It was role-reversal week as the guys - who came into semis seriously sucking - somehow kicked the girls' asses in Week 3 of semi-finals. There was only one really bad performance, a couple pitchy but acceptable ones, and several really impressive numbers. Who would have guessed?

Lee Dewyze picked "Fireflies" by Owl City. I don't know this song, so I can't tell you if Lee tweaked the melody or the rhythm or anything. But he did his growly alt-rock thing and it sounded decent, although his voice can become seriously irritating when he holds his "e"s in the upper register. Still it was a solid, assured performance, even if he fell off the pitch a little bit. Randy and Ellen loved it. Kara said that he really stepped up on the confidence front and made the song better with his tweaks. Simon said that there was nothing to rave about, but he has been pleased with Lee's progress thus far.

Alex Lambert picked "Trouble" by Ray La Montagne, which is one of those woefully over-played songs on this show. He again had the guitar, and I think that's the secret to his improved confidence. You can see his ease and performance increase every week. He sounded really lovely on most of it, except for some flat notes toward the beginning. Randy thought that the song let him down a bit. Ellen continued the stupid banana metaphor - give it a rest, honey - and said Alex has consistently been getting better each week. Well, that's true. She also appreciated his innocence. Kara said that Alex still needs to let go and really get into the music. Then there was talk of Randy in a bikini, and I blacked out for a bit.

Tim Urban chose Jeff Buckley's version of "Hallelujah." I will be honest, at first I flinched - I figured the song was way too big for him. But goddamn if that kid didn't do a decent job with it. He did especially great with the surging upper-register sections - he waffled a bit on the softer parts - but he stayed on key throughout and had a wonderful connection with the song. Knock me over with a feather. Ellen actually ran up and hugged the kid - that was cute. Kara told Tim that he is now totally in the game, and gave an honest interpretation of the song. Simon tried to take responsibility for Tim's great performance; that was cute too. Tim was really charming and gave the judging panel a lot of credit for his progression. Also: Tim's pecs were amazing in that shirt, but his hair is getting out of control. 

Andrew Garcia tried to recapture his "Straight Up" lightning in a bottle with his stripped guitar version of Christina Aguilera's "Genie in a Bottle." It was his best performance in semi-finals, that's for sure, but I worry that this guy is a one-trick pony. Is all he can really do is take female pop songs and remix them as mid-tempo acoustic jams?  Because that's not going to get him far into the competition. He can't do that EVERY WEEK. Randy thought it was a good idea, but didn't work - it was pitchy (it was). He said that Andrew made it seem like the whole song was just three notes. Ellen said that it got good at the end, and wished he'd made some bigger moves sooner. Kara laid it on the line by saying that he peaked too early back in Hollywood, and he's been chasing it ever since. She thought Andrew was fighting with the rhythm of the guitar, and it just wasn't great. Simon bluntly called it what it was: a little bit desperate. Totally right. To his credit, Andrew was very cool about the whole thing, and threw it to his fans. Smart man.

Casey James picked "You'll Think of Me" by Keith Urban. A much better song choice than last week. Casey has to avoid his upper register; it is not pleasant sounding. While the vocal sounded good, it wasn't a particularly energetic song, and I'm not sure it's ultimately going to be memorable in the long run. Randy called it a safe choice, but encouraged him to go for more of an "edgy Stevie Ray kind of thing." Casey: ignore Randy. Ellen thought Casey looked so much more comfortable this week than last - true. Kara said she was kind of back on the Casey Train; it was honest and he did what he does best. But he is still missing a spark. Simon said Casey comes off as sincere, but also mentioned that he didn't think we'd remember it in 24 hours. Yep.

Aaron Kelly came out with "I'm Already There" by Lonestar. Crash and burn. The song started out way, WAY too low, and Aaron's voice was all over the place until he hit the chorus. It got back on track at that point, but he quickly fell off the pitch when he went for the big notes. We were back to the Squeal Factory. Aaron is also a very awkward performer. I know he's 16, but he kept lurching and touching himself and making these weird hand motions - it was uncomfortable. The song was simply way too mature, and too big, for a 16-year-old. Randy thought it was "really good" - wait until he hears that back on TV, I bet he'll be shocked. Kara pointed out how irrelevant that song was to Aaron's life. Simon butted in, saying that Kara's comment was rubbish - THAT'S rubbish, Simon points that shit out all the time; he is forever telling teen girls that the songs they pick are too old for them. He agreed that the vocal wasn't great, but it was the right type of song for Aaron. Again, I would like to watch Simon watching that back on TV, because I think Simon will be appalled.

Todrick Hall picked Queen's "Somebody to Love" and started it out in a very high falsetto that was surprisingly controlled. I don't like Todrick, but I was surprised at how solid this was. But I do think that his energy level was low; he was unconnected to the lyrics, which are utterly desperate. It was like he was running out of steam as the song went along. Too bad, because it started out pretty good. Randy said that Todrick just came back, and called it one of the best vocals of the night. I wouldn't go that far. Ellen appreciated that he made it almost a gospel song, and thought he did a good job. Kara thought the singing was good, but there were parts where she didn't know whether to love it or laugh at it - it was so over-the-top. Simon said it was very Broadway, but he appreciate that Todrick actually tried something other than sitting on a stool playing guitar.

Big Mike picked Maxwell and also started with a very girlie falsetto. He took what I call "baby-making music" and performed it really well. It was a slow groove and Mike sang it beautifully, and he commanded that stage. The crowd was up on their feet, which is especially interesting since it wasn't really an upbeat song. It was impressive, even if it wasn't my favorite kind of music. Randy called it "hot." Ellen called it beautiful, and said that Big Mike was the one to beat. Kara actually cried - good lord. Simon said that it was "so needed" after a fairly boring show, and that he nailed it. Simon called it the best performance of all the live shows so far. It was certainly very impressive work. I don't know I would say it was the best.

Predictions: A surprisingly solid night for the guys. I would say that Aaron should definitely be going home, but beyond that, it's a tough call. I would love if Todrick got the boot, but he fought for his spot. Andrew is also still at risk, I think. Besides that most of the guys seem pretty safe. This could get interesting.