I was a bit unprepared for the Top 4, since 2 people went home last week. I guess if they didn't refrain from eliminating anyone over Idol Gives Back they would still be down to the top 4 this week, but everything always seems really dire and serious in the Top 4. Barry Gibb provided guidance for the contestants on his songs, and the underlying storyline this week is...
2 songs, 2 phone #'s, lots of disappointment.
This wasn't a very good theme for the Top 4. Every song was kinda boring, and the judges were once again struggling with the balance between putting a contemporary twist on a song choice, or honoring its original style. They seem to do that a lot, don't they?
Melinda "I'd Rather Be Wet Than Be a Loser" Dolittle~ You can tell Melinda's voice is getting tired...and I kind of like it! There's a raspiness that I've never heard in her voice before, and it's kinda hot! I forgot that she looks like Shrek for a moment. 
That's mean, somebody could say that about me. But it's true.
Simon's comment was spot on with her first song...at this point in the competition, the performances should be stellar, and her first performance wasn't. He even pulled the 'that sounded more like a backup vocal than a lead vocal.' Oh no he didn't! Not a very sensitive thing to say to a former backup singer for GEORGE HUFF of all people. Her second performance, however, WAS stellar! At least the second half of the song was. She definitely proved her worth for being in the semifinals (or according to me, the finals)! Top 2 of the night.
Blake "Suddenly I'm Emo" Lewis~ I definitely miss the blonde Blake. Especially now that he has that lame looking skunk strip in the front of his hair, and his styling has turned suddenly emo. He wears a lot more black that darkens his expression, as well as my obsession for him. Bring back the blonde, Blake! Bring it back! I thought he was going to pull a major JT card with his amazingly sexy vibrato (why haven't we heard this before?), and could have made the performance awesome, but 
instead he just skipped his voice in the chorus. It's like I was at a JT concert, and suddenly Nick Lachey took the stage. Just not as good. I didn't like his scatting at the end...it was very impressive, but kinda lame. His second performance showed how versatile his vocals are, and he was smart to not include as much of the vocal tricks this time around, although it was still unneccessary at the end. His dancing was hot, and no matter how long he stays in the competition, he is absolutely solidifying his place as a contemporary artist. I hate to say it, but he is in my bottom 2 this week. Don't think he'll go home, but he's in the bottom 2 for sure (maybe the dye got to his head...doesn't he know that blondes have more fun anyway?)
Lakisha "Can I Be Any More Boring Onstage?" Jones~ Blah. Blah song. Blah dress. Blah performance. I was semi-entertained by her vocals, but then I remembered that it was a 
slowed version of "Stayin' Alive" and I was picking my cudicles during the entire song. I got this amazing vision in my head when Paula gave her note about the audience standing up ready to rock and then sitting back down because the disco beat was too slow. Priceless! And then there's her second performance. Um, her dress was pretty? The only other thing I remember from the performance was that she was almost out of breath the entire time, and her voice gave out at the end. Oh Kiki, has it really come to this? She's in my bottom 2, and I think she was the weakest link so hopefully she will go home tonight.
Jordin "I Look Like the Perfect Blend of Sara Ramirez and America Ferrera...and Everybody Loves Me" Sparks~ Well it's true. She advanced a little bit farther in the competition with her first performance tonight. Her first performance and Melinda's second performance were the two highlights of the night. Her second song left much to be desired, actually. Simon finally brought up a note for Jordin I've been waiting for for a long time. She is only 17, but she performs like a 30 year old. This is something Simon loves to point out to contestants, and Jordin gets 
the prize this time around. I'm not going to deny that she has consistently impressive vocals and performances (although her vibrato still drives me crazy!), but I nearly fell out off of the couch when she made a comment about schooling for 3 hours every day. I forgot how young she was, and it totally threw me back. She has been advancing with powerful vocals and (mostly) ballads, so maybe it's time for her to tone things down and start concentrating on younger songs while still showing off her vocals. With all of that said, though, she should be in the top 2 this week.A few weeks ago I made the firm conclusion that Melinda and Blake were going to be in the Top 2, and Melinda will take the prize. While I would love to see that happen, and I still feel that Melinda will win it all, she has some serious competition in Jordin. She's been speeding up behind her, they are almost neck and neck, and Melinda risks being surpassed in the end. While I will not give up on my faith for Blake, I think he may go home next week, leaving Melinda and Jordin to duke it out in the finale, and depending on whether Melinda can step up her game and do something amazing to make us forget about Jordin again, I'm afraid that the 17 year old may need to get all her studying done now, because she may never finish when she is crowned the American Idol.
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