Idol Thoughts: The Top 8

I make no effort to find out the theme of each "Idol" round from week to week, but at the same time I make no effort to avoid finding out either; it just happens that I almost never stumble upon it until shortly before the show starts. I'm kind-of glad it happened that way this time (about an hour before airtime, in this case), because I kind-of shuddered at the description I read on the on-screen guide: "inspirational songs".

As you may or may not know, I am definitely NOT into Christian or religious music, and that's of course the first genre that comes to mind when the word "inspirational" is brought up. Besides, I thought, we had enough of the Jesus love with Dolly Parton week. But as the show started, I realized that they were, thankfully, using the word "inspirational" in its broader sense, with "dreams come true" and "believe in yourself" kind of songs. Now, that I can deal with just fine. (Not that I was going to turn away from "Idol" this week for any reason anyway.) Now, let's recap the performances:

Michael Johns -- He started out a bit shaky, but built to a great finish ... and how about those high notes! The guy's definitely got a way with a power ballad! A very solid performance.

Syesha Mercado -- Hey, another excellent high note ... that was reaching into Mariah territory! Other than that, though, I didn't get a whole lot out of this ... although Randy is a bit unfair to compare her to someone else. She did fairly well, though ... I'm a bit more than luke-warm, I guess.

Jason Castro -- Hmmm ... okay, I'm not familiar with this version of the song ... so are the lyrics Jason sang the same as the lyrics in the version done by this "ukulele guy"? If so, it was excellent (the judges seem to love it through and through), but I'm used to the original "Wizard of Oz" lyrics, so this one made me lose the connection to it. I think I'll remain neutral on it, since I do still like Jason quite a bit.

Kristy Lee Cook -- Okay, now if she'd been this good from the get-go, then I'd understand how she's made it this far. I think this was probably the best I've heard from her yet. Still, though, she's probably the female contestant I'm the least attached to ... but for the first time, I'm kind-of sorry I'm saying that.

David Cook -- Hmmm ... I find myself agreeing with the male judges, to a degree ... something didn't "click" with his performance here ... it seemed a bit forced, and in a way he kind-of looked like he was trying to keep up with the song and was going through the motions just a bit. As Randy said, it didn't seem to be one of his better weeks. But, nobody can hit the bullseye every time, right?

Carly Smithson -- If an "Idol" contestant wants to win me over, all they have to do is sing a Queen song (not my favorite group, but they did tons of kick-ass songs), and Carly did that group justice. Perhaps the best performance by a lady tonight so far.

David Archuleta -- Well, the judges basically said it all. Another stellar performance, with another awesome finish. Like Simon, I think his voice has been better ... but considering it's David Archuleta, "better" can't get much better! And, as Simon said, we all know he's gonna sail through to the next round. Yay, David!

Brooke White -- Another way to get my attention is to sing a Carole King song, and Brooke White takes care of that this week. Unfortunately, she didn't do anything new with it. I thought it was good, but not great.

Who I think ought to be in the bottom three: Michael Johns (I've thought for awhile that, of the remaining guys, he'll be the next to go), Syesha Mercado, and Brooke White.

Who I think will be in the bottom three: Michael Johns, Syesha Mercado, and Brooke White.

Who I think will be eliminated: Brooke White (for the first time, I think Kristy Lee will edge out one of the other ladies).

Who I voted for: Once again, David Archuleta.

So much for this week ... but I have to admit that it was a bit more "inspirational" than I feared it would be. Now, thanks to "Idol Gives Back", it looks like we get one extra day to agonize over who's getting the boot next. Oh, joy.