Big Love

I'm almost certain that tomorrow morning I'm going to wake up and regret this sentence, but here goes: I'm not so different from Paula Abdul.

Nope, I'll never reveal what was in my big red cup while I watched tonight's Great Love Songs episode of American Idol — that's between me and my pharmacist — but I do have this much in common with the show's zaniest judge: I was moved to tears (a couple of 'em, anyway) by Elliott Yamin's rendition of ''A Song for You.''

Now hold your ridicule, people. There's no need to tell me what I already know: I'm a shameless sap who takes his Idol waaaaay too seriously. But in my defense, it's not very often you get to witness the birth of a star live on national television. And tonight, after 10 long weeks of labor, Elliott finally delivered the kind of showstopping performance that might just transform him from a congenial reality-TV contestant into a household name. (And on an intricate, jazzy Donny Hathaway tune that a lot of the show's teenage fans may not recognize, no less.) Indeed, all that was left of the fidgety guy with the tentative body language and bad haircut who first caught my attention in the Hollywood rounds was that voice — confident, controlled, and filled with the kind of true passion that's too often missing in the world-class karaoke that's Idol's stock-in-trade. Yes, Paula, this Yamin kid's already an Idol, isn't he?

This isn't to suggest, however, that Elliott was the only singer who connected with his lyrics tonight, or that it's already time to crown him as the season 5 champ. In my mind, three other performers — Chris Daughtry, Paris Bennett, and Katharine McPhee — stand just as good a chance of becoming the next Carrie Underwood, so to speak.

Actually, it's Chris who consistently transcends Idol's talent-show confines, coming off like a seasoned veteran who just so happens to be giving a weekly concert on Fox for 30 million fans. I can't say I greeted his choice of Bryan Adams' cheese-laden ''Have You Ever Really Loved a Woman'' with a great deal of enthusiasm, but at least Chris' abridged version of the song left out that blush-inducing lyric about ''when you can see your unborn children in her eyes/Then you know you really love a woman.'' Oof-dah! If I'm being honest, Chris sang with so much tuneful flair he could've probably sold me on that line, too. I just hope that the next time the bald-headed hottie sings, the show's producers will keep the camera trained on him, instead of bizarrely zooming in on the hands of the dude playing acoustic guitar — and that the judges make mention of the fact that Chris has missed fewer notes this season than any other contestant.

Well, except for maybe Paris. Indeed, say what you want about the perky teen's personality, but week after week after week, she brings it vocally. Once again, the judges seemed to have difficulty conjuring up adjectives to praise Paris' performance (a booming, twisty take on ''The Way We Were''), so let me make a few suggestions: robust, rich, rousing, retro, regal. And those are just the r's! To her credit, Paris even used her interview segments to iron out the Minnie Mouse squeak her detractors complain about. Still, I have a sinking feeling that no matter how consistently the kid delivers, her youth (or rather, the lack of life experience that keeps the emotional impact of her performances stuck at lukewarm levels) will keep her from reaching the top four. If I'm right, maybe the other two women remaining in the competition should consider hiring Paris to help them with their lower registers. Just a thought.

Not that I imagine Katharine thinks she needs help with anything. I know a lot of EW.com readers have complained that they detect a certain arrogance emanating from the curvaceous beauty, and even though there's no real evidence this is the case, I cannot disagree with 'em. Maybe it was the off-putting way Katharine laughed at Randy's critique of her middling take on Whitney Houston's ''I Have Nothing.'' Was it a hint of ''I know you didn't just say you weren't blown away by my singing!''? Attitude aside, as Simon pointed out, you shouldn't tackle a Whitney Houston song if you're going to get screechy on the big notes. And what's more, with thousands of love songs to choose from, how about choosing something we didn't already hear during season 2 (Trenyce), season 3 (Jennifer Hudson), and season 4 (Vonzell Solomon)?

Still, Katharine shouldn't worry about getting eliminated (I can't shake the feeling she and Chris are destined to face off in the finals), thanks to a pair of ill-timed missteps by Kellie Pickler and Taylor Hicks (the only two remaining contestants who've never been in the bottom three). Sadly for that pair, we've now reached a point in the competition where the cannon fodder has gone home and there's no longer room for veering wildly off-key or pressing the emotional autopilot button prior to taking the stage.

Kellie, for her part, eviscerated ''Unchained Melody'' on multiple levels: fading into the background on her low notes, experiencing painful pitch problems, and delivering her lyrics with a glassy-eyed lack of enthusiasm that left me half wondering if she'd watched a tape of last week's abysmal performance and decided that she belongs in the bottom two, regardless of her fans' unflinching support.

Likewise, I've been getting the sense for weeks now — ever since that John Denver cover, in fact — that Taylor is losing his zeal for Idol, too. I mean, is the gray-haired dude who jauntily broke out the harmonica after getting his ticket to the final 24 the same guy who coughed up a strained, nasal rendition of James Ingram's ''Just Once'' tonight? Is it possible that Taylor, having received several months of exposure before a massive national audience, is sabotaging himself late in the game to avoid future run-ins with ballads like ''Inside Your Heaven'' and ''Flying Without Wings''? Stranger things have happened before. And they probably will again — especially if Paris takes Taylor's rightful spot in the bottom two.

What do you think? Were you surprised by any of tonight's performances? Did anyone move you to tears (in either a good or a bad way)? And who do you think will be crying when the elimination show ends tomorrow night?

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