American Idol Top 11 Review

American Idol presented us with "Country Week" with the help of Randy Travis. His coaching of the contestants seemed to be spot on with all 11 performing better than good... I was a little worried how they would do under this kind of pressure, but surprisingly, I think they all did quite well.

This week and all future weeks I'll be using a star grading system. 1 to 5 stars, 5 being excellent.

1) Michael Sarver, the big lug sang Garth Brooks "Ain't Going Down ('Til The Sun Comes Up.)" Any die hard Brooks fan will tell you that's a hard song to sing. The lyrics and melody are complicated and fast. He did a tremendous job on this song. He sang it well and I feel that Michael Sarver may have found his niche. 4 stars

2) Allison Iraheta sang; Patty Loveless' "Blame It On Your Heart." Allison surprised me this week. Her vocals were spot on and she sang it as good as the original. Her voice is exceptional; I think she'll be safe in this week elimination. 5 stars

3) Kris Allen sang; Garth Brooks "Make You Feel My Love." Okay, all I have to say is WOW. This guy can sing the hell out of a ballad. He had me in the palm of his hand, it was that good. Until this week, I didn't think much of his voice, but again, country may have a new comer very soon. 5+ stars

4) Lil Rounds sang; Martina McBride "Independence Day." While I would like to say I loved it, because let's face it, her voice is amazing, I CAN'T. She has an obvious R&B voice and I felt bad for her getting stuck with Country week. She sang it okay, but it felt robotic and forced. Not sure if she'll be safe in the next elimination. 3.5 stars

5) Adam Lambert sang; Johnny Cash "Ring Of Fire." OMG, have you ever heard anything more original in all the years of American Idol? His version combined with the Bohemian sounds blew me away. He reminds me of Freddie Mercury, who know someone could hit those notes without estrogen? I was yet again, blown away by him. (If only I were 20 years younger.) 5+ stars

6) Scott Macentyre sang; Martina McBride's "Wild Angels." Okay, so I like Scott. He's a soft, sweet guy, but his vocals are super weak. He seems to power up during the chorus, but falls flat at the rest of the songs he sings. I wasn't impressed. He may be on his way home this week. 3 stars

7) Allison Grace sang; Dolly Parton's "Jolene." Firstly, she does resemble a younger Dolly, no? I love Allison's voice and I really love this song, but she seems lack luster tonight. She had an opportunity to blow us away, but she didn't... She struggled and it showed. 3.5 stars

8) Danny Gokey sang; Carrie Underwood's "Jesus Take The Wheel." Okay, big time Gokey fan. I just love this guy's voice. He can sing anything, but..., I didn't think he blew me away tonight. I loved it, but he seemed slightly disconnected with the song and the audience this week. He must have had things on his mind. I think he's safe this week. 4 stars

9) Anoop Desai sang; Willie Nelson's "Always On My Mind." Holy cow Anoop, I didn't know he had it in him! He did a fantastic job with this song. He hit every note with perfect vocals. He has a ballad voice, soft and tender. 5 stars

10) Megan Joy sang; Patsy Cline "Walkin' After Midnight." What can we say about Megan? I love, love, love her voice. I hated, hated and hated her rendition. I didn't hear any emotion in her voice at all, (maybe because she had the flu?) She just sounded like an amateur trying to sing like a professional. I love ya Megan, but you're going to have to bring it up a notch. On the bright side, is she gorgeous or what? 3.0 stars

11) Matt Giraud sang; Carrie Underwood's "So Small." Matt caught me off guard. I expected to NOT like him because he hasn't done anything that I'd remember. Everything he's sung up until this point, is a Simon says "forgettable." Tonight he sang so well, I forgot I was listening to a Carrie Underwood song. He was genuine and heartfelt. Thanks Matt! 5 stars

Top 2

#1 is Adam Lambert. Besides his amazing jet black & turquoise hair and mesmerizing eyes, he blew away his competition. He seems to be improving every week. He took a Cash song and twisted it into this amazing "new and fresh sound. I'm a fan of Cash and I think if the man in black were alive, he'd approve.

#2 is Kris Allen. Holy Moly he was so good. Spellbinding is the best way to describe his presence on stage tonight. I liked how Garth sang it, but I love how Kris sang it. He could release that tomorrow and be an instant star. I am a new Kris Allen fan. I'll be keeping my eye on you kiddo!

Tonight show was awesome and all the contestants surprised me. I was worried they would all flop, considering country music is a love or hate relationship. If you love country, you'll love it for life, if you hate country, well, you'll always hate it. See you all next week, I'll be posting my review weekly so stay tuned...