February 27: The Boys Are Back In Town
American Idol 6, February 27: The Boys Are Back In Town by Betsy Wasser -- 02/28/2007 Last week, the top 12 guys got off to a rocky start. There were quite a few rough performances, and to make matters worse, the very next night, the girls completely showed them up. Can the boys come back and prove they deserve half the slots in the top twelve? Ryan sends out “a huge congratulations” to Jennifer Hudson for winning the Academy Award. He says awards like that validate the caliber of talent that the judges discover and that we vote for. Ryan says the guys have a lot to prove. Can they sing better this week? The guys promise they’re ready. Randy says he’s expecting the guys to be better than last week. Paula says they need to have fun – “You guys are celebrities now.” Ryan teases Simon about also being a celebrity. Simon chooses to just bask in that, rather than comment further. This week, the contestants will dedicate their songs to the people who inspire them. Phil Stacy dedicates his performance to the people he serves with in the Navy. It would be so completely awesome if he sang “In the Navy,” but I don’t think that’s going to happen. He volunteered after September 11 and says that the command has been very supportive of him. He says there are “a lot of amazing people who are serving our country. Phil is wearing a white shirt and jeans, and despite the little pirate-like laces on one shoulder, he looks pretty bland. He is singing “Missing You.” I don’t really like the song, but he sounds good. Better still, he doesn’t have the rough start he did last week. Overall, I’d say his performance is good and consistent, but it never quite wows me until the end, which has some punch to it. Randy: Phil was the best last week, and tonight gets a “that was hot” from Randy. Paula: She loves his tone and can imagine him on the radio. Simon: “I’m not jumping out of my chair.” The crowd boos. Simon thinks he’s popular, liked his dedication, but thinks he has an unoriginal voice. He liked the end, but he’s not hearing anything unique. He compares Phil to “a very good karaoke singer. Ryan says that Phil’s likeability will carry him through. Simon agrees and says that Phil will definitely be back next week. Ryan visits the red room. Sundance says that people advised him to “not be so crappy,” and he vows to do just that. Good strategy! A.J. says that he got mixed reviews from people he talked to. He thinks the judges were fair, and he’s happy to have a chance to redeem himself. Jared says that he is going to follow Simon’s advice to be more adventurous. Jared dedicates his performance to his parents. He says his mom woke him up the day of the audition and told him to “get your butt up out of bed and go.” His dad introduced him to great music and is the reason he cultivated his talent. He’s happy to have their support. Jared is singing “Let’s Get It On” and looks superhot in a simple black suit. Already the guys are a huge improvement over last week. Jared hits the high notes well and manages to be a lot sexier than he was in his previous performance. He has a great smile and charm to spare. Thumbs down to the sneakers he’s wearing with his suit. Thumbs up to briefly crawling on the floor. At the end, he runs his hand over his face, and it is totally hot. Nicely done. Randy: Pitchy in spots, and he loved the face move. It was much better. Paula: She prefers Jared making the face move to Randy, which cracks up Simon. She says he’s a good looking guy, but he shouldn’t have pushed the song… “no pun intended.” Simon tells her it’s a family show, so he’s taking over. Simon: He’s glad Jared tried something bolder, but it reminds him of… The Love Boat. Jared was a bit corny, and sounds like a cabaret singer on the show. “That would have been a great Love Boat, man” deadpans Jared. The judges crack up, as do I. Simon can’t help but smile at that one. Ryan says, “And the things we’ve all done to that song. Memories, huh?” Looks like we learned a little something new about Ryan tonight, didn’t we? Jared makes the face move for us again. A.J. Tabaldo also dedicates his performance to his parents. They instilled in him to never give up. He says they’ve always supported him, and by being successful, he can say, “This is for you, mom and dad.” In a green shirt and grey vest, A.J. sings “Feelin’ Good.” The swelling strings overwhelm him at first, but when he gets into the song, he sounds great. I have to say, though, that it seems really Broadway, more than pop. Randy: It was “so much better than last week.” He showed some skills. Paula: “You have a real, real, real, real good voice.” That’s right, people: I counted the reals. That’s how dedicated I am to you. Simon: “That was actually nearly very good.” There were a few problems in the middle, but he made himself stand out. We finally saw some personality. He also looked “strangely comfortable.” A.J. says that he took the judges’ criticism last week and decided to try something different. He says he wanted to “show I can sing!” Sanjaya Malakar dedicates his song to his grandfather, who died when he was just five. We see a picture of his grandfather holding tiny baby Sanjaya and his sister. He inherited his grandfather’s wedding ring and wears it on stage. Sanjaya is wearing a Michael Jackson-style fedora and a burgundy shirt, so I was expecting the King of Pop. Instead, Sanjaya is doing “Steppin’ Out With My Baby.” He is making an admirable effort to dance, but he seems stiff. Overall, it’s pretty weak and boring. It’s not bad and it’s definitely better than last week, but he’s definitely the weakest so far. I’d say it was a performance to send him home, but I maintain that we’re going to be stuck with this kid at least until the top 8. Randy: He’s a nice kid, but it was “really weird for me,” like a bad high school talent show. Paula: He sang on pitch, so there’s that at least. He’s 17 and has “an old soul.” She thinks it was an odd choice. Simon pushes her to say if she liked him or not. Paula says she doesn’t like Simon. She suggests he pick songs “that celebrate your youth.” Simon: It’s time for another Simon metaphor! This week, it’s a “ghastly lunch” where afterwards, the parents dress up the kids and have them come out and sing. I swear, it must be fascinating to live Simon’s life, in which you are so often subject to unexpected bad performances. The audience boos, but Simon continues. He says it was weak and made no impact. He says Sanjay whispered towards the end. What was he thinking? Sanjaya says he wanted to “celebrate the great years of music,” and to sing a song his grandpa might like. Ryan asks Sanjaya what he learned from the judges. He says that he will “go with my youth,” and that he feels okay about his performance. Ryan reminds us to visit Fox’s web site, so now would be a good time for me to encourage you to visit Foxes on Idol for all kinds of Idol fun. Unfortunately, you won’t find hairstyling tips on Foxes like the one Chris Sligh gives Ryan. Chris says they put “as much conditioner as they can” in his hair and just let it sit. Chris says he thinks he picked the right song, one that he loves and he hopes America will love. Chris dedicates his song to his wife, Sarah. She is freaking gorgeous, and Chris says “most people have no idea how I ever coerced her to marry me.” Dude, you’re funny and you’re in a band. That’s how that happened. He says that there have been times they’ve been broke, but she always encouraged him to keep going. He says he can confidently say he’ll be with her for the rest of his life. Chris is singing “Trouble,” which feels like a bit of a risk since Taylor sang it last year. He looks good in a suit and funky t-shirt. His voice is clear and pure, and he is clearly feeling the song. At one point, he actually sings to his wife, which is sweet. Chris hits a great note at the end, and overall, it’s an excellent effort. Much stronger than last week, not that last week was bad for him. Randy: “It’s good to see you return.” Chris was better than last week and showed off his big voice. Paula: She liked it too, and thinks Sarah must have been happy with it. She advises him to watch his pitch. Simon: He says the reason they put him through is that he’s a good singer, and tonight, he showed it. He teases Chris about dedicating a song called “Trouble” to his life, but that it made sense when he heard the lyrics. Chris says he has been saved by a woman. Ryan points out that Taylor sang the song. Chris says he did it a little differently. Ryan asks Sarah if she welled up a bit at his singing. Sarah just looks happy and proud. Nick Pedro dedicates his song to his girlfriend Caitlin. He says she’s been supportive. It’s been hard to be apart from her, and he appreciates that she understood their being apart on Valentine’s Day. He says she means a lot to him. Nick is singing “Fever” in a grey jacket and ice blue shirt. Nick’s really trying to go for “cool” in this performance, but it’s just coming across as really dorky to me. His voice sounds good, but I’m really not excited. Randy: All of the guys are improving. He says that Nick has returned to his usual vibe. He was pitchy and rushed, but it was the Nick “that we fell in love with.” Paula: This was a throwback to his audition. He should just go for it. Simon: It was good, but he lacked charisma. He should have dressed better. He liked the drummer, though. Ryan asks what he should have worn. Simon says he’s not a stylist. Randy suggests a snug black t-shirt. Ryan points out Caitin in the audience, who is a cutie. Ryan adds, “The guys are scoring serious points with these dedications!” Nick then gives us Napoleon Dynamite flashbacks by saying, “Vote for Pedro.” Ryan chats up Blake. Blake says after seeing the girls, he decided to step up his game. Blake dedicates his performance to his parents. He says his dad is a hard working man. His mom has an amazing voice and has been performing for a long time. He says they’re very excited for him and that he loves them. Blake is singing “Virtual Insanity” in a stupid sideways hat, green t-shirt layered over a white hoodie, and loose grey pants. It’s a great choice for him, totally funky and cool. He can show off his dance moves, but the voice is there, too. It’s my favorite performance of the night so far. He even does some scratching, which is supercool. He’s different, and I like that. Way to not sing a ballad or Motown, dude. Love that. Randy: “That’s what I’m talking about!” It was a great return to form. He loved the falsetto and scatting at the end. Paula: Blake’s making smart choices and is unique. Simon: He disagrees with the other two to the loud boos of the crowd. He thought the first part was “completely copycat,” the second was great, and in the end, the tune went. He didn’t see any originality. Ryan disagrees and says that Blake doesn’t sound like the original. Simon sarcastically apologizes for having an opinion. Ryan asks if Paula and Simon went on a date last week. Blake calls his scatting “vocal entendre.” Ryan attempts to do the same thing, which is pretty darned cute. Sometimes Seacrest is such a cute little thing that I just want to carry him around in my handbag. Chris Richardson says he’s going to go up tempo again with “Geek in the Pink.” Brandon, though, is up next and tells us he picked his song, then second-guessed it, but wanted to use it because of his dedication. Brandon dedicates his song to his grandmother, who always wanted him to succeed. He thinks she’d be very proud of the man he’s become. Brandon is wearing a pink shirt with a funky design and jeans. He’s singing a very slow version of “Time After Time.” It sounds very soulful, different than the original. It’s okay, but everyone else has been so good this week that I’m not that impressed. Randy: He liked the sentiment and thought the song fit that. But, it wasn’t enough for him vocally. He needs to show what he’s got. It was kind of boring. Brandon says he was trying to put his heart into it and didn’t want anything extra. Paula: She felt his heart, and he doesn’t need to oversing. The dedication was special. Simon: Simon loves grandparents, but Brandon shouldn’t keep those emotions inside. He needs to make a wow impact like so many of the girls did last week. Paula makes devil horns while Simon talks. Ryan says it must be difficult to sing a song that meaningful to you. Brandon agrees, then wishes his dad a happy birthday. Simon then tells everyone that his mother’s birthday is in November, and adds that he likes puppies. I love Simon. I mean, Brandon might not have been pandering on purpose, but come on! Chris Richardson dedicates his song to his grandmother “big momma.” He says she’s spunky and energetic. She’s also opinionated and will tell him straight up what she thinks. He knows she’ll be supporting her from home. Chris is wearing a zip-front striped shirt and jeans. He is indeed singing “Geek in the Pink.” He’s off pitch, off tempo, and completely overwhelmed by the music. Chris was so much better last week. I really didn’t like this one. It turns out, though, that the judges disagree. Randy: “Chris is in it to win it tonight.” It was hotter than the original. Paula: Paula thinks it’s hilarious that he dedicated it to his grandmother. Chris says his grandmother would have loved a country song, but she does love to dance. Simon: It was “the best tonight by miles.” Chris thinks Big Momma is dancing at home. Simon jokes that she’s saying, “What the hell is that song?” Last up is Sundance Head. He dedicates his song to his two and a half month old son Levi. His wife was pregnant when he auditioned, and it’s really hard being apart from his son. Sundance tears up at the fact that Levi is starting to smile and he’s missing it. Well, crap. Now I’m crying too. Sundance is singing “Mustang Sally” in a bland grey striped shirt. It’s nice to see that he decided to sing well again. It’s good, but to be honest, that’s all I can really say about it. I don’t think he deserved the final spot, but at least he showed why he made it. I’m not as impressed with him as I was by Phil, Jared, Chris Sligh, or Blake. Sundance wowed me at his audition, but this performance is too little too late for me. Randy: “What a difference a week makes!” Sundance says he has to thank everyone for keeping him around. Paula: He needs to do performances like that every week. Simon: He agrees with Randy and Paula that we finally have the Sundance they like back. But, he still thinks Sundance could do better. Sundance says he really needed this week. He is visibly relieved. He says he misses Levi. Ryan thinks he might be away for longer than he knows. Sundance jokes that maybe by the time he gets back, Levi will be ready to go fishing with him. Ryan puts up a picture of Levi with a great big Sundance beard on his chin, which cracks Sundance up. Ryan then says that the beard feels “straw-y.” Sundance confides that there’s hairspray in it. I don’t think any of us expected to get hairstyling advice from Sundance and Chris Sligh this week, but there it is. Paula says the guys are back. Ryan says that Simon was even snapping his fingers. Simon says, “It was better, Ryan.” It was indeed, thank goodness. Still, we’ve got to say goodbye to two people. It should be Sanjaya and Nick, but because I think we’re doomed to Sanjaya, I’ll predict A.J. and Nick.
American Idol 6, February 27: The Boys Are Back In Town by Betsy Wasser -- 02/28/2007 Last week, the top 12 guys got off to a rocky start. There were quite a few rough performances, and to make matters worse, the very next night, the girls completely showed them up. Can the boys come back and prove they deserve half the slots in the top twelve? Ryan sends out “a huge congratulations” to Jennifer Hudson for winning the Academy Award. He says awards like that validate the caliber of talent that the judges discover and that we vote for. Ryan says the guys have a lot to prove. Can they sing better this week? The guys promise they’re ready. Randy says he’s expecting the guys to be better than last week. Paula says they need to have fun – “You guys are celebrities now.” Ryan teases Simon about also being a celebrity. Simon chooses to just bask in that, rather than comment further. This week, the contestants will dedicate their songs to the people who inspire them. Phil Stacy dedicates his performance to the people he serves with in the Navy. It would be so completely awesome if he sang “In the Navy,” but I don’t think that’s going to happen. He volunteered after September 11 and says that the command has been very supportive of him. He says there are “a lot of amazing people who are serving our country. Phil is wearing a white shirt and jeans, and despite the little pirate-like laces on one shoulder, he looks pretty bland. He is singing “Missing You.” I don’t really like the song, but he sounds good. Better still, he doesn’t have the rough start he did last week. Overall, I’d say his performance is good and consistent, but it never quite wows me until the end, which has some punch to it. Randy: Phil was the best last week, and tonight gets a “that was hot” from Randy. Paula: She loves his tone and can imagine him on the radio. Simon: “I’m not jumping out of my chair.” The crowd boos. Simon thinks he’s popular, liked his dedication, but thinks he has an unoriginal voice. He liked the end, but he’s not hearing anything unique. He compares Phil to “a very good karaoke singer. Ryan says that Phil’s likeability will carry him through. Simon agrees and says that Phil will definitely be back next week. Ryan visits the red room. Sundance says that people advised him to “not be so crappy,” and he vows to do just that. Good strategy! A.J. says that he got mixed reviews from people he talked to. He thinks the judges were fair, and he’s happy to have a chance to redeem himself. Jared says that he is going to follow Simon’s advice to be more adventurous. Jared dedicates his performance to his parents. He says his mom woke him up the day of the audition and told him to “get your butt up out of bed and go.” His dad introduced him to great music and is the reason he cultivated his talent. He’s happy to have their support. Jared is singing “Let’s Get It On” and looks superhot in a simple black suit. Already the guys are a huge improvement over last week. Jared hits the high notes well and manages to be a lot sexier than he was in his previous performance. He has a great smile and charm to spare. Thumbs down to the sneakers he’s wearing with his suit. Thumbs up to briefly crawling on the floor. At the end, he runs his hand over his face, and it is totally hot. Nicely done. Randy: Pitchy in spots, and he loved the face move. It was much better. Paula: She prefers Jared making the face move to Randy, which cracks up Simon. She says he’s a good looking guy, but he shouldn’t have pushed the song… “no pun intended.” Simon tells her it’s a family show, so he’s taking over. Simon: He’s glad Jared tried something bolder, but it reminds him of… The Love Boat. Jared was a bit corny, and sounds like a cabaret singer on the show. “That would have been a great Love Boat, man” deadpans Jared. The judges crack up, as do I. Simon can’t help but smile at that one. Ryan says, “And the things we’ve all done to that song. Memories, huh?” Looks like we learned a little something new about Ryan tonight, didn’t we? Jared makes the face move for us again. A.J. Tabaldo also dedicates his performance to his parents. They instilled in him to never give up. He says they’ve always supported him, and by being successful, he can say, “This is for you, mom and dad.” In a green shirt and grey vest, A.J. sings “Feelin’ Good.” The swelling strings overwhelm him at first, but when he gets into the song, he sounds great. I have to say, though, that it seems really Broadway, more than pop. Randy: It was “so much better than last week.” He showed some skills. Paula: “You have a real, real, real, real good voice.” That’s right, people: I counted the reals. That’s how dedicated I am to you. Simon: “That was actually nearly very good.” There were a few problems in the middle, but he made himself stand out. We finally saw some personality. He also looked “strangely comfortable.” A.J. says that he took the judges’ criticism last week and decided to try something different. He says he wanted to “show I can sing!” Sanjaya Malakar dedicates his song to his grandfather, who died when he was just five. We see a picture of his grandfather holding tiny baby Sanjaya and his sister. He inherited his grandfather’s wedding ring and wears it on stage. Sanjaya is wearing a Michael Jackson-style fedora and a burgundy shirt, so I was expecting the King of Pop. Instead, Sanjaya is doing “Steppin’ Out With My Baby.” He is making an admirable effort to dance, but he seems stiff. Overall, it’s pretty weak and boring. It’s not bad and it’s definitely better than last week, but he’s definitely the weakest so far. I’d say it was a performance to send him home, but I maintain that we’re going to be stuck with this kid at least until the top 8. Randy: He’s a nice kid, but it was “really weird for me,” like a bad high school talent show. Paula: He sang on pitch, so there’s that at least. He’s 17 and has “an old soul.” She thinks it was an odd choice. Simon pushes her to say if she liked him or not. Paula says she doesn’t like Simon. She suggests he pick songs “that celebrate your youth.” Simon: It’s time for another Simon metaphor! This week, it’s a “ghastly lunch” where afterwards, the parents dress up the kids and have them come out and sing. I swear, it must be fascinating to live Simon’s life, in which you are so often subject to unexpected bad performances. The audience boos, but Simon continues. He says it was weak and made no impact. He says Sanjay whispered towards the end. What was he thinking? Sanjaya says he wanted to “celebrate the great years of music,” and to sing a song his grandpa might like. Ryan asks Sanjaya what he learned from the judges. He says that he will “go with my youth,” and that he feels okay about his performance. Ryan reminds us to visit Fox’s web site, so now would be a good time for me to encourage you to visit Foxes on Idol for all kinds of Idol fun. Unfortunately, you won’t find hairstyling tips on Foxes like the one Chris Sligh gives Ryan. Chris says they put “as much conditioner as they can” in his hair and just let it sit. Chris says he thinks he picked the right song, one that he loves and he hopes America will love. Chris dedicates his song to his wife, Sarah. She is freaking gorgeous, and Chris says “most people have no idea how I ever coerced her to marry me.” Dude, you’re funny and you’re in a band. That’s how that happened. He says that there have been times they’ve been broke, but she always encouraged him to keep going. He says he can confidently say he’ll be with her for the rest of his life. Chris is singing “Trouble,” which feels like a bit of a risk since Taylor sang it last year. He looks good in a suit and funky t-shirt. His voice is clear and pure, and he is clearly feeling the song. At one point, he actually sings to his wife, which is sweet. Chris hits a great note at the end, and overall, it’s an excellent effort. Much stronger than last week, not that last week was bad for him. Randy: “It’s good to see you return.” Chris was better than last week and showed off his big voice. Paula: She liked it too, and thinks Sarah must have been happy with it. She advises him to watch his pitch. Simon: He says the reason they put him through is that he’s a good singer, and tonight, he showed it. He teases Chris about dedicating a song called “Trouble” to his life, but that it made sense when he heard the lyrics. Chris says he has been saved by a woman. Ryan points out that Taylor sang the song. Chris says he did it a little differently. Ryan asks Sarah if she welled up a bit at his singing. Sarah just looks happy and proud. Nick Pedro dedicates his song to his girlfriend Caitlin. He says she’s been supportive. It’s been hard to be apart from her, and he appreciates that she understood their being apart on Valentine’s Day. He says she means a lot to him. Nick is singing “Fever” in a grey jacket and ice blue shirt. Nick’s really trying to go for “cool” in this performance, but it’s just coming across as really dorky to me. His voice sounds good, but I’m really not excited. Randy: All of the guys are improving. He says that Nick has returned to his usual vibe. He was pitchy and rushed, but it was the Nick “that we fell in love with.” Paula: This was a throwback to his audition. He should just go for it. Simon: It was good, but he lacked charisma. He should have dressed better. He liked the drummer, though. Ryan asks what he should have worn. Simon says he’s not a stylist. Randy suggests a snug black t-shirt. Ryan points out Caitin in the audience, who is a cutie. Ryan adds, “The guys are scoring serious points with these dedications!” Nick then gives us Napoleon Dynamite flashbacks by saying, “Vote for Pedro.” Ryan chats up Blake. Blake says after seeing the girls, he decided to step up his game. Blake dedicates his performance to his parents. He says his dad is a hard working man. His mom has an amazing voice and has been performing for a long time. He says they’re very excited for him and that he loves them. Blake is singing “Virtual Insanity” in a stupid sideways hat, green t-shirt layered over a white hoodie, and loose grey pants. It’s a great choice for him, totally funky and cool. He can show off his dance moves, but the voice is there, too. It’s my favorite performance of the night so far. He even does some scratching, which is supercool. He’s different, and I like that. Way to not sing a ballad or Motown, dude. Love that. Randy: “That’s what I’m talking about!” It was a great return to form. He loved the falsetto and scatting at the end. Paula: Blake’s making smart choices and is unique. Simon: He disagrees with the other two to the loud boos of the crowd. He thought the first part was “completely copycat,” the second was great, and in the end, the tune went. He didn’t see any originality. Ryan disagrees and says that Blake doesn’t sound like the original. Simon sarcastically apologizes for having an opinion. Ryan asks if Paula and Simon went on a date last week. Blake calls his scatting “vocal entendre.” Ryan attempts to do the same thing, which is pretty darned cute. Sometimes Seacrest is such a cute little thing that I just want to carry him around in my handbag. Chris Richardson says he’s going to go up tempo again with “Geek in the Pink.” Brandon, though, is up next and tells us he picked his song, then second-guessed it, but wanted to use it because of his dedication. Brandon dedicates his song to his grandmother, who always wanted him to succeed. He thinks she’d be very proud of the man he’s become. Brandon is wearing a pink shirt with a funky design and jeans. He’s singing a very slow version of “Time After Time.” It sounds very soulful, different than the original. It’s okay, but everyone else has been so good this week that I’m not that impressed. Randy: He liked the sentiment and thought the song fit that. But, it wasn’t enough for him vocally. He needs to show what he’s got. It was kind of boring. Brandon says he was trying to put his heart into it and didn’t want anything extra. Paula: She felt his heart, and he doesn’t need to oversing. The dedication was special. Simon: Simon loves grandparents, but Brandon shouldn’t keep those emotions inside. He needs to make a wow impact like so many of the girls did last week. Paula makes devil horns while Simon talks. Ryan says it must be difficult to sing a song that meaningful to you. Brandon agrees, then wishes his dad a happy birthday. Simon then tells everyone that his mother’s birthday is in November, and adds that he likes puppies. I love Simon. I mean, Brandon might not have been pandering on purpose, but come on! Chris Richardson dedicates his song to his grandmother “big momma.” He says she’s spunky and energetic. She’s also opinionated and will tell him straight up what she thinks. He knows she’ll be supporting her from home. Chris is wearing a zip-front striped shirt and jeans. He is indeed singing “Geek in the Pink.” He’s off pitch, off tempo, and completely overwhelmed by the music. Chris was so much better last week. I really didn’t like this one. It turns out, though, that the judges disagree. Randy: “Chris is in it to win it tonight.” It was hotter than the original. Paula: Paula thinks it’s hilarious that he dedicated it to his grandmother. Chris says his grandmother would have loved a country song, but she does love to dance. Simon: It was “the best tonight by miles.” Chris thinks Big Momma is dancing at home. Simon jokes that she’s saying, “What the hell is that song?” Last up is Sundance Head. He dedicates his song to his two and a half month old son Levi. His wife was pregnant when he auditioned, and it’s really hard being apart from his son. Sundance tears up at the fact that Levi is starting to smile and he’s missing it. Well, crap. Now I’m crying too. Sundance is singing “Mustang Sally” in a bland grey striped shirt. It’s nice to see that he decided to sing well again. It’s good, but to be honest, that’s all I can really say about it. I don’t think he deserved the final spot, but at least he showed why he made it. I’m not as impressed with him as I was by Phil, Jared, Chris Sligh, or Blake. Sundance wowed me at his audition, but this performance is too little too late for me. Randy: “What a difference a week makes!” Sundance says he has to thank everyone for keeping him around. Paula: He needs to do performances like that every week. Simon: He agrees with Randy and Paula that we finally have the Sundance they like back. But, he still thinks Sundance could do better. Sundance says he really needed this week. He is visibly relieved. He says he misses Levi. Ryan thinks he might be away for longer than he knows. Sundance jokes that maybe by the time he gets back, Levi will be ready to go fishing with him. Ryan puts up a picture of Levi with a great big Sundance beard on his chin, which cracks Sundance up. Ryan then says that the beard feels “straw-y.” Sundance confides that there’s hairspray in it. I don’t think any of us expected to get hairstyling advice from Sundance and Chris Sligh this week, but there it is. Paula says the guys are back. Ryan says that Simon was even snapping his fingers. Simon says, “It was better, Ryan.” It was indeed, thank goodness. Still, we’ve got to say goodbye to two people. It should be Sanjaya and Nick, but because I think we’re doomed to Sanjaya, I’ll predict A.J. and Nick.