Top 10 - Motown

Let me start off by saying this week's category has a huge potential to be awesome.

1 - Matt - Let's Get It On
love him...very cool

2 - Kris - How Sweet It Is
don't like the scruffy beard look on him...but it rocked....good call, Randy, he is in the zone

3 - Scott - You Can't Hurry Love
props for the pink pants....it was good, fun, but not fabulous

4 - Megan - For Once In My Life
she's awkward to watch and I feel like she tries too hard...when she sings her style, she's good, but tonight she wasn't

5 - Anoop - Ooh Baby Baby
serious Anoop has his game face on....it was a little slow though

6 - Michael - Ain't Too Proud to Beg
dug it, but the ending was weird

7 - Lil - Heat Wave
thank you, Smokey, for the singing the phone book comment this season....i always wait for that
this is her zone! awesome look this week.

8 - Adam - Tracks of My Tears
he looks more strange without make-up....he's straight theater for me...i don't know yet what i think about him....

9 - Danny - Get Ready
why didn't he listen to Smokey's advice? that would have made the song even more awesome.

10 - Allison - Papa Was a Rolling Stone
this to me was her best....she nailed it.

I also did a little bit of Dancing With the Stars scoring this week for our contestants. 1-10 scale in the categories of wardrobe, song selection, performance, and vocals.

Here's how the scoring shook out:
Megan 25
Scott 27
Michael 30
Adam 31
Anoop 32
Matt 33
Kris 35
Danny 35
Allison 36
Lil 37

Top 11 - Grand Ole Opry

This week, I'll be short and sweet (or not so sweet).

01 - Michael - Ain't Goin' Down Til the Sun Comes Up
That was a lot of lyric. He did well. It was fun.

02 - Allison - Blame It On Your Heart
The pacing back and forth was distracting. The girl can sing for sure.

03 - Kris - To Make You Feel My Love
I loved it! SO cool!

04 - Lil - Independence Day
Not what I would have picked for her. She can sing, but this performance was awkward.

05 - Adam - Ring of Fire
What is he wearing? Did anyone else think it was creepy?

06 - Scott - Wild Angels
Not sure about his selection this week, and the second half of the song was better.

07 - Alexis - Jolene
Spot on selection. Great vocal.

08 - Danny - Jesus, Take the Wheel
Love the song. Love him. Hate the white jacket.

09 - Anoop - You Were Always On My Mind
Dude, he brought it this week. Anoooooooooooooooooooooop!

10 - Megan - I Go Walking After Midnight
Her "dancing" is weird. I don't know about her.

11 - Matt - So Small
Love him too. Loved it!!!

What do you think?

Top 13 - Michael Jackson

I must admit that I am pretty pumped at the prospect of this theme night.

01 - Lil Rounds - The Way You Make Me Feel
So she's clearly not nervous. Wow! Seriously, she's amazing. Top notch selection, vocal, and performance. I thought she looked great too.

02 - Scott MacIntyre - Keep The Faith
I don't know the MJ version, but he could record this song. It's definitely great to hear him with the piano. I loved it. Simon and Randy made me angry...and it's so early in the show.

03 - Danny Gokey - P.Y.T.
I love him. I can't even write. A-MA-ZING

04 - Michael Sarver - You Are Not Alone
I love this song, and I like Michael. Solid vocal, and he showed who he is. (this is going to be tough this season)

Does anyone think Paula looks weird? Tonight for the first time this season I ask, why is she there and what is she trying to say. That being said, I have on occasion pulled a Paula like stunt and stood up to dance while contestants are singing. (After all this time, I thought I'd just own up to it.)

05 - Jasmine Murray - I'll Be There
Is she yelling at me or did I forget to turn my TV down from when Danny was singing? The stylist...thank goodness for the stylist. Safe song, strong vocal. I am just not that fired up about her, and I didn't think she was Top 12 worthy.

06 - Kris Allen - Remember The Time
Not sure about his wardrobe selection. It was rough in places, but I like this kid. It was a big stage, and he might have overdone it a little, but I like the guitar vibe.

07 - Allison Iraheta - Give In To Me
Um, this is MJ She was kind of shouting at me. It was unique, but my verdict is still out on her. She's a performer. Her look does fit well with her personal style.

08 - Anoop Desai - Beat It
(Loved the Thriller moves going to the break.) So Anoop got a style makeover. Love the selection. Love that he's still here. Rough vocal in spots, but I thought it was a super fun performance.

09 -Jorge Nunez - Never Can Say Goodbye
With not knowing the song, his performance was spot on to show his vocal range. It was a little dull, but this guy is different and I like what he brings to the competition. (And let's be honest, I am already thinking about the tour.)

10 - Megan Joy Corkery - Rockin' Robin
Ok, her dress is bad, it doesn't nothing for her as Grandma would say. But she is very pretty. Bad song selection and her dancing was awkward and awful. Her voice is unique, but she lost me on this performance. She did NOT just make a bird noise.

11 - Adam Lambert - Black Or White
He has quite a bit of makeup on...wow. He's still a little theatrical for me. I need him to sing a song when he doesn't yell before my verdict is ready. It was fun, but it wasn't awesome for me.

12 - Matt Giraud - Human Nature
This cat is awesome! His selection was perfect. The Midwest boys are rocking it! He's just cool.

13 (or 36 in phone number land) - Alexis Grace - Dirty Diana
Her little girl is so stinking cute! "Seacrest Out.." - priceless! She's playing to win. Selection, style, vocal - awesome.

So check it, here's how I group them this season:
Top tier - Lil, Danny, Matt
Next best - Adam, Allison, Alexis, Scott and Kris
On the verge - Michael, Anoop and Jorge
Not quite there - Jasmine and Megan

This "surprise twist" is a little much. Does this mean that the bottom two will sing off and the judges will make the final decision? That's what DWTS is doing this season......ever the drama dude, Simon.

Season 8 - Week 3 - 12 more

I realized how fabulous it is to watch this show with DVR last night. However, I was unable to text with my aunt and talk to Grandma Betty throughout the show, so I am sure I will go back to the real time next week.

I must say that I like this new format. Let's not listen to people sing for two nights and then cut 4, let's actually vote for the people we want.

I am on the record now that if the judges even up this mix to be 6 guys and 6 girls, they will have annoyed me.

On to this week.....

1 - Von Smith - You're All I Need to Get By
He sounded good. He's a little Broadway, but he picked the right song. It's rough to perform first and stay remembered though, so he's going to have a tough time

2 - Taylor Vaifanua - If I Ain't Got You
Cute dress. Excellent selection. She did a nice job. (Paula, we didn't see her perform this before, so step off.)

3 - Alex Wagner-Trugman - I Guess That's Why They Call It the Blues
He looks crazy nervous, and he sounds better when he doesn't try too hard. It's the end of his road though. (you know you want to sing "End of the Road" right now)

4 - Arianna Afsar - The Winner Takes It All
Don't do weird things to this song. She can sing, but it was not done in a good way to showcase her talent. Her dress was also cute.

5 - Ju'Not Joyner - Hey There Delilah
This is the way for me to learn lyrics :) Making this song R&B worked for me. He should have a shot in the wild card.

6 - Kristen McNamara - Give Me One Reason
I am going to start by saying I don't like this girl. She bugs me. She was also already on Nashville Star. She is drama. The judges are going to love her, but she is too blah for me. (ok, I know, but this is my opinion here…sorry if anyone is her best friend or biggest fan)

7 – Nathaniel Marshall – I Would Do Anything for Love
Let’s face it, the jacket is bad. I am not going to address the headband, although I really wanted one of the judges to wear it. He is distracting to watch, but he is not a bad singer. He would be good for musical theater.

8 – Felicia Barton – No One
Wow. She’s good. There were a couple of rough parts but this is a tough selection. I like her and her kid is super cute.

9 – Scott MacIntyre – Mandolin Rain
His voice is great, and this selection was perfect for him. Does anyone else notice how much he and his brother look alike?

10 – Kendall Beard – This One’s for the Girls
So, she is the country artist this year. Again, the dress is super cute. These girls are very stylish tonight, and it almost makes me forget those horrible jean shorts from last week. She did well but the end was just alright.

11 – Jorge Nunez – Don’t Let the Sun Go Down On Me
Grandma Betty thought he was really good. When he started to sing, my first thought was wow, he is really good. I think I like him too because he brings something different to the mix. When he got so excited he was talking in Spanish, it was very genuine, as opposed to Tatiana’s plea in Spanish which was irritating.

12 – Lil Rounds – Be Without You
I love her. She rocks. She is my favorite girl of the season, and probably in my top 3 of early picks.

This group overall I felt was the most solid of the 3.

As far as wild card, here’s who I think should get to sing for their supper (or ugly silver stool on stage):
Week 1
Ricky Braddy
Anoop Desai

Week 2
Jesse Langseth
Megan Corkey
Matt Giraud

Week 3 (this includes people I think should be top 3 tonight too)
Lil Rounds
Scott MacIntyre
Jorge Nunez
Felicia Barton
Ju’Not Joyner

Have a great week, everyone! Let me know your thoughts.