Despite being harshly criticized the last time he attempted a ballad, Chikezie Eze took Luther Vandross' "If Only For One Night." for a spin.
"For [Syesha], she moved it around and made it younger feeling," Jackson said, "This was very old school. It wasn't hip and cool."
"I think you sang it well," Cowell said. " Having said that, I thought the performance was cheesy. You have to show originality."
Brooke White messed up on the first note of the Police's "Every Breath You Take." Fortunately, she was accompanying herself on the piano and could just start over.
"Very interesting song choice. I loved that you started it and decided it wasn't right and started over," Jackson said.
"I enjoyed this performance so much more than last week's," Abdul said, stating the obvious.
"I totally agree with Randy," Cowell said. "You should have just stayed on the piano and not had the band come in."
Michael Johns, who wasn't born in the '80s, picked Queen's "We Are the Champions."
"Finally, you believe in yourself and use that big old voice you got," Jackson raved.
"Michael, this is the first time with you that I saw star potential," Cowell said. "Tonight, you just got it right. For me, it's the only memorable performance of the night so far."
Carly Smithson seemed to channel Bonnie Tyler on Tyler's "Total Eclipse of the Heart" and was great until she put the "American Idol" vocal flourish on the last note.
"I didn't love it. I didn't like the note at the end," Jackson said.
"Something didn't quite work and I think it was because you were too tense and uptight," Cowell said. "You've got to lighten up a bit."
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