RnR says:

The girls were pretty good tonight. Crystal, Lily, Katelyn, Michelle, and Siobhan all did well. Tomorrow I think we will be saying goodbye to John, Jermaine, Lacey, Paige/Katie.

Jen says:

I think Lacey will still have a fighting chance!!!! She’s got a big church fan base that kept her in last week.

rk349097 says:

Maybe it’s just me, but I wasn’t as crazy over the girls’ performances as most commentators seem to be. Don’t get me wrong; the girls were certainly better than the guys were, although that wouldn’t be that hard. It’s just that, for me, no performer from this season has yet to give me the same chills that those from previous years have. Maybe, much like Randy last night, I’m just grumpy (of course, if I was like Randy, I’d also be completely brain-dead, but that’s another story). My rankings:

1. Lilly Scott: Ladies and gentlemen, we just might have found ourselves the female version of Adam Lambert (insert joke here). And no, it’s not just because she performed a song that he (and numerous other “Idol” contestants, Glamberts; once Adam performs a song, it doesn’t become untouchable holy writ) performed on the show last year. What I mean by that analogy is that Lilly is the type of edgy, underground-ish performer that most people would have never imagined ever appearing on “Idol.” More than anyone else, Lilly brings a sense of indie cred to the show (when would you have ever thought that you would hear THAT?), which is sorely needed. I still have a hard time seeing her winning this, but stranger things have happened.

2. Crystal Bowersox: While she wasn’t as good as Simon thought she was, I give Crystal major props for giving THAT performance under the circumstances. Her vocals were mostly on-target here, and she showed a real gift for smart song selection (although I really question whether that CCR song was exactly a “Top 100 Hit”; I consider myself a music aficionado, and I had never even heard of it until last year). I don’t know if Crystal will win this competition, but she’s definitely a needed breath of fresh air for this season.

3. Siobhan Magnus: Sensing a theme here? So far, the Lilith Fair girls (with one notable exception) are mopping the floor with their competition (much like the R&B diva-types did in Seasons 3 and 6). Siobhan is certainly a polarizing personality (imagine Kellie Pickler on Quaaludes), but she also has the vocals to back it up. Whether or not America will go for her is still up for grabs, but she certainly should make it to the Top 12.

4. Paige Miles: Honestly, I’m still not sure what to think of Paige. Given her lack of audition-round hype, I was certain that she was going to be cannon fodder. However, she has proven herself to be one of the most consistent- if not spectacular- performers on the show. Last night was no exception. DialIdol has her listed as last night’s top vote-getter (!), so I think that she’ll be around for at least another week.

5. Katelyn Epperly: Well, at least Katelyn did better at Coldplay than Matt Giraud did last year. If ever a song did not need to be slowed down, it was “The Scientist.” This version was practically a lullaby, rather than the “Idol Moment™” that Katelyn was shooting for. Aside from a few bum notes, though, her vocals were mostly on point. Plus, she does have beauty on her side, and that is NEVER a bad thing.

6. Michelle Delamor: Ahh, Creed. Just hearing that song last night brought back so many pleasant memories of my college years, where douchey frat boys would pretend to be sensitive and spiritual just to get into a girl’s pants. As much as I HATE that song, I have to admit Michelle didn’t exactly do badly with it. For one thing, she’s not Scott Stapp (always good). More importantly, while her vocals weren’t entirely perfect, she at least was able to transform a pretty distinctive (if nothing else) song into something that was entirely her own. Unfortunately though, I don’t think her performance will be enough to keep her safe tonight.

7. Didi Benami: If there is a (attractive) female equivalent of Andrew Garcia, Didi is it. Much like Andrew, Didi appeared to be a front-runner following an excellent performance in Hollywood, but is now in real danger of missing the Top 12. Her version of “Lean On Me” last night wasn’t as dire as the judges made it out to be, but it wasn’t exactly good, either. She may be safe this week, but will have to pull out all the stops next week to avoid elimination.

8. Katie Stevens: Oh, God… Not to parrot SirMac and NGH, but what the hell was Katie trying to do here? There’s no way in hell she is EVER going to be able to out-indie Lilly, Crystal and Siobhan, so why even try? The judges are practically BEGGING to find the next Taylor Swift or Miley Cyrus this season, and she fits that bill better than anyone else. I’m going to spell it out slowly for you, Katie: Sing. A. Taylor. Swift. Song. Do it, and the judges will practically wet their pants in ecstasy as they proclaim you America’s Sweetheart.

9. Lacey Brown: Poor Lacey. She did EXACTLY what the judges suggested that she do last week, and they still trashed her for it. Didn’t she get the memo? She was only ever intended to be cannon fodder, and she’s now outliving her usefulness. Sadly, I don’t think her performance was strong or memorable enough to keep her around beyond tomorrow.

10. Haeley Vaughn: No wonder VFTW loves this girl, as Haeley gave the worst performance to date of this already-dismal season last night. I have nothing witty or creative to say about it; it was just that mind-numbingly awful. I have a sneaking suspicion that she’ll be around next week, though, and it won’t be all due to VFTW. As annoying as I find her, some people just really like this girl, and she’ll skate by on that alone.