AMERICAN IDOL NOTES
Here's what you missed last night on 80s night with the Top 8 guys...
Luke Menard kicked things off with Wham's "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go." Randy Jackson thought it started out a little rough and questioned his song choice. Paula Abdul said she loved Menard's interpretation. Simon, as usual, had the harshest words. "I thought it was weak, a bit girly."
17-year-old David Archuleta played piano and sang the Phil Collins song "Another Day in Paradise." The judges weren't too impressed. Randy said, "It didn't show off all your vocal prowess and what you could do. But it was nice." Paula said, "I loved that there were a couple of notes that were off because it proved to me that you are not this make-believe person, hologram, that could do everything perfect." Simon said, "It wasn't as good as last week. It's all getting a little bit gloomy here. You got to lighten up a little bit."
Danny Noriega did Soft Cell's "Tainted Love." Randy heard some pitch problems, but loved the arrangement. Paula said, "You're like this bright light in this competition. You got a sensitive side to you and you got a total spicy side to you." Simon didn't like any of it. "I thought it was horrible. Absolutely useless. Hated the arrangement. Hated the performance. Hated the vocals."
David Hernandez belted out "It's All Coming Back to Me Now," a song written in the '80s but popularized by Celine Dion in the '90s. Randy said, "Nice song choice. Some pitch problems." Paula said, "You're really getting into your groove. I think you have some of the best vocals in this whole group." Simon said, "It wasn't as good as last week. I prefer when you are doing more kind of the soul songs. But you've 100-percent secured a placed in the finals for next week on that.
Aussie Michael Johns took on "Don't You (Forget About Me)." Randy said, "I loved that, man. You kind of remind me of [IN-X-S singer] Michael Hutchence -- you got that big ol' range, big ol' voice." Paula said, "You picked a perfect song." Simon said, "I liked it. I didn't love it. You're rather like one of the girls in the competition -- huge talent but haven't quite connected with the right song and had your moment yet."
David Cook and his guitar rocked up Lionel Richie's "Hello." Randy said, "You know what I loved about that, man? You did a slightly emo version out of an extremely pop Lionel Richie song. I think that can be a single and be a hit, dude." Paula said, "That was fabulous." Even Simon had good things to say. "David, that was a very brave thing to do, and I loved it."
Jason Castro followed things up with another strong performance, doing the Leonard Cohen-penned "Hallelujah." Randy gave him props for taking on such a difficult song. Paula said, "You made it sound so effortless." But Simon had the most glowing remarks. "I thought it was absolutely brilliant. One of my favorite performances of the whole night."
Chikezie Eze closed the show with "All the Woman I Need." Randy said it was an interesting song choice. "But you know what? You did a good job of it." Paula added, "Your vocals sound really good tonight." Simon wasn't completely sold. "You were okay in bits. I thought it was much more cabaret than last week. I don't think that was a very smart move personally."
Clearly, David Cook and Jason Castro were the best last night... There are six spots in the Top 12... lock up four for David Archuleta, David Cook, Jason Castro, and Michael Johns. If his past doesn't affect the voting, David Hernandez is in too. That leaves one spot for Luke, Chikezie, and Danny. We'll give you our official picks tomorrow!
FOODS TO BE HEALTHY
If your current diet consists of cheeseburgers, French fries, and soda . . . you could use a change in diet. Here's a list of 12 healthy foods you should try to eat more regularly:
BEANS. They're full of fiber and protein.
DRIED APRICOTS. Some people stay away from dried apricots because they think they have too much sugar... but dried apricots are actually BETTER for you than fresh apricots because they contain more potassium.
BLUEBERRIES. They're filled with antioxidants, which keep your immune system strong so you don't get colds.
BROCCOLI. Broccoli has a lot of Vitamin C and fiber.
TURKEY. Fresh turkey has barely any fat and it's a great source of protein... but stay away from turkey lunch meat, which has too much salt.
POMEGRANATE JUICE. It's full of antioxidants... and that can fight heart disease and even lower your cholesterol.
YOGURT. Go for the low-fat kind... and it will clean out your intestines so you don't feel all backed up and bloated.
OATS. You probably keep hearing a lot about eating whole grains. Oats are a perfect whole grain to eat because they're full of fiber and can lower your cholesterol.
AVOCADO. Athletes eat avocados because they're full of potassium (--even more than a banana), which improves your blood flow so you don't cramp up.
CINNAMON. This is another food that can lower your cholesterol.
PEANUT BUTTER. Peanut butter is full of omega-3 fatty acids . . . which are known to help fight heart disease.
CHOCOLATE. Although you have to buy obnoxious, expensive, organic chocolate bars that are at least 75% cacao (--pronounced kuh-KAY-oh)... or buy 100% cacao powder. You get three times more antioxidants than in green tea.
TOP 5 CELEBRITY HAIRSTYLES
Thousands of In Style readers voted on the hottest hair in Hollywood. Here are the Top Five ...
1. Reese Witherspoon's tapered bangs. Reese has long layers -- all below the chin -- and choppy bangs that end around her eyebrows. Click here for a photo.
2. Jennifer Aniston's sleek, shiny layers. "Jennifer has long layers with a slightly A-line shape," explains her longtime hairstylist Chris McMillan, "so there's less height and more fullness at the bottom." Click here for a photo.
3. Eva Longoria's glamorous curls. Eva's hair falls to the middle of her back. Instead of chopping her long hair, stylist Ken Paves uses shorter hairpieces to create different looks. Click here for a photo.
4. Angelina Jolie's bombshell blowout. Hairstylist David Babaii, who often works with the actress, says "it's a classic Vidal Sassoon 'round layer cut,' which creates cascading layers that reduce some of the weight in her hair so it flows better. Click here for a photo.
5. Jessica Simpson's tousled waves. Skimming below her shoulders, Jessica's hair is "lightly layered, with a few shorter pieces in the front curving around the face," explains her hairstylist, Ken Paves. Click here for a photo.
