On last week's American Idol, the Top 16 performed and our Top 12 was decided. Now, that Top 12 will have their first round of performances and with a doozy of a theme: the Lennon-McCartney songbook. I've always thought the Beatles were overrated, but I'm not stupid. I can recognize their place in rock history and their influence on everything since they appeared and it's huge. After showing us around the new set and giving us a brief look at the history of the Lennon-McCartney team, it's time for the top 12 to perform.

The first person to go up is Syesha Mercado and she has chosen to sing "Got To Get You Into My Life." She seems awkward in the beginning, but she catches up to herself and gives a brassy, funky performance. However, it all seems oddly subdued for Syesha and who did her hair this week? Blech!

Randy: says she started rough and got better, but needed to let loose.
Paula: echoes Randy's sentiments.
Simon: says she picked a great song, but looked nervous throughout.

The second person to perform is Mr. Chikeze Eze. He has picked "She's A Woman" and put a daring spin on it. He starts out sitting with a group of musicians, all twanging out a bluegrass sort of sound until Chikeze stands and the rock music starts kicking in. Chikeze's vocals soar and he romps around the stage as the music drives on through, leaving him with quite an extraordinary performance. It's like his Top 20 round performance, "I Believe To My Soul," times ten. Fantastic!

Randy: says he was entertained and loved the arrangement, saying the whole performance was fantastic.
Paula: says he took a risk and it worked.
Simon: says he loved it, calling it terrific, and likes that Chikeze took control of the performance.

The third person tonight is my girl Ramiele Malubay. She chooses to sing "In My Life" and if we were handing out awards for "Prettiest Vocals," Ramiele would win. She sounds soft, sweet, and pristine, not a note out of place, and she looks beautiful all throughout. However, I kept waiting for something big, or at least something different, so in that sense the performance was a let-down.

Randy: says it was pretty, but it was also pretty boring.
Paula: says it was a safe performance and Ramiele is holding back.
Simon: says he was bored and adds that her dreary choice of song did nothing for her.

Jason Castro is fourth and his song choice for the week is, "If I Fell." Aww, I was hoping he'd sing "All You Need Is Love." The performance is lovely and has a touching vulnerability, but there's also a wimpy quality to it, something which has been evident in a few of Jason's performances so far. I hate to rag on the guy, but I wish he were more present in his performances as I feel he is holding back. Just look at his tendency to pull back on big notes. Anytime there seems like a good place to do a soaring note, he pulls back and does a quick falsetto such as when he sings line, "And my heart can't stand the...," building up to the note on "pain," but retreating from it. Don't be afraid to go for the gusto Jason!