The second Top 7 performance round of American Idol 8 opened with a tribute to Matt Giraud and the judges’ save. Now, two performers from Tuesday’s songfest will be sent home on the following results night.

Ryan Seacrest spoke of this and not much else as he made quick introductions. He then stepped aside and left the stage to the evening’s first performer.

It was disco night on Idol, and Lil Rounds kicked it off with Chaka Khan. She sounded a little off right at the start, but soon enough Lil found her stride. This song has been performed on Idol in the past and it’s almost always a mistake. I’m not sure Lil’s placement and vocal performance will help her when it comes to the results show. However, she looked absolutely stunning. Randy Jackson  thought she “got the party started” but felt Lil sounded “a little wild.” Kara DioGuardi agreed with Randy. Paula Abdul jumped to Lil’s defense, pointing out that only the day before the performance she was on vocal rest. “It was a remarkable recovery,” she enthused. “Oh, Lil, you look so sad,” Simon Cowell sighed. Lil grinned back that she “had fun tonight.” “I think this is gonna be the last week we’re ever going to see you,” Cowell voiced a grim prediction.

Kris Allen brought his guitar to disco night. Seacrest asked him about his strange song choice, which was “She Works Hard for the Money.” Allen likes the story the song tells. He gave the tune something of an R&B feeling and I thought his vocal performance was a little below what he’s generally capable of offering. Kara DioGuardi thought Allen “took a risk” that “paid off big time.” Paula Abdul thought the song had a “Santana feel to it,” and praised his “originality.” Simon Cowell poked fun at Paula Abdul before he praised Allen, calling the performance “original” and “well thought-out.” Randy Jackson thinks Allen is “ready for the big time, dog.”

Danny Gokey chose “September” by Earth, Wind & Fire. He appeared on the stage like a ball of energy, softly soothing the crowd with superior vocals. He’s definitely been working on his stage presence and overall performance quality, but somehow I always find Gokey just a little bit boring. Randy Jackson was impressed with the performance, saying “you turned this into something that really worked for you.” “You are an incredible vocalist,” Kara DioGuardi observed. “You chose vocally to show your agility and your brilliance,” Paula Abdul told him, adding that he has a “sexy voice.” “I can’t fault the vocals,” Simon Cowell found, but admitted that “I didn’t really get any kind of star power.” He found the performance a little “awkward and clumsy.”

Allison Iraheta performed “Hot Stuff” in a very hot outfit. She took command of the stage immediately, and as usual enjoyed a very solid vocal and stage performance. One day, Allison Iraheta is going to be a star. “I didn’t love the arrangement, it was a little over-indulgent for me,” Randy Jackson admitted, but added that Allison is “one of the best singers in the competition.” Kara DioGuardi also didn’t like the arrangement, but thinks Allison “picked the right song,” and also that Randy’s right about her vocal prowess. Paula Abdul enjoyed “the edginess” Allison brought to the stage, and thought she hit her last note “off the charts.” “That was a brilliant performance,” Simon Cowell summed it up.

Adam Lambert wore a nice-looking suit and chose “If I Can’t Have You” for his turn in the spotlight. He performed the tune as a soft ballad, a sort of irony on disco night. Lambert’s strong vocal performance brought tears to judge Paula Abdul’s eyes, but there’s just something so put-on about Adam Lambert it’s a little spooky. Nothing ever feels exactly genuine. “You are ready right now, dude,” Randy Jackson was blown away. He added, “you have it majorly goin’ on.” Read: Idol wants this one to get to the finals. “Adam, you’re brilliant,” Kara DioGuardi was likewise amazed. She finds him “inspiring,” which doesn’t sound genuine either. Paula Abdul had a “visceral response,” to his performance and felt his pain. “You’re fascinating, you’re brilliant, you’re awesome and you will be in the finals.” Simon Cowell thought the song felt “original” and that “the vocals were immaculate.” Lambert quickly threw a word out for the person who helped him with the arrangement for the song. There will be no David Cook-like mistakes this year.

Matt Giraud chose the only thing he could have - “Stayin’ Alive.” For a guy who already sings like Barry Gibb, this was a no-brainer. The very tongue-in-cheek song choice is almost too precious, though. Giraud strutted right out on the stage in his funky hat and immediately started to kill it. The lyrics might have escaped him during a few moments, but he was very obviously giving the performance his all. Giraud needs a new stylist and then I think he might be okay. “Didn’t love the song choice, didn’t love the arrangement,” Randy Jackson criticized, but praised the talent of the group overall and Giraud’s vocal capability in general. “You brought disco back,” Kara DioGuardi smiled. “It was a solid performance,” was her lackluster critique. Paula Abdul liked Giraud’s song choice. “Last week, the judges saved your life. Tonight, after this performance, you saved your own life.” “I’m sorry to put a damper on this, but I actually didn’t like that performance,” Simon Cowell informed him. He thought the performance “came over a bit desperate.”

Anoop Desai scored the finishing position, and chose to capitalize with a soft ballad and five o’clock shadow. I really enjoy a man who can wear pink and get away with it as well as Anoop, but I didn’t like his choice to sing “Dim All the Lights.” It was a completely unrecognizable song, the arrangement was boring as it could possibly be and none of it at all suited Desai. Everything about it was just bad, an unfortunate occurrence when he had an easy opportunity to nicely sew up a position in the Top 5. Randy Jackson “didn’t love this one, either,” as far as arrangements go, but again praised the overall vocals of the Top 7. “Nice, baby, nice,” he added. Kara DioGuardi loved the song choice, and thinks he’s been great over the last two weeks. Paula Abdul thought he looked “fantastic” and also applauded his choice to so boldly wear pink. “You hit that magical zone in your voice,” she praised. Simon Cowell disagreed, calling the performance “mediocre, at best.” He found the performance to be Anoop’s worst.

Two of them will be eliminated from the show Wednesday, a disco spectacular which will feature David Archuleta, Harry Wayne “KC” Casey, Thelma Houston and Freda Payne.

(You can find all the American Idol 8 posts here.)