IDOL Week 5: MK's Top 8 Picks!

1. James Durbin: Showing he could be both vulnerable and emotional, the rocker should have the competition weeping after his game-changing take on the Beatles classic.

2. Scotty McCreery: Is he the next Elvis? This country crooner has a powerful (Sex) appeal. Could this cat in the hat be the next “American Idol”?

3. Jacob Lusk: There’s no question the (Semi-Out)man had the pipes, but will his squeaky-clean (Fem) image help or hurt him in the long run?

4. Stefano Langone: He is Sexy and has the pipes, but is he just sexy?

5. Casey Abrams: He’s recovered nicely now for two straight weeks, but is it enough to offset his quirkiness to make him a most unlikely “Idol”? His performance  was Flawless!

6. Pia Toscano: The Female front-runner proved she could do an up-tempo number as well as a ballad, and while she’s no Tina Turner, Was there enough heat in the performance to keep her in the Female lead?


7. Haley Reinhart: The throaty girl-next-door had momentum on her side, as she tackled Joplin with surprisingly effective results. She was my least favorite, but with more performances like this, she could pound Pia.

8. Lauren Alaina: Nothing wrong with this youngster as she gains confidence and grows before our eyes, but this field may prove too formidable, and she has gotten BORING.

LEAVING: Paul McDonald: I admire the balls to turn “Folsom Prison Blues” into a feel-good audience participation number, but it may be that this likeable guitar-strumming troubadour will “Walk the Line” tonight. He should have done Joe Cocker or Kenny Loggins.