Bon Jovi Night: A Night to Remember

Last night Bon Jovi went behind the scenes with the idols and guided them on how to rock it out. This was overall the best night of the competition thus far. But with two contestants going home this week, instead of one, anything could happen. After raising $70 million last week for the Idol Gives Back charity the producers decided that they couldn’t bear to send anyone home on charity night so last weeks votes will be added to this weeks. But for me the real excitement is that American Idol is back.


1. Phil Stacey – “Blaze of Glory” – For me this was his best performance in the competition. He blew it out of the water. Some contestants have begun to fizzle out, but for the past three weeks Phil has only grown in the competition. He’s done everything he possibly could within the bounds of his vocal ability the last weeks to keep himself in the competition. But the question is, will it prove to be too late.

2. Jordin Sparks – “Livin On A Prayer – She struggled, she faltered, but she didn’t quite fail. From the beginning of the song it wasn’t hard to tell this was not the comfortable, confident and energetic Jordin we’ve come to love. She made up some lost ground during the chorus, but it just wasn’t good.

3. Lakisha Jones - “This Ain’t A Love Song” – She’s back. This is week one Lakisha. She picked a great song and belted it out. For the past couple of weeks she’s fizzled, but last night proved she wasn’t just a one hit wonder. As long as she picks the right songs, she’ll soar. But those were my first thoughts. The problem with Lakisha is she naturally picked the one Aretha Franklin meets Bon Jovi song that he ever wrote or sang. For Lakisha the song and the performance was predictable and safe. Typical Lakisha, nothing outside of the box. But at this point in the competition I’ve had the realization that Lakisha can’t do anything else. Therefore, in the end, for her, it was a great song choice to keep herself in the competition for another week but not win it.

4. Blake Lewis – “You Give Love a Bad Name” – This performance gave me mini-chills all over my body. It was spectacular. Far and above my favorite Blake performance of the season. He infused a new age funk with a classic song and it was awesome. He completely tore apart one of Bon Jovi’s signature hits and made it his own. It was risky to take such a well-known song that’s loved by millions and completely rework it. But I loved it. This is the song that ensures Blake a spot in the final two. In fact, I think this could Blake’s “Somewhere Over the Rainbow.” A stellar performance.

5. Chris Richardson – “Wanted Dead or Alive – Poor, poor Chris. To have to follow Blake must have killed him, and it may just be what knocks him right out of the competition. It wasn’t bad, wasn’t great, just good. But at this point, good doesn’t cut it, especially when you’ve got four out of this world performances. It also doesn’t help that this was one of Chris Daughtry’s signature songs from last season. Daughtry’s fans may not appreciate that.

6. Melinda Doolittle – “Have A Nice Day” – Blake may have given me mini chills but Melinda she gave me the full thing. Wow, another favorite performance for me. That’s three for last night. There’s a reason she went last, what better way to end a great night but with one of the best performances of the entire season. Unlike Lakisha who played it safe Melinda threw caution into the wind and jumped out of the box. She kicked her Donna Summer side to the curb and brought the Tina Turner side out. For me this song sealed the deal: She’s the next American Idol.


So Who’s Going Home:

I can tell you who’s not going home, Blake and Melinda. The rest are at risk. I’m going to pick Lakisha and Chris though. Chris has been pretty stale for the past several weeks. Not great, not bad, just all right. And while Lakisha stepped it up last night she’s had a couple of disappointing weeks, while some of the other contestants rose to the challenge. Jordin is certainly at risk, but she had such a powerful week last week that those votes alone should be enough to carry her through to next week. Phil is the last bottom feeder left in the competition, but he keeps stepping up and growing. Plus he’s the underdog and people like underdogs. So there it is Lakisha and Chris.