Hmmm.....Songs of the 21st Century, huh? I could be in trouble here.

While my iPod does contain odd bits of not entirely ancient stuff -- The Strokes, Anna Nalick, Coldplay and Green Day's "American Idiot," some recent U2 and even Kelly Clarkson (but no Clay Aiken) -- I don't pretend to be anything but a middle-aged teenager who still prefers Stevie Nicks' "Landslide" to the Dixie Chicks version (though I don't skip the latter when it comes up on shuffle).

So while I may have found listening to Barry Manilow actually singing pretty painful last week, I was at least familiar with most of the stuff the contestants were warbling. (And to be honest, until Barry started singing, his impressive approach to coaching those kids had almost made me forget why I've never been a Fanilow. Almost.)

I could be utterly lost tonight, though.

Which is the very least anyone who's too old to be a contestant should expect from "American Idol" once in a while.