American Idol' Music Geek Report: Team Todrick

The problem is the judges don't know what they require until they listen to it, dismissing a handful of other contestants for not taking songs & changing them & making them their own. As an exasperated Todrick responded to their tin-eared slings & arrows, "I thought they wanted us to take songs & modify them & make them our own."

The only male singer on Tuesday's "American Idol" who may have topped Todrick, in fact, was the gigantic man, Michael Lynche, who brought home a standing ovation from Randy Jackson for pleading his way through James Brown's "It's a Man's Man's Man's World." While clearly lacking Brown's intensity - & who among us doesn't? - his bold choice paid off in the finish by showcasing Lynche as a great R&B singer far over anything else he is tried all season.

& either way, they didn't modify the Turner song as much as Adam Lambert changed the songs they loved him changing last year. But there is a growing sense that they could be the new A. Lambert (with apologies to fellow hopeful Alex Lambert). Perhaps that is why Adam loves him, tweeting that the singing dancer is "def going to surprise us!! Mad talent!! Def the full package."

The worst performance, hands down, was 16-year-old Aaron Kelly over-singing "My Girl." Simon didn't receive a chance to say this Tuesday, so I'll say it now. It was indulgent rubbish. Look Aaron, I know you sing but you don't to rub my face in it with all those extra notes.

The only other performance that stood out was the Lambert kid's, whose version of John Legend's "Everybody Knows" inspired Ellen to weigh in with "Under that mullet is a small Sam Cooke voice." I think he may be onto something there. His performance was quirky yet vulnerable, soulful yet puppy dog-esque, & that voice is fabulous. Now, if only they could lose the mullet.

If I had to pick three of the 10 remaining guys based on Tuesday's performances (& perhaps the momentum they brought in to Tuesday's show), my choices, in order, would be Michael Lynche, Todrick Hall, Alex Lambert, Andrew Garcia, Jermaine Sellers (with the caveat that they ought to perhaps think about the lyrics to a song before they sings it next time) & the cougar's choice, Casey James.