- Theme: Inspirational tunes. Songs performed: Michael Johns -- "Dream On"; Syesha Mercado -- "I Believe"; Jason Castro -- "Somewhere Over the Rainbow"; Kristy Lee Cook -- "Anyway"; David Cook -- "Innocent"; Carly Smithson -- "The Show Must Go On"; David Archuleta -- "Angels"; Brooke White -- "You've Got a Friend."
- Theme: Inspirational tunes. Songs performed: Michael Johns -- "Dream On"; Syesha Mercado -- "I Believe"; Jason Castro -- "Somewhere Over the Rainbow"; Kristy Lee Cook -- "Anyway"; David Cook -- "Innocent"; Carly Smithson -- "The Show Must Go On"; David Archuleta -- "Angels"; Brooke White -- "You've Got a Friend."—IMDb editor
- American Idol Top Eight Performance Show - April 8, 2008
Ryan kicks off the night by chatting up the "Idol Gives Back" special and reminds viewers that eliminations will come on Thursday in this three "Idol" week. We get the judge intros and the line-up of contestants.
Tonight's Theme: Inspirational Songs
Contestant #1: Michael Johns
Video: He picked "Dream On" because the message of dreaming until your dreams come true is universal and echoes his own American dream story.
Song: "Dream On," Aerosmith
Performance: He sounds pretty good, if not spectacular. The electric guitar is a little overbearing. He pretty much nails the high note at the song's climax.
Randy: Thinks this is an important week, that it was a good song choice even though there were pitch problems. But he doesn't buy Michael as an Aerosmith guy. (Michael talks back explaining he had to do it because of the 20 piece orchestra and that he's proof that dreams come true. Randy comes back that this is a show about singing not dreams.)
Paula: Couldn't disagree more, thinks it was a perfect song for him, and that since he hit those high notes that her chihuahas are going to come join him onstage. (Also the strapless dress she's wearing makes her look naked in the head shot.)
Simon: Says it was a very good performance but is slightly with Randy because he doesn't like it when Michael does an impersonation of a rock star. He prefers the blues-r&b thing. He calls it a liitle bit wannabe-ish. Ryan asks Michael about the song's message: He reiterates the stuff about dreams coming true on this show.
Contestant #2: Syesha Mercado. Ryan sits with her on the stools and asks Syesha how Ramiele is doing since they were close roommates. Syesha says the petite former contestant is exhausted and working hard in New York. She also mentions that Ramiele was the only one that "got her".
Video: She picked "I Believe" because it's all about believing in yourself.
Song: "I Believe," Fantasia
Performance: Ooh, we don't think the judges are going to care for Syesha, again, taking on a song by someone they consider a diva. And her coronation song no less. She's got a choir on the balcony, which is drowning her out a bit, which might be merciful because although she sounds fine in the main, the big climax feels strident and unwieldy. She tries at a Mariah dog-calling note at the end that she hits but doesn't really seem like the kind of singer she is. She feels more like "How Will I Know" -Whitney as opposed to "I Will Always Love You"-Whitney.
Randy: Didn't feel that special connection he felt when Fantasia sang it. He says it was just okay. (Syesha talks back and asks if he's comparing her to Fantasia or that he didn't feel a connection? He replies that he can only compare Syesha to Fantasia who sang the living daylights out of it.)
Paula: Thinks not many people can take on songs like that and that this is one of Syesha's most shining nights.
Simon: Says to be fair, of course there's going to be a comparison, but adds that technically he thought she sang it very well. But, like Randy, he thought it lacked that big, big wave of emotion. He adds it was not a great song choice to show who she is and that "I actually want to find out who you are all about."
Contestant #3: Jason Castro
Video: He picked the arrangement of "Over the Rainbow" by late Hawaiian star Iz because it was really magical and that it's about hope and dreams coming true and how that's what it's all about this week on "Idol."
Song: "Over the Rainbow," the Israel Kamakawiwo'ole version
Performance: Jason sits and plays the ukulele, it's soft, sweet, and heartfelt in a Jack Johnson vein with string sweetening and some nice, delicate falsetto notes.
Randy: Laughs and says "I'll tell you what, Jason Castro is back in the hunt. That was blazing, molten, hot!"
Paula: Believes he has the most definitive sound and says he did a great job.
Simon: Says the first time he heard that version he wasn't sure, the second time he loved it and the third time (Jason just now) was fantastic.
Contestant #4: Kristy Lee Cook
Video: In one of the smartest choices of the week Kristy Lee Cook picked Martina McBride's "Anyway." Not only because it's about believing in your dreams, yada, yada, yada but because it means she can sing these words to Simon and the audience: "You can pour your soul out singing a song you believe in/that tomorrow they'll forget you ever sang/Sing it anyway."
Song: "Anyway," Martina McBride
Performance: While her mid- and higher register sustained notes are strong she's a little shaky, but mostly in tune, on the lower notes, but overall truly her best performance so far.
Randy: Acknowledges that there were a couple of little pitch problems but he loved it.
Paula: Thinks she outdid herself tonight and thinks it was her best performance yet.
Simon: Laughs that he's been put in an awkward position by the nod to being forgettable in the lyrics but says she was "very, very good" indeed and calls it a smart choice of song, one that proves she knows her audience.
They come back from break and Mike Darnell, executive vice president for alternative programming for Fox - i.e. the man who helped bring "Idol," not to mention "Joe Millionaire" and "Temptation Island," to the network- sitting on Simon's lap. Simon calls him the "real dark lord of 'American Idol.'"
Contestant #5: David Cook
Video: David is singing "Innocent" by what he calls his favorite band, Canadian rockers Our Lady Peace. The message of the song for him is that everybody's got a good heart.
Song: "Innocent," Our Lady Peace
Performance: No guitar this week. He has picked a song that few people will know, that has odd construction, and he stumbles out of the gate with some weird murmuring. He's having pitch problems- it sounds like he can't hear himself, he's not wearing in-ear monitors- and it gets worse with the falsetto reaches. At the end of the performance he puts his palm, on which he's written "give back," up to the camera.
Randy: Says he's a huge fan but didn't think it was one of his strongest weeks since he didn't quite get it tonight.
Paula: Thinks David is so well-defined and that he is the whole package.
Simon: Didn't like it and thought it was "a teensy weensy bit pompous." He didn't think it was anywhere near as good as the last two weeks. (David looks sheepish almost seeming to agree. Paula points out his "hand"-writing and Simon concedes that this was a nice thing to do.)
Contestant #6: Carly Smithson
Video: She's singing "The Show Must Go On" because it's about getting on with life even when you hit road bumps and making every moment count.
Song: "The Show Must Go On," Queen
Performance: The make-up has been majorly improved and she starts strong but begins pushing too hard in the middle. Her voice sounds tired, with breaks and thready parts making the performance uneven.
Randy: Says though it started well it got pitchy in the middle and was only okay, and like Syesha he felt disconnected from Carly.
Paula: Agrees saying she missed the engagement she normally feels but thought her voice sounded amazing.
Simon: Compliments her look, calls the song choice unusual, thinks she oversang it, eventually lost control, and it ended up coming off oddly angry. He thinks she actually might be in a little bit of trouble tonight. (Ryan asks her about it and Carly says she was thrown off when looking at Simon, who retorts that she shouldn't blame him.)
Contestant #7: David Archuleta
Video: In the week's most unbelievable statement the boy who only sings inspirational songs says he had a hard time picking an inspirational song. The problem? So many choices. He settled on "Angels" because it says there's always a light at the end of the tunnel. (Hopefully not a train).
Song: "Angels," Robbie Williams
Performance: He's playing the piano. He's a tiny bit flat at the very start but he ends up killing it. It's unfortunate that he only gets to the soaring chorus one time. And if this helps shed some light on the underrated (in this country) Williams then, nice work.
Randy: Calls it his hottest moment all season.
Paula: Agrees saying that Randy summed it up nicely, calling it fantastic
Simon: Says it's the best song choice of the night so far and can't comprehend why it's never been a hit in the U.S. He nitpicks that the end was better than the beginning but predicts that he's going to sail through to the next round. (A very young girl is holding a "lick those lips" sign in the audience for him.)
Contestant #8: Brooke White
Video: Carole King's "Tapestry" album inspired Brooke to do music and she sang "You've Got a Friend" in a talent show once with, appropriately enough, two friends.
Song: "You've Got a Friend," Carole King
Performance: Looking like someone just killed her best friend Brooke is fine, her voice hitching in the right places. She's all straight hair, sad eyes, and solemnity. But the piano sounds out of tune. She over-enunciates a bit giving the song a primness it doesn't need. But people who like her, will like this.
As she comes to get her remarks she points out her dad, brother, husband, and piano teacher in the audience.
Randy: Wasn't jumping up and down but he wasn't mad at her either. He thought it was okay. (This was the death knell for Ramiele if you recall).
Paula: It's one of Paula's favorite songs and thought it was a perfect way to close the evening. Like David Cook and Jason Castro, Paula thinks Brooke is definitive and she loves her. Brooke loves her back.
Simon: Likens it to a pleasant walk in the park.
In the audience: Country singer Taylor Swift; actress and ex-Mrs. Tom Cruise Mimi Rogers; soul singer Shanice and former UPN star Flex Alexander; Eric McCormack, "Will" on "Will and Grace"; top 24 contestants Luke Menard and Amy Davis
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