Wow. I can't believe this one but it's all over the Web: the "Idol" producers actually approached Jennifer Lopez to replace Mariah Carey midway through the live shows. What? Sure, Mariah is borderline useless but that smacks of desperation in a situation that is already hopeless. This season is toast. It's over. Ratings are not going to get better.

But here we are. It's a talented top 4. They are all great singers in a technical sense. Now it comes down to song choice and style.

While Candice Glover has been my favorite to date, I preferred Angie Miller tonight for the first time.

Candice didn't pick songs that really highlighted her strengths but she did what she could. She's second for me.

And while Jimmy Iovine and others hated Amber Holcomb's "MacArthur Park," I kind of enjoyed it. Go figure. I think Amber outshone Kree Harrison.

Kree, in fact, was a bore to me tonight. She's at my bottom and should go home - if anybody goes home tomorrow.

It's still unclear how "Idol" will fill the gap week. I presume there will be a week where nobody will go home. Why not now? Ryan Seacrest promised a "surprise twist" tomorrow. I presume it will address that spare week.

Rumors of next week's themes are already flowing in: standards and songs from 2013. Can't get much more different than that!

Amber Holcomb ("Power of Love' Celine Dion): She can do power ballads and she does this one with gorgeous confidence. I'm not quite in standing ovation mode but I admire her. Keith: "There's a reason you're in the top 4." Nicki: "A sexy glass of milk." Randy: "Like a black and white cookie." Grade: A-minus (Jimmy Iovine: "I heard the top end of her voice feeling that strain but I have to say that song will be difficult to beat.")

Candice Glover ("Find Your Love" Drake): She opts for a modern song but she has a tendency, with her jazzy/bluesy arrangements and style, to make it feel old school. That can help her ginny up votes but probably not make her a pop star. She falls in that Melinda Doolittle mode. She could do musical theater, as many "Idols" have done. Nicki: "A big part of me wish you had stuck to the melody." Randy: "Vocals are crazy good... the thing to me is not so much it's old fashioned. We know you're that church girl and praise God for that. It doesn't mean you have to use it all the time full on. Not every phrase needs a run." Mariah talks. Keith: "Let that authenticity come." Grade: B-plus/A-minus (Jimmy: "I love Drake. I love that song. I love Candice. That was the second best performance of the night.")

Kree Harrison ("It Hurt So Bad" Susan Tedeschi) - Another bluesy torchy feel. Are we on Beale St.? It's another good performance but she just doesn't move me the way Candice can. Randy: "You were right there in your element... disconnected. I was waiting to hear something else from you this week. Mariah gabs. Keith: "You have to leave nothing on the table. You can't just let your vocal do it. It's not enough." Nicki: "That performance is not going to get you what you need for next week... not a top 4 performance." Grade: B-plus

Angie Miller ("Who You Are" Jessie J) - She's the only one of the four so far who sounds remotely contemporary. I like her hair flat, too. Great vocal performance and she seems more real behind the piano than wandering the stage. This is probably the first time I preferred Angie over everyone else in any given round. Mariah is paid to say something. Keith: "A mini short repretentation why I had such confidence in you as an artist." Nicki: "You didn't strain one time." Randy: "You made me forget it was a Jessie J song." Grade: A-minus/A

Amber/Kree ("Rumour Has It' Adele") - Kree still has a problem connecting with the audience. Amber has more personality on stage. I kind of got bored at some point and stopped listening so maybe I'll pass on grading it. (I was checking to see if my buddy Malcolm Freberg from Marietta was able to survive another week on "Survivor.")

Candice/Angie ("Stay" Rihanna) - I'm watching this one from beginning to end for sure. This was a hot one. Candice rocked it. Angie doesn't feel as genuine to me but they both were, as Randy said, "on fire." Grade: A-minus

Amber ("MacArthur Park" Richard Harris) - I thought the song is ultra cheesy but didn't actually mind Angie's performance. She tried. Tough song but I thought she kept it interesting. (I know, the bloggers below generally hated it.) Keith was beside himself with joy. Nicki: "Blooming flower." Randy: "Current... in it to win it." Mariah: "Low notes rich, gorgeous... confidence." Grade: B-plus/A-minus (Jimmy: "I didn't by that song when Richard Harris sang it. I didn't buy it when Donna Summer sang it. I didn't buy it when Amber sang it. It's corny and not even Amber can pull off corny.")

Candice ("Emotion" Samantha Sang) - Back to the disco era again!I'm not sure this is the best song to showcase Candice's vocals. But I do love the song. And she gives it enough pep to make it work. Randy: "Former Candice from last week is returning." Mariah points out she did a stellar performance with a cold. Keith: "Breathy easy nice... pick a song that will stand out next week." Grade: A-minus/B-plus

Kree ("Whiter Sade of Pale" Procol Harum) - Pleasant and sweet but Kree's performances always sound the same to me. I didn't feel the sadness that hangs over the original. Keith wants her to pick another song that is less "middle ground." Agreed, Keith. Grade: B

Angie ('Cry Me a River" Julie London) - We're pretty much liking or disliking these performances not from a technical standpoint but style and feel. I really enjoyed that. She brought something emotive in a more real way than in the past. Or maybe it's because she no longer has that floofy hair. Am I being fooled by appearance alone? Mariah: "Classic." Keith: "Mystical." Nicki: "You came out tonight to snatch some wigs." Grade: A/A-minus