Crystal Bowersox Sings a Bluesy "Saved" on American Idol

It was Elvis night on American Idol. Contestants got to pick a song from more than 800 Elvis songs, and Crystal Bowersox picked "Saved." American Idol chose last year's runner-up, Adam Lambert, to mentor the contestants for Elvis night. This is the first time that a former contestant has been asked to be a mentor.

Adam Lambert's Advice to Crystal Bowersox

Adam Lambert's goal as a mentor to the American Idol contestants was to be honest but constructive. He said that he just didn't want to tell them they were good or bad. He wanted to let them know how they could improve. Overall, he told all the contestants they need to "wake up" and get some energy.

Adam complimented Crystal by saying her voice is awesome and authentic. Crystal then asked Adam if she should use an acoustic or electric guitar. He advised her to go with the electric to give the song an extra edge. This one decision made Crystal's performance the one that stood out on American Idol's Elvis Night.

Crystal Bowersox's "Saved" performance

Everyone knows Elvis' songs, and it is a daunting task to make them new and current without changing the song too much. Crystal Bowersox's "Saved" performance was vocally energetic. She likes the gospel and bluesy sounds, and "Saved" fit the bill perfectly. Crystal's bluesy spin on "Saved" actually made the song more upbeat.

Crystal was also able to show her range with the song. Vocally, "Saved" is a raspy, guttural song, and to hear a woman sing it with a strong voice was refreshing against the male singers.

Crystal also managed to sparkle up her electric guitar. She walked onto the stage with a brightly jeweled guitar and three backup singers to enhance her sparkling performance.

Will Crystal Bowersox be in the Bottom Three?

Crystal performed a more obscure Elvis song, and her fans should be proud. The song fit her style and personality. It could be easy to fall into a karaoke trap when it comes to Elvis, but Crystal avoided that by both her song choice and her performance.

My fear for Crystal is what happened to Michael Lynche last week. Yes, Big Mike's performance was weak, but it wasn't bad enough to send him home. Part of the problem is Big Mike's voting fans rested on their laurels, so to speak. They thought he was safe since he has never been in the bottom three and didn't run to phones to vote for him. I'm worried that the same fate may happen for Crystal Bowersox.