Episode Recap: American Idol - Season 6, Episode 14

Episode 14 Original Air Date: February 27, 2007 Yes, I know I'm late. It turns out I have a real job in addition to writing for this site. I don't know what my boss' reaction would be if I said, "Sorry I couldn't update our database by the deadline. I have to blog about American Idol. Surely the client will understand." The Men Phil Stacey - Sings "I Ain't Missing You". Does an OK job. Randy really likes it, says he was 'showing his power'. Paula says she can imagine hearing him on the radio. Simon says Phil's performance didn't make him jump out of his seat, Phil's voice wasn't original, and that he's still just a "good karaoke singer". Jared Cotter - Chooses "Let's Get It On". He delivers the second mediocre performance of the night. Randy likes it. Paula tries to tell him that's a song where he doesn't have to "push it", but can't stop giggling at her own accidental pun. Simon takes over and says it sounded like an episode of Love Boat. Jared rebuts, "That would have been a great Love Boat, man." A. J. Tabaldo - Does a pretty good job. Randy and Paula both love it. Even Simon says it was "really nearly very good". Sanjaya Malakar - He comes out wearing a black rimmed hat, long-sleeve button-down red shirt, and grey dress pants. He's probably trying to match his choice of music, but he ends up looking like the last-place contestant in a Michael Jackson look-a-like contest. His performance of "Steppin' Out With My Baby" is really weak. Randy tells him it was like a real bad High School talent show performance, and that he looks like he borrowed his dad's hat. Paula thought the song was too old for him. Simon says it was like a really bad lunch, where afterward the parents ask their kids to dress up and sing. Chris Sligh - Chris dedicates his performance of "Troubled" to his wife, who is actually kind of hot (which proves a guy doesn't have to be good-looking as long as he's funny). At one points he even sings directly to her as she's sitting in the first row. He does a really good job. Randy loves it. Paula thinks he's "pretty awesome". Simon says he's a "really good singer". Nick Pedro - He sings "Fever", and does pretty well, but not great. Randy and Paula like it, Simon says he has a "charisma problem" and needs better style. "What do you suggest, Simon?" Ryan asks, "Maybe a black shirt, kind of snug, shows off the chest?" Oh snap! Oh no he didn't! Blake Lewis - Does a great job performing "Virtual Insanity", and even manages not only to work in some beat boxing, but also some scatting and falsetto. Randy loves it. Paula says he makes "really smart choices". Simon says Blake was copycatting Jamiroquai during the first part of the song, was original during the middle part, but had "tuning problems" during the last part. I didn't hear the "tuning problems", and neither did the two professional singers on the judging panel, who say so. Paula and Randy also point out that Blake did the song completely differently from Jamiroquai. Brandon Rogers - Brandon dedicates his performance to his dead grandmother. Unfortunately for grandma, he does a really bad job of "Time After Time". Randy says it was boring. Paula was "really feeling" it. Simon points out this is a singing contest, "all of this 'feeling it' business" is "rubbish". Chris Richardson - Another song dedicated to Grandma, but this one is still alive. Chris sings a song called "The Geek In the Pink" and does pretty well. Randy says Chris' performance of that song was "hotter than the original". Paula loves it. Simon says it was "the best tonight by a mile". Sundance Head - Sundance dedicates his song to his two-month-old son. Dead grandparents, babies, why don't these guys dedicate their songs to someone who can actually appreciate it? Sundance gives a powerful performance of "Mustang Sally", and redeems himself from his earlier crappy performances. Even Simon liked it. They throw up on the screen a big picture of Sundance's little boy, but someone has Photoshopped a goatee on to the poor kid's face. Sundance later admits to putting hairspray into his own goatee. Fascinating. All in all, there were a few pretty good performances, but none of these guys sound like they belong in the same competition as some of the women.