Paul Ieti sings 'I Want It That Way' on America's Got Talent 2014 Semi Finals (VIDEO)

Paul Ieti sang 'I Want It That Way' on America's Got Talent 9 Semi Finals 1 on Tuesday, August 26, 2014.

I wanted to like this so badly, because I absolutely love Paul. It's a slowed-down arrangement that looks to give Paul more of a chance to highlight his vocals, but...well, his vocals weren't that great tonight. The arrangement was pitched way too low for his voice, and I think it's indicative of a larger problem with singers on talent competitions, particularly this one. They go for an arrangement with verses that are pitched lower so that the choruses can be right in their pocket. The assumption is that everyone will remember the choruses, while the uneven verses will be something that can be overlooked. But this almost never ends up being the case. I'd rather a singer go for a more consistent performance overall than sacrificing the verses so the choruses will soar. This was just a mess, unfortunately.

-Heidi didn't think this was his best performance, and Mel B adds that Paul is probably going to be disappointed when he watches it back, adding that his confidence seemed shaken. Howie says that in Paul's category alone, "Mara did a lot better than you," drawing an "ooooo" from the audience. And now I'm worried people will vote for crazy like Paul and forget to vote for Mara. Then again, I'm a paranoid sort when it comes to shows like these. Howard says Paul is a talented guy, but they need to separate his story from his ability. He says this song was just all wrong for him, and that he was battling the orchestration and the arrangement as he fought to hit the lower notes. I love you, Paul, but I agree with the judges.

But what did you think of Paul Ieti?

Watch the performance video below: