Top 24 Becomes Top 20

Urgh. First week boots are rough. No shockers, but you still feel badly for the ones getting the boot. They've packed more clothes than one week's worth! Darn it. And then to make them sing when they're crying?!

And my, they're mixing it up!

1. They're adding cheesy group numbers to the top 24, 20, and 16. Yippee.

2. They're announcing the mentors already--it's about time they do that.

3. They're adding stupid anti-Tivo quiz contests. I predict a class action lawsuit for carpal tunnel syndrome from texting AI numbers so much. What's wrong with an email?! Why cell phones? We don't have cell phones. We're being discriminated against!

So, "Sowing the Seeds of Love," J-Lo, Diana Ross, Tony Bennett and more. You know that AI just can't keep up with the rumor mill online so they may as well tell us. I love theme weeks! :)

So, Paul and Rudy. No big shockers (other than Sundance not joining one of them). I think Rudy just picked a boring song. Paul just sounded awful. Sundance is being featured on "Vote for the Worst.com" - stupid website.

Amy and Nicole. Again, no big shockers there (except that Antonella is STILL in the competition--have mercy, what pictures will seep to the world wide web next?!).

Nicole's from a town about 15 minutes down the road. I still don't know what she was singing. "Alleyayayeeewoowoo?" And apparently someone didn't want the girls joining her on stage to dance. Did you guys catch that?

Antonella and Sundance, your days are numbered.

I'm happy that Nick is still there ("by the grace ah Gahd"). He could be my cousin. I'm being totally serious.

FANTASIA! I love her! I always have! She is SO SO SO SO SO fun to watch. She has such passion. I don't care if she screeches now and then. THAT WAS AWESOME. Ryan's sure to feel like a schmuck when he figures out that he cut off QUINCY JONES HIMSELF. Talk about TBSITKU. He was about to tell us about "The Color Purple!" She was amazing and I'm very excited for her! Go Fantasia!

Okay and what the heck is with Ryan's new sign off? Bring back "Seacrest Out." "I've been Ryan Seacrest?" Who's he going to be next?

Blah, Blah, Blah, Elimination, Blah, Shock and Awe, Blah . . .

In keeping with the feeling I've been having all week--Did I really need to sit through an hour of that? I'm starting to think Fox wants to dumb me down so I will no longer be smarter than a 5th grader. They already think Antonella Barba is on that level--did you catch it last night when she was talking in the Popular Cola Beverage Red Room and they flashed up the 5th grade apple? Classic. But I digress . . .

When Ryan told the final 6 guys "we have to hurry" I was wondering what the slowdown was before. He successfully reviewed judges comments for 6 contestants, eliminated poor Rudy Cardenas, caused Sanjaya Malakar to go into hyperventilating fits, got another pedicure, picked his teeth, applied additional product to his hair, and insult Simon's shirt all in the space of about 75 seconds. That's 12 seconds or so per contestant. 24 total contestants times 12 seconds each, plus 240 more for Fantasia (great performance by the way, just awesome!), then add 2 tenths of a second for the legendary music icon Quincy Jones plus another minute and a half for each of the four eliminated contestants and you get, um . . . 14.8 minutes. We can actually ignore Q's .2 seconds since we made up for it by running the credits over Rudy's swan song.

First, here are my impressions on the eliminated:

AMY KREBS: Ho hum. No shock here. Unfortunately she has enough talent to continue on here, but her lack of airtime up until now along with her lackluster performance last night did her in.

NICOLE TRANQUILLO: It would have been next week anyway. Her performance last night was definitely in the "what the hell was that" category. That's the official name of the Gwen Stefani week, by the way.

PAUL KIM: Another predictable one. He really didn't pull it off last night. On the upside, he sounded much better tonight overall. And shoes wouldn't have mattered one bit.

RUDY CARDENAS: I feel a little bad for this guy because he has a really good voice, and given another shot I'm sure he'd wow us with a better song. But, second chances only come around once in a while (unless you're Sundance!) and I knew the bullseye was begging for bad karma.


Here are my memorable moments from tonight:

If this really is about the performances, Sundance Head and Antonella Barba should be going home right now. I know Sundance had a great audition, but I have seen nothing so far that warrants his still being in the competition. He is talented. He seems like a nice guy. But I can't say he was good enough to stick around. I honestly hope he "brings it" next week, because I think I'd like his style. Antonella is reaping the benefits of airtime and thinned voting in the early weeks. She's got a lot of work to do to make it past next week.

How in the world do you cut off Quincy Jones mid sentence. Ryan was obviously looking for a simple "thumbs up" to his asinine question, but the man wanted to say something. When a musician with 70 Grammys--not nominations, but actual stupid-looking statuettes they give to the one who wins--and who has arranged music for musicians such as Lionel Hampton, Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Dizzy Gillespie, and Ray Charles, and who has produced countless classic albums . . . when he wants to say something, you let him say it! Especially on a music show. Bet there's not going to be a Quincy Jones night too soon. Don't worry, we do get Bee-Gees night again!

Ryan is obviously rusty a bit. How many times did he tell Paul Kim he was the first contestant voted off American Idol this year. I felt bad for Shoeless Joe. "Paul, you're the first one off. Oh, and here's what the judges said (like you care now) . . . . So you have hardly any votes, and very few loyal fans, so you don't have enough votes, so you are the first contestant voted off. Did I mention how you are first this year?" Ouch, Ryan. That's cold!

I liked how they gave us a sneak peak at the upcoming weeks. Tony Bennett night--good. British Invasion--intriguing. Diana Ross night--not so much. I'll wait 'til each week arrives to give my final verdict.

So, it is officially on now. I'm hoping the guys figure out how this thing works next week, because I'm going to get really tired of the same old preshow banter. "Girls are the best this year, blah, blah." True or not, without a little more parity it's going to get boring. Only 4 more days and we're at it again! What a great time of year!

P.S. I'm really on a Quincy Jones kick now, so I'm going to share three albums/compilations you should definitely check out. Just look at who's sings on the albums and you'll be impressed. And Bono does a pretty good job with his jazz tune!


Back on the Block
Q's Jook Joint
Q: The Musical Biography of Quincy Jones

OK, rant off now.

4 Go, 20 Stay, Fantasia performs!

"Bring it on!" - At first glance, Paula seems to be somewhat 'reinforced' this evening. Let's see if anything develops.

'Seeds of Love' was fun. I always enjoy the group songs, and sometimes wish they'd put out an album with a collection of the best group songs produced during the show.

I was sorry to hear Chris Sligh backpedal on his remarks to Simon last night.

I'm shocked that Sundance got through. Paul Kim was not a surprise. The continuation of the horrible tradition of making the losers sing right after they've been punched in the gut ought to be a surprise, but sadly, isn't.

Leaving Antonella at the end of the first line of 6 girls must have scared the crap out of her. Amy's departure is not surprising. She made a brave attempt to project more personality into her last performance. Kudos for that.

The American Idol Challenge question slipped right by me, and by the time I got to the website to enter, I'd forgotten the question. There's a video on that page that might contain the question, but it's not loading, perhaps due to too much traffic. Ah! The video is unnecessary. If you click the 'Enter' button, it gives you the question in text format. Wish me luck!

Fantasia was great. It's so nice to see her success.

Thank you, America, for dumping Nicole. Curse you, producers, for making me listen to her yet again. Dammit, where's the remote? Dr Mark - where's that specialist!?

I guess Rudy's featurelessness was more of a deficit than Sundance's poor performance. Rudy's departure performance was better than his performance last night. Oh well...America has often surprised me in past votes. Goodbye, Rudy.

Nothing shocking from Paula, after all. That's reassuring.

See y'all next week!...

...John

Top 12 Girls

Top 12 Girls

Well, my, my, my! THAT was a fun night! And can I just say that we love Tivo? We start 20-30 minutes in and skip every commercial. LOVE it. Here we go.

Stephanie Edwards- I suspect, before her performance, that she's a bit of a Fantasia wannabe from the few clips we've seen. Yeah, she's very Fantasia-like. WOWzers, she's good! Gorgeous, attractive girl. Great performance. On her knees. Mad praise from the judges . . . and then she plays "Where is Pointer?" to show us which number to vote.

Amy Krebs- Knowing little else about her, her name is too science-y for me. Hey, I'm a nerd. "I Can't Make You Love Me" is not a good choice. Now that Constantine has done it, it's done. No one can do it like he has. It was flat and boring. And dang, it's gotta be rough to follow Stephanie. Yeah, it was very milquetoast for me.

Leslie Hunt- Great, now all I see is Harriet from Studio 60. Thanks, Mags! :P I like her! "You Make Me Feel" is another untouchable a la Kelly Clarkson. She was a bit drowned out by the background again. This is a Kelly Clarkson classic. Leslie looks great and is fun and perky, reminiscent of Meg Ryan in any 80s romantic flick. What could be viewed as awkward dance moves, on her come across as cute and quirky. I like her raspy voice. The judges are rough on her. I, however, like her. And given how some of the others fared, I think she'll be okay. She's not tops, but she's not bottoms either.

Sabrina Sloan- My first impressions were "skanky outfit" and, aside from that, she reminds me of Lisa Tucker looks wise. But you know? She has Chris Sligh on his feet. And with good reason. That was hot!! Some pitchy parts, but really a GREAT performance! Great stage presence. The judges love her. That's gotta feel good.

Antonella Barba- I bet her friend is kicking her TV set right now. "*I* should've been on that stage!" I've had enough of both of them even before this performance, but now I've really had my fill. You know who's really got good reason to be pissed? Marisa. The one they didn't pick in order to let Antonella, er, entertain us tonight. Before she sang, I was not predicting good things. I get nervous for her the way I used to with Ayla Brown (unnecessarily with Ayla maybe), but so be it. It's not just the tall, pretty thing either. She's untrained and "nervous girl" all over the place. And I've seen pictures of her on the potty. *I* don't even do that in front of people much less invite a camera in the bathroom. Yuck. I'm a little Elliott Reed that way. And oooh, she is off. Badly. She's a nervous wreck. "I Don't Wanna Miss a Thing," she says. She does better controlling her voice than she does belting it. Belting is bad. That was bad. Urgh.

Jordin Sparks- She seems big next to Ryan! She's cute and very likeable (Robynne, that IS right--stupid spell checker :P) and she's very good!! Pass the sugar, Dawg. This girl can sang! I think it's cute how she can hardly contain herself. Beautiful smile. Beautiful girl and good singer.

Nicole Tranquillo- That was weird. Awkward beginning. It was spaztic, kinetic, frenetic. It was all over the place! I don't feel like that was her and I don't even know her! I have little sense of who she is. A yeller? Is she having a fit? Yeah, Randy, that is not her vibe. It didn't fit her. And that entire conversation about the word "indulgent" was just painful, too. How awkward must it have been for her to stand there and discuss a word she didn't understand?! She runs for a dictionary while we take a commercial break.

Haley Scarnato- I've had high hopes for her since a lot of people who find our site are searching for her. She has a Marie Osmond face. She's the backless pantsuit girl. She sang Celine, but she sounded like Belle from "Beauty and the Beast." I think the Disney people just found their next princess. The smokey lights and the sweet tone and looks? She did NOT do her homework like Sabrina did. It was a very Miss America/Disney Movie performance. Her voice is too sweet for this song ("All Coming Back To Me") and while it wasn't the worst tonight, I didn't like it. Um, the judges say, "It's not good" and then you tell Ryan, "Well, that's my style." Okay, so essentially, you just said, "I'm not good." Goodbye.

Woohoo, Fantasia is performing! I don't really like her songs, but I do LOVE to watch her perform! She's one of my favorites!!

Melinda Doolittle- Is anyone else seeing the "Doolittle" irony (Eliza)? I LOVE HER! And you just know those back up singers are gonna make her proud. Go, Melinda! She is so good, no, GREAT and unaffected. That was totally effortless and she's having fun. I like her very much! I love watching her perform and seeing her expression alternate between "I am hot!" and a pleasantly surprised "Holy cow! I'm hot!!" LOL! LOVE her! She's nervous for feedback?!?! Love her. And so does Simon! He must really tire of people thinking they're all that. I think he's enjoying how amazing it is to see someone discover their own greatness. And she does it so humbly. She's fantastic!

Alaina Alexander- She seems likeable, but she's very off. Randy has this new kind of "duh" groan/whine this season that does not mean good things. And she agrees! Another stupid, "Well, that's me!" comment. Again!

Gina Glocksen- Brave song. She has quite a range! I wasn't sure she was going to hit that note, but she pulled it off! She's actually very good! And, for the record, she DID hit it. It wasn't effortless, but she DID pull it off. And Simon will eat his words on that one, too, on the playback.

Lakisha Jones- How long will this diva queen keep her second name? It's so weird how she's so deadpan before and after in her interviews but a passionate smokin' powerhouse when she performs. THAT was phe-freaking-nomenal! It's a brave song, especially right now (kind of like when Nikko sang "Georgia" when the movie "Ray" came out), but she'll do it. I'm not nervous for her at all. Look out, Jennifer Hudson. THAT was HOT!! It's taking everything in Simon to not stand up. I think it's a rule he has for himself. Sometimes you just want to see him break free, don't you? :P Rewind it and watch him. That's the most difficult time I've ever seen him have containing himself. This could prove to be a boring season if we already know the winner, eh? He's already implying that 23 people should be packing their bags. Wow. Go Lakisha!!

So tops tonight are certainly Lakisha, Stephanie, and Melinda. Jordin is great, too. And there's very little middle ground tonight. They were either really great or really not.

Bottom Two? Amy Krebs, Antonella Barba, Nicole Tranquillo, Haley "Disney Princess" Scarnato, Alaina Alexander. I don't care. Pick 2 and make one of them Antonella. My guess is that Amy Krebs and Antonella are joining Sundance and Paul Kim.

Can We Keep 8 or 9? Please?

So, how many of us are surprised that the girls seemed so much better than the boys? If you raised your hand, I have serious doubts about your taste in music. The boys seemed nervous as a group, and the girls were ready! Unbelievable (well, really good--I'm getting caught up in Ryan's superlatives) show for the first "real" week.

RANDOM THOUGHTS: This was another "an hour thirty" type of show. We started watching at 8:40, and had pretty much caught up by the end. We skipped commercials, but still watched all of the pointless banter and caught up. Can we all say "fluff 'n' stuff?" What was Ryan doing on the stairs in the beginning? "Hey, nice highlights! Nice outfit! Hello there!" It was weird. Randy must have left his Magic 8 Ball at home since he kept rubbing his head for advice. Is this one any good? Ask again later! It took two days and 15 singers before Randy finally stopped neglecting his duties and introduced us to the Dog Pound. C'mon dawg! The guys must realize how poorly they did last night since they gave everyone a standing ovation tonight! How much does Aretha Franklin make in royalties tonight? And Celine Dion for that matter.

OK, here we go, singer by singer. As always, I just make up the titles when I don't know them, and some of them seem really long!

STEPHANIE EDWARDS ("Pick Up the Phone, Dammit!"): The other potential title seemed too long. Wow! She can sing! She had a great performance to start out the night. I was a bit concerned initially because all I could remember from the auditions and such is that she seemed a bit like a Fantasia imitator, but not tonight! Yeah, final 12 material for sure.

AMY KREBS ("I Can't Make You Love Me"): People joke about the A.I. taboo songs, but this is seriously one of them. Only one contestant in my personal viewing history (Constantine Maroulis) has pulled it off completely, and Kim Locke was decent, but not great in Season 2, but that's it. Amy's performance was so-so, we have seen next to nothing besides the enormous white belt she wore over the bright green shirt to receive the news about the Top 24. None of this adds up to much good news.

LESLIE HUNT ("You Make Me Feel," "Natural Woman," etc.): I should really learn the real title since it comes up a bunch during A.I. I didn't feel like this really matched Leslie's personality, but I think she is a fun and interesting contestant worth keeping around a while. Again, not only is this Aretha Franklin, but Kelly Clarkson sang it "out the box" (is this Randy's new thing) in Season 1 and in World Idol. It's tough to duplicate it on this stage.

SABRINA SLOAN ("Never Love a Man The Way I Love You" or some other stereotypical blues title): So, here's another one that can sing. It's always nice to be pleasantly surprised at the unknowns at this point. She had a great performance, full of feeling, and full of urgency. Perfect for week 1.

ANTONELLA BARBA ("I Don't Want To Miss A Thing"): Ouch! She just seemed so scared and unsure as she sang. I never thought she had fantastic talent, regardless of how much airtime she has gotten thus far, and the airtime (and "dirty" pictures) are not going to help poor Antonella. This is another overdone song on A.I., and I don't think anyone's really pulled it off yet. Put it to rest, now! A word of caution: look out for Daddy. He looks like he could be connected, and he wasn't amused by Simon's criticisms! In case you're wondering, Simon wears size 10 shoes, 10 1/2 in cement.

JORDIN SPARKS (The other Tracy Chapman song): At 17 this girl has a lot of potential, and is already showing most of it. It was a really good performance. I was a bit distracted since I felt like I was watching an ASL interpreter perform. Too many hand motions, and then when it "counts," she tucked the mic and showed us 6. She needs to review Corey Clark's instructional video "Finger Numbers and You: A Guide to Toll Free Voting." Next time, just do 2 or 3 fingers on the mic hand. That leaves at least 2 to hold it. You've got plenty of weeks to get it down.

NICOLE TRANQUILLO ("Stay Together"): The very fact that she said "I love that song and knew I really wanted to perform it" confirms what Simon said: it was indulgent. The sad part for me is I've seen next to nothing of this girl so far. No audition footage. Very little Hollywood footage. And I could tell this song was not right for her. It felt awkward all the way through, like she was trying to manufacture a good performance rather than just feel it. You can tell her voice is good, but this song was wrong, wrong, and . . . wrong!

HALEY SCARNATO ("All Coming Back to Me"): I thought she sounded really good for a Disney princess. I don't mean to be rude. That's a compliment. I just didn't like it much. Boring. Unoriginal. Next time remind Simon why he's put you through (hint: show him your back).

MELINDA DOOLITTLE (Something else Aretha): Wow! As I was watching her pre-performance montage, I thought about the power of words. (Yes, I'm getting a bit serious here.) Look at the impact of one compliment from Simon. She transformed in an instant from shy background singer girl to talented solo artist. And she came out tonight like she has had enough of the background. Yet, she gave credit and recognition to everyone performing with her tonight. This is why Simon loves her. She has the humility to show her talent (which is ample) without rubbing it in people's faces. And like Simon said, far too many talent-challenged people seem to flaunt what they do (or don't) have.

ALAINA ALEXANDER ("I'm Special"): I know the title is something about brass tacks or shiny buckles or hard candy or holes in the pocket, but whatever. Ouch and ouch again! Really, it was out of tune most of the way through. Granted, it's rough to follow someone like Melinda (or even Dr.) Doolittle, but it was not good tonight.

GINA GLOCKSEN ("All By Myself"): Pink hair and this song do not go together, and I'm not sure I really liked the fact that she sang it, but she did do a good job. I know what Simon is hearing--she really had to work for that note. It didn't seem effortless so it had the appearance of being off, but she did hit it. Overall it was a Top 6 performance.

LAKISHA JONES ("You're Gonna Love Me"): Did she really give us a choice not to?! I'll choose "love you" over getting poked by one of those death fingers! The really weird thing about Lakisha is that her interviews seem so passionless, like she just woke up from some boring dream, but her singing is anything but emotionless. She is incredible! She must just save it for the performance, like a distance runner saving all the energy for the final sprint. Wow! What a way to end!


MY QUICK HITS

STEPHANIE: Great work. Careful, they just waxed the floors.

AMY: Too little camera time to have a mediocre performance.

LESLIE: You're fun, so you stay.

SABRINA: Alright. You're here. We'll see you for a while.

ANTONELLA: Back to the beach for you, and tell your dad to smile more.

JORDIN: Maybe they'll give you a number less than 5 so you just need one hand next week.

NICOLE: When having a seizure, lie on the ground, and don't put anything in your mouth.

HALEY: Hopefully for one more week you can be part of our world.

MELINDA: So, are you tired of singing backgrounds? Backup singer on A.I.? C'mon!

ALAINA: Be glad there are a few people that could go home.

GINA: Bring us some "pink hair songs" next week.

LAKISHA: Just tell me what to think, 'cause you're "da bomb!"


Based on tonight's performances . . .

MY TOP 3: Melinda, Lakisha, Stephanie
MY BOTTOM 3: Antonella, Amy, Alaina
MAGIC 8 BALL SAYS: Send the whole auto club home (keep Amy if you have to).

I was listening to ESPN radio today, and the host actually spent more time talking about A.I. than sports. Of course, A.I. is infinitely more exciting than any sporting event going on currently (but March Madness is around the corner), so he starts talking about Top 12 guys and girls, and the finals, etc., etc. He said Fox will find a way to take Thursday's show and stretch it out to 5 hours. Sadly, I fear it will feel that way for not only 4 unlucky individuals, but for millions of viewers as well. Oh well, we're all addicted so even 5 hours this week isn't enough.

Top 24! - 12 Gals

I'm excited! Here we go.........

Simon seems frightfully pleasant, and in denial about last night. Maybe it's cuz he gets to see all the pretty girls tonight?

Stephanie Edwards - I like her pre-performance review. Pretty and well-dressed, with very good vocal styling. The mixing has her voice too low again, so I don't feel her presence as much as I'd like. I don't like the mics on the judges, either, for that matter. Simon nailed it in that she was definitely better than almost anything last night.

Amy Krebs - Pre-performance audition clips don't have me very hopeful. I wonder how she got through. Motionless beginning...I hoped to see her break out at the bridge, but no. The voice is pretty good, if pitchy in spots, but the 'performance' factor was not there. The judges seem to agree. Despite his sucky candle analogy, Simon is correct. He went too far in attacking her hair, which looks fine, to me, but, having turned in his black shirt for a grey one, I suppose he feels entitled. Maybe wearing grey accounts for the improvement in his mood. The colours one wears can definitely have an impact on one's mood, and black is a challenge for anyone.

Leslie Hunt - Badly pitchy for the first part of the song, but very engaging performance overall. She knows how to connect with the song and the audience, and the middle and ending made up a lot for the shakey start. Simon tries to correlate the dogwalking part of her with her stage mannerisms, but I don't think it applies. I think her unpolished movements are actually very honest body language, and I find them endearing, rather than indicative of her former status as a dogwalker. It wasn't as bad as Randy suggested. If she'd been stronger in the beginning, she would have pulled it off quite admirably.

Sabrina Sloan - Brings it from the start. Nice outfit, hair, and presence. I thought it was great, though I think she pushed the volume (yelling) at times. Still, I agree with Simon that it was clearly a great performance, if not the best so far. Still, no chills on this one.

Antonella Barba - Here come the chills. Occasional non-fatal pitchiness at the start, but very nice, overall. Randy asks a question, so we know what's coming. I don't think it was as bad as Randy or Simon say. Certainly it was better than Sundance, and it didn't at all strike me as the worst I've heard tonight - certainly as good as Amy or Leslie, but getting less appreciation, for some reason.

Jordin Sparks - The AZ girl - picked a 'nasty' song to avoid Simon's sweetness objection. The arrangement was twice as fast as the original, but she pulled it off, and gave me chills with her closing note. I liked it a lot, and the judges agree. I really enjoy her enthisiastic attitude. She looks like an Amazon standing next to Ryan, and I like how he put his hands on his hips to equal her stage presence...LOL!

Nicole Tranquillo - Trying too hard - pushing the song instead of connecting with it, and her facial expressions reflect that. I felt a hernia coming on just listening to her. Worst of the night so far, for me. Simon said it well, though I'm not sure what he meant by indulgent, unless he meant 'excessive', and Paula was way too generous, in my opinion. I also saw her lip curling in anger when Ryan asked her to respond. I don't like her at all. I think she's a basically dishonest (with herself, and therefore, others) person with a lot of anger issues, and it shows in her performance.

Haley Scarnato - A bit pitchy at one point at the beginning, but turns it on a bit more at the bridge, giving me some chills, but she didn't bring it as I'd hoped. Again, the mic seemed 'off', and not loud enough. As I listen more closely while the judges speak, there's a HUGE amount of static being picked up, which just isn't right for an audio-focused performance. She actually sounds better on Ryan's mic at the wrap-up.

Melinda Doolittle - I'm hoping this backup singer can step up to the spotlight. OH YEAH! She brings it right from the start, and carries it through. Lots of chills for this one, and what an ENDING! Brilliant! Definitely the best of the night for me, and definitely a top 12 contender and likely finalist, if not the winner. Hear me now, and listen to what I'm saying... ; )

Alaina Alexander - I already like this one, but let's see how she stacks up against the powerhouses so far. Either the band sucked on this song, or her mic sucked or something. Why do I hear more treble when the song stops and the applause begins? It was just a'ight for me.

Gina Glocksen - Again, the mic sounds muffled and lacking treble. 'All By Myself' requires precise pitch and phrasing, and she pulls it off with only minor exceptions. Definitely gave me chills in spots, but not for as long as the original did. Simon says it well. Still, one of the better performances, and she deserves to feel as proud as she does.

Lakisha Jones - Big voice right from the start. Brave choice of song, and she handles it very well. She definitely deserves to stick around, but I didn't love it quite as much as the judges. I want to hear her take on a less agressive song.

I agree with Randy about 4 guys, 8 girls.

Top picks: Melinda Doolittle, Lakisha Jones, Jordan Sparks, Sabrina Sloan, Gina Glocksen, in roughly that order. I'm adding Stephanie Edwards, though I don't remember her performance after the latter ones blew everything out of my memory.

Most likely to be cut: Nicole Tranquillo, Amy Krebs, in that order.

See you at the beheading!...

...John

Top 12 Girls Perform Tonight

TWO (more) HOURS! TWO (more) HOURS! Oh happy day, we're done with crappy auditions!! Movin' on . . .

Performing Tonight are:

Alaina Alexander
Amy Krebs
Antonella Barba
Gina Glocksen
Haley Scarnato
Jordin Sparks
Lakisha Jones
Leslie Hunt
Melinda Doolittle
Nicole Tranquillo
Sabrina Sloan
Stephanie Edwards

Are you excited?!?! I am!! See you after the show!