The top three finalists will each sing twice tonight: one song of their choice and another selected for them by the judges.
Casey James selected OK, It's Alright With Me for himself. He explained that he feels this is the kind of song he would write for himself. It was plain, simple and bland. There was no showstopper moment and no energy in this performance.
Crystal Bowersox selected the Melissa Etheridge hit Come To My Window for herself. She used this performance to showcase what a great live performer and musician she is. She played both her guitar and her harmonica while at the same time bringing the song to life with a thoughtful interpretation of the lyrics.
Lee DeWyze selected Lynard Skynard's Simple Man for himself. This was a simple performance for the simple guy who has no desire to expand beyond being the generic rock guy that he's been all season long. He is completely unable to convey any personality or showmanship when he is on stage.
Daughters by John Mayer won the 2004 Grammy for Song of the Year and Randy and Kara selected this song for Casey James to sing. This was never a very interesting song, so it is the perfect choice for Casey who hasn't been able to do anything interesting all season. The song requires no vocal range so that was a good fit for him, but it does require an emotional connection and Casey just wasn't convincing at all.
Maybe I'm Amazed by Paul McCartney hit #10 on the Billboard HOT 100 in 1977 and Ellen selected this song for Crystal Bowersox to sing. For the very first time this season a finalist has given the audience a fantastic showstopper to be excited about. Crystal put all the instruments down and just let her outstanding vocal range speak for itself. She took us with her to every high and low and made us feel amazed every step of the way.
Jeff Buckley's Hallelujah has already been performed this season by finalist Tim Urban, but that didn't stop Simon from selecting it for Lee DeWyze. To be honest, Tim's version sounded better vocally and more sincere than Lee's. What Lee had in his favor was a much bigger and more dramatic arrangement with many back-up singers and swelling instruments to cover for his lack of vocal talent. To the untrained ear, one could be fooled into believing this was a good performance, but it was all smoke and mirrors unlike the true talent that Crystal was able to deliver.
It's very clear that Lee and Crystal should be in the finals and Casey should definitely be sent home. It's more than just a prediction, it should be considered an inevitability.
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