Top 13 - Michael Jackson

Here we go with the Round of 13. In case you haven't scrolled down far enough, here's a link explaining the grading scale I'm using to evaluate the competitors.

http://scoutingtheidols.blogspot.com/2009/03/scale.html
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Lil Rounds - "The Way You Make Me Feel"

Vocal ability: 60
Consistency: 50
Appearance: 40
Versatility: 50
Star power: 55
Song choice: 50

Solid across the board. Not the same kind of "wow" performance from the previous round, but that's less an indictment of her skills than a logical by-product of the concentrated talent pool. It's suddenly much harder to separate yourself. I think she's in the upper third as far as pure ability, but she'll need to return to last week's form before I up the rating. The outfit was hideous; I tried to give it a 40 but couldn't do it. She does command a stage better than most at this point, even in that crazy get-up. Safe, solid song choice, as well. She probably could have picked something that would have let her show off more, but this one fit her personality we know thus far, and since she led off the show it was important to sing something upbeat.
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Scott MacIntyre - "Keep the Faith"

Vocal ability: 40
Consistency: 50
Appearance: 50
Versatility: 40
Star power: 40
Song choice: 55

Passionless. Awkward. Occasionally screechy. I think I think he's the worst singer to make it this far. That said, he was at least consistently mediocre throughout the performance. Seemed like there were a couple moments in the song when he could have at least attempted to do something a bit more interesting vocally, but he passed on them. It's hard to imagine him nailing any Michael Jackson song. He wisely chose to use the piano, but that shouldn't carry him far, either. Stage presence-wise, it had all the drama of a middle school recital. All of that said, he's an inspirational story of sorts and probably the most likely contestant to last longer than his skills actually justify.
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Danny Gokey - "P.Y.T (Pretty Young Thing)"

Vocal ability: 60
Consistency: 60
Appearance: 50
Versatility: 55
Star power: 50
Song choice: 55

Right now I think he's the second-best singer in the competition. I really like the soulful lower register he possesses. I rate the consistency high because each time he's performed there's been no doubt that his performance would prove to be one of the standouts. His snazzier look was an improvement in my opinion, but I'm still not sure he's found the right one just yet. Ditching the glasses might help pull it all together. He's done an excellent job thus far showing off his versatility, having nailed a Mariah Carey ballad and an energetic MJ number. The dancing left plenty to be desired, but that's of no concern, at least not at this point. He's very likable, but not what you'd call charismatic. Another solid song choice which effectively showcased his personality, though I'd liked to have seen him take a stab at "Will You Be There."
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Michael Sarver - "You Are Not Alone"

Vocal ability: 50
Consistency: 50
Appearance: 50
Versatility: 45
Star power: 40
Song choice: 55

The surprise of the night. I was so disappointed about him advancing to this round I actually wanted him to forget his lyrics tonight just to ensure he'd go no farther. Certainly not the best singer, but he sung well enough tonight to advance. Nothing about him says "star," so without the pipes or the presence to lean compensate for other weaknesses, I doubt he'll last long. But the steadiness suggests he could get by for a couple more weeks if some other competitors choke. He sung the exact kind of song he needed to, but I still find him boring.
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Jasmine Murray - "I'll Be There"

Vocal ability: 50
Consistency: 50
Appearance: 55
Versatility: 45
Star power: 50
Song choice: 50

Well, the numbers don't lie. She was average. There were moments when she seemed on the verge of trying to take the song over, but she either shied away or just doesn't have it in her; I'm still on the fence about which it is. She's got the looks but doesn't demand attention as a performer or personality. Given her age, I think maybe she just lacks the confidence to take a risk and try to turn some heads. Instead of flaming out, she's content to fade away, and that's probably the path she's headed down. She'll hang around for a few weeks until average is no longer good enough to make the cut. That said, out of everyone clustered in the middle of the pack, she's the best bet to suddenly figure something out and turn herself into a legitimate contender.
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Kris Allen - "Remember the Time"

Vocal ability: 45
Consistency: 45
Appearance: 55
Versatility: 45
Star power: 45
Song choice: 45

When he was in college I'm sure he was the dreamy boy who played guitar and sang, but now he's stuck battling Scott to avoid being the worst of the Top 13. A painful performance. After choosing "Man in the Mirror" earlier on, you'd think he'd have a grasp of what MJ songs he can and can't do. What was the point of the guitar? He could have just played air-guitar and we wouldn't have heard any fewer chords. At least Scott displayed a genuine talent with the piano. The song choice was probably as good as he could have done, short of a mediocre, repeat performance of MITM. Now that we know he's married, hopefully that will suppress the teenage girl vote enough to send him home ASAP.
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Allison Iraheta - "Give In To Me"

Vocal ability: 55
Consistency: 60
Appearance: 50
Versatility: 45
Star power: 55
Song choice: 55

One of my favorites coming into this round, and she just happens to choose my favorite MJ song (just let it go, we're not here to talk about me). I had her rendition of Heart's "Alone" stuck in my head for a week. She doesn't hit every note when she belts out these songs, but thus far her passion and audaciousness have carried her through. Also, quite a bold song choice for a 16-year-old. None of that is an attempt to divert attention from a middling voice, because I think her voice is very good and she hasn't yet shown her full range. Which brings us to the one negative up to this point: while her two performances have been excellent, they've been nearly identical in tone. She's been clear about "who she is" and I think she chose the perfect song, but she'll also have to master some other song styles as she moves on.
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Anoop Desai - "Beat It"

Vocal ability: 50
Consistency: 40
Appearance: 50
Versatility: 45
Star power: 50
Song choice: 40

Likable guy, obviously, and he doesn't deserve to go home just yet, but he won't be around very long. Sometimes it seems he has a pretty good voice, but I don't think he knows what to sing to let it come out consistently week to week. Tonight's effort was pretty bad. He seems most comfortable with the upbeat songs, but it didn't work for him tonight. Choosing something from "Dangerous" would have been smarter and suited him better. Again, I think he underperformed his true talent level, and I don't usually subscribe to the "some songs are untouchable" school of thought, but if you choose "Beat It," you need to own it. He didn't.
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Jorge Nunez - "Never Can Say Goodbye"

Vocal ability: 55
Consistency: 50
Appearance: 50
Versatility: 45
Star power: 45
Song choice: 45

I think Jorge has a good voice, but whereas there seemed to be some power in his performance in the last round, tonight it just sounded nice. He sang well, but also never did anything to make you pay attention. He's awkward on stage and quickly needs to show that he's something more than just a capable crooner.
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Megan Joy - "Rockin' Robin"

Vocal ability: 50
Consistency: 50
Appearance: 60
Versatility: 40
Star power: 45
Song choice: 40

Another one who needs to break out of her comfort zone before it's too late. She's won the beauty contest, but now she needs to get serious about singing. I know I lauded a couple of similar performances from Allison and now I've taken to criticizing on similar grounds, but the magnitude of Allison's efforts dwarf Megan's. Megan has shown "who she is," is very good at what she does, and could very easily end up recording records being the performer we've seen. But tonight I just kept thinking how lucky she was that MJ had a song like this in his catalog. I don't know what else she could have sung. I like her voice and her look (sexier dress outweighs hideous tattoo, for now), but I also want to see a less-perky version before I'm willing to consider her even a fringe contender. Now, if she'd sang "Dirty Diana"...
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Adam Lambert - "Black or White"

Vocal ability: 65
Consistency: 60
Appearance: 55
Versatility: 50
Star power: 60
Song choice: 55

I know, I know, he has a ridiculous voice (can we have Hair Metal Week, please). But remember, the ratings are starting a bit on the conservative side here. There's no denying he's the class of the competition right now, though I'm a bit curious to see how he handles it when he has to knock the pure energy level down a notch or two. MJ is right up his vocal alley, and I wish he'd busted out "Thriller" or "Bad." He's had two knockout performances, but I don't think he can be that overwhelming every single week. There might even be some weeks where he's outdone by someone else. So, this is also where I insert a few words of caution about viewing the rest of the competition as an extended coronation. Yes, it's likely that he will continue to sing circles around just about everyone else, but let's not underestimate the potential for "Adam Fatigue" to set in. People do tend to push back at least a little bit when they feel they're not being given a fair chance to make up their own minds, and the judges sure haven't been shy about placing him on a pedestal all by his lonesome. As we get into the final rounds, other singers will have built up their fair share of fans, and it's possible that there will be enough collective resentment over feeling "their guy" never had a fair shot that enough voters line up against him. Being the best doesn't mean you can't lose.
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Matt Giraud - "Human Nature"

Vocal ability: 50
Consistency: 45
Appearance: 55
Versatility: 45
Star power: 50
Song choice: 50

He seemed to know exactly what he needed to do to safely advance. I think he probably has a good enough voice to have sung something more memorable, but singing nicely and playing the piano was the smart choice. I'm still a bit down on him from his mangled Coldplay performance. I can't imagine what he could do to make me take him seriously. He'll hang around, but I don't see any real potential.
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Alexis Grace - "Dirty Diana"

Vocal ability: 60
Consistency: 60
Appearance: 60
Versatility: 55
Star power: 55
Song choice: 60

How does that voice come out of that little body? Jesus. Megan wins the beauty contest, but Alexis wins the Hot Contest. Perfect song. Another one who seems to know exactly what to do and so far has pulled it off almost flawlessly. She did moody and bluesy, and she's done loud and angry. I think these ratings are justified based on what we've seen, and I hope she continues to earn them. But there is a part of me that wonders if we've already seen her best performances. I know she'll continue to be good, but can she keep being THIS good? If she's for real, she can win.