Jason Castro Sings Dolly Parton on American Idol

9 contestants left, only 1 can win it and the competition gets harder and harder. Jason Castro survived another week of American Idol Madness and after dealing with a Sting song, next on the list was Dolly Parton. How did he cope with meeting Dolly in person and having her as his personal trainer for his live performance?

I'd say pretty darn good. After writing about his performance last week, I did some research and looked at his performances throughout this competition and couldn't help but be amazed about how well he adapted to dealing with press, interviews, big stages, loud screaming girls and performing in general. Everything seems a lot more natural now, which also reflects in his live performances. His voice gets more secure every week, and he seems to finally enjoy all the attention he (deservedly so) gets.

Dolly Parton. American Idol avant la lettre, professional icon and known to every single music lover in the world. Not the easiest shoes to fill for any performer, let alone a nervous contestant in a singing contest. Jason chose to perform 'Travelin' Thru', one of the more lighthearted songs of the evening. In his familiar style, he didn't miss a note while guiding himself with his guitar and I could have sworn he didn't pull as many strange faces as the last couple of weeks. He remained confident while switching between higher and lower notes and never seemed out of control.

Was his performance memorable? Not by far. Did it matter. Not one bit. Every time Jason starts singing, he sort of makes you feel happy. You want to hear more. You want him to sing simple songs while you're sipping on a cocktail in your hammock, preferably on a white palm tree-filled beach. And that's a quality some of the other contestants definitely lack.

One more contestant down, so does Castro stand a chance in this ever stronger field? For me he's still a Top 3 performer, if not better. Since the live shows started, David and David (Archuleta and Cooks) have been the number 1 and 2 crowd pleasers, with Michael Johns and Jason Castro as possible outsiders.
It all depends on what the crowd is looking for. Archuleta has the most amazing voice, but seems limited to ballads and slow songs. David Cook is the best all-round performer so far and even made Dolly's 'Little Sparrow' sound like a believable rock song. As for Michael Johns, he seems to alternate between great and so-so performances, but is on a definite high in the last 2 weeks and arguably was the best performer last night. If I had to choose a voice I'd like to listen to all night and not just for one song, though, my vote still goes to Jason Castro. It'll be interesting to see where the public goes with all this.