Three singers, three choices for each. First the contestants sang a song picked for them by one of the judges, then they picked a song of their own followed by a song selected by the A-Idol producers.
     Paula picked Billy Joel’s “And So It Goes” for David Archuleta. He did a super job with beautiful phrasing and gorgeous tone. Randy said it was a “dope song” choice and that David was in “the zone.” Paula said his performance was “pure” and that he’s a “stunning storyteller.” Simon said it was good but “predictable.” David picked Chris Brown’s “With You” to show he’s got more than his sensitive ballad side. He really warmed up to the song halfway through, and while the judges applauded him for trying something new, they agreed it wasn’t a perfect fit. Simon said though he was glad it wasn’t something “treacly,” this was like “a chihuahua trying to be a tiger.” WTF? The producers chose Dan Folgelberg’s “Longer” that got a classic Archuleta treatment. David always turns a lovely phrase and has a great voice, but needs to diversify, IMHO. The judges liked his performance, but Simon hated the song for being “so gooey.” That said, he pronounced David worthy of the finals.
     Syesha Mercado was the filling in the semifinals Davids sandwich. Randy chose Alicia Keys “If I Ain’t Got You” for her first song. Wow, has her confidence and performance level skyrocketed these past few weeks. She looked stunning and, as Randy said, did an “amazing job.” He complimented her for “peaking at the right time.” Simon complimented her for looking “gorgeous.’ Next up, she dipped into her acting skills and grabbed a wooden chair to do a Vegas-style performance of Peggy Lee’s “Fever.” It was great, allowing her to display nuances to her vocal ability and an on-stage confidence she hadn’t shown before. Randy said it was sung “amazingly well.” Paula wasn’t as enthusiastic, saying it didn’t show who she was as an artist. Simon called it a “lame cabaret performance.” My take: they didn’t like the overt sexiness of it because it doesn’t fit into the faux Polly Purebred image of American Idol. (How many past contestants have been arrested…?) For her last song, the producers killed her chances with a forgettable Rihanna tune that was in the penguin film “Happy Feet.” She did the best that she good, but the one-dimensionality of the tune didn’t offer her much to work with.
     Simon made a brilliant choice for David Cook’s first song: Roberta Flack’s “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face.” This is a very difficult song to sing, and you knew Simon thought it offered the perfect challenge to David’s trademark creative arrangements. Of course, David rose to the challenge. Actually he soared. The song displayed his amazing range and he was able to put a David Cook insignia on a well-known tune. (Not an easy feat!) Randy wasn’t a fan and said he’d have preferred a rock tune. Simon said it was one of his best performances to date. David picked Switchfoot’s “Dare You To Move” for the second song. It was a weird arrangement of an uninteresting song. Next! He finished with Dianne Warren’s “I Don’t Want To Miss A Thing.” The song was overproduced with strings and the band drowning him out a tad, but David sang it very well. Randy again wasn’t a fan (I think he’s trying to push Syesha through). Paula said “See you in the finals!” (She’s trying to push the two Davids through.) Simon said David Cook “wins the night.”
Final two: The Davids
Paula’s adjective du jour: stunning