American Idol Season 9 Top 8 Guys Perform

The top 8 guys took to the stage tonight on American Idol hoping to prove why they deserve to stay in the competition. The weeks leading up to this have been pretty dismal with lackluster performances, wrong song selections and off key vocals. But tonight we saw some true artists in the making. See how your favorite American Idol contestant did as we break down each of the Top 8 guys performances.

American Idol Top 8 Guys: Performance Evaluations

American Idol Top 8 Guys - Lee Dewyze: Kicking off the night was Lee Dewyze with his rendition of "Fire Flys" by Owl City. Putting a rock spin on the song, Lee made it his own. The judges like that he tried something different with it and improved the song at the same time. Even though Simon wasn't thrilled with the song choice or Lee's interpretation, he still felt confident that Lee would make it into the top 12.

American Idol Top 8 Guys - Alex Lambert: Alex was up next singing "Trouble" originally by Ray LaMontagne. Have you seen the Travelers Insurance commercial with the dog trying to hide his bone with this song in the background? I love it! Anyway . . . back to American Idol. The judges seemed to think Alex is getting better each week but lacks confidence. Ellen wants him to build up his confidence but not get too cocky which we've seen happen in past seasons. Simon's words of wisdom to let go and relax: "Imagine Randy in a bikini."

American Idol Top 8 Guys -Tim Urban: Tim chose "Hallelujah" by Jeff Buckley for his song selection tonight. Tim did a fantastic job with his rendition and wowed the judges with his emotional performance in the process. Ellen even jumped out from behind the judges table to give Tim a hug. Simon told Tim it was his best effort so far on American Idol.

American Idol Top 8 Guys - Andrew Garcia: I loved Andrew during Hollywood week, but his performances the past couple of weeks have not been strong. Tonight he sang "Genie in a Bottle" by Christina Aguilera. Talk about gutsy song selection. Unfortunately, Andrew came across as desperate, trying to recapture the moment he had back in Hollywood week when he sang Paula Abdul's "Straight Up." Kara and Simon agreed that Andrew peeked too early. Hopefully Andrew doesn't get cut during the American Idol result show on Thursday so that he can redeem himself next week. I, for one, don't want that to be the song he goes out on.

American Idol Top 8 Guys -Casey James: Casey took the stage next giving his twist on Keith Urban's "You'll Think of Me." Sounding a bit like Rob Thomas, Casey gave a solid performance with strong vocals. Sitting and playing the guitar, Casey gave off a cool vibe. Quite popular with the female fans of American Idol, Casey is a shoe in to make the top 12.

American Idol Top 8 Guys - Aaron Kelly: Up next, Aaron sang "I'm Already There" by Lonestar. Though only 16, Aaron is slowly starting to shake the nerves and feel a little more confident each week. Receiving mixed comments from all the judges, Simon summed it up best by saying Aaron's song choice was the right song for him. Simon did seem a bit perturbed with all the mixed signals the judges were giving the American Idol contestants. Regardless, it's pretty apparent that Aaron is well liked by the judges and the audience seems to be in agreement.

American Idol Top 8 Guys - Todrick Hall: Picking a Queen song this week, Todrick sang "Somebody to Love." Todrick made a statement why he deserves to be in this competition with this week's performance. Randy said it was one of the best vocals he had heard in weeks from the guys. Simon thinks his efforts this week may have saved him, gaining a spot in the top 12.

American Idol Top 8 Guys - Michael Lynche: Michael closed out the show singing "This Woman's Work" by Maxwell. Michael chose a difficult song but did an outstanding job tonight. Simon said Michael's performance was so needed tonight because "it's all a bit boring ... You came out with a really difficult song and you nailed it, not only the best of the night but the best of all the live shows." Good job, Michael!

The top 8 guys now have to wait until Thursday night to find out the results. The bottom two girls and the bottom two guys will be going home revealing the top 12 American Idol contestants

American Idol airs on Tuesdays 8/7c, Wednesdays 9/8c and Thursdays (the results show) 8/7c on Fox.

To read a recap of the American Idol Top 8 girls performances, click here.