There comes a time when even the favourites fail to impress the judges on American Idol and this week it happened to 24 year old frontrunner Crystal Bowersox.

Before she sang, Crystal described this week’s mentor Shania Twain as having “an aura of positive energy all around her” and during the mentoring sessions Shania advised her:

‘Be a bit happier in your tone of singing maybe, it’s a cheerful song and you said it applies to you right? So let the love flow!’

Crystal then gave her rendition of Shania’s No One Needs To Know and called it a message to her wonderful boyfriend.

It’s funny, but Crystal kind of draws you in. She’s got that little rug that she takes on the stage to perform on, and all these little individual things that add up to make her unique – the hair, the dress sense, even the look. I liked the stripped back sound on this song, but Crystal’s voice wasn’t quite in the right place. She was a tad shaky and I felt like I was waiting for someone to unleash the fury this week, everything was so sleepy.

Judges Comments:

Randy Jackson: I love the whole Nickel Creek version with the acoustic bass and the snare drum and the whole thing with the lap steel. I thought it wasn’t my favourite performance, but I love you and I love seeing you try different things and try and mix it up. And I’m happy someone tonight is trying to do more of a country version of one of Shania’s songs.

Ellen DeGeneres: I say it every week. There’s just nothing you can’t do. You have a great voice. It wasn’t my favourite performance of yours either, but that’s like saying what’s your least favourite colour of the rainbow. You’re just brilliant and you’re always gonna be good, but it wasn’t my favourite performance.

Kara DioGuardi: I agree with the guys – it’s impossible for you not to be good, because you’re always coming from a place of truth and it always feels honest. It was believable, and that’s why I always respond to you. Was it your best? No. But you’re still amazing.

Simon Cowell: Shocker. We don’t like Crystal this week, that’s really the story. I thought it was limp, it was very much something you’d expect…and I’ve seen this happen before when you’re in a coffee shop and you hire a band to sing to you and you don’t want them to. And that’s kind of what it reminded me of. And I thought the song – sorry, Shania – was a little bit forgettable compared to some of the other songs. This is the only week where I haven’t really liked your performance.