Top 8 Ladies Struggle to Find Themselves (Well, Most)

Not feeling a lot of excitement over this season of Idol and judging from the many emails, texts and water cooler conversations I've struck up over the last few weeks, I'm not alone. And even though it has been widely touted as a ladies year by the Fox press machine, even they don't drum up much excitement. Tonight was a perfect illustration as to why that might be the case. Only one singer demonstrated true star potential, a couple of others were close, while the rest melted into nightclub karaoke singers, at best, or were downright dreadful.

Tonight's show treated us to a fakeout makeout session between Ellen and Simon (why?) while Kara called someone "sweetie" (surprise) and Randy called the girls "dude" while giving feedback (another shocker.)

Crystal continues to shine. I admit that I have trouble taking the subway out of the singer, but tonight I loved her rendition of Tracy Chapman's "Give Me One Reason." Great song, great song choice for Crystal, and for the first time I didn't see Crystal singing it outside of the Fullerton El stop here in Chicago but on a real stage. She showed star potential and for the first time this season, I felt that Idol might actually be good for her. But my question from last week remains: Will she be good for Idol?

My favorite performance of the night actually came not from Crystal (who I expected to be good) but from Didi Benami (unexpected, given her complete meltdown last week). I was riveted during her performance of Fleetwood Mac's "Rhiannon" and thought it was haunting and delicate and a glimpse of something special. Yes, InDidi as Ellen pronounced! Kara went so far as to say that it was one of her favorite moments of the season. I think Didi just got her spot in the Top 12.

I found myself thinking while listening to and watching Lilly Scott perform Patsy Cline's "I Fall to Pieces" the single thought that if Crystal weren't on this same season competing, I might actually like Lilly more. Because Lilly has that alternative, aggressive self-assured stance that Crystal has, that quirky something that we've not seen on this show in this talented of a package for a while on Idol. However, Crystal has it MORE....which makes Lilly kind of an afterthought for me. Her choice to play the mandolin was 'dope' in Randyspeak (although I couldn't really hear it) and I loved her little sundress....but didn't love the performance overall compared to Crystal's.

Also very good, but a little bit less stellar than Crystal and Didi was Siobahn. Very talented and I like what she did with The Animal's classic "House of the Rising Sun" but I didn't love it. Kind of an obscure song for this audience and while Ellen thought it spectacular and Kara thought it was a brilliant vocal, I was with Simon: a little weird. Was that her Dad or her brother in the audience?

Meanwhile, appearing down at the local beer and burger joint are Katie and Katelyn. Poor Katie Stevens to be put in the sacrificial first performance spot....does this mean (gasp!) that the Powers that Be are finding Katie's initial glow to be fading? Indeed, she has failed to measure up to what we saw in her audition and this week didn't help. Cardinal Rule of Idol: Do Not Attempt The Hit Song Of Another Idol. Don't they distribute handbooks to this effect? Kelly Clarkson's anthemic "Breakaway" was better sung by Katie's background vocalists than by her... and this is the kind of song one sings in the shower (where there are no judges and hopefully no neighbors in my case) and not on the Top 8 Ladies Idol Stage. (Sorry, Katie.....your outfit was way improved from last week, though! Cute jacket and belt combo and your accessories rocked, to channel Paula for a minute).

I took personal notes on this, as I am the proud owner of a massive head of curly blond hair, because didn't you take Katelyn more seriously last week when it was pulled back and you weren't so distracted by it as she sat in stark light at the piano singing her heart out? This week, it seemed out of control, bathed in that purple light, and her "I Feel the Earth Move" was waaaaaay nightclub for me as a result. Randy didn't feel any connection and was sleepy and bored, while Kara thought she was going through the motions and wonders "what happened." Me, too....yikes.

Which brings me to our bottom two for the night: Paige and Lacey. I have to be honest that I missed Lacey's performance....there was a scuttlebutt in my living room over some 2nd grade spelling homework. I looked up from some pretty serious spelling words as Lacey was finishing, and thought, hhhmmph. Therein lies the problem. And even though one of the judges (I forget who) pronounced her "back in the competition" as a result of the performance I had just missed, I didn't really care. Nor was I compelled to rewind the DVR to see what I had missed. Lacey fans, flame away but I'm just being honest.

But Paige really tanked tonight. I did think she had a nice voice from week's past and was therefore surprised tonight. As I gathered from what she said after the performance that this song had particular meaning for her? Ahem, also in the Idol Unwritten Rule Book: Don't Sing a Song With Special Meaning to You. It usually won't work and it totally didn't work for Paige and will probably cost her a spot in the Top 12 (or even Top 10).

Were you amazed by any of tonight's performances? Do you really think it's a girls' year? And do you think it's Crystal's crown to lose?