks of desperation.  I suppose having a failed $2 million career will do that to anyone.  Still, her "I'm here, so love me!" persona is unnerving.  And her blouse made her look pregnant.

Brooke's good, but she was off her game last night.  Still not buying the Lucy Lemondrops routine, no matter how much yellow she wears.  Something about her is starting to suggest that there's a banshee underneath her bonnet.

Ramiele is boring as get all out.

Kristy just needs to go.  The woman is in way over her head.  I can't believe she's a ringer anymore.  She's just too awful.  Though she made my ears perk up when she said she would knock Simon's socks off if she's around next week.  I thought she said that if she gets to perform next week, she'll suck Simon's c*ck off.  Honest to goodness, that's what I heard at first.  That says more about my dirty mind but when that's the best part of your performance--and you didn't even say that--you're finished.

Mother Superior is back in the Church of Idoltry!  Can you sip what the communion cups are holding?

Yes indeed, members and would-be converts!  After a much-needed sabbatical, I have made my triumphant return to the CoI!

*golf claps*

What in the name of Ryan Seacrest's hair gel?  I thought I would get a better response than this.  Hmph, that's alright.  Just don't come calling when you want a front row seat to the season-end sermon.

Enough with the small talk.  On to the Power List!

1. Carly "Return of the Irish Ringer" Smithson:  while her cover of "Come Together" wasn't nearly as good as the judges would have us believe, the former Miss Hennessey did well enough to temporarily snatch back her title as TCO.    The original endgame is back on for now, with her blowing our minds as the next AI champion.  But Carly shouldn't get too comfortable because directly behind her is:

2. David "Lip Licking Good" Archuleta:  his version of "We Can Work It Out" was awful, but his tweeny-bopper fanbase will keep him in the race until the very end.  And with news of his stage dad rearing his ugly head, scores of girls under the age of 11 will text-vote for Lil' David until their pretty pink princess manicures chip away to nothing.  It's all about helping out one of their own--and it helps that he's really adorably dreamy.  Who knew that rumors of you daddy essentially taking a leather strap to your Beatles-botching behind would garner such sympathy?

3. Brooke "Rated G Superstar" White:  her Piano Woman take of "Let It Be" was the most heartfelt performance of the night.  I'm still not sure about this innocent lamb persona she's got, but she brings a Carole King vibe to the competition, something it hasn't had in its 7-year history.  This will keep her around for a long while.

4. David "Daughtry Jr." Cook: he's decent, but not as good as his reviews from the judges would suggest.  I don't think his voice is as solid as Chris Daughtry's.  Nor is he as attractive as Mr. It's Not Over.  However, AI loves to repackage a former contestant's schtick and push the new person as a winner.  Think about it:  in S2, Carmen Rasmussen was the pretty but vapid blonde country singer.  TPTB liked her, but she didn't have the goods to make it to the end.  What do we get two years later?  A pretty but vapid blonde country singer with some actual talent as the champion.  Congratulations and here's your contract, Carrie Underwood.  Don't think that Nigel Lythgoe hasn't thought about still making his wet dream of a rawk-star AI champion come true.  It may not happen, but Uncle Nigel has thought about it.

5. Jason "Puff and Pass" Castro: he's shaping up to be this year's wild card.  He's got a strong fan base, made up of bohemian-artsy college girls and anyone who wants to legalize the ganja.  He's got some intangibles going in his favor, too.  Question is, can he change up his routine so he doesn't become a one-trick bong?  Time will tell.

6. Michael "Outback Jack" Johns:  this guy is coasting.  His recent performances have been technically sound but void of emotion and spirit.  I'm not sure he cares about winning anymore, or if he cared in the first place.  He knows that he's got enough pull to get voted into the AI tour and with this exposure, he's going to get his second chance at music stardom.  I think that in his mind, a Top 6 finish is enough to get him what he wants.

7. Amanda "Drunken Nurse" Overmyer:  unless she starts actually singing, she's not long for this competition.  She's got the performance side down pretty well, but her vocals are terrible.  I realize that many a singer has smashed their lyrics into a soupy mess; Stevie Nicks comes to mind.  But AI prides itself on being about the singing.  We all know that's not true, but we play along for the sake of Simon Cowell and his cronies.  She needs to annunciate or she gets the shake-and-bake in a few weeks.  And showing some personality wouldn't hurt.

8. Ramiele "Nytol-ov Cocktail" Mulaby:  the girl's performance was anemeic at best.  She really should have been in the B3 on Wednesday, but she's got just enough of a fan base that she was saved from the Seal of Doom.  She needs to pick an upbeat song as a much-needed change of pace for next week, because her fans can't save her for much longer.

9. Chikezie: with such an inspired performance last Tuesday, you would think he'd rank higher on this power list.  But sadly, Mr. Eze still doesn't sit easy in the breezy sipping lemoneezy when it comes to TPTB.  They could care less about him.  I suspect that Chikezie has earned himself a spot on this year's AI tour, but he still has to go balls to the wall with every performance.  If he can replicate what he did with "She's a Women," however, the game may change just yet.

10. Syesha "Little Miss Sunshine" Mercado:  being in the bottom three this early on will always land you at the bottom of BLR's Power List.  Thing is, her cover of "Got to Get You Into My Life" was, at worst, #8 out of 12 from last Tuesday's performances.  It wasn't great, but not altogether atrcious.  Next week, she will need to bring everything she's got or we'll be singing "Got to Get Her Off That Stage" in her honor soon.

11. Kristy "General Lee" Cook: this early front-runner has lost all her heat and now limps along like a three-legged barrel horse (I'm still not buying that "I sold Mister Ed" story).  On performance alone, she should have been given her walking papers this week.  But gay strippers outweigh confederate flag bearers on the AI controversy scale, so she has another chance to butcher a Lennon/McCartney song.  How lovely.

Syesha sang Got To Get You Into My Life -  The most soulful song in The Beatles catalogue, and also one of my least favorites.  I didn’t like her weird rendition at all. It sounded like she was singing a completely different song than what the band was playing. *1/2

Chikezie sang She’s A Woman – Chikezie doing a funky bluegrass tinged take on a Beatles tune? It worked very well, and was probably the most original performance we’ve seen do far this season.   ****

Ramiele sang In My Life – The Celine Dion-esque style did not impress me. It was as emotionless as you can get without being dead. *

Jason Castro sang If I Fell – It wasn’t anything spectacular or original, but he did a respectable job. **1/2

Carly sang Come Together – This song is pretty basic, so there’s not much you can do to change it stylistically. It was okay, but far from the brilliant performance the judges made it out to be.  **

David Cook sang Eleanor Rigby- This was probably his best performance. He still comes off as Daughtry-lite, but this was good. ***

Brooke sang Let it Be – Parts of it were a bit shaky, but she sang it with conviction and real emotion. Brooke is definitely the strongest female contestant this season. ***1/4

David Hernandez sang I Saw Her Standing There – I found this really annoying. He needs to tone down the vocal gymnastics.  *1/2

Amanda sang You Can’t Do That – Someone remind me again why I chose her to win it all? The Joplin-on-steroids vocal treatment is getting kind of old already. It wasn’t a terrible performance-in fact it was nearly good- but the histrionics are a bit much. **1/4

Michael sang Across The Universe – Lennon’s heartfelt masterpiece is one of my favorite Beatles songs, and this wasn’t a bad performance. Just very…sterile…**

KLC sang Eight Days A Week – Hated it. Hated it. Hated it. There was nothing good about the performance. Nothing!  ¼*

David Archuleta sang We Can Work It Out – Jeez..David screwed this song up badly. He probably would have been better off just to throw the mic down and walk offstage. *

Best
Chikezie
Brooke

Worst
KLC
Archuleta
Ramiele

Should and Will Go
Kristy Lee

Asiah sang I Wanna Dance With Somebody- It sounded like she was singing with an ear infection. Not good. *

Kady sang Who Wants To Live Forever- She ruined a perfectly good latter-day Queen song. Freddy Mercury-in his current state- sounds better than this.*

Amanda sang I Hate Myself For Loving You – Hey at least she picked the right song for her style, and showed some personality. ***

Carly sang I Drove All Night - This version was closer to the Celine Dion remake of the song, rather than the much better Cyndi Lauper and Roy Orbison renditions. **

KL Cook sang Faithfully - A lite-country version of a Journey song? Say it ain’t so. ½*

Ramiele sang Against All Odds - Musical Nyquil. Oh, and she was off key. ½*

Brooke sang Love Is A Battlefield - I liked the unplugged take on this old Pat Benatar song. ***

Syesha sang Saving All My Love For You – She’s no Whitney, obviously, but I think she did the song justice. It was certainly better than Asiah’s Whitney song. **1/2

Best

Brooke

Amanda

Worst

Kristy

Ramiele

Should Go

Kristy

Asiah

Will Go

Kady

Ramiele

Luke sang Wake Me Up Before You Go Go-Cheesy. *

David Archuleta sang Another Day In Paradise- He continues to be the most impressive singer on the show. This kid is better than any of the contestants from last season. His little speech at the end sounded like he was competing in a beauty pageant. Stop talking, David.    ***1/2

 Danny sang Tainted Love….uh huh. ½*

 David Hernandez sang It’s All Coming Back To Me- He remained clothed as he sang, which is always a good thing. Hate the song, but he sounded alright. **1/2

Mike Johns sang Don’t You Forget About Me – He definitely looks like a star, but tonight at least, he sounded rough. **

David Cook sang Hello – Another Daughtry-esque performance from the prematurely balding David. **

Jason Castro sang Hallelujah –Extremely brave song choice from the dreaded one. Three stars for the song choice, alone. ***1/2

Chikezie sang ??- Didn’t catch the name of the song. It was boring, though. **

Best
David Archuleta
Jason Castro

Worst
Danny
Luke

 
Should Exit
Danny
Luke

Will Exit
Luke
Chikezie

Carly sang Crazy On You-It sounded almost like the Heart original. It was both perfunctory and professional. ***

Syesha sang Me and Mr(s). Jones- This is one of the greatest soul songs of all time, and she didn’t even come close to doing it justice. It wasn’t terrible, just very bland. I’d add a half star for the creepy baby cry, though.  **

Brooke sang You’re So Vain- She sort of looks like Carly Simon, so she was able to pull this off quite adequately. At least she was interesting, unlike last week. ***

Ramiele sang an absolutely god-awful version of Don’t Leave Me This Way- It was a mess from the start, and she almost recovered once…almost. ½*

Kristy (or is it Kristy Lee?) sang You’re No Good- Yet another watered down nu country performance. Blah…*1/2

Amanda sang Carry On Wayward Son- Her hair was terrifying. The song was pretty brutal in spots. Kind painful, actually. *1/4

Alaina sang Hopelessly Devoted To You- see Kristy’s performance

Alexandria sang If You Leave Me Now- This was about as okay as you can get without quite being good. **

Kady sang Magic Man- Horrible..just a nightmare. ½* Did Simon really say he’d never heard the song? Wow..

Asiah sang All By Myself- Did Randy and Paula hear the same song as the rest of us? That was atrocious. *

Michael sang Go Your Own Way-He sounded fine of the verses, but you could tell that he was struggling on the chorus. He’s no Lindsay Buckingham, that’s for sure. Oh, and his arrogance has started to turn me against him. **1/2  

Jason C sang I Just Wanna Be Your Everything- I like Jason, but he took a really good pop song, and made it just another pop song. It was really mediocre. **

Luke sang Killer Queen- Give him props; this is a tough song to perform. He actually didn’t suck. Much better than last week, at least. **1/2

Robbie sang Hot Blooded- With a song like this, you really have to put some whoomp  (yes, whoomp) behind the vocals. He didn’t. It was strictly paint-by-numbers. Robbie, I knew Bo Bice. Bo Bice was an entertaining singer. You’re no Bo Bice. **

Danny Malakar sang Superstar- Danny made love to the camera as he sang, imagining it to be the elusive Michael Johns. Yeah, this was not good. Not good at all. But get used to him sticking around for a while. *

David H sang Papa Was A Rolling Stone- His facial expressions bother me, but he pretty much nailed the song. If he keeps this up, he could make at least the final four. ***1/2

Jason Y sang Long Train Running- Like Killer Queen, this is a really challenging song to sing. Parts of it were bad; however, it wasn’t the trainwreck the judges made it out to be. **1/4

Chikezie sang I Believe To My Soul- Not as good as Elliott’s rendition of the song from AI5, but still pretty good. Definitely better than his performance last week. ***

David C sang All Right Now- I get that he’s trying to be all Daughtry-like, but he’s just not pulling it off. It comes off as forced, whereas Chris at least came off as being somewhat natural. Having said that, it wasn’t terrible. **1/2

David A sang Imagine- Mike Rose is right ; David may very well be the chosen one. This was pretty amazing. Better than any of the performances from last season, for sure. Whether he wins or not, this boy is a license to print money. ****

Best of the Night  

David Archuleta…by far!

David Hernandez

Chikezie

Worst of the Night

Danny

Should Leave

Danny and Robbie

Will Leave

Luke and Jason Yeager