American Idol 4, May 10 - The Game and How To Change It

Carrie Underwood, "If You Don’t Me By Now"

Randy - "It just didn’t work. I was waiting for you to get on track, and you never did."

Paula - "You have been right on with everything, but that performance didn’t work."

Simon - "That was an appalling arrangement... it was boring and lethargic and a complete and utter mess in my opinion."

Sting7 - Okay, I feel a little better. I thought it was just me! I just didn’t feel Carrie tonight. What is going on? It was oddly soulless. I think maybe this song was just not Carrie, not in her scope of things she can make shine. Shake it off, Carrie.

Bo Bice, "For The Love of Money"

Randy - "When your record comes out, I hope that’s on your record. That was a good version!"

Paula - "I think it’s your best performance, loved loved loved it!"

Simon - "Fantastic performance, terrible image, fantastic performance."

Sting7 - Bo sings the theme from The Apprentice? This felt like a dedication to Corey Clark! Paula sure acted like it! Bo tore that thing up! He started a little slow, but he was feeling it. He was sending it to somebody!

Vonzell Solomon, "Don’t Leave Me This Way"

Randy - "Excellent, excellent job... one thing America knows now is you definitely can sing!"

Paula - "You do take risks ... you do achieve your own personal bests, and tonight you just did that."

Simon - "You pulled out all the stops on that one. It was a manic performance, I was almost glad it ended. It was much, much better than the first performance."

Sting7 - This is more like it! That is Vonzell! Whatever she is going through, she turned it up.

There’s Angela Peele in the Coke commercial again. She was robbed in season one. Hang in there, Angela!

Anthony Fedorov, "If You Don’t Me By Now"

Randy - "You know what, this is a much better version of the song... that was good man, you worked it out!"

Paula - "You came out here with conviction... you nailed it."

Simon - "That was a much better arrangement... it’s like Woody Allen trying to play the lead in Shaft!"

Sting7 - Hey! Anthony taking on Carrie, head-to-head?! And, he blew her away! Away! What the hell is going on? Holy cow! Carrie’s sounded like a funeral dirge, Anthony (sorry Simon) was actually soulful. Sometimes, soul can come from those pure voices, ask Eddie Kendrick. All told, Anthony had the kind of night he needed to have. He may slip into the top three yet!

What an odd night. One Idol steps it up! Another slips a couple of notches. I don’t think that Top three is as certain as we might think.

Here’s how I think the voting should go for song one:

1. Anthony
2. Vonzell
3. Bo
4. Carrie

Here’s how I think the voting should go for song two:

1. Bo
2. Vonzell
3. Anthony
4. Carrie

Here’s how I think the voting will go:

1. Bo
2. Vonzell
3. Anthony
4. Carrie

Yes, I am saying Carrie is going home tomorrow! I can’t believe I’m saying it, but Carrie didn’t give many reasons to vote for her – there was that risky "losing is not the end of the world" comment. I wish I could just tell them. You are right, but even if you feel it, don’t say that! If you don’t care, we don’t care.

There was her "what she misses from home" video. Her friends? Do you not have parents? And, Anthony flat outsang her. She lost the battle of "If You Don’t Know Me!"

Let’s see if I’m right. Join me tomorrow?

Sting7 has been a respected published writer for 16 years, as a music editor, entertainment critic, columnist, and interviewer. He also has a curious love for pro-wrestling! You can email Stinger at stingseven@yahoo.com.

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