American Idol, Week 3: Girls

*Spoiler alert!!! Please don't read this if you don't want to know what the girls sang tonight. As always, you can watch this episode of American Idol on www.ch131.com approximately 24 hours after the original broadcast.

(Umm....Ellen, ya ALMOST lost me there. Nuzzling a straight man for a laugh? I thought you were above that...*tsk tsk*)

1. Katie Stevens (Break Away) - WOW. Way to rush a start! "Take it away..." and BAM. Time to sing. Great song choice, I think though. The beginning was WAY rough. Too low? Too slow? She was wobbling. The chorus was better, though. Let's see how she stacks up against the others!

2. Siobhan Magnus (House of the Rising Sun) - Super, super, super smart intro. She's got the notes, and she could take it at just the right pace to get the notes just right. Does that make sense? Girl's looking much better tonight (lovin' her hair with those clips!). What can I say? If she can keep her image accessible, I think this girl will go FAR. She's got one of the best voices in the competition.

3. Lacey Brown (The Story) - Her voice is so, so, so unique. I'm a fan...but I'm not loving this song for her. It's range is too big for a voice like hers. It sounds cartoonish anyhow, but when you get a range like that, it sounds like three different people taking turns singing the notes. Not strong...at all.  (The judges don't seem to agree with me, though.)

4. Katelyn Epperly (I Feel the Earth Move) - (I always love hearing Carole King - it reminds me of my mom. She introduced us.) Well, I'll say this - I think Katelyn's been practicing her stage presence. No more crazy zombie eyes this week! I like this! Not sure if it's really memorable, but she did a good job.

5. DiDi Benami (A song from Fleetwood Mac. Heh. Sorry I don't know the name. Help?) Ok. THIS is lovely! Accompanying herself was a really smart choice tonight, because this is a song that just needs to croon. It needs some liberty built in. She made it her own, and I really liked that.

6. Paige Miles (Smile) - Rough beginning. Really, really rough. I think our Miss Paige might be in trouble. It never picked up...and it was her second week not acting the way the song told her to act. I get the feeling that people aren't being smart. When you audition, you had about 10 seconds to WOW the judges. Now that they're on the show...they're forgetting to GRAB people. (Go back and watch Adam Lambert's performances from last year to get an example of how to really GRAB people's attention.)

7. Krystal Bowersox (Gimme One Reason to Stay Here) This does me good. She always kind of gave me the Tracy Chapman vibe...but it's so nice to hear that she sounds nothing like her. (Does that make sense?) This girl can still rock it. A seriously talented artist. I also love how sincerely humble she is. Song's over, just move the mic, and stand still to get your critique.

8. Lily Scott (I Fall to Pieces) - Hrm. This is the first time I'm not Adoring. The song is too low for her, too forced. The ending pulled it together...but, still. I'm not "jumping out of my chair" as Randy would say.

My picks to go home....Paige Miles and Katie Stevens.