American Idol 4, March 29: Keeping It Real: The Sequel

Sting7 - Please join me in welcoming back The Professional! Nadia is clearly listening to the judges, and all the things we love about Nadia are back. The edge is back, the mastery of the stage, the emotional tactility of her singing. Interesting choice of song, she put her own stamp on it. Not the most memorable of the Nadia body of work, but it’s back in the pocket.

Constantine Maroulis, "I Can’t Make You Love Me"

Randy - "So dude, you know what, this is great for me... I think you were probably a cool kid went to school studied theatre, not really that much of a rock guy, this is your best vocal performance for me by a mile!"

Paula - "Constantine that was one of my favorite songs, it was so refreshing hearing a male version. This was your best vocal performance by far. You’re creeping up into the favorites."

Simon - "I think you did better than Bo tonight... what you did wasn’t the best vocal, but you were like a classic pop star because you appealed to your target audience and your target audience will love that!"

Sting7 - Whoa! Where did all that bel canto come from? I was in another room when Constantine started singing, and I swear to you, I thought he was Anthony for a moment! It is easily the best vocal performance of Constantine’s Idol career! If he can string a few more of these together, he may just win this thing!

Nikko Smith, "Can We Talk?"

Randy - "I don’t know what events happened– I am so happy that you are back in this competition, you blew it out tonight man!"

Paula - "You make me feel so proud to sit where I am sitting... I am so glad you are in this competition... you had another consecutive great week!"

Simon - "I think you are a breath of fresh air, if I’m being realistic, it’s quite a good imitation of the original. It’s still a compliment."

Sting7 - Nikko makes me laugh. Not because I’m making fun of him, but he just bleeds on the stage! He’s always on the brink of being over the top, but it’s just so damn earnest! He trying his damndest to make the best out of what he has. Tonight, I believe, he pulled off his best vocal performance of his Idol campaign! Simon does not know the original (Tevin Campbell) version well-enough to know that Nikko definitely took vocal liberties with it. And, it worked!

Anthony Fedorov, "The Way You Look Tonight"

Randy - "Innocent Anthony’s grown up! It was alright, it was alright. (audience boos) It was alright!"

Paula - "I think you did a great job, good for you!"

Simon - "I want to be nice because I like you. I think in parts it was absolutely excruciating. The middle, the end and the beginning."

Sting7 - Wow! I do not know what Simon was listening to, but Anthony was far from excruciating! I think that this was Anthony’s best vocal performance to date! He corrected the breathing problems that plagued him before, took off the glasses, found some emotional depth – I do love the sound of straight-out, unriffed singing, and Anthony is the only male who gives us that. Personally, he sang it better than Elton John did, especially the ending -- finding power notes where there aren't any, smart. I don't think I'm offending Elton, who thinks his singing is quite average. I’m getting the feeling that some of my We’ll Be The Judge comrades aren’t as enthusiastic about Anthony tonight as I was, but I think the kid did the job tonight.

Carrie Underwood, "Independence Day"

Randy - "Great, great, great, great, great, greatgreatgreat performance! The best vocal of the night!"

Paula - "I love when you sing country... it just feels so natural when you are singing those songs, you were wonderful tonight."

Simon - "I do get a hard time for being critical, but some of the performances tonight, I have seen across England, America... you have something different, that "it" factor and that’s what it’s all about."

Sting7 - It’s a funny thing for me. I am not a fan of country music per se, but I love Nashville Star. I just don’t want to see the American Idol become a country star. Maybe that is just my problem. Maybe I had better get used to the idea. Carrie had a surge of confidence that you could almost taste as she effortless tackled the finest female country vocalist of the last 20 years, Martina McBride. If anyone else is going to win this competition, they will have to stop Carrie.