5 Songs American Idol Contestant Paul McDonald Should Sing

American Idol contestant Paul McDonald has certainly impressed the fans and judges with his voice on the 2011 season of American Idol so far. McDonald has been one of those performers fans can't wait to see what he'll do next-because the guy is just simply unique.

Much like the rest of the competition, fans were probably asking the question, "who is Paul McDonald" entering the 2011 American Idol season. In fact, my guess is there were many fans who were skeptical that McDonald might even make it into the Final 13. McDonald did just that-and not only did he make it, he earned enough votes to be in the top ten and avoided being saved. But how does this Nashville, Tennessee singer endure the next few weeks of competition? Here are songs I think Paul McDonald could pull off and improve his chances to win 2011 American Idol.

1) What a Fool Believes/The Doobie Brothers
I think Paul McDonald reminds me a lot of Kenny Loggins. I would say do a Kenny Loggins song but why not do a song that Kenny Loggins wrote. This Doobie Brother classic was first recorded by Kenny and I think it fits Paul McDonald quite well. It's one of those classic rock/pop songs that would get the older members of the audience singing. I think McDonald could add a little youth to the song and pep it up enough to make it a bit more contemporary.

2) How Deep is Your Love/The Bee Gees
I think Paul McDonald is all over this Bee Gees hit. It's safe to say that McDonald might try to stay away from presenting this image of being a throwback guy-but this is a song that is completely moving and could bring the audience to tears. It's a song that still could be presented in a way that makes it a bit more contemporary. McDonald could earn some points if he does it well.

3) You Are So Beautiful/Joe Cocker
I know it gets kind of tricky walking into Joe Cocker territory, but what other contestant on American Idol in the history of the show could pull this off as well as McDonald? I think McDonald could slam this rock classic and become a favorite on the show in the process. This song, if done right, could certainly make or break his opportunity to move forward. So it's one of those gambles that could either pay off or really hurt his chances.

4) Pink Houses/John Cougar Mellencamp
It's another song from a couple of decades ago but I think Paul McDonald has the ability to present his own version of the John Cougar classic. It's the kind of song that just seems to fit his voice, range and ability.

5) Yellow/Cold Play
This might be out of his range but I doubt it. I think "Yellow" from Coldplay would be a perfect song to show that Paul McDonald does fit into contemporary music and not in the 80's. This is another song that might be incredibly tough to perform live but could pay huge dividends if it goes well. If Paul McDonald wants to win American Idol in 2011, he'll certainly have to take some chances at some point because of the level of competition.

Those are five songs I think Paul McDonald could excel on during the 2011 season of American Idol. One thing is for sure, America won't be asking "who is Paul McDonald" after this year is complete. The guy is unique, smooth and has huge potential based on what we have seen so far during the competition.