Duets Outshine Individual Performances on "Idol"

On a night dedicated to the silver screen, all four remaining finalists delivered mediocre performances that failed to showcase anything new or entertaining on Tuesday night's episode of "American Idol."

Each contestant played it too safe which proved to be unsatisfactory for the judges on the all-important Top 4 performance night, which was mentored by actor Jamie Foxx.

Lee DeWyze started off the night and sang a sub-par performance to "Kiss From a Rose" that had a few pitchy moments. Ellen DeGeneres thought he could have done much more with the song.

Season 9 Contestants
The "Idol" Finale

Both Casey James and Michael Lynche followed suit. The judges wished Lycnhe took more of an R&B approach with his song choice, Michael Jackson's "Will You Be There." Instead, he fell flat as his performance didn't go anywhere interesting. James sang "Mrs. Robinson" that the judges deemed sleepy and unforgettable.

"It was little bit lazy, I think you could have made more of an impact," Judge Simon Cowell said.

Bowersox sang a folk inspired rendition of "I'm Alright" from the "Caddyshack" soundtrack. Her performance was probably the best of the night, but the judges still thought it was weak compared to her past performances. They gave her credit for trying to switch things up.

Fortunately, there were a few bright moments. Those moments came during the show's two duets in which all four managed to perform extremely well.

Lee DeWyze and Crystal Bowersox sang their duet first with "Falling Slowly," a song from the movie "Once." The chemistry between the two brought out the best in them. They both seemed relaxed and really enjoyed sharing the same stage as they hit the right notes and harmonized well together.

Judge Simon Cowell enjoyed their performance and said they picked a fantastic song. Judge Kara DioGuardi said the performance was one of her favorite moments of the entire season.

"You both felt like artists," DioGuardi said.

James and Lyche also pulled through and finished the night with a solid performance, singing a duet to "Have You Ever Loved a Woman" from the movie "Don Juan DeMarco." Both men received dismal reviews for their solo performance, but the judges seemed to be visibly pleased with their guitar playing and vocals.

"The duets were a million times better than the solo performances," Cowell said.

Since all four finalists pretty much received the same critiques from the judges, it's hard to predict who will be sent home. Tonight we'll see who falls to the bottom and who will say farewell to the "Idol" stage.