entertaining websites: 'American Idol' Preview: Can James Durbin Win This Thing?

Top five will tackle two themes on tonight's performance show, the 1960s and the enigmatic 'now.'
By Eric Ditzian

James Durbin
Photo: Michael Becker/ Fox

This week, "American Idol" thrusts us into a temporal and philosophical conundrum as we try to suss out what exactly producers mean by "now." For that of-the-moment adverb is one-half of Wednesday's (May 4) musical theme, which will have the final five contestants singing two songs each. The other half is straightforward, if unimaginative, enough: the 1960s. But "now"?

Are we talking about tunes currently on the radio or the Billboard Hot 100? Songs penned this year or this decade or this millennium? Or, like the nature of the space-time continuum itself, is there something ultimately unknowable and thus, up to individual interpretation, about just what "now" truly means?

Ugh, our heads are starting to hurt! Let us turn our attention instead to Casey Abrams, who exited the "Idol" stage in a tornado of growls and grunts and promises to "do everything I can to get myself out there and bring jazz back." We've been hard on Casey in recent weeks. Perhaps more so than we should have been, if only because we so often beg contestants to give us something fresh and unexpected, and then dismiss them when they do. Take one look at a YouTube video he uploaded last year — in which he not only sings but plays guitar, bass, drums, piano and clarinet — and you'll know the kid is a true musical talent, as well as a loveable goofball. Dude, we wish you well, now and forever (whatever that means in the "Idol" universe these days).

So, too, are we wishing for the top five to build on last week's generally impressive performances and pop off another standout show. Here's where the singers stand at this point and what each one will have to deliver on Wednesday.

Lauren Alaina
"Idol" producers made a puzzling decision last week, declining to identify a bottom three or even a bottom two and instead announcing the elimination in random order. Any thoughts on that one, reality-show conspiracy theorists? The problem — and, perhaps, the intention — was that the elimination process didn't leave us with a clear sense of who's up and who's down with the likes of Casey, Stefano Langone and Paul McDonald out of the contest. Lauren has thus far avoided bottom-three territory, but there's no doubt she's been struggling to find her form over the last month. She seems confused up on stage and dejected off of it. There's no reason to doubt her dedicated fanbase yet, but Lauren is in dire need of a breakout performance. We think she needs to bust out a hit contemporary tune — Taylor Swift, anyone? — and a slow '60s number that allows her a bit of sultry swagger reminiscent of her early season-10 performances.

James Durbin
While Lauren needs to bounce back, James needs to build on his stellar take on "Will You Love Me Tomorrow" and solidify his status, according to Randy Jackson, as a singer who can take home the "Idol" crown. We're as surprised as anyone that it's come to this, but he's gotten better and smarter as the season has gone on. He's a true contender. With the opportunity to sing two songs, we expect James to go righteous and heavy metal with his "now" tune and somber and sensitive with his '60s one. We know which one we'll prefer, but voters seem to dig anything the 22-year-old has to offer.

Jacob Lusk
Of all the remaining contestants, Jacob was done the biggest favor by the random elimination. And that's coming off of a pre-performance package in which Jimmy Iovine did his best to encourage voters to send Jacob home. His cheesy take on "Oh No Not My Baby" didn't help matters much. We'd say nothing short of a miracle can save Jacob this week, but miraculous voting results are an "Idol" institution. Regardless, Jacob should confine to history's dustbin the advice he's been given recently to let loose and go wild; instead he should remember how well vocal restraint has served him and latch onto a velvety '60s soul or gospel track from somebody like Sam Cooke, Al Green or Otis Redding. A fine new tune with an uplifting message to explore would be John Legend's take on "Wake Up Everybody."

Scotty McCreery
The random elimination might have made for good TV, but it was deeply unfair to Scotty. The country kid has never fallen into the bottom three, and yet he had to suffer up onstage next to Casey as America waited in disbelief, wondering if Scotty might actually be going home. He didn't, and he won't for a long time — not with the singer finally injecting some emotional heft into his radio-hit-ready country renditions. "Now," we think, gives Scotty a chance to bite into something from Rascal Flatts or Zac Brown Band, which would be a refreshing change (though musical evolution has never been high on his list of "Idol" priorities). And a little '60s era Johnny Cash could be a good, change-it-up-a-bit fit.

Haley Reinhart
Conventional wisdom would seem to suggest that, before she even steps out onto the stage, Haley's in deep trouble this week. Her fanbase is suspect and the judges have never embraced her, for whatever unjust reason, the way they have Lauren. What Haley needs to have on Wednesday, more so than ever, is one of those much-hyped "moments" — a performance that lets voters know she's not some unlikely hanger-on but a singer deserving of fervent support. She's got the potential — the bluesy, old-soul promise — and now's the time for her to convert ability into reality. We hear her favorite tune is Etta James' "At Last," so that emotion-heavy ballad seems a likely (and savvy) choice. For her contemporary tune, she should choose something highly recognizable and give it a stripped-down, bluesy makeover. She's already tackled an Adele song. Would it be crazy to take a bite out of Katy Perry? Well, crazy might just be the fuel Haley needs to propel her forward.

Don't miss "Idol Party Live" every Thursday at noon on MTV.com for analysis, celebrity guests and even some karaoke — get in the conversation by tweeting with the hashtag #idolparty! In the meantime, get your "Idol" fix on MTV News' "American Idol" page, where you'll find all the latest news, interviews and opinions.

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