American Idol 9 - Top 10 Guys Perform

Word came late Tuesday from “American Idol” producers that Crystal Bowersox was ill and hospitalized. That meant a bit of the old switcheroo: The guys performed with the girls rescheduled for Wednesday.

Bowersox is the girls’ best chance of producing a winner this year. The show didn’t offer details on her illness, but the L.A. Times said it was diabetes-related complications.

If you watched last week, you’ll know the guys were piss-poor, so they tried to step it up Tuesday with varying results.

Michael Lynche: After last week’s uninspired Maroon 5 cover, Big Mike unleashed his inner drama queen and performed a soulful, hard-to-top version of James Brown’s “A Man’s World.” As a side note, Mike can bench press 505 pounds, which adds up to four Miss Seacrests or a dozen Aaron Kellys.

John Park: Cute as he is, John is a stale old piece of toast (thank you, Patsy Stone). His cover of “Gravity” by John Mayer was much better than last week’s self-indulgent “God Bless the Child,” but his lack of charisma makes him forgettable. Simon said he’s probably going home Thursday.

Casey James: When he found out that every would-be rocker had performed Gavin Degraw’s “I Don’t Wanna Be” on “Idol” seasons past, cougar bait should have picked a different song. Instead, he gave a sloppy, copycat version and tried to cover up with his electric guitar. Kara and Simon thought he was trying too hard to be a rock star, but he’s safe no matter what.

Read the rest of the recap at Project Q Atlanta now!