‘Idol’ wannabes get 21st century blues

Bucky Covington, 28, Rockingham, N.C. : Covington definitely picked the right song, going with Tim McGraw's "Real Good Man." It allowed him to dress the part of a country singer, and maximize his vocal attributes. The problem was the same issue Covington faces every week; his diction is terrible and he's very hard to understand. This performance was worse than usual, as the music seemed to drown him out.
Grade: C-
The judges: "Definitely the right kind of song for you. You're definitely at home in your country suit." – Randy Jackson.
Stay or go: Covington may be heading home this week — it wasn't a great effort. He'll almost certainly at least find himself in the bottom three.

Paris Bennett, 17, Fayetteville, Ga.: Bennett sang "Work It Out" by Beyoncé, because she said it gave her a chance to look and act like a 17-year-old. It worked out as far as that went — she definitely looked and sounded a lot younger than she has in recent weeks. Of course, the problem is that by sounding younger, she allowed herself to be compared to Beyoncé, and she still has a ways to go to reach that level. But it was a nice performance anyway, and Bennett is one of the few likely to get a legitimate record deal somewhere regardless of how she fares in this competition.
Grade: B+
The judges: "That was fearless. It was the bomb" - Randy Jackson.
Stay or go: Bennett is probably safe.

Elliott Yamin, 27, Richmond, Va.: In case it hasn't become obvious by now, the judges would REALLY REALLY like America to keep Yamin around despite the fact that he looks nothing close to what Hollywood would cast as an American Idol, is struggling to reveal a compelling personality, and dances like an awkward seventh-grader at the Teen Club Spring Fling. He sang Gavin DeGraw's "I Don't Want to Be," in a less rock ’n’ roll version of the one that Bo Bice performed so impressively last year. Yamin did well, but the judges' praises were a little over the top.
Grade: B+
The judges: "I loved the arrangement, and I loved that you made it your own. You are one funky white boy." – Paula Abdul.
Stay or go: All the intangibles are stacking up in Yamin's favor; he sang last, he sang well, and the judges loved him. It wouldn't be the shock of the century if he wound up in the bottom three anyway, but he's a good bet to be back next week.

Craig Berman is a writer in Washington, D.C.

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