AMERICAN IDOL DOES STANDARDS: BEST SHOW YET.

Sorry the Idol commentary is up a bit late! Yesterday was so crazy with all the Tom Cruise baby news, Whitney going into rehab, etc. etc. that I was just crazy spinning all over the place! Thankfully, last night's theme for American Idol was the American Songbook, and I must say, it was one of the best shows this season. Since everyone did an amazing job (I take that back, ALMOST everyone), criticism wont be too harsh today (I know how heartbroken you must be.) Here we go:

Chris Daughtry (What A Wonderful World): What a way to open a show, no? You all know Chris is my favorite, so I will try to keep my usual raves about him to a minimum. I will say that he performed this song beautifully and proved he has talent way beyond being a rock singer. So much for everyone that called the guy a "one trick pony," try taking that little comment and shove it where the sun don't shine! And for the wise guy who commented to me before the show to check out how short Chris is, I will say, you were correct! He looked about an inch shorter than Seacrest, but you just know Seacrest must have had his lifts in last night for that to happen! Plus, I'm going to pretend I didn't even read the crack you made about my Bo Bice. ;) Lastly, the only thing I did not like about Chris last night was that he rolled up his sleeves really high underneath that vest. That fashion nightmare should not have occurred.

Paris Bennett (sorry, missed the name of her song): Paris is such a darling and I love that she is herself and doesn't have to put a dumbass act on to try and get votes. I'll say this, the girl really fit perfectly in this genre of music. Listening to her, I felt like I was being taken back in time...and for once, Paula was right. If Paris made an album like this it would be amazing.

Taylor Hicks (Darling You Send Me): Taylor appropriately calmed his "Taylorisms" down a bit for this performance. Like the others, his voice worked well in this genre and yet, he didn't have to compromise too much. He was still able to throw in a bit of soul at the end. Best part was when Simon snapped his fingers and said it was "*magic*"

Elliot Yamin (It Had To Be You): If only Elliot wore suit pants with that lovely jacket and not jeans, he would have looked spectacular. I know the clothes budget isn't that high, so maybe the poor guy could only afford half the outfit. Still, fashion faux pas and all, Elliot did a great job. I love how happy and excited he always looks on stage and when he said of his performance, "I feel like I'm locked in finally." Cute. Simon had hoped that Elliot would have shown more personality, but I'm just thankful he wasn't bouncing up and down this week during a standard.

Kellie Pickler (Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered): So before Pickle came on I thought that there might be a chance for me to actually like her performance for once because everyone seemed to be doing so great with the standards. I was wrong. She wasn't horrible, but she was super pitchy throughout the entire song. I am sure Pickle's relative who visited this site last week will vehemently disagree with me, but even all three judges thought she was pretty bad.

Ace Young (That's All): I wasn't terribly crazy about the song that Ace did, although his voice sounded good and he didn't hit any bad notes. I love that he wore a suit (men in suits: very, very, nice), but the slicked back hair and little stubby ponytail was pretty bad. I do appreciate his effort to try and look appropriate for the night's theme by getting the hair out of his eyes though. Simon hit the nail on the head when he said Ace's performance was, "charming."

Katharine McPhee (Someone To Watch Over Me): Of course, Katharine did one of my absolute favorite standards, which made her earn even more points than usual in my book. What can I say? The girl is flawless and tonight she nailed it, she shined, again. I will be shocked if she isn't in the final two. And to quote Simon one more time, Katharine was "completely and utterly in a different league."

It's anyone's guess who will go. If we are lucky, it will be Pickle, but just looking at prior weeks rank it probably wont be her. Although, the week that Constantine left, it was his first time in the bottom two. If it's between Elliot and Ace leaving, I have to say that I think I would rather see Ace say goodbye.