'Idol' contestants on Usher as a mentor: He 'nailed it!' (L.A Times)

Does the guest mentor have a major impact on the quality of "Idol" performances during any given week? Well, if you felt like Tuesday's soul and R&B night showed a little more oomph than the sleepy pseudo-themes of the first couple of shows, then hats off to Usher. (Sunglasses are another matter).

Speaking to reporters after the show (an "Idol" first!), the contestants simply gushed over the hit-maker's ability to hone in on individual strengths and weaknesses. "I think he really tailored every comment and advice for each one of us," said "Big Mike" Lynch, who sang India.Arie's "Ready for Love." "You could tell he did his homework on us. That was crazy."

Andrew Garcia had a similar experience on his redemption night. "He just told me that I need to do my acoustic and not focus on what the judges are gonna say or what anybody is thinking -- just to do what I do," said the Moreno Valley native who sang Chris Brown's "Forever." "And he liked it! That was crazy coming from Usher."

Lee Dewyze added that, in his case, Usher simply "nailed it on the head." "He said to me, 'The biggest problem is your confidence,'" Lee recalled. "And I was, like, 'How the hell did you know that?'"

Explications en français à la fin

Tim Urban had a whole secret language going on with the R&B chart-topper. "Look in my face, Usher man!" Tim joked, apparently still delirious from a night of uncontrollable laughter. Tim's roommate Casey James, naturally, had to egg him on, "Marry this fool!"

As for the girls, you could say they were a little more awestruck, not just by Usher's undeniable star quality, but by his demeanor and professionalism. "He's an intelligent guy," said Crystal Bowersox. "He's been in the business a long time and is pretty insightful. He's a true musician, not just pop star material. And the fact that he's not afraid to hurt your feelings, that's a really good quality for someone to have -- to give the straight, blunt, honest truth."

Though it's exactly that brutal honesty that scared the bejeezus out of Katie Stevens. "When he said I didn't gain any extra points because we met when I was 10, I thought, 'Oh no, he's gonna rip me to shreds,' " she said after the show. "But then he turned out to be so sweet. It's really awesome when you have [a mentor] that wants you to succeed so badly, that they're there to give any help they can."

-- Shirley Halperin

__________________________

J'ai choisit de vous traduire un passage intéressant des participants d'American Idol:

"Usher est dans l'industrie du disque depuis un bon bout de temps et il est très perspicace.C'est un vrai musicien, pas juste une pop star.Et le fait qu'il n'ait pas peur de te vexer es une excellente qualité ,  dire la simple et pure vérité"