American Idol: Disco Night, Disco Yuck!

It was Disco Night on American Idol.

On the positive side, the usual format with all four judges critiquing each contestant was back.

Overall however, the show was nothing special, quite unimpressive. I don't know why they bother doing disco. Yuck!

Some contestants stuck to the original versions of their chosen songs, at least for the most part.

Others changed up the arrangements.

Whether the arrangements were new or familiar, I don't think any were that great.

The final 7 can all sing. We know that. But I don't think any Disco Night performance was spectacular. I wasn't blown away by any of them.

It looks like Lil Rounds is finished. Her version of "I'm every woman" was not good. Given that two contestants will be getting the boot this week, I think it is time for her to go.

Kris Allen did an acoustic guitar version of "She Works Hard for the Money." That was original. He took the disco out of it, which was smart. But in the end, it was still "She Works Hard for the Money." I can't say I liked it, but I liked that he tried to de-disco the song.

Danny Gokey sang "September." It was another solid performance for Danny. He is really a fantastic singer.

Randy and Kara and Paula loved it. Paula said, "I think you have one of the sexiest voices ever."

Simon took a different position. Once again, he called Danny's performance "awkward and clumsy." He said, "I didn't get star power."

I don't know what Simon is looking for. If by "star power" he means Danny didn't come off like an egomaniacal pompous ass strutting around the stage, then I agree. I don't get that from Danny. He seems like a great guy with great talent. That's the sort of "star power" I like.

Allison Iraheta did "Hot Stuff." It was another solid performance for her.

Then, it was Adam Lambert's turn. I knew exactly what was coming from him when all 7 contestants took the stage at the beginning of the hour. Adam was wearing a suit and tie, and his hair was in a pouffy pompadour.

That means he wasn't going to do a frenetic performance with lots of screaming and jumping around. Even before the show began, I was quite certain that Adam would tone it down a bit tonight because that's his pattern. One week loud, the next week soft. It's getting very predictable.

Adam sang "If I Can't Have You." He began with the soft, high, sweet voice, but then went into some screeching.

All the judges were impressed. They showered him with praise. Paula said that she could feel his pain. Although Simon laughed, saying he didn't feel the pain, he liked it because he had never heard the song sung that way before. After all the judges had made their comments, Adam thanked Michael Orland for the arrangement.

I think Adam is a very talented singer. What's interesting about him is the judges never say, "I don't know who you are as an artist." That's strange to me because Adam really hasn't picked a personality. It seems like he's playing a part. Maybe that's his theatrical background showing, but I don't like that I don't see him. I see a performer. He's a very good one, but his performances are more like roles he's playing, as if he casts himself in a different role each week.

That's where he differs from Danny. Danny seems like he's the real deal when he sings. I don't feel that he's playing a part.

Then came Matt Giraud. He sang "Stayin' Alive." Kind of a cute choice, given that the judges used the "save" to keep him alive for another week. The judges had a mixed reaction. Randy didn't like the song choice, but thought his vocals were good. Kara liked the performance. Paula said that Matt picks songs like the way she bowls: sometimes a gutter ball, sometimes a strike. She said this week he got a strike. Simon disagreed, saying his performance lacked originality. He said, "It was a bit desperate."

That was too harsh.

Anoop Desai, decked out in a bright pink sweater, was the final contestant of the night, singing "Dim All the Lights." Randy, Kara, and Paula were impressed with his vocals. Paula added, "Real men know how to wear pink." Simon was not impressed, saying the performance was mediocre at best. He said it was a "horrible" version of the song, and concluded, "That was your worst performance, by a mile."

I think Simon, again, was too harsh, way too harsh.

I expect Lil to go, and probably Matt.