The Top 9 Take on Dolly Parton

01 Brooke White sang "Jolene"--- I liked her choice of sing but I didn't think it was a great performance. I think Simon was wrong, in my opinion, Brooke showed plenty of emotion. The song suited her style of singing.
Score: 3.9

02 David Cook sang "Little Sparrow"--- I like how David continues to be so original, and this was his own arrangement, which makes him even more impressive. If he does continue at this pace; he will no doubt make it to the final four.
Score: 4.9

03 Ramiele Malubay sang "Do I Ever Cross Your Mind"--- Ramiele's performance was ok at best. There was something about the song that did not quite work for her. She didn't seem to connect with the audience as well as she usually does. The performance was too forgetable; she didn't make it special.
Score: 3

04 Jason Castro sang "Travelin' Through"--- I have said it before and I will say it again; I love Jason's sound and his authenticity. Jason has an originality that makes him different from every artist in mainstream music today. The song was great and I think it suited him just fine contrary to Simon's beliefs.
Score: 4.75

05 Carly Smithson (unsure of song, working on the name)--- I am not really sure how I felt about this performance, it was a little too all over the place for me. I feel like Carly definitely improves every week and she shows passion, but does she show star quality? I am not so sure about that.
Score: 4.5

06 David Archuleta sang "Smokey Mountain Memories"--- I think this song suited David so well. He is definitely back in the competition and when he makes the right song choices and his vocals are on par, he is one of the strongest singers to grace an Idol stage.
Score: 4.8

07 Kristy Lee Cook sang "The Coat of Many Colors"--- I actually have to praise Kristy tonight because that performance actually showed what she is capable of as an artist. This was definitely her strongest performance to date.
Score: 4.6

08 Syesha Mercado sang "I Will Always Love You"--- Syesha possesses such star power and when I look in her eyes and I see her perform, I see life. She is connecting so well with both the song and the audience. I thought the arrangement was perfect for her, and it was a great performance.
Score: 4.9

09 Michael Johns sang "It's All Wrong But It's All Right"---Michael had a lot of soul this week. This was a personal best for Michael and the best performance of the night overall; enough said.
Score: 5