American Idol - Coolia Rates the Top Eight Girls

Performances and Embarrassing Moments

Asia'h Epperson - "I Wanna Dance With Somebody"

Sometimes I feel like this show should be called America's Next Top Celine or Whitney Impersonator. I get so tired of these song choices. These kids have the whole glorious 80s catalog to choose from, and out of 16 performances this week, we get 3 Whitney and 2 Celine songs? That makes the show nearly 1/3 Celine & Whitney. That is way more than the recommended weekly dose of diva wannabes. Anyways, I thought Asia'h seemed a little mechanical, and the backup singers outshone her at times. She did improve toward the end and pulled off a big finish. Good energy, but she brought nothing new to this song.

Kady Malloy - "Who Wants To Live Forever"

Simon feels Kady lacks personality, but that failing didn't stop the last Idol who sang this tune - Katherine McPhee. I thought Kady delivered an emotional rendition, although it's not in the same league as Freddie's original version, or Shirley Bassey's powerful cover. Kady is always funny in her interview segments (wacky misadventures include bombing a talent show audition and knocking over a wall of speakers in the process), so it's nice to see her serious side in her performance. It's true she doesn't have a ton of charisma on stage, nor does she have one of the bigger voices. I do think she's likable, though. Who wants to live forever? Apparently Simon Cowell, judging by his botox addiction.

Amanda Overmyer - "I Hate Myself For Loving You"

Amanda's most embarrassing moment is not her DUI arrest, but rather some mysterious night of partying that ended with her deck and pool burning down. Mmmm k. I was really hoping we'd get to hear Amanda take on "Total Eclipse of the Heart", but this isn't a bad second choice. She rocked it pretty hard, and her hair was much improved.

Carly Smithson - "Drove All Night"

As much as I am tired of these diva ditties, I have to admit I enjoyed Carly's rendition and much preferred it to Celine's. She can really hit the big notes, and she's confident without seeming arrogant. She may not be attractive enough to win, but she should sail into the Top 12.

Kristy Lee Cook - "Faithfully"

When Kristy was 7, she liked to pretend she was a dog and drink out of a dog bowl. It's unclear if she tried Beggin Strips, but I've always been tempted - they just smell so bacony. So, last week Alaina revealed OCD tendencies that make her compartmentalize her food and she got sent home - will the same fate befall Kristy since she told us about her personality disorder? I'd say probably not, because she put an interesting country spin on this Journey tune. Again we had to be reminded that Randy used to play in Journey and he's familiar enough with them to refer to Steve Perry as "Perry." You're so cool, Dawg. Tell us - what's Neil Schon REALLY like?

Ramiele Malubay - "Against All Odds"

This was the Phil Collins song I was hoping David Archuleta would sing. Ramiele looked cute, although her outfit was a bit frumpy. She sang the song well, but failed to wow me or the judges. Again, this seemed like a bit of an old fashioned and formal song choice for her.

Brooke White - "Love is a Battlefield"

I think Brooke's stripping down of this 80s tune worked better than David Cook's similar treatment of "Hello." For one thing, it's much stronger source material. For another thing, I thought Brooke put some tenderness and emotion into the performance. She still kind of annoys me with her goody-goody-ness, but I think this was the best performance of the night.

Syesha Mercado - "Saving All My Love For You"

In the circle of Idol life, we end where we began - with a Whitney Houston song. I think Syesha is a bit full of herself. This was a good performance but sorta karaoke for me. She brought nothing fresh to the mix.

Predictions

Going home - Kady Malloy, Syesha Mercado