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Could Tivo put Glambert in the Bottom Three?

More on that later, but first ... we have to look at some baby pictures.

Really.

Ryan showed tot shots of the judges and then announced that the theme was “songs from the year they were born.” Or was it “Who Am I?” Week? While Adam Lambert and Danny Gokey are always unmistakably themselves, the other contestants seem to be struggling with identity crises. 

Anoop goes from badass to benign and back again week after week. 

Lil likes to dress up .....as anyone BUT Lil.

Matt excels as an R & B singer. But he really wants to be Chris Martin from Coldplay ... until he gets in the Bottom Three. Then he embraces his soul, and the cycle starts again.

Allison’s identity crisis seems to be that she has no identity. But, man, can she sing!

Here’s how it went down:

Danny Gokey: Born in 1980, he's the oldest “Idol” contestant this year. (Wow, I guess I should keep a look out for my AARP membership materials -- they’ll be here in no time!) You have to wonder if he had “Stand By Me” in his pocket all along. I mean, it’s a hugely popular song -- why not use it for “Popular Downloads” Week or Motown Week? Instead, he chose to use it now, citing that country singer Mickey Gilley covered it in the year of his birth. That’s a stretch. Listen to Gilley’s version; Gokey’s is nothing like it. But, once again, he can do no wrong.  While the judges admitted that the arrangement was weird, they still had overall glowing remarks for Gokey. 

Kris Allen: Brought out the electric guitar for “All She Wants to Do Is Dance.” While I’m not a fan of that song, Allen’s interpretation of it was ... adequate What? Were you expecting to be blown away just one minute after hearing from his parents that his childhood dream was to be a taxi driver?  A steamboat captain maybe, but a taxi driver not so much.

Lil Rounds: Clearly enjoys the “image” part of performing. Each week, she’s a different character: a Supreme! a wedding singer! This week, doing "What's Love Got to Do With It," it's Tina Turner! The problem is that she doesn’t seem to know how to play the part of herself. The judges touched on this but once again neglected to mention that she was “a little pitchy, dawg.” (Am I crazy?). And her mother settled it once and for all: Her name is not short for "Little" as in Li'l Kim; it's just plain "Lil."

Anoop Desai: Anoop apologized for his insolence during last week’s critique. No need, Anoop. It gives you an edge -- sexy!  (Perhaps Gokey could take a page from your book and tarnish his halo a bit.) Then he was back to his strongest suit -- ballads -- on “True Colors.”  While he is always laughably sincere in his interpretation of songs like “Beat It,” for instance, it never seems to come across the way he intended.  Anoop is not the tough guy; Anoop is the tender guy.  At least that is the Anoop that America votes for. 

Scott MacIntyre: “The Search Is Over” for Scott. Kudos to him, as searching for anything must be a lot harder when you’re blind! While he wasn’t locked in the piano penitentiary this week, he did seem to be dealing with some electric guitar gridlock. Perhaps he was trying to appear as versatile as Kris, who has also showcased his skills on both instruments. It didn’t translate, but his childhood dream of being a train engineer was way better than Allen’s taxi fantasy. By the way, the search is also over for Vote for the Worst, as they’ve announced MacIntyre as Megan Corkrey’s replacement! Congrats, Scott! And even the judges are starting to acknowledge that his singing leaves something to be desired.

Allison Iraheta: Once again, one of the most flawless singers on the show. Despite having no personality. And she’s the youngest contestant! Come on people, vote for talent or else you’ll end up with someone with a “story” -- like Scott.

Matt Giraud: Can be my “Part Time Lover” anytime. (A full-time position is also available.)  He got away from all the Coldplay/Fray nonsense and went back to what he does best -- riffing and being “soulful.”  He also played up his JT resemblance by wearing a fedora. The judges were blown away. Let’s just hope he doesn’t get too comfortable and go back to the melancholy mumbling next week. 

Adam Lambert: Secured his place as the “Idol” frontrunner with Tears for Fears’ “Mad World.” Too bad no one with DVRs was able to see it, as the show went longer than it's scheduled 1:02 running time! (More votes for Matt!) While many people are fans of Lambert’s screech-singing, I think he's much better when he's more restrained, as he was here. Due to the time issues, Simon was the only judge afforded a critique, and he gave Glambert a standing ovation in lieu of words. Could the producers put him in the Bottom Three just for drama’s sake? (If you missed it, watch the video here.)

It will be interesting to see if the time issues affect Lambert’s votes at all.  My guess is that it won’t have much of an impact. Lil Rounds could be in trouble here and, if so, Allison would be left as the only girl.