Summary "American Idol" - Top Ten Male Semifinalists - March 2, 2010

The men and the women have switched nights due to an unspecified medical problem for contestant Crystal Bowersox.

Randy doesn't think it will be a problem for the boys. Kara thinks the guys will better this week. Simon thinks the girls are ahead by a smidge.

Theme: Billboard Hits

Contestant #1:Michael Lynche His personal tidbit is that he's been a football player and a musical theatre geek. He benches 505. He thought his performance last week was good and fun.

Song: "It's a Man's, Man's, Man's World," James Brown

Performance:A little more serious this week Big Mike works the JB track out just fine hitting a couple of high notes and a few runs.

Randy: Feels like the season is finally getting started and he gives him a standing O.

Ellen Likes his song choices and that they're all different. She thinks it's the way to start the night.

Kara: She says she didn't get him until tonight, he went from being a singer to a potentially great artist. He owned it.

Simon: Agrees that he went from a pussycat to a lion. He calls it exactly the right song and yet it didn't sound dated. Calls it his best peformance to date.

Mike's excited his wife is coming on Friday. He says the guys found out this morning they were on tonight.



Contestant #2:John Park In Ryan red room chat he says his former a cappella group Purple Haze at Northwestern has been very supportive. On viewing the tape back he thought he was trying too hard. This week he's focusing on honesty. His personal tidbit is that English is his second language, he grew up speaking Korean as a child. He agrees his song last week was a bad choice.

Song:"Gravity," John Mayer

Performance: He's also serious, but he was last week too. Seated on a stool it's a little somber but he sounds fine although there's at least one pitch issue in the middle. He's got a nice tone but the song doesn't have much range and it's not very dynamic.

Randy: He thought John Mayer was his vibe but he doesn't think John brought anything spicy to it and there were pitch issues.

Ellen: Thought it was a much better song choice and that he felt it more, he thinks he should try to feel it more.

Kara: Also thought it was better but she wants to see him take risks.

Simon: Thinks Purple Haze might get their singer back. He calls it a so-what performance and he also struggles with believability.

They all follow up basically saying he needs to be more dazzling and heartfelt.



Contestant #3: Casey James In Ryan red room chat Casey admits he never watched "Idol" before he was on the show. He picked a song that a lot of contestants previously have done. His personal tidbit is he hasn't had a TV most of his life. It forced him to do other stuff like learn guitar and renovating his own house. He won't share his pre-show ritual but if he makes it to the Top Ten he'll tell. (He unwisely says a lot of people are better in this competition than him.)

Song: "I Don't Want To Be," Gavin DeGraw

Performance: He opens with a hot guitar lick. He's got a nice ease to him. The vocals are fine but in Randy's previous words he's not doing anything too spicy with it and some of the low bits bottom out breath control-wise. It's nice to hear some groove though. It's a really good bar band performance.

Randy: Thinks he's channeling great guitar players with the playing. He didn't love the song choice but thought it was the right lane.

Ellen: Thinks you can't go wrong with the song and thought he sounded great. She says it's all there on paper but wants to see him perform more and be less stiff.

Kara:Thinks he took two steps backwards. Loved the guitar playing but this is a singing competition and she thought was great about him vocally went away.

Simon: He's kind of with Kara because last week he picked a great song but this week he seemed more like someone trying to be a rock star in a bar band. Thinks he didn't have enough grit, more like sand.

He feels comfortable playing but thinks they were probably right about the vocals.



Contestant #4:Alex Lambert In Ryan red room chat, Alex admits to having stage fright, especially without his guitar. He didn't throw up this week. His personal tidbit is that when he was in 6th grade he came up with his own language. He gives us a sample. He wants to love being onstage instead of being terrified.

Song:"Everybody Knows," John Legend

Performance: His playing is a bit stiff and he still seems nervous but his voice sounds good. He seems most nervous of the moving camera. He hits a sweet, slightly blue note at the end.

Randy: He thinks it's a big improvement and not as sound-alike. He really enjoyed it. He also has his own language apparently.

Ellen: Continues with the unripe banana metaphor agreeing it was much better this week. Thinks Sam Cooke is under that mullet.

Kara: She thinks everyone watching is rooting for him. She thinks he has a great, recordable tone. Is looking forward to his growth.

Simon: Says it was a million times better. He says the only time he should be nervous is when you're useless. His advice is to have a more killer instinct. He wishes he was choosing his songs to help him boost confidence.



Contestant #5:Todrick Hall In Ryan red room chat, Todrick says he took all the critiques into account this week by changing up the song but not too much. He first started dancing at 9 in "The Nutcracker." He believes anything is possible. Before every peformance he does push-ups. He wants to infuse dancing and singing, like say, Paula Abdul. (He might've picked a better dancer-singer, Beyonce anyone?)

Song: "What's Love Got to Do With It," Tina Turner

Performance: He slows it down a bit and takes the groove out. The vocals aren't amazing, there are a few fights to stay on pitch and he seems constrained, some of it feels good and some of it feels awkward. It ends nicely.

Randy: Loved the end falsetto run but still didn't like the wildly different arrangement, tells him to just sing a nice song and don't just change the beats and arrangements.

Ellen: Says don't just sing, but sing and move and go with his strengths. She doesn't think it was the right song. But she likes him.

Kara Agrees that when he started to move it got better but she wonders where the Todrick of his first audition went, where he seemed easy and sang a sweet simple melody instead of trying to do runs.

Simon: Tells him to move and not sing and call him theme-park-y and corny. He says he's getting it completely wrong.

Todrick tells Ryan he thought he was supposed to change stuff up but Simon and Randy say he's going too far.



Contestant #6: Jermaine Sellers His personal tidbit is he rocks a onesie. He steams his voice before the show. He says last week the judges were cutthroat. He says they're all artists but not Picassos yet. He wants to take the judges advice.

Song: "What's Goin' On," Marvin Gaye

Performance: He slows the opening way down and also takes the groove out of it. He's also rocking a plaid bow tie with a polka dot shirt. Yikes. The groove kicks in and he starts taking liberty with the melodies. The vocal is not impressive, not a disaster but not impressive, kind of lounge singer-esque.

Randy: Thought it was better than last week but says it was close but so far. Just not a great peformance.

Ellen: She loves his style but feels like he pushed too hard again. It didn't work for her. She's not even sure why. (She gets booed a bit)

Kara: Thinks he's doing too much vocally and showing off and it feels forced, give them one trick that means something.

Simon: Says they're frustrated and disappointed by him watering down the song and he plays around so much that it's hard to take him seriously.

He talks back and says that he wants them to come to church with him. Simon says he would but that wasn't church singing it was "cabaret." Tells him just voice and piano would've been great. Jermaine asks what to sing next week and Simon says he probably won't be there. Ellen suggest Frankie Beverly and Maze. (Isn't that what "X Factor" is about?)



Contestant #7:Andrew Garcia His personal tidbit is he's a breakdancer and has been since middle school. We see clips of him breaking it down. He uses those rhythms in his music.

Song: "You Give Me Something," James Morrison

Performance: Sans guitar, on the stool. He seems a bit serious too. There are a few pitch problems which seems new for him, he also seems pinched a bit in places. It's not amazing. Neck tat more distracting.

Randy: Also loves James Morrison but honestly he didn't get it and thought it was pitchy all over the place. He sees him doing more of a Jason Mraz thing not a soul singer thing.

Ellen: Agrees there were pitch problems but really liked it. Says he set the bar so high with Paula Abdul but is a big fan and may get his name tattooed on her neck.

Kara: Agrees it's been downhill since "Straight Up." Thinks he played it too safe and wants him to surprise them.

Simon: Frustrated again over song choice especially since there are billions of songs to sing. Thougt it was just okay and thinks Andrew is better than okay.



Contestant #8: Aaron Kelly His personal tidbit is he loves photography and the personal expression it offers him. His pictures are pretty great. He agrees with last week's criticism that he wasn't confident enough and the show is still becoming real to him.

Song:"My Girl," The Temptations

Performance: He definitely seems more confident. His breath seems a little shaky though.The last note is rough but mostly it was fine and sweet.

Randy: Loved the beginning, thought the end was strange but 200 percent better.

Ellen: Thought he was more confident and that he can sing but thought the song was forgettable.

Kara: Really liked it and him and that he's consistent.

Simon: He didn't like the song and thought it was all over the place and that he went backwards. He needs to work out what kind of artist he's going to be and that it was all too old-fashioned. Kara disagrees.



Contestant #9: Tim Urban His personal tidbit is that he has 9 siblings. He calls them his best friends. His pre-show ritual is taking a moment to pray. He agrees with Simon's pointed criticism.

Song: "C'mon and Get Higher," Matt Nathanson

Performance: With his guitar in hand he goes the sensitive singer-songwriter route. The middle of his register is so much stronger than the highs and lows. He seems nervous but fighting it pretty well. The whole thing is a major improvement but he hits and holds one great note. He's definitely going to make it another week.

Randy: He didn't get it and thought it was very karaoke and not special.

Ellen: Tells the crowd to keep the boo-ing going. She tells him to be an actor, like on "Glee." He says he has no charisma and stage presence.

Kara: Liked the song choice a lot more but thinks he didn't make it his own. She says he looks and plays the part but it's not all there yet. She thinks he has nice moments and could be there.

Simon: Disagrees and thought it was a marked improvement and that he took criticism well. He thought he was more relevant than a lot of other singers. He's impressed by his attitude and work ethic and the fact that he didn't whine.



Contestant #10:Lee DeWyze His personal tidbit is that high school was rough, he made bad choices that got him placed in an alternative school, but one teacher really helped him, her name is Amy. Admits he was pitchy last week but he thinks he can take the criticism and stay true to himself and make them happy.

Song:"Lips of an Angel," Hinder

Performance: Also ditched the guitar this week. He sounds pretty good but he's hitting some rough notes again. (I'd like to hear him sing a Counting Crows song). He also seems like he's pushing too hard in places again. Plus, he keeps pulling up his pans which is distracting.

Randy: Wonders if he was missing his guitar. Thought he was a little out of sorts and had pitch problems but is a huge fan.

Ellen: Agrees it was pitchy but thought there was a lot of passion and intensity and he was really in it and it was great.

Kara: Thought it was a big improvement but there were still pitch problems. She can hear him on the radio right now, it's very commercial. She says he needs to own his stance.

Simon: Tells him to raise his shoulders because vocally he is head and shoulders above everyone else. He calls him undoubtedly the best singer and he needs to have self-belief. He's waiting for him to totally connect and choose the right song and then he will be the one to beat.

Based on tonight and the judges comments I'm guessing John Park and Jermaine Sellers are headed home.

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