Idol Thoughts: Three Left

Update: Melinda is singing her goodbyes as I start writing this. Simon let the cat out of the bag for me half way through the show. What a pouty boy he is! His girl, Melinda, didn't make it to the final and he was NOT happy about that. As for me, I am happy to be wrong. I enjoy watching Blake, I loved how close he is with his parents, especially with his pops. Melinda will go on with her career and I'm sure it will be brilliant. If Elliott Yamin's 3rd place finish last year is any indication of what she can expect, then she can expect a lot. This sounds sappy, but seeing this year's American Idol has really made me proud of my country. The contestants have comported themselves well and I've not haven't "hated" anyone except Simon, and that's okay, THAT is his job! I'm looking forward to next week's final with Jordin and Blake. I hope Blake wins it all, but seeing how loose he is, I think he feels like he's already won. I really like this kid. He isn't the pure singer that Jordin is, BUT he IS a pure entertainer. Go Blake!

The three idols left duked it out tonight on semi-final week. Each sang three songs. A song for each was chosen by one of the judges, then by the producers, and the final song was picked by the singers.

We are getting down to the nitty-gritty and the contestants know it. I'm noticing now though that these three are now realizing that it really doesn't matter anymore who actually wins next week. History has shown that in effect they HAVE made it. All three will go on to become well-paid stars.

Round 1.

1. Jordin kicked it off with "Wishing On a Star" chosen by Simon. The 17-year-old said she'd never heard it before. 49-year-old me was thinking, 'How could that be!" Oh well. Anyway, she sang it beautifully. The girl is learning because she never pushed a single note tonight, a problem she's had in the past. I loved it. Simon was the only naysayer claiming that she should have sung it with a less jazzy arrangement. He was full of it. Obviously, he's pushing for Melinda.

1. Blake sung Paula's choice of "Roxanne" and he did it with flair as always. Blake has a lower range than Sting, but actually I prefer Blake's rendition. Sorry Sting. He did have a couple moments where I noticed he went flat, but ever the perfect performer, he recovered well. The song fit his voice and style well. Mr. Anti-Blake, Simon, made the ridiculous comment that he thought Blake didn't sing the song as well as Sting. What a jerk.

1. Melinda's first song was chosen by Randy and was "I Believe..." done originally by Whitney Houston. It really was an unfair choice since Whitney has a much higher range than Melinda, and her attempt to sing it showed that clearly. With her professional background she managed to pull it off though. All three judges loved it, finding nothing wrong with it at all. It is so obvious that the judges are all pulling for her.

Simon, when asked who was ahead at the end of round 1 naturally said Melinda. Give me a break!

Round 2.

2. Jordin: Her second was "She Works Hard For the Money." I had to laugh as she tried to move around on those platform shoes. She's already about 6 foot tall and those shoes must have been making her nose bleed. Next time she wears them she should just stand and sing and not try to prance around--just a suggestion. Just as song number one, she sang this one perfectly.

2. Blake: The producers chose a fairly contemporary one for him called "This Love" by Maroon 5. I've always liked the song and Blake did it justice. He seemed a little late a few times with the lyrics, still it sounded great. Once again, Simon accused him of a copy-cat performance. He is really intent on getting Melinda to the top position. I'm beginning to find that tiresome.

2. Melinda: "Nut Bush City Limits," a free-wheeling song by Ike and Tina Turner was not the perfect choice for her. Tina used to do this song with a shimmy wearing a short sexy mini-skirt and Melinda is NOT all about that. She did a great job with that powerful voice, as usual, but I just wasn't entertained. Surprise! The judges loved it! At this point Melinda can do no wrong by these three. They are shamelessly pushing their girl, especially Simon.

Not wanting to be TOO obvious, Simon claimed that the winner of round 2 was a tie. For me, Jordin slightly edged out Blake.

Round 3.

3. Jordin, "the young & the beautiful," chose a Ben E King 60's song called "I Who Have Nothing," which I believe she has already sung once before. Maybe I'm wrong. At first, I wondered why she would choose such an oldy, but I figured it out as she went into the finish. Wow! She really showcased her abilities and ended up impressing me. Predictably, Simon said the song was too old fashioned for her. Once again, he undercut a great performance attempting to influence the voting for Melinda.

3. Blake's final one was "When I Get You Alone." It sounded a little like his previous song, but I have to say that the boy has pizazz. He IS an entertainer, a pure showman. He gets my vote on that alone. Surprisingly, Simon gave Blake his due praising his risk-taking and for his fun-loving stage presence. Randy gave Blake a negative vibe while "saying" he liked the performance. Clearly, Randy does not "feel" Blake as much as he does his favorite, Melinda.

3. Melinda did a hokey version of "I Am a Woman," and it was just okay, definitely not thrilling. Once again, naturally all 3 judges LOVED it! Simon raved over her consistency, and its true. The girl never gives a bad performance.

If Randy, Paula and Simon could, they would have already inaugurated Melinda as the 2007 American Idol. I've changed my mind about her being my favorite now because after tonight I now can see that although she is good, she is NOT the best performer. That crown has to go to Blake, closely followed by Jordin. If I had my way, Blake and Jordin would be in the finals next week. Alas, that will not happen. What WILL happen is that Blake will be voted out tomorrow, partly due to the judges continuous sniping at him, but mostly because most of Lakisha's fans will vote for either Melinda or Jordin. If I was going to pay to go see one of them in concert it would be Blake, hands down. Anyway, I'm sure we'll see Jordin and Melinda next week with Blake watching like all the rest of us.

PhilippinePhil’s order of merit for tonight:

1. Jordin
2. Blake
3. Melinda

Tomorrow's Fallen Idol will probably be:

Blake

The American Idol will be:

Melinda