A field left divided -- and conquered

A paradigm shift defined this week’s “American Idol” competition, and threw a few contestants -- and, at times, the judges -- for a loop. In a canny bit of cross-promotion, Ryan Seacrest dragged the contestants down to the studio where he records the radio show “American Top 40.” Then he announced this week’s theme: “Top Downloads.”

In that moment, the dream of togetherness that radio once represented -- lonely souls united across the airwaves by the same hits -- gave way to today’s reality of self-selected, isolating playlists.

True to this fragmentary beginning, this week’s contest had no center and sometimes made no sense. The finalists should have really proved themselves with songs they loved.

Yet only the two who’ve already shone did so again -- Adam Lambert and Kris Allen, whom I’m now predicting will face off in the final. Lambert got cheeky with Wild Cherry’s “Play That Funky Music,” a song covered by seemingly everyone, including George Michael and Vanilla Ice. Allen was graceful and inventive doing justice to the great Bill Withers song, “Ain’t No Sunshine.”

I’m not counting Danny Gokey among the week’s winners. Howling through another heartbreaker about tragic loss (“What Hurts the Most,” by Jeffrey Steele, a hit for Rascal Flatts) shows no advancement. Scott MacIntyre’s sweet but unsophisticated take on Billy Joel similarly stayed within his comfort zone.

Lil Rounds, attempting a big ballad, belted too hard in a bad dress. Allison Iraheta did fine, but not great, invoking her role model Gwen Stefani. Anoop Desai slipped from the Ivy League to Animal House while attempting to channel Usher.

Megan Joy and Matt Giraud were the week’s disasters -- these two individualists just can’t make the “Idol” framework serve their talents. Joy went retro with Bob Marley’s “Turn Your Lights Down Low”; Giraud tried modern rock (again) with the Fray’s “You Found Me.”

Though both strivers claimed to love their songs, the judges said they’d chosen badly, backing up that claim with bad logic. Joy’s husky trill is ideal for reggae, which also happens to be a central influence on the English soul birds “Idol’s” higher-ups want her to emulate, like Duffy and Adele.

No, Joy’s problem is that she has no vocal control, and tends to get screechy. Giraud, conversely, fell to nerves; in the past he’s been too subtle, but tonight he oversang.

His failure inspired a ridiculous statement from Kara DioGuardi, usually the wisest presence at the judge’s table. “You keep going on the rock side of pop and then the R&B; side of pop,” she said. “Someday you need to commit.”

That’s so wrong. Top 40 hits are where genres meld and transform. It’s about hard rockers covering weepy ballads and country stars going just a little bit metal.

“Idol” should be a place where songs are reinvented, their essence reshuffled in the true spirit of the iPod age.

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