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This week's theme was "soul music", and for the first -- and last -- time all of the 12 finalists competed against one another. Brian, Mary, and Molly provide their commentary on the full spectrum of talent.

La Toya London - "Ain't Nobody"

Brian writes: La Toya's choice of "Ain't Nobody" wasn't a great choice of song, but she did fairly well with it. Especially at the beginning, her voice just didn't match the music; she even sounded drowned out by the playback. It is obvious she loves the stage and the attention of performing. Most importantly, she got all the notes right. A really good performance to start the night, but I wasn't as high on it as the judges were.

Mary writes: I absolutely love this song as sung by Chaka Khan and La Toya absolutely did the song justice. She did a great job and started off the competition right. She was on tune (with a little shaky start), and she sang with a lot of energy and confidence. I was really pleased. This might be a good night.

Molly writes: I thought La Toya did a good job, but I didn't like it nearly well as her last performance. I wondered if she might have been concentrating on changing her image and being sexy, after being more staid last time. If so, I think it distracted her from her performance. But still, it was fine.

Amy Adams - "You Make Me Feel Brand New"

Brian writes: I really like Amy Adams, but her performance was pretty bad. She missed her opening cue, and that combined with her self-admitted nerves probably threw her off. She picked a really horrible song, both in general and for her voice. It seemed out of her comfort range, and for brief periods she couldn't hit a note on target. Hopefully, others will suck it up worse tonight so that she can advance.

Mary writes: She did an okay job with the song. She sang it competently, but they had too much background vocals for her, so there were times when I couldn't really hear her voice. I think her song choice was good, but I wasn't really blown away. I don't think she should be eliminated tonight, but I hope the producers don't continue to pick and choose who they give backup singers to because I just think it is unfair.

Molly writes: I think this was a bad song choice for her, because all I could think of when I saw her performance was the dreaded word "cabaret". I've got nothing against cabaret, but she really needed to do something different tonight. This was also the second week in a row that she had a song where she sang the high notes differently from the other notes within a single phrase. Disconcerting. I feel like she's letting the competition slip through her fingers.

Matt Rogers - "Hard to Handle"

Brian writes: Matt chose to sing one of my favorite songs tonight, so I had unreasonably high expectations to begin with. His voice was technically good, in the regard that he hit the right notes at the right times, but he just didn't capture the spirit of the other artists that have performed this song commercially. As for stage presence, he was okay, but much of it seemed forced. Still, this should be good enough for him to advance this week.

Mary writes: I think he did a passable job singing this song, but this is a very difficult song to sing. You need to be able to sing it fast with a lot of energy, and Matt isn't there yet. He hit the notes, but I wish he had chosen a different song. I think overall he did okay, but I certainly wasn't blown away. He is capable of better, hopefully we will get to see it. I am getting irritated with his mugging of the camera. I hope he stops that soon.

Molly writes: I thought this was a good song choice for him. It certainly didn't display his full vocal range, but he put on a spirited performance, and got the job done. To me, his performance style seemed authentically "Matt," so it gave people a good chance to judge if they want him around some more or not.

Camile Velasco - "Son of a Preacher Man"

Brian writes: Camile's song choice is one that gets chosen at least once per year. Sometimes it works, but with her it didn't. The judges were right, she looked absolutely scared to death. Her voice sounded like there was no energy behind it. Her presence was almost non-existent, and her body language was fairly cliche. The best thing about this performance is that it ensures that Amy is around another week.

Mary writes: Her performance was okay, probably on par with Matt's. Simon made some right on comments to Camille. He told her that she lacked confidence. She really does, and this lack of confidence makes for a uncomfortable viewing experience. She had a good voice but a mediocre stage presence. I'm not sure how long she'll last, but I give her 2-4 weeks maximum.

Molly writes: Camile was ... okay. Just okay. I haven't really seen anything (except the judges) to tell me that she'd be any better vocally if she were less nervous, but I'm hoping that it might at least keep her from scrunching up her face when she sings.

Jon Peter Lewis - "Drift Away"

Brian writes: Jon Peter finally found his groove. This song was perfect for him, but he still didn't knock it out of the park like I've been hoping he would. I'm beginning to wonder if he ever will, although I'm encouraged by the judges' comments. Some of the high-note "ohs" sounded off-key. Overall, his performance was still just quirky, and didn't show much talent. Also, one last suggestion: next week (and he will be there), no dancing. At all.

Mary writes: Not a great performance. If he didn't have the backup singers, I'm not sure his singing of the chorus would have even been on tune. He still does the goofy dance thing on portions of the song, and while he has stage presence, I find this dancing to be spastic. I didn't care for him, but I can't see him being eliminated this early in the competition since he seems to be a crowd-pleaser. Oh, and the butt-dancing that his father did was not attractive. Please do not encourage his father to dance.

Molly writes: Awwwww, come on! No, his father's dancing wasn't exactly attractive, but his dad's still great. His whole family seemed great. His whole family, in fact, seemed a lot more great than either Jon Peter's singing or his dancing. (Yes, dad's dancing was worse, but dad wasn't competing.) I think that vocally Jon Peter did a little better this week, although he still needs training and focus to even be worthy of the top 32. And the dancing ... once, it was a bold choice that, right or wrong, you could admire; twice, it's schtick.

Fantasia Barrino - "Signed, Sealed, Delivered"

Brian writes: Fantasia was my pick as the favorite coming into tonight, so it was no surprise that she gave the night's best performance. She's just so far above the rest of the competition, the rest of the season will be a battle for second place. She has everything in place: voice, presence, personality. I can't wait to see her stretch a little in the coming weeks, and we'll see if I'm being premature.

Mary writes: She did a very nice job with her performance, but I think I still like La Toya the best. I think I've liked other versions of this song a bit better, but she did a nice job over all. She has very nice stage presence, but I must admit her voice quality is not quite my favorite in the competition. I think she'll advance far into the competition if she takes good care of her voice.

Molly writes: I think that Fantasia gave a very strong performance tonight. She definitely knows how to work up the crowd. For the first time, though, I noticed that her face doesn't look like she's having a lot of fun singing (or at least it didn't tonight). I'd like to see her look like she's enjoying her performance as much as the audience does. And I'll be very curious to hear how she handles a different style of singing in the future.

George Huff - "Dock of the Bay"

Brian writes: "Sitting on the Dock of the Bay", of course, is the perfect song choice for George. If this was the first time I'd heard the song, I'd think it was written for him. His voice was maybe a little too vibrato, but he got all the notes right. The smiling thing is working for him now, but I'd like to see him branch out into more serious songs. Also, the "George Dip" could be toned down; I was getting dizzy from watching him. Regardless, he will be around for quite a while.

Mary writes: He needs to stop that dip-dancing he does. His voice still has a hoarse quality, but he generally performs well. I think my main complaint about him is that his pacing seems a bit slow on the songs he sings and his voice sounds about 30 years older than he is -- which in his case isn't a good thing. I like George a lot, he seems like he'd be a cool person to know, but I don't think there is any way he will win this competition. He was the best of the men this week, so I think he will stick around.

Molly writes: Hee! I told some friends last week that George should lose the moustache, and this week it's gone! And a good thing, too -- he looks a lot younger, and, better, his eyes really sparkle without the distraction of the moustache taking attention away from them. I absolutely agreed with Simon in hoping that George will calm down some in future performances. I think this performance would have been better with a bit more of a steady touch. But overall, I think George is getting better week by week, and I'm looking forward to seeing what he does in the future.

Jennifer Hudson - "Baby, I Love You"

Brian writes: Although I've never heard this song before, I think it was great for Jennifer. She really succeeds at high-energy songs. She wasn't as good vocally as the previous couple of performers, as she trailed off at one point and basically screamed the ending. Her facial expressions, which I found distracting in previous weeks, really worked tonight. I look forward to hearing more from her.

Mary writes: She did a great job with this song. I think that might have been the best performance of hers I have seen. She showed confidence, her vocal range, and she did a nice job singing. I really enjoyed her performance a lot. I think she is the second best performer so far. I disagree with Simon that her song choice was bad. She oversang last week, but she did a nice job tonight.

Molly writes: I thought Jennifer did a solid job tonight. And she looked fabulous! I have to admit ... I loved her performance of "Imagine" the first week. It made me hear the song in a whole new way. This week was just a good performance.

John Stevens - "Lately"

Brian writes: Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz... huh? Oh, John Stevens. Yet another slow, boring song. This time, though, he sounds very nasal, which is probably the most unforgivable singing sin. Also, he was pretty flat throughout. Boring song plus boring voice could mean early exit for John.

Mary writes: I like his voice generally, but I think he picked the wrong song tonight. "Lately" is a difficult song to sing and I think his voice and vocal range are better suited for another song - and probably another song writer. I think viewers of "American Idol" have seen previous contestants really falter singing Stevie Wonder. Just add John to this list. He did okay, but he really is capable of much better.

Molly writes: I think you both are crazy! John sounded fabulous. Dreamy. Warm cocoa with lots of marshmallows. And I thought "Lately" was a brilliant song choice for him. I agree that a lot of previous contestants have had trouble singing Stevie Wonder songs. John was one of the few to really take one of Stevie's songs and put his own style on it, even while treating it with respect. Loved him. (And, not that it influences my review at all, my inner 16-year-old is now going steady with him. We're having dinner with his adorable grandparents after the results show to celebrate.)

Leah LaBelle - "You Keep Me Hanging On"

Brian writes: In my opinion, Leah was the weakest performer coming into the finals. Accordingly, this performance was bad all the way around. Her voice, which is wrong for this song, was off the whole time. She tried a little routine with her dancing that just didn't work. Her stage presence once again screamed bored and uninterested. Hopefully, she'll be gone this week.

Mary writes: This was not a good performance. She was off-key in her singing and she didn't show a lot of energy or confidence when she sang. It would be nice if she could be out of the competition this quickly because I still don't think she belongs in the Top 12. She was the worst of the lot and needs to be excused.

Molly writes: Awwww, poor Leah. I'll say something nice about her: she was better than she was last week. I'll say something else nice about her: I liked her hair this week. I'll say yet another nice thing: I hope that she has a good trip back home! Soon.

Jasmine Trias - "Inseparable"

Brian writes: Jasmine picked a very sexy song to go with her very sexy voice. She started rocky and slow, but once she settled in, she owned the stage. Of all the performers tonight, she probably had the best stage presence. Again, I hope she stretches out her repertoire in the coming weeks.

Mary writes: Wow. She was a bit unexpected. I think she did a very nice job with the song and I am not sure I expected her to perform this well. Good for her. I really liked her and I hope she advances.

Molly writes: She had a great performance tonight. I wouldn't go as far as Simon did and say "superb," but if she keeps it up she's a solid contender to win.

Diana DeGarmo - "Think"

Brian writes: Put down Diana for the surprise of the night. I didn't expect her to bring so much energy to such an up-tempo song. Her vocals weren't as outstanding as some of the others, but definitely good enough to continue. If she keeps up her level of commitment, I can see her really improving in the upcoming rounds.

Mary writes: She did a very nice job with her song. I dug her performance a whole lot. This young woman is good! I don't know if she'll continue to do well in this show but she's impressed me so far. I'm not sure this is the best top 12 ever, but this is a pretty nice top 12 and Diana capped off a pretty good night.

Molly writes: I thought Diana's performance was big, a tad overwrought ... and very effective! It smacked a bit of "stage kid" to me, but the reason why they teach stage kids to perform like that is because sometimes that's what the situation calls for. Like this song. I have no complaints with Diana tonight.

Final Thoughts

Brian writes: I disagree with the judges that this is the best Final Twelve so far, but I was very surprised at the level of quality. Also, I think that there were some blaring technical issues with the cameras and sound. Hopefully this will be corrected by next week. Anyway, my bottom three would be Leah, John, and Camile, with Leah getting the boot.

Mary writes: The top performances were Diana, La Toya, Jasmine, and Jennifer (not in any particular order). I believe the four of them blew away their competition. The men in general are far weaker. I think George was the best this week, but he gave a weak performance in comparison to the top performances. Who do I think will be eliminated? Camile or Leah are doomed this week. One of them needs to go.

Molly writes: My bottom four were Jon Peter, Leah, Amy and Camile. Jon Peter will stay, because I don't think the fanbase that won him the popular vote last week will entirely desert him this week. Of the others, Leah is the one who most deserves to leave. However, it's difficult to predict vote distribution, and it's possible that Amy (who of the four least deserves to leave) will find herself lacking in votes, due to having a lukewarm performance.

American Idol roundtables at The Trades: 1st Quarterfinal | 2nd Quarterfinal | 3rd Quarterfinal | 4th Quarterfinal | Wild Card Round

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