no more downloads please...

Top downloads night kinda provided something for everyone. Some of the kids selected recent hits, some chose adult contemporary songs and a few reached back into the archives for some golden oldies.

And some were good, some not so good and others were simply present. In other words, I'm glad I watched the show on TiVo and chose to go to bed last night instead.

So here they are, my thoughts for what they're worth, and listed from worst to first:

Megan Joy (Turn Your Lights Down Low). I'm sorry, but I can't for the life of me figure out why Megan is still in this competition when Alexis Grace is watching from her living room. I just can't.

Anoop Desai (Caught Up). I appreciate that Anoop took a break from ballad-land this week, and this performance was nowhere near Beat It level, but despite a decent vocal, his attempt at imitating Usher just didn't work for me.

Lil Rounds (I Surrender). She's trying too hard. She says in her taped piece that she's finally chosen the right song. Wrong. Just like last week, she's flat all over the place and seems so desperate to hit those power notes that it came off more like screeching than singing. But the little bit at the end, as Lil is wiping her tears after getting bruised by the judges, with the Lil kids was cute.

Matt Giraud (You Found Me). We finally found Matt, oddly sitting at the keyboard in the middle of the mosh pit. That was awkward. Also awkward was this performance, right from the start, and while it got somewhat better as the song went on, might spell trouble for the guy on results night. Maybe they can place the bad stools in the mosh pit.

Danny Gokey (What Hurts the Most). While this performance was better than last week's, I just don't get the judges. He delivered the song well emotionally, but it just seemed strident and, at times, borderline screaming.

Scott MacIntyre (Just the Way You Are). Simon was right that this was Scott's best performance to date. I actually didn't hit the FFW button. I loved that the band took a breather and left just Scott with his piano, but as much as I enjoyed it, he's still so outclassed in this group. I think he bought himself some time, but not much.

Adam Lambert (Play that Funky Music). I am still lurving the hair and scaled back makeup. What an odd choice for Adam to sing, but the judges were right that it was an awesome arrangement, delivered flawlessly like we've come to expect from Adam. But I still don't like the song.

Allison Iraheta (Don't Speak). Yes, she looked like a Bratz doll on crack, but I loved the addition of the guitar, I loved the vulnerability at the front of the song, she didn't miss a note, even though she had a minor botch of the lyrics. I love this girl to death. (She's 16.)

Kris Allen (Ain't No Sunshine). Holy piano. I wasn't too thrilled when I heard he had chosen this song, because it's one of those songs that has a shrine in my heart, and I don't much like people touching my shrine. But this was the jewel of the night, appropriately put into the pimp spot. Kris just keeps peaking and, as Simon noted correctly, brings more confidence to the stage each week. This was FAB.

So there are my thoughts. Feel free to add yours.

Now the tough part, because I did glance at dialidol.com.

Who should: Lil, Megan, Anoop
Who I want: Lil, Megan, Chris Scott
Who will: Megan, Anoop, Matt

And I'm going out on a limb to say that Megan will be forced to "sing for her life", we will be forced to listen again and she and her tattooed arm will wave farewell by the end of the hour tonight.

See you then.