Jordin (Simon's song choice) -- servin' it up to Jordin's strengths...I didn't see a real challenge from Simon, possibly revealing that Simon wishes to see Jordin in the final. She did it just fine....and now says she'd never heard it before! Ha!
Blake (Paula's song choice) -- challenging Blake to show some range, and he ain't doin' that. Nothing special here, at all. And, now, the judges are going positive on it???
Melinda (Randy's song choice) -- Randy challenges Melinda with a Whitney song??! Geez! Well, let's listen....okay, she's not quite Whitney, but that was good!
First part winner -- Melinda (hey, that's what Simon said)
Jordin (producers' song choice) -- another apparent softball for Jordin, but she didn't really bring high enough energy until close to the end...for my taste, at least.
Blake (producers' song choice) -- a huge, slow-pitch softball for Blake, and he did it virtually perfectly...a perfect fit and a perfect take on it.
Melinda (producers' song choice) -- a big softball for Melinda, too, but this one, as a song choice, I think, lacks mass appeal. She absolutely knocked it out, but could this have been a turn-off?
Second Part Winner -- tie (hey, that's what Simon said)
Jordin (her own choice) -- a rerun, I believe, and for good reason...she can and did kill with it.
Blake (his own choice) -- an interesting choice given that he should know that teen girls are going to be very important for him tonight...he comes contemporary with it and does his thing with it. As a "performer," it was good; as a "singer" ("it's a singing competition," Simon is fond of saying...until they do little more than sing really, really well), it wasn't much.
Melinda (her own choice) -- comes with a strength, but I question the wisdom of this choice from a strategic standpoint; I think she should have come with something very recognizable and much more contemporary. If something happens and she doesn't make it, it'll be because she got herself too close to being a tv/movie stereotype of black women now two or three times her age rather than an awesome singer still plenty young.
Third Part Winner -- tie (they all played to their already-known strengths, but, in doing so, I think they all put themselves at a little bit of risk)
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Winner -- Melinda, but it wasn't a blow-out by any means
Loser -- on singing alone, Blake; on what makes people vote or not vote, heck if I know
Should Go -- on singing, Blake
Will Go -- too close to call, and I'm not just saying that to wimp out...I don't think Melinda was so good as to guarantee her safety, and I don't think Blake was so bad as to make it really obvious that the other two should be in the final.
