Photo: Micelotta/FOX
Quentin Tarantino may have met his match in this season’s “most animated American Idol mentor” department (nobody can touch Andrew Lloyd Webber’s “chorus girl” performance from Season Seven). Last night Jamie Foxx dropped by the Idol mansion to guide the five remaining singers through standards made famous by the Rat Pack era. Though at first, Kris Allen wasn’t sure who would be up to the task: “The theme is the Rat Pack, so all those people are … dead” he said, immediately losing the over-60 vote. Though Idol’s reasons for picking Foxx were suspect (he played Ray, he isn’t Ray) — “Like the Rat Pack, Jamie Foxx has been able to transcend the boundaries of the entertainment industry,” intoned Ryan Seacrest — his appearance was refreshing, especially when he kicked things off by admitting he wasn’t expecting to like everyone. So who did Rock Daily and the judges like?
• While the four other singers played it straight, Adam Lambert grabbed Muse’s version of “Feeling Good” and capped it with an insane note that had the judges jazzed and comparing him to Michael Phelps (well, OK, that was Paula). Kara DioGuardi called him “shocking in a good way” and for some reason “sleazy,” and Simon Cowell praised his trip down the giant white staircase as the “best entrance of the year.”
• Danny Gokey was a close second with a rendition of “Come Rain or Come Shine” that went over well with Jamie Foxx (who praised Gokey’s fresh breath when he sang directly into his face) and everyone else with a serious dynamic shift that brought the tune to new heights.
• Jamie Foxx loved Kris Allen so much, he offered to work with him on the spot. Allen’s “The Way You Look Tonight” was subtle and sexy, so Simon appropriately called it “wet.”
• Allison Iraheta is 17 now, but still sounds like she’s 47. Her “Someone to Watch Over Me” was killer, but even though Randy says she sings “like Pink with 9,000 more octaves,” Simon’s concerned her time might be up. That would truly suck, as next to Lambert, Iraheta is this season’s most reliably entertaining hopeful.
• Matt Giraud seemed prime to kill “My Funny Valentine” — he studied jazz in college, he was waiting for this week — but even though Jamie Foxx insisted he change the key, the judges didn’t love it … except for Simon, who called it “believable, authentic” and even compared Matt’s phrasing to the great Nat King Cole.
Idol Bonus! Anoop Desai and Lil Rounds stopped by the RS offices yesterday, so check back later today for our interview with the last two eliminated singers.

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