‘Idol’ contestants drown in sea of sap

Paris Bennett, 17, Fayetteville, Ga.: If "Idol" was a musical futures market, Bennett would be the safest bet for the longest career. Andrea Bocelli and David Foster both loved her — Bocelli said "she has an extraordinary voice" — but for some reason that voice hasn't captured the fancy of the voting public. That means she's in trouble despite doing a nice job with Barbra Streisand's "The Way We Were."
Grade: B
The judges: "Very good vocal, but old-fashioned for my taste. It sounded a bit like you were trying to impersonate an older artist …   and now I'm finished — off you go Ryan." – Simon Cowell.
Stay or go: Someone has to go, and Bennett may be the unlucky one this week.

Taylor Hicks, 29, Birmingham, Ala.: It was a tale of two critics for the competition's lone senior citizen. Foster loved his choice of James Ingram's "Just Once," and thought he "potentially had the most charisma, which is a very, very important part of being a star." That shows Foster doesn't watch the show much or he could have safely dropped the "potentially" — Hicks is a charisma machine. The judges, however, hated the song selection and didn't like the performance much either, which should make it an awkward scene if they all meet Foster at one of those post-Grammy parties.
Grade: B-
The judges: "That song was completely the wrong song for me, for you." – Randy Jackson.
Stay or go: It wasn't Hicks' best effort, but he's probably safe.

Chris Daughtry, 26, McLeansville, N.C.: This was Daughtry's nightmare theme — how can anyone rock out to something that even drunk college students avoid on karaoke night as being "too uncool." He tried his best with Bryan Adams’ "Have You Ever Really Loved a Woman?" but it didn't fit with the previous Daughtry musical catalog and he didn't look very comfortable singing it. The vocals themselves were solid, and the judges all really liked the effort. Still, he'll also be really happy when the themes give him something a little more suited to his style than sappy love songs.
Grade: B
The judges: "That was a very, very good choice of song." – Simon Cowell.
Stay or go: Wednesday is the day we find out if last week's results were an aberration or a sign that Daughtry really is in danger. He was the second-lowest vote-getter a week ago, and therefore he won't rest easy this time around either.  

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

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