Write to Sing

Last night the final five singers on "Nashville Star" performed original songs. It was the best show so far. Maybe it was because they are down to the cream of the contestants, but I think it is primarily because they were singing songs that fit them. The rehearsals of the original songs can be viewed on NBC's website.

My two favorites were Gabe and Melissa. Not only were their performances excellent, their songs were ones that audiences can relate to. Though the eliminations came from votes based on last week's performances, I thought Ashlee's elimination was fitting. She's a cute girl, and her song was fun, but I didn't think she did a good job performing it. At least not as good as the others.

I've always wondered how Coffey made it onto the show in the first place, and how he's stayed this long. Last night, I thought he sounded better than ever before. There were some things about his song that I liked a lot, and others that I didn't think fit. Maybe it did a good job of explaining his personal mesh of two cultures, but I think some of his references might not have made sense to all country music fans.

I'm glad Shawn is the 4th finalist, even though her performances haven't, in my opinion, been consistent. Of all the songs last night, though, hers was the only one I don't remember. That may not be a good sign. We'll know in a couple of weeks who the winner is. I'm hoping it will be Gabe, and if not him, Melissa. We'll just have to wait and see who everyone votes for.