1) Sam Woolf- Come Together from Across The Universe

When I heard Sam was doing this, I assumed trainwreck. The song is too big for him, and honestly too energetic. Vocally, Sam did an alright job, but he needed a Red Bull. That was too subdued for me to take him seriously. He sat for the first half of it. He awkwardly bounced around on stage for the second half. He didn’t look connected, and honestly, there’s nothing to connect to. At least his vocals weren’t bad. He just proved he’s not a performer. America is going to forget this by the end of the night. Harry called it “average” and I agree.

FINAL GRADE: C+

2) Jess Meuse- The Sound Of Silence from The Graduate

This is like last week, but redone to be better.I would say that Jess looked more invested in the performance this week, and fixed a lot of pitch issues. There was a music issue in the middle where she and the band were not together, and I don’t know why. I thought she mumbled some of the lyrics. It felt like a performance that never left the ground, so to speak. Still, an improvement upon last week, even if just a small one. I don’t know why Bandzilla hates Jess.

FINAL GRADE: B-

3) CJ Harris- Can’t You See from Blow

Probably the best CJ performance in a long time. Definitely since the Top 13. It was in tune. It got a standing O from Keith. It was on pitch. It fit his style. Great vocal. My one qualm is that it doesn’t do anything to help him be relevant in the current music industry. Nailing old songs, and not updating them, can only take you so far. But for this week, he’ll stay safe, and he got people excited again about his being in the competition.

FINAL GRADE: A-

4) Dexter Roberts- Sweet Home Alabama from Forrest Gump/Sweet Home Alabama

Of course this song is in Dexter’s wheelhouse. That’s a no brainer. What I liked about this performance was that Dexter had a ton of personality, and stage presence, something that’s been lacking tonight. He performed with confidence, like he’s a star. That’s what the judges wanted. I liked last weeks performance more, so this was a slight step backward. But only because this song seemed really safe for Dexter.

FINAL GRADE: B+

5) Ben Briley- Bennie and the Jets from 27 Dresses

Ben plays his second instrument of the season by dabbling in piano. I love his artistry and that he challenges himself every performance to something new. An unexpected song choice for Ben, but points taken off for not having the best falsetto in the world. It’s alright, but he stayed in the mediocre falsetto for too long. He also gets points for looking dapper tonight.

FINAL GRADE: B

6) Majesty Rose- Let It Go from Frozen

This song was too big for Majesty. She was straining vocally, and had to go into her head voice a lot instead of belting the high notes. I loved the performance though. Performance wise, she’s a star. Vocally? That was the worst of the night so far, and definitely her worst. I don’t think she’ll hit the bottom. She’ll get votes just because she chose that song.

FINAL GRADE: C-

7) Caleb Johnson- Skyfall from Skyfall

I have not been a Caleb fan, but this really is changing my opinion. I might even throw him a few votes this week. I loved the dynamics he finally used, and the restraint. It was an epic performance, and I think I’ll remember this at the end of the season. Best performance of the night… so far. This is a step in proving his relevancy.

FINAL GRADE: A

8) MK Nobilette- To Make You Feel My Love

I laughed out loud at Emmanuel Zidor being labled “MK’s Friend” even though he was just competing on the show a few weeks ago. We know who he is. We don’t suffer from short-term-memory loss. This is by far MK’s best performance on the show so far. If she gets eliminated on this, then something is wrong. She really turned it around this week. I’m not a fan of the evolution of styling MK. I feel like I know less who she is as the stylists continue to try and make her seem more feminine. She never needed that.

FINAL GRADE: B+

9) Alex Preston- Falling Slowly from Once

Kind of an overdone song, but it is good for Alex. Kudos to Alex for working on eye contact. Also, props for doing something different, melodically, with the song. He didn’t just sing the notes as written. I would buy this version on Itunes, because Alex put his spin on it, which made it interesting. A huge comeback from last week. Alex is in this to win it, yo! (props to Randy).

FINAL GRADE: A

10) Jena Irene- Decode from Twilight

I would buy Jena’s album right now. Jena is so much stronger when she has her piano in front of her. She just had a moment with this song. There’s no way she’s in the bottom 3 again this week. She’s memorable tonight. Great stage design for her too. This is Standing O worthy. My favorite performance of the season. Yes. I liked it that much. She gets a standing O from 2 judges. Not bad.

FINAL GRADE: A+

11) Malaya Watson- I Am Changing from Dreamgirls

I’m worried about the song choice, because Malaya does NOT have the same vocal ability as Jennifer Hudson. I think she also lacks the emotional depth to truly understand the hurt beneath the lyrics here, and she performed this as a happy ballad instead. Good vocal, but it pales in comparison to other versions of the song, and her emotional maturity is lacking for me in the interpretation of the song. Malaya is making a comeback though.

FINAL GRADE: B

Should Be In The Bottom: Ben, Sam, Majesty

Will Be In The Bottom 3: Jess, Sam, Ben (alternately, MK could still be in the bottom instead of one of those three)

Going Home: Jess (no save used)