Will Carly Smithson Be the Next 'American Idol'?

Carly Smithson, the Dublin-born lass who has emerged as a front-runner on the 2008 edition of "American Idol," has a powerhouse of a voice. Is she using it as well as she should be to win the competition? Well, her March 25 performance was not a definitive showing for her.

I really like Carly. I've been rooting for her from the beginning. She's got an amazing voice - deep and soulful, with a hint of huskiness - so much more a woman's voice than the other female contestants this year. She projects a tender-tough persona on stage, a combination of her natural beauty and the highly visible tattoos. I thought she'd be a shoo-in for the final three or four.

I still think she's amazing. But she'll have to do a little better than she did last night.

And that's not to say she turned in a bad performance. She did great on "Total Eclipse of the Heart," a song that I thought was appropriate for her voice and her image. But "Idol" is at that point in the season where the winners really need to pull out all the stops and reveal every last bit of talent. Carly just didn't quite get there.

In all fairness, too, I thought it was rather a mediocre night overall. I didn't see any performance that really stuck with me.

On "Total Eclipse of the Heart," Carly sang well. She put passion and soul into the 1983 Kim Carnes song. Unlike judge Randy, I liked her run at the end just fine.

But I thought she looked a bit stiff on stage, and I just didn't feel the heartbreak that the song carries. Just not quite the peak of emotion that it should have had. She also bobbled the lyrics at one point, singing "power keg" instead of "powder keg." All minor quibbles, but they do add up.

So, Carly, you've got to get out there and give it your all if you want to win this thing. Make us feel the song. Move a little bit more when you get on stage. Think about wearing some outfit with sleeves, not that we don't love the tats, but we can live without seeing them one or two times.

"Idol" is getting serious. And so you must, too.