American Idol

America

Here's a game: take the discography of the featured mentor any given week. Imagine which song would make most sense performed by Up with People at halftime of the 1985 Super Bowl. David Archuleta will perform that song. That said, this is a great improvement on his Sweet Caroline travesty. He nails it technically, and like an Olive Garden lasagna, this song can take as many additional layers of cheese as he cares to lay on it. Well-done, and, with the patriotic theme, well-played too.

— by James Poniewozik