Hello America - we’ve reached the Top 10. These are the people that you will see on the American Idol’s Tour this coming summer, so I hope you voted well…personally, I won’t be going to the show.

Theme: Songs from the year the contestant was born

1. Michael Johns - “We Will Rock You/We Are The Champions“. A Queen medley this week…and yeah, it was really good. I still don’t like the arrogance I see in him (reminds me of Chris Daughtery) but he did a really good job at the song. He’ll likely get into the Top 5, but I don’t see him winning it. One or two spots that sounded like shouting and a pitch problem or two, but it likely doesn’t matter because he has a cool accent.
2. Chikezie - “If Only For One Night“. I am in ballad hell. You know, I really like Chikezie and his voice, but I so prefer him doing upbeat songs when he can move around the stage and really get into the song. This was just ok for me for him.
3. David Cook - “Billie Jean“. Holy moly amazing. I knew I recognized the song at the beginning, but this arrangement was just amazing and vastly different from what we’re used to from Michael Jackson. Loved it. Loved it. I’m seeing him in the Top 3 with David Archuleta and I’m not sure who else yet but I think it will be three guys.
4. David Archuleta - “You’re The Voice“. I wish he wouldn’t wear the same thing every show, but whatever. I did not care for the song itself (lyrics/arrangement), but of course he did a great job with it. He’s so Disney, and that’s a compliment. You could see him as the lead in a Disney broadway show or television show. Especially when he started bouncing while singing - very Disney. Simon pegged it when he called it a theme park performance, but he meant it negatively, which I disagree with.
5. Jason Castro - “Fragile“. Yawn. In his intro video he talked about his eyes - and I agree, they are pretty cool. In this song he tries out yet another foreign language tune, this time from Sting. You could hear the passion in his voice, but it was a very boring performance for me for him.
6. Kristy Lee Cook - “God Bless the USA“. *hurl* That’s all I have to say. Had I been able to fast forward I would have, but unfortunately, I was in a hotel room on a non-Tivo enhanced television. I was very angry throughout the entire song. Amazingly, the judges loved it and only because it’s a gimmick song that no one would dare vote her off after singing. Ok so maybe I did have more to say.
7. Brooke White - “Every Breath You Take“. Definitely one of my favourite Police songs, and even though this became a ballad on the show tonight, I actually liked it. She messed up the very first note and restarted the song, but got kudos for it. The show must go on. I really like her voice. I don’t think she’ll hit the finals but she reminds me of some great independent artists I know. One or two little pitchy bits on the “please” extension, but overall ok.
8. Ramiele Malubay - “Alone“. Wow that was bad. Pitchy all over the place on the low and high notes, and she sounded like she was screaming. Intro was dull and boring and it went down hill from there. She could tell she didn’t do well - it was on her face. I’m sorry she’s not feeling well, but dang, aren’t we hearing that a LOT this season as an excuse? Every one of the girls seems to have been “sick” every other performance.
9. Syesha Mercado - “If I Were Your Woman“. Good vocals, good power notes, but again, too much of a ballad for my liking. I was bored with the performance, of which there was none other than standing. I don’t see finalist potential there, but who cares, she’s on the tour.
10. Carly Smithson - “Total Eclipse of the Heart“. First off, her mother is BEAUTIFUL. Second off this should have the perfect song choice for her, but the passion wasn’t there for me for her. She didn’t seem like she actually got into the song, she just shouted the big notes instead. Not so much.

Results: Chikezie is out. Oh, and if you weren’t aware, Project Runway winner Christian Siriano designed Kimberley Locke’s outfit that she wore on the results show.

One down, a few more to go as we hit the Top 11.

Theme: Beetles

1. Michael Johns - “A Day In The Life“. His voice sounded very breathy tonight, and how the heck do you compress a 5+ minute song into 90 seconds and make it sound good? I thought the performance was cheezy, the bouncing around the stage annoyed me, and as I’ve said before he’s too cocky. Lots of pitchy problems tonight too. Even his sexy accent didn’t make up for this performance.
2. Chikezie - “I’ve Just Seen A Face“. After last week, I became a fan of Chikezie. This week…first off he looked sloppy with the open shirt and wrinkles. Beginning of the song was insanely boring for me. Then he picked up the harmonica and the song became a country western song. He used an accent at one point and then tried to kick it up. Oh this did not work for me at ALL. To use a Simon word, totally indulgent. Although this week, Simon called it gimmickey.
3. David Cook - “Day Tripper“. Ok…I like him SO much better than Chris Daughtry. Like, a lot better. I love his hair, the look, and his voice has much more versatility. He works the crowd well, and you know that if you went to his concert it wouldn’t be all hard rock songs. Cool use of the vocoder as well.
4. David Archuleta - “The Long and Winding Road“. Oh lordie it’s a ballad. Thank goodness it’s David Archuleta though. Great looking cool hair, superior vocals, the most genuine sounding voice in the competition. I’m all about him being in the finals and possibly winning the entire thing. And geez the crowd loves him. Simon called it a “master class”.
5. Jason Castro - “Michelle“. His pants were way too tight. I still hate his hair now even more than ever. I did like that he sang part of the song in French, that’s classy. Maybe that’s why he wore the tight pants. I didn’t feel the passion in this song though - the French parts should have been much more expressive. Still think he has a beautiful face though.
6. Kristy Lee Cook - “You’ve Got To Hide Your Love Away“. Time to go home. Hated the outfit, horribly pitchy performance, boring song that did not inspire me at all. And what was with the walking back and forth across the stage with zero emotion on her face? Zombie? Ugh.
7. Amanda Overmyer - “Back in the U.S.S.R.“. I still love her look, and I love that she’s a rocker chick, but I’m done with the rock music. Sorry Amanda. It was pitchy in just a few spots, but she certainly worked the mosh pit. I wish she had a few more emotions though because I love her. I think her sassy level has increased over the weeks, which pleases me.
8. Brooke White - “Here Comes the Sun“. Ryan called her the “sweetest person alive”. I don’t know about that, but she’s certainly very…pure, which led to my comparison of her and Amy Grant a few weeks back. I did not care for the song, it was a little pitchy in spots and I’m really not sure what she was doing with the insane dancing on the stage. It was some sort of high hippie tree blowing in the wind type of dancing. And why did she keep talking while the judges were talking? She acts like she’s on drugs.
9. Ramiele Malubay - “I Should Have Known Better“. Um, what the h*ll was that? Hated the song and all it’s twangyness, and what the heck was she wearing. She had a cheesy smile on her face when she attempted to work the crowd, which didn’t work at all. The only part I liked where the power high notes. Apparently it’s harmonica theme night….didn’t enjoy the performance one bit.
10. Syesha Mercado - “Yesterday“. No, no, no. I did not like it at all. It even seemed like there were times when she couldn’t hit the note so she created an impromptu run to cover it up. Didn’t work. Boring, not great at all. The judges however, loved it. I don’t get it.
11. Carly Smithson - “Blackbird“. Guess what, it’s a ballad. Maybe you can guess what I’m going to think about it since it’s not David Archuleta singing it. Yeah - not so much. Hated her outfit which was really bordering on a babydoll dress with rose petals all over the collar. Yuck. Boring, yawn, completely forgettable. And there was a little lyric flub near the end.

Here’s what msnbc.com had to say about the Top 11.

First we learned who this season’s mentors will be:

• Dolly Parton - I think this is awesome. Love her.
• Mariah Carey - girl can sing every octave that exists.
• Andrew Loyd Webber - I can’t wait for this one. He’s amazing.
• Neil Diamond - not a big fan, but I hear he’s incredible.

Did anyone notice that Ramiele’s mic was out during group sing? Oh, did I mentioned I hated the group sing? Yeah. Hated it. And did you notice poor Amanda standing there singing this ridiculous ballad - we know she hates ballads. And who choreographed this mess? If that’s what we can expect on the Idol Tour, no thanks.
Results: Amanda Overmyer is out. This doesn’t make me very happy, especially when Kristy Lee Cook gets away with yet another week and boring performance and Amanda rocked it out. I think America may have just fallen into the same well I was in - her sound was exactly the same on every song. I love the sound, but I could only listen to a couple songs before I’d have to switch it up. I’m sorry to see her go…

We’ve finally made it to the Top 12. (check here to see what msnbc.com thinks of the Top 12)

(Image of the Top 12 from americanidol.com)

It’s been quite a ride, so let’s get a move on. First up - there’s a brand new set and a brand new intro. I don’t like the new intro, but the set looks pretty cool and I like that the band is elevated on the stage.

Theme: Lennon/McCartney Songbook (of which I’m probably familiar with exactly 1 song)

1. Michael Johns - “Across The Universe“. Hate the hair. Boring performance. Boring song. Good vocals. I’m still not convinced on this one - I sense an arrogance there that he thinks he’s already won. It’s too much of a love fest just because he has a sexy accent. He’s through to next week of course, but I’m not sold.
2. David Hernandez - “I Saw Her Standing There“. Good energy on stage and a pretty good vocal performance. I liked last week better, maybe because I have never heard this song before so can’t compare it. It was an OK performance for me for him. He might be in trouble, and Ryan alluded to him having a “stressful” week.
3. Chikezie - “She’s A Woman“. Um, Deliverance anyone? I’m not a fan of banjo pickin’ music. But I do like his voice, and it got pretty rockin’ after the first part of the song. Exciting, energetic, hate the sweater. He’s through after that performance, especially after Ryan rubbed his head and danced around the stage with him.
4. David Cook - “Eleanor Rigby“. Never heard of this song. Loved the coat - it looked like something from Project Runway. I really like David, but there was WAY too much yelling in this song. It reminded me of what I hated about Chris Daughtery. No no no. But he’s through to next week, especially when Simon said he could win the show.
5. David Archuleta - “We Can Work It Out“. Oh dear he forgot a couple of the words right at the beginning but he recovered well and kept it going. There was another minor blip in his memory in the middle as well. Vocals were excellent despite the word flubs. Not at all my favourite performance of his but of course he’s through to next week, and hopefully this is his kick in the rear to step it up on song choice.
6. Jason Castro - “If I Fell“. Doesn’t his mouth look like John Travolta’s? Ok now the audience is clapping AND waving their hands. Stop the madness. Pretty good falsetto, and tone in his voice, and I love his face (but not his hair) - but he did something really weird with his mouth there at the end that was odd. Silly vest. He’s through but Simon’s right he’s got to kick it up a notch.
7. Kristy Lee Cook - “Eight Days A Week“. Like totally like OMG like totally um like like like. UGH! SPEAK ENGLISH PLEASE. Have I mentioned I’m not a fan of country music, especially when it wasn’t originally a country song? Things aren’t made better by twanging them. Hated the performance - she’s trying to be Carrie Underwood. Cheesy, boring, too sparkley. She’s in trouble. And what was with the wonky camera work?
8. Amanda Overmyer - “You Can’t Do That“. Love the outfit, including the striped pants and the scarf thing. I haven’t figured out if her hair is cool or annoys me though. It seems like bad hair is a theme this season…I do really like her voice, but I’m not sure I could buy an album of all her. It would be too monotonous - all rock songs, all the same sound. She might be in trouble for no other reason than people are getting tired of the same sound every week.
9. Brooke White - “Let It Be“. Ok, so I am familiar with this song, but didn’t know who it was written by. I love the sultry nature of her voice. And she’s multi-talented, playing piano as her accompaniment. The song wasn’t as rocking as some others tonight but she did an excellent job on it. She’s through.
10. Ramiele Malubay - “In My Life“. Ok what was with the audience waving their hands back and forth? I would have stopped the song and told them to knock it off. I hated the instrumentals but I love her voice. It’s not a voice you expect from a teeny little girl. She is probably through to next week but she needs to pick less boring songs.
11. Syesha Mercado - “Got To Get You Into My Life“. I couldn’t hear most of the words she sang - it was as if she didn’t know the words so she was just murmuring into the microphone. She was able to sing the chorus though - guess she remembered those words. I like the tone of her voice, but I don’t really care for the song. She’s through to the Top 11.
12. Carly Smithson - “Come Together“. Very rockin’ song, love the outfit (hate the hair), vocals were good, high energy level. I’m not familiar enough with the song to know how she “changed it up” but she worked it out and she’s through to next week for sure.

Results Show:

First we’re…treated/subjected…to a Top 12 montage that looked like it was choreographed by Amy Grant of the early 80’s. The stepping back and forth - you know what I’m talking about. I hated it. The montage was horrific, the dancing was ridiculous, I felt sick to my stomach watching. But that might be because I just finished watching a really gory horror movie. Anyway - we have to put up with another week of this as well, they are going to sing more Lennon and McCartney songs next week too…feel my excitement?

Anyway…on to the rest of the show…a whole lot of blah blah and we find out that Syesha, Kristy, and David H are in the bottom 3. Not a surprise I suppose…but then we find out…

The life of the former stripper has finally caught up with him and we lose David Hernandez tonight. (Check here for David’s reaction to the news…) Frankly I’m surprised because Kristy Lee Cook was horrific/horrendous. Oh well - I’m sorry to see David Hernandez go if only because he was fun to look at. Next week, more of the same. I’m tempted to skip it, but of course I won’t. See you next week folks!

We’re down to the Top 16 America - only a week away from the Top 12, which is really where we want to be.

This week is 80’s week, if you hadn’t already guessed from the progression of 60’s to 70’s over the last two weeks. Personally, I love the 80’s - it’s my genre and my generation. If I don’t hear at least one Duran Duran song I will be hurt and upset…but then again, I think only 4 or 5 of the contestants are worth listening to, so as long as they don’t disappoint, we’ll be ok.

So let’s get going…first up, the boys sing the 80’s on Tuesday night

1. Michael Johns - “Don’t You (Forget About Me)“. This is one of my favourite songs from the 80’s, but um…he was just OK. I think he’s too cocky and thinks he’s going to win the competition already. I mean, he’s got a good voice, and a sexy accent, but he’s just not doing it for me. And I hate his hair.
2. David Hernandez - “It’s All Coming Back To Me Now“. Usually it concerns me when someone tackles Celine Dion (or Meatloaf), but I gotta give it to him. He was absolutely wonderful. Breathy voice, hit all the power notes, really great stage presence. And in case you haven’t been reading the news, the big reveal this week is that he used to be a hot male stripper so…if singing doesn’t work out he’s got that going for him.
3. Chikezie - “All The Man That I Need“. Very smooth and enjoyable song. He might as well have been the original artist on the song. I think the issue with him is that he’s not unique. He sounds like many other black power-singers. Very enjoyable but doesn’t stand out.
4. David Cook - “Hello“. I like the interpretation of a Lionel Richie ballad. I would have hated it as a ballad. I don’t like the screaming, but I like his voice and his style.
5. David Archuleta - “Another Day In Paradise“. He played piano for the beginning of the song. There were actually a couple pitchy spots, but holy crap this kid is amazing. I love how he re-interprets the songs he sings. Regardless of whether he’ll be in the Top 2 (like Simon thinks), he’s got a huge career ahead of him.
6. Danny Noriega - “Tainted Love“. His pants were way too tight. I like him more as a personality than a singer at this point. He’s fierce, but OMG pitchy performance of a song that I can’t stand. And the scarf, and the purple and black. WTF.
7. Luke Menard - “Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go“. Eek!! Vocals were very weak and very airy. Not the way to start the show. He almost seemed to lose track of the music. It was like an entire song of falsetto, and he’s no George Michael. He’s likely out of the competition after this mess. (And Simon pretty much said there’s no way he will win)
8. Jason Castro - “Hallelujah“. First, cut your hair; Second, pull the mic away from your mouth on b’s, p’s, and t’s. I hated the song with the white hot intensity of a thousand suns, but I like him as a singer and I think he has potential, but not with that. The judges, for some reason, thought the performance was incredible.

Now on to the Girls’ Performances

1. Kristy Lee Cook - “Faithfully“. First, there are just some things you shouldn’t share about yourself - especially if you spent the entire year at age 7 pretending you were a dog and barking at people. But back to the song. This is not one of my favourite 80’s songs, and she did not sing it very well either. Pitchy and shaky in a few spots especially near the end, and I was bored.
2. Amanda Overmyer - “I Hate Myself for Loving You“. Surprise, surprise that she picked a rock song. I liked the outfit, but when you watch her on camera she seems like she’s distracted or just on automatic without any emotion behind it. I liked the song but I want more from her. She basically has zero emotional reaction to anything.
3. Brooke White - “Love Is A Battlefield“. I just realized while she was singing this that she could be the next Amy Grant - early Amy Grant. Brooke is just too “good” to be in Hollywood, especially when her most embarrassing moment isn’t embarrassing at all and has to do with church. Song was just OK for me. I don’t like it as a ballad. It’s a rock song.
4. Kady Malloy - “Who Wants To Live Forever“. I was tempted to fast forward as soon as this slow mess started, but then I realized it was live TV. Have I mentioned I hate ballads? Especially sharp pitchy ballads.
5. Asia’h Epperson - “I Wanna Dance With Somebody“. Really poor vocals on this one. It was completely out of her “good range” and I think she’s in trouble. I love the song, but not this rendition of it, and not with pitchy vocals. The judges however liked it.
6. Ramiele Malubay - “Against All Odds“. Not a bad song to pick from that era, but again, it’s a ballad. I love her voice, and I like her look. there were a couple pitchy spots, which seems to be the theme of the night, but I really enjoyed the performance.
7. Syesha Mercado - “Saving All My Love For You“. Well, I can say that she looked a bit like Whitney tonight, with the big hair sort of parted in the middle. But that’s where the similarity ended. She pretty much hit the big notes, but the softer elements were pitchy - again a common theme. I’m not a fan, especially when I saw the outfit.
8. Carly Smithson - “I Drove All Night“. I realize this is from the 80’s, but the only thing people will compare it to is Celine’s recent remake. I liked it but she looked angry as she was singing it and I’m not sure it’s an angry song. And there were a couple pitch issues. And the teeth. Oh well.

And now for the voting results….

Guys that are out: Luke Menard (no surprise here especially after Simon’s prediction), Danny Noriega (not a surprise but sad none the less because I like his personality)

Girls that are out: Asia’h Epperson (as I said, she was in trouble after Wednesday), Kady Malloy (again no surprise after that pitchy song)

We got rid of four last week, so we’re down to 10 of each gender performing for your votes on American Idol 2008. I think we all know how I feel about the vote-off process, especially the one from last week, so let’s just move forward.

So we’re on to the Top 20 singing the 70’s, and here’s the run down…(if you miss any of the songs, you can download them from iTunes)

Guys Performances on 26 February

1. Michael Johns - “Go Your Own Way“, I will after that performance. Very pitchy especially in the upper registers. And yet, the audience loved it. Maybe the accent will keep him in for another week.
2. David Hernandez - “Papa Was a Rolling Stone“. Really smooth intro and excellent play to the camera. He looked very comfortable on the stage tonight. Great song for his voice - upbeat and catchy with excellent vocals and a great ending. Plus he used to be a male stripper so…he’s got that going for him.
3. Chikezie - “I Believe to My Soul“. I am all about 70’s soul songs when they are sung well. This was definitely better than last week because he wasn’t wearing his ridiculous orange suit. I like how he threw his own name into the song. Great play to the camera, and great energy on stage. Very impressive this week.
4. David Cook - “All Right Now“. He looked great on the stage with his rockin’ guitar. What concerns me is that he sounds like he’s yelling, kind of like Chris Daughtery did most of last year. And when he wasn’t yelling or playing the guitar, it was just a wee bit boring. Plus, he tried to get the audience to participate on the chorus. Just stop.
5. Jason Yeager - “Long Train Runnin‘”. I don’t like the stupid dancing, the goofy smile, or the finger pointing while singing. Pitchy, cheesy just like last week, very Disney. I felt like he was spraying cheese whiz all over the stage and that dance ending??
6. Robbie Carrico - “Hot Blooded“. It was “a’ight” to use a Randy-ism. The vocals weren’t superior and he wasn’t as energetic as the song really deserved. He should have been all over the stage. Yawn.
7. David Archuleta - “Imagine“. I would like to start out by saying that I do NOT like this song at all. But damn…he was absolutely incredible. I got chills. He could very well win the whole thing if he keeps this up. (msnbc agrees with me on this point)
8. Danny Noriega - “Superstar“. I really like him for being so secure in his gender identity. Usually, I detest ballads. Actually, I still do. It was so slow, and there were pitchy spots. Bothersome vocals but I like him as a person - he’s fierce.
9. Luke Menard - “Killer Queen“. He talked in his video about participating in an a cappella group for years. Maybe he should try that on Idol. I didn’t get it. I couldn’t understand most of the words and it was pitchy.
10. Jason Castro - “I Just Want to be Your Everything“. Once again he was on stage with a guitar with that natty hair. Dump the guitar (the judges agree with me) and cut the hair. It’s a good thing he’s got a great smile and beautiful face and a good voice. Pitchy on one high note, but generally ok

Girls Performances on 27 February

1. Kristy Lee Cook - “You’re No Good“. Hated the outfit, her breasts were way too bouncy and distracting as if it was done on purpose because she doesn’t have the vocals to stay around. And the wide leg stance was almost offensive. Yawn.
2. Alaina Whitaker - “Hopelessly Devoted to You“. She’s like, totally like OCD with her food, and I can totally like, relate. The only thing about this song was that she looked a bit like Olivia did when she first sang it. That’s where the similarity ended. I mean, SO pitchy on the high notes, and I hate ballads. Hate them.
3. Amanda Overmyer - “Carry On My Wayward Son“. Huge hair. Pitchy in the lower registers. Awesome pants. Vocals were actually pretty terrible on this song, performance was good. She seemed completely distracted. I am mostly disappointed because I want her to do well.
4. Brooke White - “You’re So Vain“. Her voice got very quiet in the chorus, which is the part we really remember from Carly. It was also odd that she stopped playing guitar half-way through the song. She does have a very nice voice though and did the song justice except in the lower registers.
5. Alexandrea Lushington - “If You Leave Me Now“. Ugh. One of the most boring songs I’ve heard. Vocals were not strong at all on such a wishy washy song. This is why song choice is so important - pick something that actually lets you SING it. Forgettable.
6. Kady Malloy - “Magic Man“. Horrible beginning, and she almost fell down the stairs. Vocals were very, very weak, and I wondered if she forgot a few of the lyrics. This song needs a rocker and she’s not. Very disappointing.
7. Asia’h Epperson - “All By Myself“. How many times have contestants been told not to attempt Celine? Beginning was very weak and pitchy, and she kept playing with her hair while she was singing! She also missed the first “by” in All By Myself. She did, however, hit the power note pretty well.
8. Ramiele Malubay - “Don’t Leave Me This Way“. This is one of my favourite songs. I thought the beginning was very clean and gentle, and then when the song kicked off she seemed to carry it quite well. Hit the power notes and brought it back when the song required it. I smiled the whole way through the performance.
9. Syesha Mercado - “Me and Mrs. Jones“. I thought her voice was shaky the entire way through. You’ll also notice she shifted the pronoun to Mr. Jones. It didn’t help, and the judges agreed. There was also a strange silent pause in the song that seemed awkward. Pitchy on the last big note. Cute baby cry in her video montage though.
10. Carly Smithson - “Crazy On You“. Hate the dress with the belt right beneath her breasts. What was she staring at on the ceiling? Tats are hot but distracting, especially since the vocals were lackluster and yell-ish. Nothing to write home about.

Voting Results

Although first we were subjected to a terribly painful 70’s medley, we finally got to the voting. And here are the results which take us to the Top 16…

Bye Bye Guys: Jason Yeager (no surprise here for Mr. Disney) and Robbie Carrico (no big deal here, he did nothing for me).

So Long Girls: Alaina Whitaker and Alexandrea Lushington - (Neither of these surprised me either. Both of them did a terrible job this week)

This is going to be an American Idol themed rant, but since I only talk about AI for a very tiny portion of the year, you can just bear with me.

Last week on American Idol we said goodbye to four hopeful contestants, who had braved the cold, the rain, the heat, and the wind, just to get inside a stadium and wait for hours and hours to audition in hopes of getting on the show.

Some of those hopefuls got a lot of air time in both their audition and their back story - think Josiah Leming.

In some cases we learned back stories which made us want to vote for the person (David Archuleta - pictured) - setting them up for immediate success once the voting period started.

But in other cases, we were hearing a contestant sing as part of the Top 24 and we’d never even seen them on camera before, or if we had, it was for the 5 seconds of montage time they got during the announcement of the finalists.

Some of these kids are banking on getting into the Top 24 so their names and voices are heard and it gives their career a kick start, only to discover that due to zero air time, no one in America knows who they are, and has no reason to vote for them.

If it was me, I would be pissed. People who had no chance of making it to the Top 24 got HOURS of air time on the show, but the people that put their lives on hold to live in an apartment in LA and go through the torment of competing get nothing.

While I do not believe for one second that this is their “only shot to be successful“, I do believe that if American Idol is going to go to the trouble of putting 24 contestants on the air, then we need to atleast KNOW something about these kids that want our votes. Why give me hours of Josiah Leming’s soulful music and interesting story to see him get kicked out at the last minute? And why give me nothing from Garrett Haley or Amy Davis and then expect me to care?

That’s my rant for the day, and it’s probably because I’m tired of hearing that this is the best group of hopefuls the show has ever seen and then actually hearing them and wishing something else was on that I could watch instead.

Things are going downhill for me. We should already be in the Top 5 for the show because there’s only about that many worth listening to.

Here’s the rundown of the Top 24 performing for the first time for your votes. Remember, you can download all the songs you hear on the show via iTunes.

Quick and easy, let’s go (scroll to the bottom for results from week 1)…

First up, the guys sing the 60’s:

1. David Hernandez - Nice shirt. Strong vocal start to Midnight Hour. Boring performance. Pitchy ending.
2. Chikezie - Ridiculous orange suit. Very pitchy vocals in the lower octaves. Good high notes. Very good performance on I Love You More Today than Yesterday.
3. David Cook - Vocals were not very strong on So Happy Together, and the performance was moderately boring. He did some smiling but then some yelling. And he picked up the mic stand which I hate.
4. Jason Yeager - Never sing a ballad (Moon River) for your first judging week song. *yawn* Very pitchy vocals throughout, cheesy performance. Very Disney smiley.
5. Robbie Carrico - Stupid looking do-rag. Cut your hair. One is indeed the loneliest number. Another *yawn* from me. Vocals seemed to fade out at points.
6. David Archuleta (pictured) - I’m not going to need to Shop Around on this one. David is the tops. 17 years old and a superb singer. Nice performance as well. His voice cracked once but it was perfect for the song. Top 12 material.
7. Danny Noriega - Jailhouse Rock is not one of my favourites. He almost has enough hair to style it like Elvis, but he didn’t. Vocals were just ok, performance was fun.
8. Luke Menard - Attractive. Pitchy vocals and some very painful moments. Another *yawn* - I hate ballads. Completely forgettable and I think he screwed this one up. What song did he sing anyway?
9. Colton Berry - He was right, he does resemble Ellen Degeneres. Vocals started out weak on Suspicious Minds. Not very believable performance. Very safe song. Cut your hair.
10. Garrett Haley - Horrendous hair. How did he get in and Josiah didn’t? Vocals are not strong enough for AI. Boring song - Breaking up is hard to do. I will be breaking up with him after this performance, easily. Come back in a few years.
11. Jason Castro (pictured) - Beautiful face, terrible hair. I had a Daydream that I was in a park listening to him in concert. Not bad at all for both vocals and performance.
12. Michael Johns - He didn’t Light My Fire with that one - there were a few pitchy spots but the performance was pretty good. What concerns me is that he may get through based on his sexy Aussie accent vs. having superior vocals.

And then the girls, also singing the 60’s (check MSNBC coverage of the apparent Flu that ravaged the girls but somehow not the guys):

1. Kristy Lee Cook - I’m not impressed that she sold her horse to pay for the travel to auditions. She will never get my vote, even if she had sung Rescue Me any good. Which she didn’t. Boring. And she doesn’t look sick at all.
2. Joanne Borgella - She’s got the soul, and she can sing it out even with a little nervousness. She should Say A Little Prayer that she’ll be around next week, and I think she will. This year’s Mandisa? I’m not sure. Maybe.
3. Alaina Whitaker - She’s trying to look like Carrie Underwood. More Today than Yesterday is a great song though, and she didn’t do a bad job vocally. Needs more stage presence, and new shoes apparently.
4. Amanda Overmyer (pictured) - Love the hair. Cool song but the instruments overpowered her voice and it didn’t show off her vocals very much. Baby Please Don’t Go is also not terribly well known to the voting crowd, and is too repetitive.
5. Amy Davis - Very poor vocals, flat as a pancake. Where the Boys Are…they are going to be running away after hearing this one. Boring and painful.
6. Brooke White - Are we So Happy Together after hearing this song? Vocals were all over the place. She needs to open her eyes and look at people while she’s singing. And she sounds like she’s got a bad cold.
7. Alexandrea Lushington - Good look. Vocals were just ok, nothing special. Great performance - especially the shoulder action and crowd working. Spinning Wheel, performance more than makes up for lack of power vocal.
8. Kady Malloy - Stop doing Britney Spears impressions. Bad pitch problem theme continues here on Groovy Kind of Love. I don’t like the sped of version of the song. Boring and so flat.
9. Asia’h Epperson - Looks great. I don’t know if she’s going to Take a Little Piece of my Heart, but maybe some of America’s. Good performance, ok vocals.
10. Ramiele Malubay - Sultry look with her long hair in her face, and a good song, even though it’s a ballad. You Don’t Have to Say You Love Me is a nice tune, and even through a couple pitchy spots, she worked it out dawg.
11. Syesha Mercado - Tobacco Road is a fun and festive song, and she did pretty well. Seemed comfortable on the stage, but didn’t move around much or work the crowd/camera. Good power note at the end.
12. Carly Smithson - Ok, so I actually got chills on Shadow of Your Smile. The only song I liked from start to finish from the ladies. The only suggestion I would make it not to stray too far into the high notes. Loved it.

And that’s the wrap up for the first week of the competition. After the Top 12 Girls, I’m sort of ready for So You Think You Can Dance to start. Very few good performances. *yawn*

So…which of the “best most boring contestants ever” are ya gonna vote for this week?

Voting Results for Week 1

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Once we finally got past all the recaps, painful group sing (with everyone wearing black and white), montages, the Paula Abdul video for Dance Like There’s No Tomorrow (which I liked), and “we’ll tell you after the break”, these four people were ousted on the first voting week:

Guys:

Garrett Haley (too skinny/gaunt, too much hair, too whiny of a voice) - I predicted this after his horrendous performance on Tuesday.

Colton Berry, the cute little blond boy who looks like Ellen, apparently. I won’t miss him but that’s the way it goes.

Girls:

Amy Davis is out (completely forgot she was even in the competition - did you notice how the camera went to her before Ryan even called her name?) her sing-off vocals were even worse than Wednesday night if that’s possible.

Joanne Borgella, the plus sized model. This disappoints me. She’s very pretty, and I was really hoping she would go a bit farther and maybe be the next Mandisa.