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THE SONGS OF EACH CONTESTANTS HAVE BEEN CONFIRMED ( OR SPOILED AS THE CASE MAY BE ). BY NONE OTHER THAN USA TODAY.

See here :

http://www.usatoday.com/life/television/news/2006-04-10-idol-queen_x.htm

By Bill Keveney, USA TODAY

ANAHEIM, Calif. — After a performance before 30 million American Idol viewers each week, a rehearsal in front of a few dozen might seem like a yawner.

But this practice took place one afternoon last week in a cavernous arena with members of '70s stadium anthem king Queen. It gave finalists a taste of the big time and increased their anticipation for their own Idol arena tour this summer.

"They're one of the greatest rock bands of all time," said Taylor Hicks, who, even as the eldest finalist at 29, wasn't born when Queen hit the charts.

"Knowing they're going to have 20,000 people here, you could think of (the fans) screaming at the top of their lungs," Hicks said after practicing. He'll sing Crazy Little Thing Called Love on Idol's stage when finalists take on Queen tonight (Fox, 8 ET/PT).

As other finalists sat with Bad Company's Paul Rodgers, the lead singer on Queen's current U.S. tour — its first in 24 years — Kellie Pickler was on the Arrowhead Pond stage, bathed in a single spotlight.

"Is that right? I couldn't hear myself," Pickler asked after a countrified take of the late Freddie Mercury's melancholy solo in Bohemian Rhapsody. Guitarist Brian May gave her tips on holding the notes when singing the famous lyric, "Nothing really matters to me."

May and drummer Roger Taylor, whose Queen hits with Mercury included Another One Bites the Dust and Somebody to Love, said they initially were reticent about getting involved with a pop reality contest but were pleasantly surprised none of the finalists killed the band's songs. "I thought they had some depth and some soul and some rock and roll," Taylor said.

One of the trickiest elements was adjusting to Idol's truncated song arrangements, he said.

Band advice ranged from the immediate — explaining how to "feel" a song — to the long-term — that Idol is just one way to build a musical career, May said. There were musical tweaks, as when he advised Ace Young to try We Will Rock You in the key of E instead of D.

Rodgers talked to singers about breathing on stage and shared some of his soothing tea, called Throat Coat.

May and Taylor have listened to many auditions for the Queen musical, We Will Rock You. May dislikes harsh public critiques. "When Simon Cowell's on there discussing intimate details and being very negative, that would be OK for me in private. That people have to go through that (in public), I find difficult to watch," he said.

But Queen knows tens of millions do watch, including potential new fans. "We're not blind to that," Taylor said.

THE SET LIST: Who's singing what?

Here are the Queen songs the Idol finalists will be singing — and their comments.

•Ace Young, We Will Rock You: "I urbanized the verses a little, just by riding on (the notes). I put a little R&B soul on it. When we were done, they said, 'That sounds like a record.' "

•Bucky Covington, Fat Bottomed Girls: "Yes, we all love the fat-bottomed girls."

•Chris Daughtry, Innuendo: "It's a relatively unknown song. It just had a mixture of a dark feel and a positive message. And I just found out they've never performed this live."

•Elliott Yamin, Somebody to Love: "I was drawn to the passionate emotion of the song. I heard a lot of soul in it."

•Katharine McPhee, Who Wants to Live Forever: "How could (this) not be fun? We're working with so many different legends."

•Kellie Pickler, Bohemian Rhapsody: "We only have 1 minute and 30 seconds, and the song is really long. Having to cut so many pieces is really hard to memorize, because I'm not singing the song as it's originally played."

•Paris Bennett, The Show Must Go On: "Being with the band was a big experience to me, never being with a rock band before. I was able to pick a song that fits me, that's still rocky."

•Taylor Hicks, Crazy Little Thing Called Love: "You listen to a Queen song, it's really melodic and very powerful, and the dynamics (are) really cool."

Now, let everyone discuss the pros and cons of their song selection prior to the night they shine or butcher their respective pieces.