'American Idol' 2011 Top 12 Perform: A Cool Dude, a Loose Mood and Some Ethnic What-it-is-Ness

"American Idol" 2011 kicked it into high gear Wednesday night as the top 12 contestants performed songs from their respective birth years. From Naima Adedapo's flavorful but flawed ode to Tina Turner to Jacob Lusk's turn as a modern member of Heart, here's a peek at how each fared and who should fly away home tomorrow evening.

Naima Adedapo
"What's Love Got to Do With It", Tina Turner, 1984.
Naima looked the part of the consummate modern performer and made all the right moves, but she struggled with staying on tune. And given that this is a singing competition, she's probably in trouble this week. Steven Tyler praised the effort, declaring "you opened up a can of whoo... this evening." Jennifer Lopez, conversely, called her out for being too pitchy throughout. Randy agreed with J. Lo when he claimed "you look hot... but the vocals are all over the place."

Paul McDonald
"I Guess That's Why They Call It The Blues", Elton John, 1984.
The scritchy-scratchy voiced Paul took a hacksaw to the popular Elton John hit. I may never forgive him for it. But the judges? All in all, they liked it. J. Lo said "You made it happen" and though Randy pointed out that "some of the notes were very pitchy," he also appreciated how he "put the Paul spin on it." Steven provided one of the night's most bizarre soundbytes when he noted "you define a cool dude in a loose mood."

Thia Megia
"Colors of the Wind", Vanessa Willams, 1995.
I love this gal. Her voice is like a silvery river running through a winding, acoustically ideal valley. She's not a rocker, and it's irritating that the judges bug her about getting outside of her comfort zone. Randy called it "okay" while

J. Lo told her to "push out of the box and work on the vibrato". Steven offered up the kindest critique of the three, calling it "beautiful", but then questioned if it suited her personality and her own image of herself as an artist.

James Durbin
"I'll Be There For You", Bon Jovi, 1989.

I was pumped when I heard that the wannabe rocker planned to belt some Bon Jovi. I'm an 80s and 90s kid so I love me some hairband nostalgia. However, it wasn't my favorite James performance. He rocked out big time with last week's "Maybe I'm Amazed" so maybe my lack of amazement has something to do with that. Steven quipped "I got leftover sandwiches under my bed that're older than you" and warned James against getting "too poppy on me". J. Lo said "I love it, you were great", while Randy noted "a couple of pitchy spots" but praised him for making it his own.

Haley Reinhart
"I'm Your Baby Tonight", Whitney Houston, 1990.
It was a tad bit too breathy and too bubble gummy. That and it paled in comparison to Whitney's vocally strong original version. I can appreciate the Haley-spin on lots of songs -- I liked last week's "Blue" -- but not this one. It just didn't work; Haley's growls just didn't match up to Whitney's guttural Bobby Broooooowns. J Lo told her she looked "beautiful tonight" but also picked at her for being tense. Randy said he was "confused" by the variety of her song choices from week to week, and worried that she lacked an identity. Steven called it "sweet and tough" but wanted to hear "more blues."

Stefano Langone
"If You Don't Know Me By Now", Simply Red, 1989.
He has a pleasant voice and he can rock the vocals, but Stefano needs to do away with the 'I smell feet' face when he sings. Randy called it "the best performance of the night so far" and praised his "hot vocals". Steven said it was "over the top" while J. Lo declared "you could take this thing" and said she loved it.

Pia Toscano
"Where Do Broken Hearts Go", Whitney Houston, 1988.
No disrespect intended to Haley Reinhart, but if anyone on "American Idol" 2011 should sing Whitney Houston songs, it's Pia. She's the real deal. Steven declared "you are why this show is called 'American Idol'" and J. Lo enjoyed hearing her "do something up tempo" for once. Randy declared that "Pia is in the competition to win it".

Scotty McCreery
"Can I Trust You With My Heart", Travis Tritt, 1993.
The audience loved him as they do every week, but it wasn't his strongest performance. I prefer Scotty's voice when it's securely in his deep, deep wheelhouse, and though the judges liked that he's stretched himself with some higher notes, it all sounded a bit too forced and uncomfy to me. J. Lo encouraged him to "keep growing, keep learning" while Randy said "you did him [Tritt] proud". Steven encouraged him to "keep believing in yourself."

Karen Rodriguez
"Love Will Lead You Back", Taylor Dayne, 1989.
What to say, what to say. I just don't love Karen's song choices. It seems as if she's straining to hit her notes properly week after week. She could well be in trouble come tomorrow evening. Randy said "welcome back" though he admitted he still wasn't "jumping up and down" over her singing. Steven appreciated her "ethnic what-it-is ness" and J. Lo praised her for "attacking it" despite nerves and encouraged her to perform "from her heart."

Casey Abrams
"Smells Like Teen Spirit", Nirvana, 1991.
That was probably the most interesting, unique and vaguely bizarre "Idol" performance I've ever seen. By a lot. Steven called it "the goop that great stuff is made from." J Lo called out parts of the performance that were "screaming screechy" but said she still loves him anyway. Randy appreciated how he "put art first" and respects his "fearlessness:

Lauren Alaina
"I'm the Only One", Melissa Etheridge, 1994.
Lauren started off weak -- her voice is so strong and powerful that she seems to have a hard time reigning it in for quiet-time on stage -- but she really hit her stride during the chorus. J. Lo called it "very nice" and liked hearing her strong voice and "country flavor." Randy called it "very nice" as well and told her to have a cold every week if it would make her sound as good as she did. Steven called her "a shining star."

Jacob Lusk
"Alone", Heart, 1987.
I love his passion; he looked like a little kid in a candy store internally dying for candy up there. But there was something odd about his pretty, balladeer's voice tackling a rockish tune. I liked it by the end, but wasn't sure what to think until the final bars. Randy called it a "very, very nice performance" and declared that "Jacob is in it to win it." Steven said "gospel had a baby and they named it Jacob Lusk," and J. Lo loved his dedication.

So which of the "American Idol" 2011 top 12 will find him or herself the odd person out come elimination time? Based on the night's performances, I'll guess that Naima, Haley or Karen will get the boot. I also didn't love Paul tonight, but I think his uniqueness and wow-factor will keep him around for at least another week. Tune in tomorrow evening to find out who gets the inglorious axe.