"No Air" was the one breath of fresh air on Jordin Sparks's debut album for me. Although I've never doubted that the season 6 AmIdol winner has a good set of pipes, I have for the most part been disappointed with the safe, snoozy post-show material's she's released.

The one exception has been "No Air," which I actually think is one of the best pop singles of 2008. I also think it's probably what saved Jordin from a sad, one-album-then-dropped, Taylor Hicks-like fate. Of course, it didn't hurt matters that her unstoppable and unfloppable labelmate Chris Brown appeared on the song, but even without his input, a good song is a good song is a good song.

Case in point: The new "No Air" cover by rising Nashville star Rissi Palmer. It's a country version, and Chris Brown is nowhere to be found on it, and it's still just as great.

Or is it? Some people might even say Rissi's version is better. Compare and contrast the remake and the original here, and you decide:

This week on Nashville Star, we get to find out which three singers will make it to the August 4th finale.

But before one of them gets sent home for good, all four finalists--Coffey, Melissa Lawson, Gabe Garcia, and Shawn Mayer--get to go home and receive heroes' welcomes in their respective cities. Their homecoming footage will air on this week's show.

Judging from the hometown reactions, it's going to be a close race if all of these fanbases mobilize, organize some local phonebanking programs, etc.

Preview the hometown visits here, and tune in this Monday, July 28, at 9pm on NBC to see which of the four Nashville Star finalists gets eliminated--and goes home permanently, a whole lot sooner than he/she hoped.

Shawn Mayer in May City, Iowa (will she run into her ex?):

Coffey in Los Angeles (not his hometown, per se, but where his daughter is):

Melissa Lawson in Arlington, Texas:

Gabe Garcia in Lytle, Texas:

Somewhere out there in TV Land, somewhere near a television set to Fox and a remote control that's been flung across the room in a rage, Debbie Allen is crying/clawing her eyes out. And she's probably ready to hit America's viewers over the head with that prop cane she used to threateningly wield in the opening sequence of Fame.

Yes, people, it's true: So You Think You Can Dance's golden boy and Debbie Allen's protégé, the almighty Will--the guy who's been pimped by the judges more aggressively than Carly Smithson and David Archuleta ever were this season on American Idol--was voted off tonight.

On the plus side, this means Debbie can now return to SYTYCD as a guest judge (to preserve some flimsy semblance of neutrality, she had to bow out when Will was selected to compete on the show). And perhaps even more on the plus side, it seems like the public has finally spoken out against all the astonishingly blatant favoritism on SYTYCD. But on the minus side, it's a pity that Will--one of

Do you remember Sandra Colton? Um, I don't. Which is surprising, because she was a finalist on So You Think You Can Dance, one of the best things ever in the history of everything (or at least one of the best reality shows ever).

But she was the very first dancer eliminated in season 1, so it's understandable that my memory of her has faded over the years.

Here are some archived clips of Sandra's short time on the show, to refresh your memory:

Nope, I still don't remember her. Hmmm. Maybe this clip will help:

Oh, okay, that tapdancing solo does seem a little familiar. I ever-so-vaguely remember thinking that was kind of cool. But I guess it wasn't cool enough, because the judges axed her within minutes of that performance.

Anyhoo, if Sandra were to be remembered, by me or anyone else, I'm sure she'd rather not have "First Contestant Ever Eliminated On SYTYCD" written on her business card, résumé, or tombstone. So she's giving singing a shot now. And amusingly--hopefully in an