Top 20: Elimination Results (SPOILER ALERT!)

Guys, sorry for the delay with this post. It's been a whirlwind weekend!

Last Thursday we had our first elimination of the "real" season. The first elimination is always the hardest to predict because any one of the contestants can get sent home. No one has truly had the opportunity to build a large fan base, so every vote matters. Every off note is sewed to your chest like a Scarlet Letter and the voters make you pay for it dearly. Now, of course there are the front runners (the Andrew Garcia's, Casey James', and Katie Stevens') every season, but this year seems to have a wider disparity between the good, the bad, and the ugly, with not much good.


With that said, let's see how this elimination results show shook down.

The top 24 performed a surprisingly good version of Estelle's "American Boy," the same song that Janell Wheeler impressed the judges with in Hollywood week. All in all, it wasn't that bad! There was good blend and their pitch seemed to be on. All this leads me to believe that it was lip-synced, but I forgot to watch out for that. Drats. It was a little odd when the guys entered in and started singing the lyrics "I'm likin this American boy, American boy." Casey James' face was priceless!

Wasting no time, Ryan has all the girls seated on the stage and begins the process of eliminating the first girl from the show. Now, through each elimination of the night, AI fails horribly in the suspense factor. You know who's going home almost immediately just by how they are standing. Then, after 4 of the girls are deemed safe and it's only Katie Stevens and Janell Wheeler left standing, well I think we know who is the weaker link. No shock at all that Janell was the first contestant in the top 24 to be sent home. Her sing-along version of a Heart classic was the last nail in her coffin. Granted, she sang the song better after her elimination, but it still lacked any punch whatsoever. Janell, glad you were on the show, but this was not undeserved.

Next, we had a performance from Allison Iraheta. First of all, I really liked this song. She performed her second single, "Scars" from her debut album "Just Like You." It was a very haunting type of song that fit her raspy voice well. Second of all, she still has a lot to learn about performing. She jumped at the camera with a mean mug during a relatively soft spot in the ballad. Yea, that didn't work, Allison. Third, she would have wiped the floor with this season had she just waited a year to audition. She is head and shoulders better than any of the contestants this year. She still has that same youthful joy that made her endearing on season 8. And she can still give one heck of an awkward interview. I miss having her on the show. Can we just rerun season 8 instead of this current one? I can learn to suspend my disbelief.

The second elimination for the ladies side was next. Seeing the bottom row, I was confident that Lacey would be sent home. She should have been sent home, but the American Idol gods love to curse me the first week. The choice for the second female eliminated came to Ashley Rodriguez and Didi Benami. Yea, again, way to fail at suspense, Idol. Didi was obviously safe and Ashley was sent home. I liked Ashley a lot, but I don't think she connected with the voters as anything more than a pretty face and decent voice. She seemed way too fake and that probably made people turn to other voting options. The curse that I mentioned earlier is this: Whichever girl I think is the most attractive will automatically get eliminated the first week. The same thing happened with Ann Marie Boskovich last season. Oh well :(. She should have done a song that wasn't as generic for her. She just didn't know how to play the game very well, and she paid the price (however undeservedly) for it. We (or maybe just I) will miss you, Ashley.

The guys were up next. The top row went first and was comprised of a bunch of guys who did well enough, except for Tim Urban. He looked to be the sure-bet to go home, but much to everyone's surprise (except mine), it was Joe Munoz who was sent packing. Good job this go round, Idol. Joe obviously has a much better voice than Tim, but he didn't have the puppy eyes to get swarms of teenage girls to vote for him. Tim Urban is safe for another week. Called it. Joe fell to the curse of having no screen time. Every year, there is undoubtedly one contestant who is an unknown that gets cut for that very reason. Fair? Probably not, but maybe he should have been more interesting during the initial auditions. Just sayin...

It was a two-fer in terms of last year's AI stars coming back to the show. Kris Allen performed a very emotional rendition of "Let It Be," with all proceeds from the songs download going to the Haiti relief efforts. You can tell that Kris has been performing a lot since Idol. He looked so much more comfortable up on the stage than he did last year at this time. He would also kill the competition this year, I feel like. I won't even mention what Lambert would have done. I really liked his version of this song and his vocals were very strong. If you haven't listed to his new album, "Kris Allen," you should. There are some really good songs up there.

Finally, it got down to the last elimination. It came down to Alex Lambert (no surprise) and Tyler Grady (I can see why). I didn't like either of them, but I was sure going into the results show that Alex would be the one to go (sort of like I was sure Lacey would leave too). I was wrong. Tyler was sent on his way. I'm ok with this because he showed that he was the least talented vocally and he made it way too far based on this far fetched persona that he could never fully live up to. To prove it, they didn't even let him sing his full song before they cut the feed. Oh well. Alex has a lot to work on this week if he wants to stay on any longer. I can't see him making it into the top 12.

Well, there you have it folks. Did America get it right? Were any of the eliminations shocking?! Let me know what you think. And, again, sorry for the delayed post.

Your American Idol Junkie,

Billy

Top 24: Let's Hear It For the Boys

After a disappointing show by the girls on Tuesday night, I came into Guy's Night hoping for something more. I'm not sure what, exactly, but I know it was more. Instead, what I got was a variety of awkward performances, riddled with nerves and bum notes. A LOT of bum notes. The fellas had an opportunity to reclaim the season, proving that the judges were wrong and it wasn't a girls year to win the crown, but I don't think they seized it.

Ellen continued her "You are great!" comments, but seemed a little less impressed than she was with the girls (heh). Randy didn't add much this episode. Kara showed that she is definitely going to have a Paula-esque scandal with one of the contestants. Simon looked off into the audience the whole time, acting way more pouty and bratty than usual. This is getting old quick. I know that the producers think that this "attitude" makes their rankings, but it's getting annoying. I know it's his last year and all, but at least ACT like you are wanting to be there.

I actually think that Simon is secretly undermining Idol in an evil plan to destroy it from the inside. He is planning on bringing his British smash hit X-Factor to America next year, so it's only in best business to destroy the competition (even if he is still technically in their contract). I have never disagreed more with Simon than I did tonight. Everyone who was decent, he smashed. Everyone who was terrible, he said was good. I think he's purposefully trying to build up the bad ones so that they will go through and make for a terrible season. Conspiracy? Hmmm...we shall see.

On to the reviews!

Todrick Hall- “Since You’ve Been Gone” by Kelly Clarkson

So this is the best example of a love it or hate it performance since Adam Lambert's "Ring of Fire." Todrick takes the biggest song from American Idol's Season 1 champion and completely revamps it with this funk groove that I actually loved. I am not one for doing songs done by previous Idol contestants, but I think that this was so far from the original that it was ok. He showed a great stage presence, decent enough vocals (compared to the rest), and amazing originality. Whereas David Cook would find a cover of a good song on iTunes and copy that, Todrick came up with this arrangement in his head. Ellen loved it, but the other judges were not impressed with it's over-the-top styling. Simon said that it was “verging on stupid” and that he "came off like a dancer who could sing, not a singer who could dance." That's because that's what he is, Simon. He is a self-proclaimed dancer that sings, so I don't know why he is surprised about that. I'm not sure what the judges want right now. They want someone to flip songs on their head and to be original, but when someone does it, they shoot them down? Perhaps it was a bit too much, but it was still good and not worthy of all the criticism that he received.

Aaron Kelly- “Here Comes Goodbye” by Rascal Flatts

I think that the apocalypse is here. I was EXTREMELY unimpressed with Aaron Kelly's rendition of Rascal Flatts "Here Comes Goodbye" (which was penned by Idol alum Chris Sleigh). He was nasal, extremely pitchy, and stood in the same spot the entire performance. There was no passion, no charisma, and worst of all, no star power whatsoever. Naturally, the judges all loved it. I don't get what the big deal is about this kid. Trust me, it's not because I'm a hater. People keep saying that he reminds them of a little me. That is false. But that's not why I dislike him. I dislike him for his lack of talent. He stood in place, sang a COMPLETELY karaoke version of a song, and he sang it very poorly compared to the original. If the judges are going to tell everyone else that they need to be more original and not sing second rate versions of songs, then they need to tell him that too. Right now, he's getting by way too easy and it's going to bite him once they start getting tired of this shtick.

Jermaine Sellers- "Get Here" by Oleta Adams

Wow. That's all I can really say. And not in the good way. I can't remember one good moment in his performance. It was an old song that not many young voters are going to relate to. And he sang it terribly. During the verses, his voice was extremely weak, waaaay pitchy, and incredibly sloppy. Once he got into the chorus, it fell apart even more. He tried to do his best Adam Lambert impression with high notes that were just way out of his league. He stood there for 2 minutes of shrieking and sending every cat at home crazy, making them do this. Luckily, the judges got one right by calling this awful. The only good thing they could grab was that they liked how he looked. Last time I checked, looks have nothing to do with singing, but what do I know?! He has a fun personality in the video and the post-performance interview, but I don't know if that will be enough to save him. I know he's much better than this, but he stumbled out of the gates tonight, big time.

Tim Urban- “Apologize” by One Republic

So, apparently, Tim didn’t tell his family that he got called back until they announced it on the final episode of Hollywood Week. That's kind of funny. I'm not sure I could do that, but more power to him. When I heard that Tim was singing "Apologize" I sort of sank in my chair, knowing the disaster that was to occur. First of all, no one should sing this song. Kris Allen tried it last year and also got widely panned by the judges for trying to sound too much like the original and not changing it up enough. It's too much of a risk to sing this song with the constant flips into falsetto. If it's not there, the song tanks. Tim found this out the hard way. His falsetto was virtually non-existant. It was like a little mouse singing at times. Now, I think he has a decent enough voice, but not up to the level of the Top 24 (but really, who has shown that they belong here so far?). Simon said that there was “nothing to take from that," and he's right. I can see Tim sticking around another week though. The judges were brutal to him, and his almost breaking into tears on stage surely bought him some votes from the tween girls out there. I like Tim, but he needs to show us that he belongs there in that call-back spot over the likes of Thaddeus Johnson, and tonight, he didn't. Is it too late to apologize? (sorry, I had to go cheesy there!)

Joe Munoz- “You and I Both” by Jason Mraz

So Joe was another one of those guys that we hadn't heard a peep from until now. He has a good voice but there is nothing overly special about it. He doesn't have much in terms of dynamics, and the song stays in an extremely easy range. I think that it was far too simple a song to sing, considering that no one knows who he is. It just never really went anywhere. Simon told him to “get out of the bubble,” meaning don't play it so safe and let who he is as an artist shine through. The sad thing, though, is that this was one of the better performances of the night, and if that's the case, the guys are definitely in trouble.

Tyler Grady- “American Woman” by The Guess Who

So I've never been high on Tyler. I never thought his retro look/style was all that cool or genuine. Of course he picked a '70s song that should have played to his strengths, but it did not. Ellen hit the nail on the head. For someone who idolizes such iconic '70s frontmen, there is not much stage presence about this guy. He seemed to be moving in slow motion and looked like her really might have thought he was on a karaoke stage, not that of American Idol. He is laid back, I'll give him that, but he needs to be taking this competition seriously, and he's not. He showed that he has difficulty staying on pitch and is overall just not a very good singer. The most dynamic thing about his performance was that crazy shirt/scarf thing that he was wearing. Oh, and his ridiculously huge, goofy chin. He needs to step out of the box and into this decade sometime soon if he wants to stick around.

Lee Dewyze- “Chasing Cars” by Snow Patrol

On a night of awful performances, this stuck out as 'not bad.' First of all, I love this song and I think that it was a good choice for him. He sang it decently. He seemed like he was having trouble with concentrating on the phrases he was singing. The last note of every line was always off. This is surprising because the song does not have that big of a range at all. I liked how he changed the melody up a little bit. It made it a little more his own without going too crazy. I'm not sure how I feel about his voice. I don't really like his tone as much as the judges do. I think he could have a very nice tone, but his lack of focus on the technical aspects of his singing are making it hard to judge right now. He has a good voice, but is not yet a good singer, if that makes sense. Give him some time with the vocal coaches and I think he could be ok. No shot of winning, but ok. All of the judges panned him except for Simon. He loved it. Love is a strong word, but it definitely was not the worst of the night.

John Park- "God Bless the Child" by Billie Holliday

This one I'm torn with. I think John (aka Asian Julie Stiles) can really sing. He has a beautiful, rich tone and has some definite talent with runs and style. When he gets in his money range, like he did in the bridge of this song, he's great. This performance showed all that, but it was also the wrong song choice. He sang it well, but it was boring and forgettable. Kara took a page out of Simon's playbook and called the performance indulgent. Simon looked pissed! You can't take the feisty Brit's favorite word and expect to not get shot a dagger look. Then, it got racist. When Ryan was leading John off the stage after the post-performance interview, HE BOWED! Just because he's Asian doesn't mean you have to bow at him, Ryan. If we all treated people like the stereotypes, I'd be asking you how business was in the North Pole with the other elves. Come on, man! I think John is safe, but I want to see a spiced up soul number next week.

Michael Lynch- “This Love” by Maroon 5

Finally, a fun performance. I like Big Mike. Is he the best vocalist? No, but that doesn't matter. He is a good entertainer. He knows who he is and is very comfortable on the stage being himself. It might have to do with the fact that he could beat anyone up in the audience if they boo'ed him. I don't know. He gave the show the boost it needed after several less than stellar performances in a row. He is unquestionably safe and this was one the best performances I've seen up to this point, but again, that's not saying much, so don't think that I thought it was amazing.

Alex Lambert- "Wonderful World" by James Morrison

Fodder. I don't need to say anymore, but I guess I owe it to the contestants to give equal treatment. First of all, I couldn't get past the mullet. Seriously?? Not a good look. Second, I don't know what the judges are smoking. They say he has everything that he needs as a singer, but just didn't put it together. I disagree. He had no power, no pitch, and no style. He stared at the camera awkwardly and came across as a creeper. He does have a unique tone, like James Morrison, but that shouldn't be enough to excuse the rest of his faults vocally. This is my proof that Simon is throwing the show under the bus for his own means this year. Oh, and Ellen talked about how she can't wait to eat his not-yet ripe banana. Eeerrrrrrr :-/

Casey James- Bryan Adams “Heaven”

Casey (aka Hansel) had what could have been the best performance of the night. It was the right song choice from him, he sang it reasonably well, and received high marks from the judges. And this was all during the extremely distracting commotion at the judges table where Kara couldn't hold back her inner school-girl crush and the guys fed into it. "Hansel. So hot right now. Hansel." The producers gave him some of the pimp lighting, and that always adds to a performance. I think he will do well on the show, but there are some things he needs to work on: 1) he needs to not let the judges favoritism go to his head, because they don't vote, we do. 2) He needs to cut the Eddie Vedder vibrato from his voice. He sounded much better when he sang the blues song during Hollywood Week. I did appreciate how Ellen apologized for the distraction from the other judges. It was a classy move and showed that she really cares about the contestants and wants to see them do well.

Andrew Garcia – Fallout Boy “Sugar We’re Going Down”

Andrew Garcia, the front-runner for the guys, would obviously get the pimp spot. He did a cool, laid back version of the originally high-octane "Sugar We're Going Down." I liked it fair enough. As the judges said (over and over and over again), it was no "Straight Up." I'm a little disappointed that he tried to do the exact same thing again, though. I know that he is a very good musician and singer and is good at flipping songs into an acoustic vibe, but I want to see big, bold and charismatic from him next week. He is obviously safe, so there is no point in saying "if he's back next week." He was vocally the best tonight, but I think that I agree with the judges that we need to see more of what he's capable of.

Now, out of all these less than thrilling performances, how am I supposed to pick the two who should go home?! I definitely think that Alex Lambert should be done. He's just not made for this show. If we were going solely based on tonight's performances, I would have to throw Jermaine Sellers and Tim Urban into that boat as well. Jermaine definitely has way more talent than he showed tonight, but the voters are a fickle bunch and don't tolerate too much this early in the game. The only three who are definitely safe are Big Mike, Casey, and Andrew. It's a toss up at this point as to who is the worst of the rest. Can Tim's good looks get him past this stage? Can Jermaine's airtime save him? Or will Joe go home because no one knows who he is?

Currently, votefortheworst.com is endorsing Haeley Vaughn and Tim Urban. They thought that they were the worst of the group, so they are putting their mighty forces (and they are remarkably might) behind these two. Don't be surprised if they stick around.

I'm glad that the first performance is over with. It was downright painful to listen to a lot of these songs and I found myself constantly doing my best Kris Allen impersonation...

Hopefully the contestants will put more effort into their song selections next week, if they are still around. America wants to see why the judges thought that this bunch was the best. So do I. Because, honestly, I personally know 24 other better singers off the top of my head without breaking a sweat.

What did you guys think of the first performances? Do you disagree with any of my reviews? Am I being overly critical against Aaron Kelly and his whiny, nasally voice? Who is going home?! Remember, the results show is on tonight! Let's send some of this fodder home!

Your American Idol Junkie,

Billy

Top 24: Ladies Night

Here we are ladies and gents. We are finally to the live portion of American Idol where we as the viewers hold the contestants fate in the palm of our hands (literally, with our cell phones). As Randy will undoubtedly say several weeks from now, THIS is where season 9 starts! He seems to shout this nonsensically throughout the first few weeks, apparently not realizing that the season started months ago. Maybe he's drinking some of Paula's kool-aid...

Ryan Seacrest is back in his role as host, fresh off inking a 3 year/$45 million contract in the off season, making him the highest-paid reality host...ever. Maybe this will help him land the Emmy award for Outstanding Host for a Reality or Reality-Competition Program that he has been seeking. He has been nominated the past two years (since the category was created), but has yet to win over Survivor Host Jeff Probst. Really, who still watches Survivor?!

Ellen, or "E" as Randy calls her, makes her debut with a hilarious skit of how Simon has been hitting on her during the auditions. Watch below. It's around the 2:00 min mark.



As for the rest of the show, Ellen showed that she really didn't have a clue as to what she was supposed to tell the contestants. She did well in Hollywood week, but once the camera's were live, it seemed like she only knew three phrases: "I agree with [insert other judge here]," "that was great," and "everyone is so good." She hasn't really settled into her new role yet, but I expect her to bounce back in the coming weeks. Right now she's probably feeling overwhelmed by the experience, but I still like her.

Now that the pleasantries are out of the way, let's breakdown the top 12 girls' performances!

Paige Miles- "All Right Now" by Free

This performance was ok for the first live performance of the season. We have not really heard much from Paige up to this point. She's either incredibly boring or just a fair singer. From what I've seen, she has a decent voice, but I'm not as excited as the judges seemed to be about her performance tonight. I thought that the song choice was terrible. I understand the attempt at taking a rock song and adding some soul to it, but it just didn't work in my opinion. She was constantly overpowered by the background vocalists on the choruses and the verses consisted of the exact same phrasings and runs every single time. There was no growth/build to the song and she stayed at the same dynamic for much of her performance. When she would do a run, it'd be the same run that she just did. When she went to a high note, it was the exact same high note every time. It was as Simon put it, "a wedding song" that you could hear any person singing- not one of the top 24 "best singers in America." She might be safe, but the fact that she was first to sing, along with no one really knowing who she is, might be enough to send her home. I still thinks she's got a good enough voice to stay on, but she needs to work HARD on improving.

Ashley Rodriguez- "Happy" by Leona Lewis

So, the judges saved all of their slams for Ashley for tonight. She hasn't had one bad thing said about her all season up to this point, but they laid it on thick this time. She performs Leona Lewis' "Happy" from the movie Precious. As much as I like her, the judges were right. She was no where near as good as the original and it came off as semi-sloppy and boring. She isn't doing anything to show that she is anything more than a karaoke version of very good pop singers (Alicia Keys, Jordin Sparks, and Leona Lewis). Her propensity to sing songs that are somehow linked to Simon is coming off as slightly brown-noserish. She needs to go ahead and do something original that shows herself as an artist. Hopefully she will get a second chance, and I think she will. People know she can sing, she just has to learn the delicate art of song-choice.

Janell Wheeler- "What About Love" by Heart

This is the epitome of a bad song choice. Who in the world told Janell Wheeler that she had the pipes to sing a Heart song. Whoever did needs to be smacked right night, because that performance was worthy of her being sent home. In order to sing Ann Wilson, you have to have incredible range, boatloads of power, and the presence of one of the best female rock vocalists of all time. Janell has none of these things. In this performance, the only thing that she showed us was that her soft, meek, and breathy voice has more faults than we originally thought. So far, she has gotten through these rounds based on her looks and overall likeability, but I don't know how long that can last. I have a sneaky suspicion that she will survive this week, but if she doesn't turn it around QUICK, she will be headed back to Florida and trying to mend things with ol' Tebow. I ain't sayin she a gold digga...

Lilly Scott- "Fixing a Hole" by The Beatles

If anyone was going to pick a rando Beatles song that was released during their shroom years, and still manage to pull it off, it would be Lilly. She definitely has her own thing going for her. She has a unique image and voice that I think people are starting to like. She is going for the Indie crowd, a group not heavily targeted on shows such as this, and doing a good job at it. Like I've said before, her vocal ability is no where near that of some of the other girls, but with her style, it doesn't need to be. She puts her own little spin on this song and makes it her own, like the judges have been screaming from the beginning of the show. That's a plus. My concern for her though is that I don't want to see her playing a slow acoustic song every week. I know that that is who she is as an artist, but to win this show you need to be versatile and dynamic. She is safe this week.

Katelyn Epperly- "Oh! Darling" by The Beatles

Katelyn Epperly, or the girl with the Felicity hair, definitely showed up this week. As I've stated in the past, I have been relatively unimpressed by her auditions. That changed tonight. She sang a bluesy version of "Oh! Darling" and did a surprisingly good job. She showed more control than we are used to seeing from her as well as more confidence. Randy was spot on (what?!) when he said her tone was great. There is a lot to be said for a singer who understands the importance of tone over all the bells and whistles. I will agree with Kara that I like her "natural" look better than the "done up" look, but that exchange was hilarious when Kara suggested that the word bubble that popped up when she said that was "B****!" That made me like Kara a little more.

Haeley Vaughn- "I Want to Hold Your Hand" by The Beatles

What in the world?! Three Beatles songs back-to-back-to-back? Come on already... This performance was, how do I say it, not good at all. It was a really strange arrangement, accompanied with very strange vocals and a strange (dare I say creepy) smile plastered on her face through the whole thing. I honestly think that Haeley is confused. She doesn't know how she is as an artist or who she could be. Does she have potential? Heck yes. She has a great range for her age. She seems to be able to keep going up and up in her chest voice, but she hasn't learned how to control that so that it benefits her. She seems like she is screaming at times. When she started to go off pitch last night, the rest of her performance fell to shambles. But she never lost that smile, well, until the judges ripped her a new one. If she hadn't been so heavily pimped in the auditions, I'd say she was in big trouble, but I think that a lot of people like her, so I think she will be safe. But this was a big wake up call to her and she needs to change some stuff. Isn't it funny how I've said that about almost every girl...hmmm...

Lacey Brown- "Landslide" by Fleetwood Mac

When I heard that Lacey was singing "Landslide," I got excited. "Great song!" were my initial thoughts...until she completely sucked the life out of it. She did herself no favors by singing this song. There was no emotion, dynamics, or anything that would make anyone vote for her in this performance. She also botched the lyric with the TITLE OF THE SONG in it! She said "LandSIDE!" Tsk tsk...I think that she is on her way home after that little diddy. At least she can say she made it further than last year. That's a plus, right?!

Michelle Delamore- "Fallin' " by Alicia Keys

Michelle was the one girl that we heard absolutely nothing about before tonight, at least vocally. I was pleasantly surprised at her rendition of "Fallin' ", a song that too many people sing on this show. She wasn't as good as the original, but she took some liberties with the song that I haven't seen done before. She had a good voice and was able to effectively sing the runs and trills that some of the other contestants had been missing before her. She should be safe, but there is no guarantee, since so many people have already picked who they are voting for from the auditions. Hopefully she will stay, because she is good.

Didi Benami- "The Way I Am" by Ingrid Michaelson

So what's one way to kill all the buzz you had for you coming from Hollywood Week? Do a song that not many people know and do it in a way that does nothing to show how talented you are. What's another way, you ask? Let your grandma knit you a hideous hippie vest to perform in. I'm not sure what Didi was thinking in this move of hers, but it was the safest song she could have possibly picked. Did she hit her notes? Yes, but she wasn't memorable in the slightest (except for the aforementioned ugly vest). She broke rule #1 of How to Succeed on Idol. She didn't read my blog! I said that she needed to do something smart to stay ahead of the bigger voices, and she completely disregarded my advice. She is obviously safe, but no longer the front-runner like many predicted her to be.

Siobhan Magnus- "Wicked Games" by Chris Isaac

What's funny about this performance is that I thought that she picked this song because she saw how the other girls were trying to sound like the original artists who performed the songs they were singing and wanted to break away from that. Sadly, I think she was trying to sound like Chris Isaac more than anyone else was trying to sound like their artists. This was a weird performance for me. I understand that she was going for the lighter, haunted sound to showcase a variety, but honestly, we didn't get to see enough of her wailing in Hollywood to get tired of that yet. She needed to separate herself from the rest of the pack based on her vocals this week, not based on her ability to be versatile. That time will come. All that being said, I think she sang the song fine and will proceed, but it was still all a bit weird for me.

Crystal Bowersox- "Hand In My Pocket" by Alanis Morissette

Crystal no longer has pirate teeth, thank God. The producers quickly slapped on some Crest White Strips and sent her on her way. She performed a good, but not great, version of an Alanis classic. So far, we have only seen her with her guitar (sometimes a harmonica), and it is starting to get a little old. It was good when she broke out an acoustic version of Aretha's "Natural Woman," but Sheryl Crow and Alanis Morissette are WAY too safe for her to still be doing. We expect that. We know that's what she's going to do. She needs to do something out of left field. Sure, she's good, but Simon is 100% correct. There are millions of people all over the US doing EXACTLY what she's doing right now on the show. She needs to show that she is relevant and current, not just a good copy-cat singing out of her guitar case.

Katie Stevens- "Feeling Good" by Michael Buble

So, Katie Stevens, one of the supposed front runners for the ladies, is in the pimp spot tonight, closing us out of a pretty bland first performance episode. When I hear that she is singing Michael Buble's version of "Feeling Good" I automatically try to not compare her to Adam Lambert's amazing version last season. She has a great voice. I love her tone and her presence. For a kid, she has a lot of raw talent. If she can tighten up her runs and expand her range just a tad, she'll be in a good position. The song was a little old for her, but with Buble and Muse bringing it back on their albums, I think it was fine for her to do. Though there were a few juuuust pitchy parts, I think it was a good performance and she is hands down safe.

So there you have it. I was a little disappointed in how our girls stepped up to the plate for this performance. Too many girls got bit by the bad song bug. I guess it's something that you have to get used to once you get on the show. I'm sure it's more difficult than it looks. As for who is going home, I think that Lacey is the only sure bet to get the boot. The other spot is up for grabs, seeing as enough girls did poorly enough for it to be a crap-shoot. If I had to vote a girl out, it'd probably be Janell, but we all know how much America loves it's little blond, pretty girls with less talent than the rest (see Cook, Kristy Lee from season 7). She deserves to go home, but I expect to see one of the lesser knowns unfairly get tossed.

Tonight we have the guys' performances. Hopefully they will take it to heart that Simon has deemed this a "girls year" and bring their A-game. I'm looking forward to what some of these guys have up their sleeves...except for Big Mike, because I saw what he had up his sleeves last night: arms bigger than Aaron Kelly and Tim Urban put together!

What did you think of the girls' performances? Was I too tough on them? Who do you think will be eliminated on Thursday? Let me know!

Until next time...

Your American Idol Junkie,

Billy

Hollywood Week Round 3...and our TOP 24!

Well, the wait is over. We have reached the long awaited revelation of the top 24 American Idol contestants! These are the top 12 guys and top 12 gals that have survived the audition process and will compete against each other on the live performance episodes from this point on.

After a grueling Hollywood Week, the contestants were looking just as exhausted and emotionally frazzled as ever. There were tears of joy, tears of sorrow, and one smart-mouth sassafras that showed her true colors when the news was broke to her. Though less drama went down this year than in years past, this year was no exception to the norm, including a surprisingly unmentioned change in the lineup at the last minute! More on that later!

So without further ado, here are our top 24 finalists!

Girls:

Ashley Rodriguez

I have been pulling for Ashley from the get-go. She's talented, she's gorgeous, and she has this quiet confidence about her that really comes out in her performances. Though she hasn't had as much screen time as some of the other contestants, she has been extremely consistent from what I've seen. She's impressed the judges and has already been labeled Votefortheworst.com 's front runner (the person that they think everyone else will vote for, not the person that THEY vote for to sabotage the show). She has the perfect balance of marketability, charm and skill and I think that she has a shot to go far.

Crystal Bowersox

As I stated in a previous post, Crystal has that little something about her. I don't know if it's her personality, her son, her talent, or what, but there is just something extremely genuine about this girl. She is cool, calm, and extremely talented and showed that throughout Hollywood week. She does need to do something really memorable in this first live performance, because she needs to go from being known as "the girl with the pirate teeth" to "that girl all the others need to catch."

Didi Benami

Didi is in most front-runner talks right now after a solid Hollywood week where she wowed the judges with her rendition of Kara Dioguardi's "Terrified." She seems like she has the whole singer-songwriter vibe to her and people usually like that. If she can bust out some dynamic vocals in the coming weeks, she can solidify a position in the top 12. I'm not sure if her voice is made for that, though. If not, she has to play it smart to keep up with those girls who have bigger voices than her.

Haeley Vaughn

Haeley is unique. I don't remember ever seeing a 16 year old, black, country singer in the competition before. It should be interesting to see how she approaches her songs. She has a big voice, but it's not the greatest. She has moments where her voice can blow you out of the chair with how strong it is, but other times where it's weak and awkward. She will have to improve on her consistency if she wants to make it very far. I'm not sure how many people can relate to her right now.

Janell Wheeler

Janell, the rumored ex-girlfriend of do-gooder Florida QB Tim Tebow, is interesting to me. She doesn't have the strongest voice by any means, but I think that she is not without talent. Her version of "American Boy" was rather good, even if it was played down and didn't really show us anything about her skill level. In her last performance, she pulled a Taylor Swift on one of Taylor's own songs, "Love Story" and was left thinking that she wouldn't advance. Luckily for her, she has the look that the judges like and I think they gave her another chance based on that. She has some serious ground to cover if she wants to become a contender.

Katelyn Epperly

Katelyn is the one girl that I was wondering why the judges let her through. She didn't impress me one single time in her auditions. Her voice is ok, but she shouldn't have made it through over Angela Martin, who was clearly better than her and wanted it more. She's cute and all, but I don't know if that will be enough to save her from the first round of eliminations.

Katie Stevens

Katie Stevens is another in the front-runner status. In a year that many believe will crown a female winner (since the past 3 have been male), Katie has a legit shot of making it happen. I have been very impressed with the quality of her voice. She has a nice, warm tone, a little bit of soul, and the confidence of someone much older than she is. As I stated before, everything that I've seen from her has been good, but safe. I need to see her ball out on something before I'm totally sold. She should have no problem reaching the top 12.

Lacey Brown

Lacey is no stranger to this show. Last year, she made the top 50 and narrowly missed the top 36 to Megan Joy Corkery. I bet the judges were wishing they had picked her over Megan after the horrible performances the bird-girl put up last year. I think they got it right this go-round. She has a unique voice, much like Megan's, but seems to have a better idea of pitch, tone, support, you know...a better idea of singing as a whole. I don't think she has a shot to win, but she can be a breath of fresh air on the show.

Lilly Scott

Kara called it. Everything about Lilly is refreshing. She knows exactly who she is as an artist and is going to play to those strengths that separate her from the others. True, she can't out-sing everyone on that stage, but her unique style will win over plenty of fans irregardless. I think that she will do well.

Michelle Delamor

We don't know much about Michelle. Whenever they showed her, they never showed her singing. She could be a baller or she could be fodder, I don't know. She is going to live in Ashley Rodriguez's shadow on the show, much like she did in the clips from Hollywood week. I'm hoping that she's good, but something tells me otherwise.

Paige Miles

Paige is yet another girl that we don't know that much about. They showed a brief clip and she appeared to have a voice, but her lack of airtime might come back to hurt her. I don't see her being able to take over the country like Kris Allen did, but if she could, she'd be the ultimate dark horse this season. My guess is that she'll be gone after the first elimination.

Siobhan Magnus

Siobhan (pronounced like Shavon, but with a B) can sing. This is the girl that I mentioned as one of the standouts in Destiny's Wild, one of the groups that performed Lady Gaga's "Bad Romance." She has a great range, power, and a cool gritty quality about her voice. I think that people are going to like her once they hear more of her voice and that could help her gain some momentum.

Guys:

Aaron Kelly

Aaron is the 16 year old kid who sang Miley Cyrus in his first audition (strike 1), forgot his lyrics during group round (strike 2) and during his final audition (strike 3). On a show that threatens to send people home at the first sign of a missed lyric, their bark is worse than their bite, since we've seen this happen several seasons in a row. Aaron is a fair at best singer, and he is first in the running to be sponsored by votefortheworst. The mom's will like him and I think that he will go further than he should, but then again, I don't think he should have made it this far.

Alex Lambert

Well, there is another A. Lambert on the show this year, but don't expect me to pull for him like I did the previous. This guy is total fodder. All he can do is play a ukulele and sing Jason Mraz. What happens on techno night? Is he going to sing "I'm Yours" with a Euro-beat behind him? He wasn't featured much, except for about how bad he was doing in group round, so I don't expect him to wow anyone, or stay past the first week.

Andrew Garcia

Andrew is the clear front-runner among the guys, and maybe on the show, right now. He has a cool R&B/acoustic vibe and has some real chops vocally. He's incredibly humble and it's hard to not like him. He may remind you of Danny Gokey, but I doubt we'll see anywhere near the same amount of cheese exuding from this guy like we did from Gokey. With the best song of the season already under his belt, he is the guy to beat.

Casey James

Perhaps the most shown contestant over the audition process, Casey has both impressed me and not lived up to the hype. He is being pimped out by the producers, but for the wrong reasons. They are talking about his looks, and I'd rather him get noticed for his musicianship. He is a great guitar player and a pretty good blues singer. He has the total package for the guys and I think that he has built up a pretty strong fan base so far. Not to mention, Kara wants his body, so they will keep him around for the Paula-esque scandal that will undoubtedly happen.

Jermaine Sellers

Jermaine was portrayed as a diva on the show because he threw the band under the bus. But really, who wouldn't have pointed that out if they screwed you over. You don't want to look like a prick, but you also don't want the judges thinking that you messed something up. I would have done the same thing. I saw Jermaine while in line at my auditions. There was a group singing Whitney Houston's "I Will Always Love You" and they were doing their best (which wasn't that good). He was walking by, cut off everyone else and KILLED a line, all while continuing his stride and never stopping. They all just stopped singing, embarrassed that he had just showed them up like that. I hope that he can bring that to the table on Idol.

Joe Munoz

Unfortunately, there aren't any pictures of Joe that I could put up here, but that just sums up how his run on Idol has been so far. We don't know who he is and we don't know how well he can sing. So, yea, I don't really have too much to say about him.

John Park

I might be the only one who thinks this, but John Park looks like an Asian-guy version of Julia Stiles. Aside from that, John can sing very well. We didn't see him except for his initial audition, but he has a nice baritone voice, something that we don't really see much of on a show riddled with tenors. I think he'll be able to add another dynamic to the show and give it some diversity.

Lee Dewyze

Lee is another one of the guys that I think went a little further than he should have. This just proves my point that Idol is pushing for a woman to win. Lee has a decent voice, but he's no where near hard enough to merit the token "rocker" title. Hopefully he can prove me wrong, because there is a need for someone like him on the show, but the talent just isn't there from what I've seen.

Michael Lynch

Big Mike Lynch is a character. It looks like the rumors of him being kicked off the show were just that, and it's a good thing too. He has some definite skill and has a great personality. Everyone seems to like him and he doesn't seem to take himself too seriously. He goes out there and does what he loves to do: sing. That's what this show is all about. I predict that will go far.

Tim Urban

Tim Urban was one of the guys that we saw here and there, never sounding phenomenal, but never bad either. Tim enters this portion of the competition on the wave of a little controversy. He is the alternate called to replace Chris Golightly, the light-skinned, curly blond haired guy, who was disqualified due to a contract that wasn't quite expired when he auditioned for Idol. Chris was featured in all the group shots at the end of Wednesdays episode, but when they were introducing the finalists individually, they showed Tim instead. I think that Tim will get a lot of teeny-bopper, Jonas Brother fan votes and that he will ultimately do better than Chris would have.

Todrick Hall

Todrick is the guy who performed alongside Fantasia in the Broadway production "The Color Purple." He may not have any vocal experience (which he is all too quick to keep bringing up), but he still has a lot of stage and dance experience, and I think that will help him. If you can entertain an audience, they are more likely to forgive any vocal slip-ups that might occur. He's good, and I only expect him to get better as the show progresses, but he can't be considered a front-runner at this stage in the game.

Tyler Grady

Tyler is the guy who channels his inner Mick Jagger every time he sings. Complete with excentric moves and retro performing style, he is definitely different from the other guys. I am not sure if that is different in a good way or bad. I haven't been overly impressed with anything from him thus far, but he might be able to bring some of that 70's charisma back to the stage and put on an entertaining show.

Well there you have it folks! There are your top 24! All in all, it is a pretty good crop. Some of the guys that were cut (Brian- the singing cop and Thaddeus- the crying guy who looks like a big cartoon) should have made it over the likes of Alex Lambert or Aaron Kelly, and some of the girls who were cut (Angela Martin- who tried out 3 times) should have made it over ordinary talent like Katelyn Epperly. But that is how the show goes I guess. We are all helpless at the hands of the judges...until now. The voting portion of the show begins next.

The format this year is different than how they did things last year, but not unfamiliar from seasons past. Last year, they had a Top 36, split them into 3 groups of 12 and allowed those groups to battle it out. Only 3 contestants would move into the top 12 from each group. Then after those 9 were selected, there was a wild card round where the judges were able to pick who they thought deserved a second chance. This made me feel that too much pressure was put on this first performance. The probability of NOT making it through to the top 12 right out of the first performance (not taking into account the Wild Card round) was 75%. The odds of them failing was too high and I think the producers realized this. This year, they are going to have it where the top 12 girls perform on Tuesday, the top 12 guys perform on Wednesday, and the results show will air on Thursday, showing which 2 girls and which 2 guys are eliminated. This will allow us as the voters to see more performances from the contestants before deciding who should ultimately make it into the top 12 and compete head-to-head.

That's all I've got today, guys. Do you think the judges got it right? Did anyone not get through who you thought should have? Who are your picks for the win as they stand right now? I want to know your thoughts.

Until next time...

Your American Idol Junkie,

Billy

Hollywood Week, Rounds 1 & 2

Well, ladies and gents, here we are at another exciting, yet sure to be dramatic, Hollywood Week in Idol Land. 181 contestants have flown in from around the country to compete against one another for a spot in the coveted top 24 (12 guys, 12 gals). As we have seen in the past, Hollywood Week is where it gets REAL- we see who can REALLY sing and who is REALLY annoying. The drama that goes down here is always on full blast and we get to see the contestants for who they truly are.

For the first time ever, we get to welcome Ellen Degeneres to the Judges panel. After Paula's unexpected departure, Idol scrambled to fill her shoes by having celebrity guest judges during the auditions, such as Victoria Beckham, Mary J. Blige, Avril Lavigne, Katy Perry, Kristen Chenoweth (GLEE), Shania Twain, Joe Jonas, and Neil Patrick Harris. They were merely OK, in my opinion, with Victoria Beckham (strangely!) and Neil Patrick Harris standing apart from the herd. In order to effectively fill Paula's role, they needed someone with just the right amount of star power, stage presence, and comedic input to balance out the monster that is Simon's personality. Ellen was a great pick for this. Many people questioned her as the new judge because she's not involved in the music industry. She does, however, know how to entertain large rooms of people and has a straight forward, yet still respectful, way in how she gives her criticism. It doesn't come off as brash as Simon, or as condescending as Kara, or as nonsensical as Randy. She is showing that she is taking this job seriously, but still willing to have a good time at it. I think I'm going to like her a lot on the panel.

Now, onto the contestants!

After weeks of surprisingly lackluster auditions, with more talent-less fodder and hacks than actual singers, I was beginning to grow weary with the contestants of this season. They just didn't seem to have the same level of skill that we've see in years past. Even the one's that were given the golden tickets to Hollywood didn't strike any chord in me.

Thank God for Hollywood week.

I was surprised to see as many good performances as I did. With a little extra confidence after their initial audition proved successful, and being able to play an instrument if they desired, the contestants were able to show their style and what they could bring to the table during the competition. The standouts from Round 1 that were aired on the show were, in no particular order:

Andrew Garcia- The Latino Danny Gokey with the guitar is a shoe-in for the top 24 and, dare I say, further. This guy can straight up sing...get it?! Straight up! *crickets* Ok... His cover on the Paula Abdul's 80's smash hit was "genius" according to Kara, and I'm going to have to agree with her. This dude seems like he has the chops and creativity to go far in the competition. Rearranging songs has always been something that contestants would do to stand out from the pack, but like David Cook, Adam Lambert, and Kris Allen, expect Andrew to be the guy we see do this the most often. The judges love him and he's not as pompous/cheesy as Gokey was last year. At the moment, he is the guy to beat.



Didi Benami- This girl reminds me of a slightly better Brooke White. She is the waitress who is singing in memory of her best friend who passed away. I wasn't blown away in her initial audition, but that changed when I heard her sing "Terrified," a song penned by our very own Kara (much better than "No Boundaries"...fail). Was it the greatest, showstopping vocal performance of all time? No, but it was incredibly endearing and definitely got everyone's attention. She has the ability to relate to a song very well and express it in her performance, something not seen as much thus far this season. She has a similar style to Colbie Caillat and Taylor Swift, two pretty popular artists in the music business right now. Look for her to attract that demographic and gain some steam in the weeks to come.



Katie Stevens- This is the 17 year old brunette with the grandmother who has Alzheimer's. She seems like a natural up there. When everyone else seemed to be collapsing under the pressure, she goes out there and confidently sings a song that impressed the judges. It was a safe song, and I don't think she scratched the surface of what she can really do with her vocals, but she seems to be a lock for the top 24.



Casey James- This blond, hippie looking guy, who we saw go shirtless for an opportunity to go to Hollywood, is actually quite good. Armed with his acoustic, he ripped into a blues tune that fit his voice and style perfectly. We have yet to see a blues singer on the show and I think that it would be a very refreshing change to the norm. Even though it was only a 30 second clip of a song, you can tell that his guitar playing is well above what most contestants do on the show. His Mark Broussard vibe will click with a lot of people and, with the judges behind him, he could go far.



Lilly Scott- This is the platinum blond/white haired girl who sang Ella Fitzgerald's "Lullaby of Birdland" near flawlessly. She has an old school voice that I like a lot. I don't remember her getting much, if any, screen time during the initial auditions, but I think that she sang this song well enough to garner some attention. Lock for top 24.



Crystal Bowersox- This is the girl who kinda killed Aretha Franklin's "Natural Woman" on the acoustic. She had that raw, natural talent that came effortless. Singing Aretha effortlessly is no easy feat, so expect some more big things from her. Simon was right in saying that she's infectious. She's the kind of girl that you want to pull for to do well because she is real and seems like she could be one of your friends. She's good and she knows it, but it doesn't come off as cocky. Barring some unforeseeable disaster, I think she will make the top 24.



Michael "Big Mike" Lynch- This is the body builder who's wife went into labor during the first round of Hollywood. I really like this guy. He seems like he's got a great personality and not a bad voice either. It was funny watching him play that guitar though. He's so big that he made it look like a ukelele! I would say he was a lock for the top 24, but there is a rumor that his father leaked to the press that his son had definitely made the top 24. This is a big Idol no-no and there are multiple reports that he has been disqualified from the competition. If this is true, it would be sad, since he sacrificed his first child's birth to be there, only to have it taken away by his loud-mouth dad.



Janell Wheeler- This is the girl who sang an acoustic version of "American Boy." This was another good spin on a pop song (expect to see that much more this season) that showed some creativity, but still left a little to be desired vocally. I think she'll make the top 24, but that can be up in the air. Oh, and apparently she is Tim Tebow's ex-girlfriend!

Other notables that stood out to me from the initial auditions/first round of Hollywood are night pastor Tasha Layton, rocker-mom Mary Powers (who was annoying during group round), premature country singer Haeley Vaughn, and Ashley Rodriguez. Ashley hasn't gotten much screen time since her initial audition, but she was who I liked a lot. She has the right combo of vocals and look to get far, so hopefully she can be another dark horse in the competition like Kris Allen was last year.

After the first round, the crowd of 181 was wittled down to 96. From here, it was on to round 2- the dreaded Group Round. It's always fun to watch the drama unfold as people who are all striving for the same goal have to work together, while still competing against each other. There seemed to be less drama this year than in years past, but Idol did manage to find enough to make an intertaining show out of. The first storyline showed how Mary Powers was doing her best dictator impression and verbally abusing everyone in her group. She is the token rocker chick on the show, but the way she was acting definitly did not help her with the public. I think the judges will put her through to the top 24, but I don't think America will vote her much further.

The second storyline consisted of two groups who were both singing Lady Gaga's "Bad Romance." The two groups were Team Neapolitan and Destiny's Wild. For most of the show, it looked like Destiny's Wild, which was comprised of little known contestants Jared Liewer, Todrick Hall, Theri, and Siobhan Magnus, had a clear advantage over Neapolitan, both vocally and in delivery. Team Neapolitan, which consisted of Thaddeus Johnson, Jessica Cunningham, Liz Rooney, and Paige Miles, just seemed to be a catty bunch of haters. With both groups practicing in the same area, competition flared as both groups tried to out-sing and out-melisma each other time and time again. When it came down to the performance, Team Neapolitan was up first and opted to do an a cappella arrangement, something that Destiny's Wild claimed that they did originally and had copied. With both groups singing the song moderately well at their respective performances, and the judges seeming to enjoy both (even though Ellen thought Destiny's Wild was "a little weird"), each contestant went through. The one's who shined above the rest were Todrick Hall, Siobhan Magnus, Thaddeus Johnson and Jessica Cunningham. Siobhan is one girl that we have yet to see at all, but from the clips I saw, it seems like she has some pipes! If she could get some more face-time, and people can remember her name, I think that people might like her a lot.

Group round proved to be much more successful than years past, with 75 of the 96 contestants making it to the next round. That means the next rounds will be incredibly tough to cut it down to the top 24. At this point in the competition, everyone is good, so all it takes is one slip up to get sent packing.

All in all, I thought that the first two rounds of Hollywood week were a success. My faith in season 9 was restored and I think that we could be in for a good year. Ellen, as I stated previously, was very good in her newfound role and I think that she will add an interesting dynamic to the judges panel. Look for some cat-fights between her and the Brit.

What do you all think? Are there any notable contestants that I left out? Who are your favorites? Is Ellen doing a good job as a judge? For those new to the site, this is an open dialogue, so feel free to express your opinions, which can include, but not be limited to: 1) Billy, you are AWESOME, or 2) Billy, shut up...you don't know what you are talking about. Though, I prefer the first. :)

Your American Idol Junkie,

Billy