Let's go over this one more time for those who haven't been paying attention. Song choice, folks. It's the place you start, and it sets the tone for everything you do. A bad choice equals almost certain doom. Idol performers, please remember that your first obstacle is being memorable. Last night, Arianna was less than memorable. Worse, she was ultimately forgettable. This ABBA song wasn't as dreary as the judges made it out to be, but it was so much older than we'd want a 17-year-old to be. Arianna did have some nice vocal runs during the performance, but her efforts to be make it contemporary failed. (Frankly, it's hard to figure out why this teenager would think that she could freshen up a song about divorce.) She's still "as cute as a button," but she isn't quite ready for American Idol (or marriage, let alone divorce).

First things first. I hate this song. Nothing against the the Plain White T's, but "Hey There Delilah" has been so overdone on Idol, including Hollywood Week, that the mere mention of it makes me cringe. Frankly, I was hoping for Ju'Not to do something a bit more upbeat and engaging, though what he did with this song wasn't exactly bad. The problem is that it also wasn't exactly memorable. Ju'Not is starting in a hole, being one of the guys who got virtually no face time in the audition or Hollywood rounds, so he needed a launching pad to make himself recognizable. Instead, we got some nice vocals on a nerve-grating song (at least for me). Nice isn't good enough. There is virtually no chance that he'll get voted in based on this performance, but hopefully the judges will include him as a Wildcard choice.

One of the first things you notice about Kristen is her confidence. This is a girl who is clearly a polished performer -- perhaps because she's already been on Star Search and Nashville Star. While it's easy to say that she might be a "ringer" because she's been on other reality singing contests, it's also clear that those shows saw something special in her. There is undoubtedly something worth seeing and hearing in Kristen, from her camera-ready face to her country-meets-pop-meets-soul voice. Last night she almost did something special with Tracy Chapman's "Give Me One Reason" by giving it a very original spin. Unfortunately, she tried a little too hard and faltered badly at the end. Maybe the judges are right in saying that she doesn't know who she is. Why else would she have said she was country a few years ago, and then say that she envisions herself recording Kelly Clarkson/ Leona Lewis-type music today. Worse for Kristen, she's not the most memorable person in this competition, and she'll be left praying for a Wild Card slot. Here's hoping the judges are wise and answer that prayer.

This week, we're without a Tatiana del Toro or a Norman Gentle. Instead, we have a Nathaniel Marshall, who looks and acts like he could be Tatiana's and Norman's love child who took fashion tips from Olivia Newton-John's "Physical" video. (Funny that Simon said the same thing; I was thinking it when we saw Nathaniel standing on the stairs.) Worse, he sounded like he took singing tips from Norman, as he missed a majority of the notes in this badly conceived rendition of this Meatloaf classic. And worse than that, he did it without any of the passion that Meatloaf put into his performances -- emotions which helped define his music. What defined Nathaniel the most was his ability to cry about anything during the auditions and in Hollywood. Last night, Nathaniel didn't even have that going for him. If there's any mercy in this show, his run on Idol will end with tonight's result show.

Felicia has so much going against her in this round, mostly because she's known at this point at Joanna Pacitti's replacement. She got very little attention during the early weeks, and the last time we saw her was when she left the judges in tears after learning she didn't make the Top 36. Last night she gave viewers a reason to remember her with a solid rendition of Alicia Keys' "No One," even if it was mostly straightforward copy of the original. Clearly, Felicia belongs on his stage, as she has stronger vocals and more confidence in her stage presence that most of the other ladies we've seen thus far. Unfortunately, her lack of attention and her outsider status will almost certainly be a barrier to most voters. As the judges' fill-in candidate, it's doubtful they'll grant her one last chance in the Wild Card round, but her performance on Tuesday was one of the best of the night and should earn her one more appearance next week.

I'm the first one to say that I really like Scott. He's an inspiring person who has accomplished a lot and overcome so much in his life. But a great vocalist? Not really. Scott is a fairly average singer with a great backstory, and I've thought that since his audition. Last night he was overwhelmingiy ho-hum with his version of a decent Bruce Hornsby song that was perfectly suited for him. Yes, he's a fan favorite, and yes he'll almost certainly be voted into the Top 12. But he should be voted in on the merits of his performance and not because he's someone with a great story, and definitely not because of his disability. To put him in on those grounds would be to dishonor all that he's accomplished in spite of his blindness. And Randy, what the hey? "This wasn't the most perfect vocal ... but the parts that were great were really, really great"? That would be like saying, "These weren't the best brownies. You put some dog crap in there, but the parts that were really chocolatey were awesome." Please, give the guy some honesty, regardless of how desperately you want him in the finals.

There's something to be said about the pretty ladies on American Idol. Sometimes, that beauty is the only positive thing you can talk about after a performance. Kendall's gorgeous and was beautifully dressed last night, but she picked an extremely safe Martina_McBride song and she was pitch-challenged. That's a nice way of saying she stunk. It's OK to be country, but she chose something that was a bit sappy, and then she proceded to sing it poorly. If previous weeks are any indication, only one girl's going to get voted in from this group, and it won't be Kendall. It's also doubtful that we'll see her again a week from now.

While the overall level of performance last week was well below this week, we still had some cheer-worthy numbers early on. Last night, we had to wait until the next-to-last performer before we got a real contender. Jorge may not be the crowd favorite, but he absolutely picked the right song and he hit it almost perfectly. This is probably the most popular Elton John number to perform on Idol, but Jorge did it with power and with passion. Scott MacIntyre is probably the one who'll get the votes, but he paled in comparison with Jorge's performance. Hopefully he'll get the third slot in the finals; if not, he should be a shoo-in for the judges' Wild Card selections.

One wonders why the producers feel compelled to put their favorites in the "pimp spot" each week. In Group 1, it was Danny Gokey. Last week, it was Adam Lambert. Neither one really needed the extra pimping, since both were either the best or close to the best in their round. Enter Lil Rounds, who mopped up for Group 3 with Mary J. Blige's "Be Without You." No way did she need the extra promotion, but there she was, finishing up Group 3 on Tuesday night. It's clear that the powers-that-be at Idol want her in the finals, but she would have earned that spot with or without their transparent efforts to place her there. While Jorge was technically perfect in his performance, Lil put on a show that was worth the price of admission. She has raw power, but she also has personality and stage presence -- which was more than evident when she ad libbed, "Call this show if you can't live without me" at the end of the song. It would be a monumental upset if Lil didn't get voted in tonight, and I'll be shocked if she isn't one of the favorites once the Top 12 begins.