American Idol Recap: Giving 'Em Ellen

I'm not comfortable with Ellen Degeneres's sound defeat of Paula Abdul -- and Randy, Kara, and Simon, frankly -- during her Idol debut. I expected her peppy encouragement ("I do know what it's like to stand and please an entire room full of people," she said to the contestants at the top of the hour) and even her saltiness ("You should put some shoes on here. Hollywood is a disgusting town," she said to one eliminated player). But the rest of the Idol panel's "tough love" felt like smooth, bubbly aspartame compared to Ellen's slick decision-making. Did you hear Ellen mutter, "She's going to get annoying" during one deliberation? What about when she claimed they needed to eliminate more contestants, seemingly for the hell of it? For being a non-Cowell member of the panel, Ellen made some subversive, bold gestures. Turns out she's the most refreshing member of the group, a real swig of Vitamin Water! (You noticed the Coca-Cola cups were replaced by 50 Cent's lemony elixir of choice, right?) We number the first night of Hollywood Week's three best highlights after the jump.

3. Lilly Scott

Lilly Scott may resemble a lonely wizard with her shock-silver mane, but her take on Ella Fitzgerald's "Lullaby in Birdland" could've fit on most tolerable Starbucks compilations. Why didn't we see her audition until today? It was probably more important to give an extra 24 minutes of screentime to the grating Ski-Bo-Ski, who was finally eliminated last night after Ellen called him "scary" and compared him to a stalking leopard.

2. Andrew Garcia is Forever Our Girl

Covering Paula Abdul is risky behavior -- but Andrew Garcia sampled the lost Laker Girl's biggest hit to scintillating results. Sure, it sounded like any Jason Mraz song you'd hear piping in at Aeropostale, but the spot-on pitch helped me forget that white-pop-reggae-balladeers are usually impossible to bear. The performance inspired Kara DioGuardi to burst into a nervous dance that can only be called an Awk-tusi, and Ellen to flat-out mock Paula.

1. Didi Benami's Terrific "Terrified"

My favorite contestant from the audition season made the genius decision to pick one of Kara DioGuardi's songs for Hollywood Week, a non-hit called "Terrified." Not only was she an adequate guitar player, but she took the song's lilting melody and added a sped-up verve. Simon Cowell remarked that the tune was current, thereby solidifying Didi's chances at a Top 24 spot and Kara DioGuardi's stature of the panel. The latter accomplishment was more necessary, strangely. I've embedded Kara DioGuardi's version of the song featuring co-writer Jason Reeves, and I guarantee it will make you rethink and admire the sometimes-cloying panelist's credentials. (Though please pardon the horrible CD title that Reeves brings up.)