This Song Was A Miss For MacKenzie On 'Idol'

Welcome to the Top 4 of American Idol! The game is heating up and everything is on the line for your favorite contestants. The Top 4 need to bring their best in order to stay in the competition and, much to my dismay, fan-favorite MacKenzie Bourg missed the mark. Bourg took on Cheap Trick's "I Want You To Want Me," but gave us the "MacKenzie-d" version, as the judges called it. To "MacKenzie" a song is not a bad thing — it's his signature. But to "MacKenzie" this classic was the wrong thing at this point in the game — but it's not entirely his fault.

Stevie Van Zandt, this week's mentor, advised Bourg to "MacKenzie" the song — since the way he sang it originally was too much like Cheap Trick's original. Understandable, but not entirely appropriate in this situation. Bourg's original arrangement of the song was much better than the final version he performed — and the judges agreed. The issue is, "I Want You To Want Me" was not meant to be "MacKenzie-d." When he slowed it down, the song lost everything that made it good — the edginess and the urgency. While his performance was good and totally his style, it wasn't right for the song — and that's why the judges had such negative comments about it.

There's no question that Bourg is talented. He deserves his spot in the Top 4 — and deserves to continue despite his poor advising. Let's hope he redeems himself in his second performance because Bourg is the real deal and he has a real shot at winning this thing. Bourg has the style, the voice, and the cool factor to be the next American Idol — he just needs to pray that the fans forgive his less than perfect performance.

Image: Ray Mickshaw/FOX