American Idol 5, February 21: The Diva Dozen

Welcome to the top 24 of American Idol. Ryan Seacrest reminds us that now, the power is in our hands. No more will Simon, Randy, and Paula determine who advances. It’s up to America. And, Ryan adds, we’ll see no more crying cowboys or Brittenum twins. Hooray to that last part. Ryan says that anything can happen as these singers work to advance to the top twelve. Tonight, the women will perform, the men will be tomorrow, and on Thursday, the bottom two will go home.

Ryan introduces the judges, then asks Simon how he feels about the criticism that’s come his way. Simon plays innocent and claims he hasn’t heard any criticism, that he’s been busy defending Ryan. If you say so, Simon. Ryan asks Paula if she has been harder to impress this year. I think she has, and I like the new, tougher Paula. She thinks that this is a great season, and adds that the audience has become tougher. Finally, Ryan asks Randy who will win. Of course, Randy doesn’t name names, but says that he thinks it will be a guy this year.

We see a quick repeat of the auditions of all of the top twelve women. And now, on with the show!

Mandisa is up first. We see a video introducing her to us. She says that she was happy with her first audition, until Simon made his comment about their needing a bigger stage. Then we see Mandisa handling it with impressive class and dignity. She’ll be singing “Never” by Heart because “Sistas can rock, too!”

Randy: Great start to the show. She looked hot and her personality really shone through. There were a few sharp moments, but it was good.

Paula: Phenomenal! Heart is a challenging band to sing, and Paula recalls the way Carrie performed it and suggests that Mandisa might have been even more fabulous.

Simon: He and Mandisa joke about their new “understanding.” He says he performance wasn’t perfect musically, but that she has a great personality. She threw the gauntlet tonight and is likely to make the finals.

Betsy: I like Mandisa, and I thought she was great tonight. She looked terrific and gave a sultry edge to the song. She really did make it her own.

Ryan asks Mandisa about her “understanding” with Simon. She says that the two of them have a relationship now and are “practically dating.” She adds that they respect each other. Ryan points out her heart necklace and gives her numbers.

Next up is Kellie Pickler. Kellie says in her video that it was hard sharing her story with America. Now her dreams are coming true. She had trouble with nerves in Hollywood, but worked through it, she says. Kellie will be singing “How Far.” She adds that it’s usually a song about romantic love, but since there’s none of that in her life right now, she’ll be thinking about her conflicted feelings towards her dad.

Randy: It was good, but not her best. The high notes were rough, but it got better at the end.

Paula: Kellie has no diva attitude, which is great. She’s very likable, and that will carry her far. Kellie sang her heart out in the chorus, but needs to give more power to the verses.

Simon: It was worse at the end, but Kellie is indeed likable. The song was heart-felt, and Kellie is sincere, not “a stage school monster.” She did well.

Betsy: I completely agree with Paula. Kellie was pretty soft and understated at the verses, turning it on only at the chorus. She can do better, though I think she’ll be around and will have a chance to show us that.

Kellie tells Ryan how nervous she is, which is cute. She says that since the show aired, women have been flirting with her grandpa!

Becky O’Donohue is next. She reminds us that Simon was not impressed with her first audition, but Paula believed in her. Becky says she’s been working hard, and adds that her twin sister has been there to support her. She’ll be singing “Because The Night,” which was on her very first CD.

Randy: There were some off notes, but he loved the performance. The “’06 Dawg Pound” of male contestants agrees with him. She is the total package. The men woof in agreement.

Paula: Becky’s charm is her magic, but there were off notes throughout the song. Paula advises her to not oversing and to connect with the audience.

Simon: It was better than he expected. Visually she’s a 10, but vocally, she’s a 6-1/2. The last note was off, and just being “quite good” is not good enough – you have to be great.

Betsy: I was really not impressed by this performance. I think the song was just too big for Becky. She seemed overpowered by the whole thing. This could be the end for her, honestly.

Ryan asks Simon what advice he’d give Becky. He tells her to beware of looking like second best to the original and advises her to find a comfort zone.

The next performer is Alya Brown. She’s tall next to teeny Ryan, so he stands on a box. In her video, Alya says that being a basketball player has helped her get used to criticism. She was shocked, though, when Simon called her audition robotic. Despite my husband’s suggestion, she will not be singing “Mr. Roboto,” but rather “Reflection.” The song was in the Mulan soundtrack and means a lot to Alya.

Randy: Was pleasantly surprised by how well she handled a Christina Aguilera song. There was a small crack in her voice, but she was good.

Paula: Was also pleasantly surprised. Alya made the song her own and showed some vulnerability.

Simon: Alya seems like a hard worker. He thinks her voice has a limit, and that we saw it tonight, but she pulled it together. He praises her for showing emotion.

Betsy: This song is clearly special to Alya, because her feeling and passion were evident in her performance. It’s not the best performance of the night by a long shot, but it’s solid.

Ryan asks Alya how she feels. She says she feels amazing. She loves the song and loves performing it.

Paris Bennett is up next. She says that her family is very important to her, and she loves that her grandmother was there for her at the auditions and in Hollywood. She’ll be singing “Midnight Train to Georgia” and invites her home state to get on board.

Randy: “We got a hot one!” Paris, he says, seems like she’s been doing this all her life.

Paula: “You’re my idol.” Paris was a firecracker, managed to avoid a wardrobe malfunction with her strapless top, and was a great showman.

Simon: “This is how to win.” She was likeable, confident, did not play it safe, and was memorable. He and Paula agree that she reminds them of Fantasia.

Betsy: Wow! I got a kick out of the fact that Paris seems to have borrowed Gladys Knight’s hairstyle and wardrobe from the ‘70s for this performance. Style issues aside, this girl is a star. Her voice sounded amazing, and she showed that she is a natural performer. Paris is going to be the one to beat.

Ryan tells Paris that Kevin danced right along with her. Too bad we didn’t get to see that one. Paris, Ryan tells us, keeps a diary. Paris won’t divulge exactly what she’s been writing in it, though.