Hey y'all! Well, it's the top 13 tonight after the hatchet job last week - as I said before, I would much rather have the tough cut on one night than to string out bad performances week after week, so hopefully that bodes well for tonight…

Speaking of tonight - it's the girls vs. the boys, in more ways than one. Mary J. Blige is working with Jimmy Iovine on the song selections in rehearsal, with the girls singing Whitney Houston songs and the boys singing Stevie Wonder songs. But that's not all: Tomorrow they will take the lowest ranking boy and the lowest ranking girl, and then the judges will decide which one to save.

JOSHUA: "I Wish" - He's got a "Pee Wee Hermann as performed by Flip Wilson" thing going on in his movement. Wanting him to break out into the Tequila song/dance. Maybe that's what he means by out of his comfort zone? I really like his voice and he has soul - but that wasn't memorable for me by the end of the night I'm guessing.

ELISE: "I'm Your Baby Tonight" - The girl who was on fire? Jimmy picked the right song for her for sure. Great performance all the way around - her voice has such an interesting timber to it. My only complaint with her is that I think her voice gives off a "knowing, shrewd" quality that is very cool and interesting, and I don't see that as much in her facial expressions - they seem a little lackluster.

JERMAINE: "Knocks Me Off My Feet" - He's gained confidence even after one week. The first verse and chorus were killer, but by the time he was singing "I don't want to bore you with this…" I was.. well… a bit bored, until that last run at the end of the song. Then he had me back.

ERIKA: "I Believe in You and Me" - That was a great performance all the way around. I enjoyed this so much more than her offering last week, and i think it confirms the judges' choice to keep her over Jen last week. Honest. Beautiful.

COLTON: "Lately" - He's sharp and flat all at the same time. I didn't think that was possible. I know that this guy has his fans, but I just don't get it. Kind of reminds me of how I felt about David Cook, but I guess there's a market for that since Cook won American Idol back in the day and now sells at least hundreds of CDs.

SHANNON: "I Have Nothing" - Sandy from Grease wants her leather back. She may have had it in rehearsal, but this one got away from her a little bit. It's a combo of being too young to have experienced what this song is communicating, plus the difficulty of the song just swallowing her up. It's too bad, because she doesn't deserve to have that handed to her. She shouldn't have tried to do that without a microphone stand.

DEANDRE: "Master Blaster" - Is he saying actual words or just scatting? Bob Marley-Mumble? This was completely boring for me and didn't show off what was/is great about his voice, which is too bad - I can't imagine him staying out of trouble tomorrow night.

SKYLAR: "Where Do Broken Hearts Go" - Is tonight's wardrobe sponsored by the Jacket Coalition? She successfully managed to turn this song into a country story-song. Wow. She has such charisma, and I think she could win it all. Fire!

HEEJUN: "All Is Fair" - He'd better have some money notes toward the end here or he's going to lose his mojo with this slow number. Last note was just a touch flat. I still like him a lot, but that song wasn't doing him any favors in my opinion.

HOLLIE: "All The Man That I Need" - I think this arrangement is making her seem less impressive than she is. Until that last note, ironically, when the band stopped. She's got an amazing instrument, I just wish that the pacing of the song wasn't so milquetoast.

JEREMY: "Ribbons In The Sky" - The verses are suffering from mumble-land like Deandre. It's not great for me, but I get his appeal for sure. I think the fact that Deandre and Jermaine went with uptempo numbers might save this kid for one more week.

JESSICA: "I Will Always Love You" - If anyone could do this, it's her. Such control and so volatile at the same time. Bam - she's fantastic. Now she has to stop doing that thing with her fingers. Well deserved standing ovation.

PHILLIP: "Superstition" - To be fair to the other competitors, I couldn't understand a word he said except the word superstitious. But I didn't care. That was hawt. That was a spectacle, which is surprising considering that his mode is more like "contained" fireworks. It was great to see him bring along a band to come with him on his vibe.

RANDOM NOTES:
Randy gave his first good note in the history of the show when he said that Elise was "boxing" with the song. Dead on. And helpful. And it didn't have "dog" or "come on" in it at all.
I'm not comfortable with JLo's constantly saying "goosies."
I feel like Steven Tyler is gonna do that thing where you put your elbow on the table and it gives out on you and you fall over.
Okay, I don't know what's going on over at The Voice, but nothing in X Factor first season could compare to tonight's performance by Jessica Sanchez. Seriously. American Idol ain't going anywhere my friends.

Okay, who runs the world? Girls. But will that be true this season on AI after the boys strong showing last night? Here are my thoughts, formed before I've heard any of the judges reactions to be true to my school just like you would to your girl or guy. Hope you like it!

CHELSEA SORRELL: "Cowboy Casanova" A little nervous, not enough breath support. I think for a country vocalist it's not wise to do the pop-iest of all country songs. She isn't bad, but she isn't unforgettable either.

ERIKA VAN PELT: "What About Love" - She's great, but she ultimately doesn't have the pipes for this song - serviceable, real, genuine, enjoyable. But to conquer that song you have to be so much better. It felt like she was hitting the ceiling and not breaking through it.

JEN HIRSH: "One and Only" - What was lacking in the first two, Jen has - her voice gets past the barrier and out to the audience - even in a soft moment. And obviously with a big note too. Great job with a tough song.

BRIELLE VON HUGEL: "Sittin' on the Dock of the Bay" - Wasn't her name used in a Roald Dahl book? Good idea to pick more of a standard and riff on it with more of a license. Also to start low and go high, though my wife thinks she started too low. She's a performer, but I'm not sure if everyone in America will take to her.

HALLIE DAY: "Feelin' Good" - I thought she did well in the beginning using the drama and tension of the song, but I was less impressed as she started walking around and losing her breath support. But she's got the potential to be a star. Great start.

SKYLAR LAINE: "Stay With Me" - great start for her, and she was electric. First "raising the roof" performance of the night. Am I starting to like country?

BAYLIE BROWN: "Amazed" - Ironically, she started a bit flat. This isn't a great song anyway, but she was not there. As pretty as she is, that is how off that performance was. But hey, she's pretty.

HOLLY CAVANAUGH: "Reflection" - She has some really interesting vowel substitutions - in the first verse it sounded not quite right. She has one heckuva belt, but that is the only part that is interesting in the performance. But she does it enough to make it better than a lot tonight. Missed the last belt note though.

HALEY JOHNSEN: "Sweet Dreams" - As an 80s child, I appreciate the nod to the original arrangement here - not sure if she's completely pulled off a "Florence + the Eurythmics", but it's close. Great run at the end. Stayed in the character of whatever that was until the very end, and that was commendable. She might be memorable.

SHANNON MCCREA: "Go Light Your World" - CCM in the hizzouse! Good, but a young performance, in that she attacked it too hot too early. She owned the stage though.

JESSICA SANCHEZ: "Love You I Do" - She is crazy good. Her voice sounds like it was manufactured by perfectionists in a rainbow studio filled with unicorns. Wow. And she has the performing prowess to back it up. I hope she picks great songs all the way through like she did tonight. Best of the night by far.

ELISE TESTONE: "One and Only" - Same song as an earlier contestant, but hey, she's playing th piano, so that's different. She's got a great growly voice, but it's kind of a 3 in the morning growl, so I am not sure how memorable that ultimately will be. That last look almost admitted that she ran out of gas.

RANDOM NOTES: I guess the judges got the note from last night about how constructive criticism actually has to include being critical. They were closer to real with Chelsea. Then they admitted being soft after watching it back. Boo.
A singing DJ? What is wrong with Randy? He's making Steven sound coherent tonight.
Okay, Steven just said "my reality check bounced." Check please. Randy, you're the rational one again. What am I saying?

CONTEST! Don't forget, put in your pick in the comments for the one American Idol to win it all, and if you're right - you win a $25 iTunes giftcard from me! You can leave a comment all the way up until the results show airs tomorrow night at 7pm CST.

So who was the best and worst tonight?

_Okay, we're off - time to react as effectively and instantaneously as possible to the vocal prowess of the top 12(13) boys. As always, I form these short sentences before I've heard any of the judges reactions to stay as true as I can to my own thoughts as possible. Hope you like it!

REED GRIM: "Moves Like Jagger" - pretty big risk to jazz up this song - really reveals how brutal the lyrics to this song are. So an A for the risk but a C for execution. But he's the Andy Kaufman of the show and I want to see more.

ADAM BROCK: "Think" - White chocolate, huh? Someone's going to need to tell him that isn't going to stick as a nickname. Solid performance. Strong voice. Needs to be considerate of the CBG vote.

DEANDRE BRACKENSICK: "Reasons" - Earth Wind and Fire is a good choice for his falsetto, but maybe a different song? Between this song and the last two I'm getting confused about what decade I'm in… Time stops for the big high note. And we're back.

COLTON DIXON: "Decode" - Pretty tough to rock out to Paramore with the AI band. I have not been impressed with him thus far and this didn't really change my mind. It's too insular, I can see him feeling it, but I don't see it outside of himself.

JEREMY ROSADO: "Gravity" - It's a little too scratchy for me. I've liked him in earlier performances better. The "bieber-esque" vote is going to be tough for any one of these guys to grab all by themselves. But I like the kid.

AARON MARCELLUS: "Never Can Say Goodbye" - Arsenio, is that you? A perfectly serviceable vocal with some good runs and a killer last note. But for a dancer I would love to see the rest of his body more invested in the performance. The last note earned him that standing ovation.

CHASE LIKENS: "Storm Warning" - Seems like a demographic pick - his voice isn't good enough, pretty thin, but hey, he's a looker (in a Brendan Fraser sort of way), and it's country - but the annoying cowboy from Hollywood week was actually better.

CREIGHTON FRAKER: "True Colors" - He's like Justin Timberlake as impersonated by Dean Pelton from Community (Oscar winner Jim Rash) - I like him, but this pick was boring for me. I want to see something more. But I like his runs and want to see him next week.

_PHILLIP PHILLIPS: "In The Air Tonight" - Where is his acoustic guitar in the mix? I'm angry with them for trying to put in that drum machine in the arrangement. I love him, and it was great, but I lost the feel of it not being able to hear his guitar - without it, it sounded too plodding. But he's awesome.

EBAN FRANCKEWITZ: "Set Fire To The Rain" - Hair. I like him, he's cute, but this was a bad pick for him. This song is impressive in a key where those high notes in the chorus are actually high. Not good, but he's got the Beiberest chance to stave off elimination.

HEEJUN HAN: "Angels" He is my favorite. Not sure if he has the voice versatility to be able to hang on til the end, but I love his personality. Seriously, he cracks me up. And I enjoyed his performance.

JOSHUA LEDET: "You Pulled Me Through" - Wow, let's go to church. See, this guy lets what's inside of him come pouring out in his performance - he has what was missing in Aaron and Colton. Remember them? I didn't think so. That last note had an Eddie Murphy Coming to America vibe, but I don't think anyone standing and applauding noticed.

JERMAINE JONES: "Dance With My Father" - That was a great choice to bring him back - and a great song pick for him. Now we just need him to get over the tall-guy syndrome of bending down to talk to the short people. He needs to straighten up, and embrace the power he clearly has.

RANDOM NOTES: How many times does Randy have to say that this is the eleventh (one-one) season?
Pretty disappointed with the judges not taking Chase to task for bad notes and a shaky voice. Same with Eban.

CONTEST! Don't forget, put in your pick in the comments for the one American Idol to win it all, and if you're right - you win a $25 iTunes giftcard from me! You can leave a comment all the way up until the results show airs on Thursday at 7pm CST.

We'll see the girls tomorrow. Talk to you then. So who was the best and worst tonight?

(NOTE: I realized later that my great idea for a contest showed up pretty late in the day - so I've extended the contest through to Thursday, 7pm CST - when the voting results show starts.)

Friends, Romans, Countrymen: lend me your American Idols...

We have 24, and a surprise 25th competitor coming to our television sets tonight, in the 11th year of American Idol. (12 guys, 12 girls, and then one additional guy that the judges put in in the last minute, but who won't be announced until tonight)

And, as always, I will be blogging my reactions to the performances of the competitors as I watch it - we've gotten through the preliminary auditons, Hollywood week, a jaunt to Las Vegas for the "final finals", and now we're back to LA for the "real" competition, the one where the American People get to vote.

I'm excited, as it's a strong crop of young performers who I think could really make a splash in the pop culture scene.

So here we go: Who wants to pick the winner now? Anyone who puts their pick in the comments section before the first live show tonight will be entered: and anyone who picks the actual winner by the time the final show airs, will win a $25 iTunes giftcard from yours truly.

Anyone. If I have two winners, that's two giftcards. If I have no one pick the winner, well, that's none. So do your research - I'm not going to give you the names here - go to the American Idol Website and determine your pick. You get one pick. (and to be fair, if you pick one of the four dudes who haven't been announced yet, your pick will go to the 25th contestant regardless of which dude it ends up being.)

Good luck!

...and by hate of course, I mean love.

Here's my quote from April 20:

Scotty: Swingin' - I nearly did a spit-take when he reminded me that he was only 17. He's so ridiculously good. I am wondering though about the microphone placement though after that video opening. If he isn't in the bottom three, after going first and getting slightly negative feedback from the judges, then he will WIN. Those are two strikes that others have not been able to battle against.

And, he was not in the bottom three that week, and last night, he won. Boom. Congrats to Scotty!

Hey everybody- I know there was some concern in the blogosphere because I posted a non-american idol post earlier today, and blew out my blogging chords. But I promise, my doctor has come out and reported on my condition, and we are prepared to move on. Here are my thoughts on this night of performance, one day earlier than I'm used to doing:


Scotty - Gone - great pick to start the evening. 

Lauren - Damage is done - appropriate title given the state of her vocal chords. At first I thought it was a little much to bring out the doctor, but if you didn't know that and heard that performance you would be wondering what went wrong.

Scotty - Check Yes Or No - Good song - right up his alley. He is here to kick tail and take names.

Lauren - Maybe it was Memphis - She looks like she's in a fog - Her last song had better just kill it otherwise it won't be a fair fight.

Taio Cruz - Positive - Negative.

Scotty - I Love You This Big - This song works, but the chorus isn't great for his voice. And "big" is not a great word to sing, in general. 

Lauren - Like My Mother Does - Okay, that was great. Finally we have a competition - that song was so superior to Scotty's from a songwriting perspective. And can you go wrong with a young adult teenager singing to her mom?

It's funny to me how all season the routine is that the first night was always the big one to watch and the results show was always a throwaway, just tell us who won. And then the last week, the first night is the throwaway, and the big finale results show has U2 and Spiderman on it.

Who's gonna win it? Who will be in it to win it tomorrow night? Will Spiderman fall on Bono? Or will he walk on the Edge?

Beyonce's in the house yo. Which one of our three finalists will come to play this week? Here are my thoughts, as always, before Randy says that same thing he says every week involving winning, and it:

Scotty - Amazed - Good to see he found a place to rest his arm on that piano. A solid performance - still bugged by his arms without a guitar, but he's still 17. And sang a love song to Beyonce without soiling himself.

Lauren - Wild One - Good showing - missing a little bit of the sparkle towards the end - it's funny, it's like she doesn't have enough gas in the tank to sustain the energy of an uptempo song. But I still enjoyed it.

Haley - What Is And What Should Never Be - Haley haters beware, she just won the first round - this is not forced, this is genuine rock and roll in a pretty package that is for real.  And then she wiped out. And so the Haley haters rejoiced. That was like Janis Joplin meets the Wilson sisters. Awesome.

Scotty - Kiss Me Or Not - Yay, guit-box! That was a great song, great pick by Jimmy - what a fun anthem for a country singer that I love even though I don't like country.

Lauren - If I Die Young - http://www.katielunn.org/

Haley - Rihanna - I think the wind is a bit cheap theatrics, but hey, it's in the lyric, right? I think while this totally fits Haley, I would have to say that of the three Iovine picks, this was the less successful of the three. It was a great song, but it's so moody and doesn't really build. Loved the slow beginning though.

Beyonce - girls run this - wha?

Scotty - She Believe in Me - I love this song. Most girls think that guys want something else, and while there may be truth in that, it's all cleverly disguised in the lyrics of this song - that's what guys really want. Great pick from the judges.

Lauren - I Hope You Dance - I like this song too, but I'm a little over it in this arena, too many hopefuls have attempted it - but it was Lauren's most confident of the night for sure.

Haley - You Oughta Know - The lyrical substitution for this for a family show is necessary but so unfortunate for the meaning. Wish she had changed the melody for the verses so it wasn't so low, but I loved the chorus.

WHO IS IN THE FINALS? My money is on Haley and Scotty.

Only four left, and it's getting down to the wire. But hey, Lady Gaga is here, so there's that. If only she was releasing an album to coincide with all this publicity she seems to be getting.

Here are my thoughts, as always, written before the judges say anything about the performances... here we go!

James - Don't Stop Believin' - I like this, but I like this other version too... http://youtu.be/Vm7GN_pWbmQ

Haley - The Earth Song - Uh oh. Okay Haley haters, you're dead on with this one - when your inspiration song is boring, it does not bode well.

Scotty - Where Were You When The World Stopped Turning - This pick is as smart as Haley's was dumb. Great pick, and I loved it - I also loved that his holding a guitar keeps him from doing all those goofy things with his arms and fingers.

Lauren - Anyway - Solid performance for sure. I think the song is a little too mature for her - I kinda felt like she got a little glassy eyed in the lyrics, but she sounded great, and those swooping blue notes were slideriffic.

After round one: Haley is going home. Not only because she picked the worst song, but because her snippy attitude showed up after the criticism. So even though I like her it's possible that she may not be like-able.

Haley - I Who Have Nothing - Not sure if the Fatal Attraction vote is gonna come out to help her, but man, Lady Gaga couldn't have given her better advice. Can't wait to hear Randy say that she's back and in it to win it.

Scotty - Youngblood - After that video package I wanted to see Scotty walk out in a Lady Gaga meat dress. This was just all-right for me, maybe just because my only real connection with this song is from a Bruce Willis album with his harmonica in the 80s. Wasn't good enough, but he isn't going home.

Lauren - Trouble - Great sassy performance. A little shaky on the last could runs, but still a fantastic "out of the comfort zone" performance.

James - Love Potion #9 - Solid, not great but everyone will love it. He didn't move his hips enough in performance. A little too indulgent of an ending with two audience-stops, but hey, when you can hit those notes, I guess you can do that.

Quote of the night: Lady Gaga: "Give em a little 'I'm crazy & I'm a laugh away from a tear.'"

So after round two: Did Haley save herself? Will one of these uptempo songs put Haley's MJ tune out of people's memory?

It's top five time - only three weeks until the big finale, and details are already leaking out. But let's not worry about that now - let's just dive into the contest - here are my thoughts, and I won't say "who's in it to win it" the entire time. I promise.

Sheryl Crow is the guest mentor this week. One song from "today" and one from the 60s/70s. Mkay.

James - Closer to the Edge - Of all of his high end performances this may be my least favorite - not because he didn't nail it, but just because the slower melody didn't complement his ability as well as songs that are filled with eighth notes. It's still a not-to-miss circus act though.

Jacob - No Air - What is this dance he's doing? We are a part of a Jacob Nation? Ummm no. He's got an amazing voice, but that was an indulgent performance.

Lauren - Flat on the Floor - Another good reminder of how ridiculously good Carrie Underwood actually is. She did a great job handling the constant barrage of lyric. Best so far by far.

Scotty - Gone - When he took off for the chorus I was waiting for the Howdy Doody marionette strings to pull him up into the catwalks. He needs to figure out what to do with his off arm when he's not using it to touch the mic with his finger. He holds it close to his chest and it looks weird. But that was one solid performance. He's the one unless Lauren steals it from him.

Haley - You and I - Jimmy was right in that this song is a great fit for Haley - kind of makes me wonder how in the world Lady Gaga pulls it off. There was risk in this choice for sure, but I think it paid off, mainly because the song has such a familiar chord progression.

James - Without You - I was wondering when the family was gonna come back into the picture - well played, sir. Pretty good build, but kind of ironic that for most those high notes as written would be unattainable and for him he has to sing above the melody to really challenge his range.

Jacob - Love Hurts - This is a great song. This is a much better fit for him, and I can't wait to hear Randy say how right he was.  You can see him trying to cry and be autistic as hard as he can. One sour note. But he turned it into gospel and it worked.

Lauren - Unchained Melody - Barbra Mandrell called and wants her pant-dress back. Other than that she kind of ran out of riff ideas at the end of the song, it was great. She doesn't understand that song, but she can sing it.

Scotty - Always on My Mind - Again, you have to be absolutely floored by how polished this KID is as a vocalist. Is there anyone out there who sounds this studio-ready in a live performance?

Haley - House of the Rising Sun - Fantastic - I know there are Haley-haters out there, but I just don't get it. The risk of Gaga and the recovery of the Animals should buy her another week at least. Bam.

Random Notes:

Clearly Ryan is unaware of what the Full Monty actually is. Surprising.
So far Jacob is not "in it to win it." This does not bode well for him if one can trust the Randy Jackson Platitud-ometer.
So who is going home? My money is on Jacob, but Haley could go bye-bye with ga-ga.
Standing O for Haley? Okay, now, I know that she did a great job, but I feel like Nigel whispered in their ears and said "stand up and clap!" O the drama!

Just in time for Easter, American Idol gets to the perfect number - the top seven perform. Here are my comments, as brief as I can be because there's SO much to talk about this week!

Scotty: Swingin' - I nearly did a spit-take when he reminded me that he was only 17. He's so ridiculously good. I am wondering though about the microphone placement though after that video opening. If he isn't in the bottom three, after going first and getting slightly negative feedback from the judges, then he will WIN. Those are two strikes that others have not been able to battle against.

James: Uprising - Great song. Marching band? Really? Up the octave. Wow. Wowowowowow. Pretty stinkin' awesome.

Haley: Rolling in the Deep - This is the song I featured back in episode 49 of my podcast… She was awesome for me. But, will it grab everyone? Hard to know given the mixed reviews I've seen.

Jacob: Dance with My Father - The video piece built it up much more than his performance pulled off. Until that last note of the build. That was great. Too emotional for anyone to really give decent criticism…

Casey: Harder to Breathe - He did what he does, and it was great, particularly the scatting off the solo - but this song is not great, and he didn't go beyond it to become great. Loved the JLo kiss.

Stefano: Closer - A great effort, his eyes were open more than they've ever been. Is it enough? Hard to tell.

Lauren: Born to Fly - Great job, not my favorite song choice but she is berry good still.

Random Notes:

Why The Face with the castoffs performance at the top of the show? It's just a subtle reminder that when you sell your soul to the AI machine, that they own you and can make you do anything.

"You'd be surprised how expensive it is to look this cheap." - Steven Tyler. You never got that rapier wit from Paula.

Anyone else surprised that Stephan is still around?

Steven Tyler showed us a little Paula love by repeating his "I've been trying to do that for months" about the Casey kiss, but went from 2 to 4 months in the joke upgrade.

Who's going home????