Did America Get it Wrong? Chikezie Over Kristy?

So is it Chikeze or Chikezie? Who knows... even the americanidol.com website itself has it spelled both ways! But whichever way you spell it, it might just be a name we won't be seeing as much anymore now that Chikezie has been eliminated off of American Idol's Top 10.

Even though Kristy Lee Cook has been a member of the dreaded 'bottom three' repeatedly, she was able to narrowly escape that position in Wednesday's eliminations and walk freely into the Top 9. So was it talent that helped her into that spot? Or perhaps it was her wise song choice, which was notably praised by Simon. Week after week it seemed America just wasn't totally digging her abilities, but also just wasn't quite ready to let her go. A little dose of good 'ol fashioned patriotism seemed to settle the fickle crowd.

Chikezie decided on a ballad, "If Only For One Night." Didn't he just go on about how nervous he was about ballads? Simon said it was "cheesy," and we all know it comes down to what Simon says. The performance itself may not have been stellar, but he looked good and sounded fantastic. Chikezie has improved his voice immensely in the last 3 or 4 weeks... his pitch has been spot on and he is picking songs perfect for his range. He was really working hard and developing a better sense of who he is as a performer, taking the judges criticism seriously and using it pro actively.

So now with Chikezie gone, can Kristy step up and make the improvements necessary to keep America voting for her? Is next week's music theme going to allow her to sing another powerful and nationalistic song? Doubtful. The bottom line is talent (not looks, though she's got 'em!). Hopefully the deficiencies will shine through during next Tuesday's performance night and remind America what this show is all about.