CHRIS RICHARDSON

STRATEGIC INITIATIVE He's won over the judges by infusing Jason Mraz and Keith Urban hits with a twist of blue-eyed soul. And while his herky-jerky dancing makes Taylor Hicks look like J. Lo, Chris has wisely avoided numbers that tax his thin voice, or draw further comparisons to doppelgäanger Justin Timberlake.

FROCK U The natty gray jacket and casual tie he wore during ''I Don't Wanna Be'' worked a lot better than the striped hoodie of ''Geek in the Pink.''

REQUEST LIST Fleetwood Mac's ''Go Your Own Way,'' Toni Braxton's ''You're Makin' Me High''