TOP 12 BOYS!!!!

WOO HOO!!!!

First of all, I'm so glad to be down to the "real" stuff of American Idol. We get to see full performances, not edited snippets that leave you wondering about the rest of the story! YAY!!!!

I make notes and write my opinions as I watch the show - before I hear what the judges say (though I may respond afterward to something they say...) and before I read what anyone else has said. I don't claim to be any kind of expert, just a music fan who loves seeing somebody's rise to stardom!!!

LET'S GO!!!

RUDY - Very good! It's tough to start off the night, and for that matter, the season! But Simon hit it on the head - it wasn't unique. I didn't feel a connection with him. He didn't *move* me, and that's what I look for in a singer.

BRANDON - Very smooth, very likeable (spell check is telling me I spelled "likable" wrong, but the correct way looks like "lickable", so I'm going to leave it!! ;) )! I don't know if he *brought it* tonight, but I look for more from him in the future.

SUNDANCE - I really wanted him to do well, I really did!!!! But it was just average for me. He seemed very nervous or something. I felt bad for him after the comments from the judges, but he's got to be able to rise above everything and shrug it off if he wants to do well in the competition and in that business! And he certainly is a *short* man, which becomes blatantly obvious when he's standing next to the 5 foot Ryan!!! Not that that has anything to do with his singing or performance, just something to note! :)

PAUL - Another one I'm rooting for, but I didn't feel like it was *unusually good*...

***I'm remembering here that I rarely like the songs they sing in the Top 24 - they usually are old-fashioned and a little "elevator-y".

CHRIS R. - I haven't been *into* him so far...I'm not much of a "boy-bander", but he did REALLY WELL!!! (And his dad was SO FUN to watch! I loved it!) He's been better than anyone else so far. But so far his style is just not for me, we'll have to see if he wins me over (which I'm open to!) as we move along.

NICK - He's a cutie! His nerves showed, but he did all right. "NERVES" seems to be the theme of the night!

BLAKE - I think this is the first time I've actually heard him sing!!! I am so surprised...I REALLY liked it!!! It was completely unexpected and he pulled it off! GREAT song!!!

***I'm loving watching the parents!!!! :)

SANJAYA - I *love* his relationship with his sister!!! He's younger by far than any of the other boys - does that have anything to do with why they put him through? He's adorable, but the song was old-fashioned and boring. I'm just waiting for one of the judges, probably Simon, to say something about the lyrics matching the performance - "I don't want to bore you..." - and there it is, from Simon himself!!! So predictable...

CHRIS S. - Great Job!!! I *really* like him. He's got great humor, great personality, great uniqueness, and he tops it off with a great voice...WOO HOO!!!!

JARED - A little nasally for me...a "safe" song choice. His falsetto was great! Nothing extraordinary, but good. Oooooh, I cringe when I hear Simon say what I've just written down...("nasally").

AJ - I'm still in shock that he's tried out 5 times!!!! That's persistence. I love that Paula gets up and dances when she feels it. He really enjoyed it, it was fun to watch him having a good time. He did well...I'm not invested in him yet, but we'll see what he brings!

PHIL - Well I'm glad that he's cleared up the "missing my baby's birth" fiasco - that was bothering me! I'm dying to hear more of that "When You Love A Woman" performance they keep showing clips of from Hollywood - it sounded awesome! When his song tonight started I was like, "Oh, he's nervous, he looks stiff..." etc. But when he got to the chorus he BELTED IT OUT!!! It made me think the beginning was planned to be so non-descript to amplify the impact! I *love* his voice! And his eyes are beautiful, perfect for the close-up camera shot at the end. WOO HOO!!!

Watching the replays at the end made me wonder what we would think if they had all sung in a different order - placement and how everyone does before you seems to make such a big difference! But there's nothing you can do about that, so I guess it doesn't matter. You go when you go!

Now it's time to start ranking...

BEST OF THE NIGHT (in no particular order) - Blake, Chris S., and Phil!!!

BOTTOM 2 - Ahhhh, it pains me to say it... but Sundance and Sanjaya.

I can't wait for the girls! From what we've seen so far they look to be better than the boys this year, which is unusual!

Until then... :)