Predict Idol

(Aired 2/28/08)

Bunny: It’s that time again—time to say goodbye to four more contestants. That’s 20% of the group, gone in one swell foop.

As the foop gets under way, Ryan says his mother, Connie, has been noticing Simon’s weird Bullwinkle hand gesture. A few pictures of him making the bizarre hand-antenna are flashed on the screen. The only explanation Simon will provide is that it’s code. I guess that would be Moose Code.

The group number—a medley of hits from the ’70s—is a little more polished this week, but there’s a great big hunk o’ coal in there among the sparkling gems, and its initials are ay-oh.

Burke: Another inspiring (not) group sing-along is over, and it’s time to say aloha to four Idol wannabes.

Bunny: Ryan has the back row of guys stand up. Michael is the first one to be declared safe. Chikezie second. We have a scare with Jason Castro, but he’s safe too. The first one to leave tonight will be either Jason Yeager or Danny Noriega, and to no one’s surprise, it’s Jason. Simon tells him his problem is that he just doesn’t stand out. He is sorely disappointed but sings himself out with gusto. So Yeager, despite having a “yea” in his name, is out, yet Danny “No”riega gets to stay. What’s up with that?

Burke: While Jason has talent, he picked two bad songs in a row. That, plus possibly the lack of early camera time, spells the end for him.

Bunny: One of the girls will be dismissed next. During the filmed recap of their performances, I finally figure out who Amanda Overmyer reminds me of. Besides coal. It sounds weird, but there’s something about her that vaguely resembles Gwyneth Paltrow. I know, I’m probably the only one.

As with the guys, the girls in the back row are asked to stand up. Kristy is safe. Asia’h is safe. Brooke is safe. That leaves Amanda and Alexandrea. NOOOOOOOO! Alexandrea is given the heave-ho!!! This is wrong, wrong, wrong. On the plus side, we do get to hear her call Ryan a freak. Jokingly, of course. She sings her prophetic song, “If You Leave Me Now.” When will these contestants learn not to pick songs about leaving? She will be missed.

Burke: Unbelievable! Amanda is safe? Who is voting for her? Lush had a bad night with a bad song, but she is one of the bottom 2? No way!

Bunny: After the break, the front row of girls stands up. Carly is first to safety. Ramiele is next. Then Syesha. So it’s Kady or Alaina going home tonight. Kady … is safe. What in the what is going on here? Everyone in the studio is shocked, including Kady. Alaina takes it harder than anyone I’ve seen. Paula reminds her that she is a promising talent. Ryan tells her she should be proud and gives her the choice of singing or not, which may be the first time that’s happened too, if I recall correctly. At first she says no, but with the backing of the rest of the girls, she gives it a go and does an admirable job through her tears. Way to go, Alaina—don’t give up!

Burke: Kady over Alaina? Kind of like six of one, half dozen of the other. Big-time emotion at the announcement made it extra hard. She pulled it together pretty well. P.S.: Amanda’s not even in the bottom three? I want a recount!

Bunny: Next, Ryan informs us that the top 12 will perform for the first time on March 11 with the theme to be the Lennon-McCartney songbook, quite a licensing coup for the Idol producers. April 9 will be the date for “Idol Gives Back,” the night where millions are raised for children in America and Africa. We see a short film with last year’s highlights. (Hopefully, Ben Stiller isn’t singing again this year.) And then we have another break.

Now one of the last five guys has to be given the bad news. The front row stands. Luke and Robbie are called to center stage, meaning the three Davids are safe, and name confusion will reign for at least another week.

It’s goodbye time for Robbie Carrico, and with that, my dream of correctly predicting the Season 7 winner is dashed. Ah, well. I’m still more upset about Alexandrea. The hot-blooded rocker sings one last time. See, Robbie, I believe you.

Burke: Luke over Robbie? I’m not a big Robbie fan, but others were more deserving of going home, namely, Luke. For me, tonight had two expected and two unexpected departures.

SCORES

Bunny: 1 out of 4
Right about Jason Yeager
Wrong about Luke Menard (again), Amanda Overmyer, and Ramiele Malubay
(Bunny’s Bombs: 0 out of 4)

Burke: 1 out of 4
Right about Jason Yeager
Wrong about Luke Menard (again), Amanda Overmyer, and Kady Malloy
(Burke’s Turkeys: 1 out of 4)

Prognosticats: 1 out of 4
Right about Alexandrea Lushington
Wrong about Michael Johns, David Hernandez, and Kady Malloy
(Prognosticats’ Hairballs: 2 out of 4)

Bunny: So the official tally shows the humans and the cats are still tied, everyone being at 2 out of 8. Obviously, none of us are very good at this!

(Aired 2/27/08)

Bunny: We’ve been anxious to see how the girls would fare on ’70s night, and it’s time to find out.

We learn that tattooed Carly Smithson, in addition to owning a tattoo shop with her tattooed husband, works at an Irish bar with tattooed patrons and is a real homebody. Too bad she’s not singing “Tattoo.” Instead, she does “Crazy On You” by Heart, and immediately I feel it’s the right song for her. It’s my favorite performance by Carly so far in this competition and the first time I’ve really felt like I could become a fan, to be honest. Her hair is getting better, and she looks like she might have lost a little weight, not that she needed to by any means. It was a rockin’ song, but should she be that out of breath? Simon doesn’t think she’s connected with the right song yet but that she is incredible.

Burke: Good song choice, good performance. Way to open the show, Carly! She’s more of a rocker than the nurse ’cause she can sing.

Bunny: Syesha Mercado tells us that she has done commercials (“Dewayne, find me a big beautiful shell”) and can do a pretty convincing baby cry, which she proves. She sings “Me and Mrs. Jones” by Billy Paul. I don’t love the song; it’s not star-making material, but she’s awesome. Mr. Happy thinks it was indulgent and silly.

Burke: Another iffy song. Song choice will be her downfall someday, but she can sing.

Bunny: Beauty school drop-out Brooke White reveals that she looks at people and thinks what she could do with their hair. Let’s hope she gets with Carly and David C. ASAP. And Danny and Jason C. and Amanda. She is the only girl to play the guitar tonight. She does “You’re So Vain” by Carly Simon. She doesn’t hit every note perfectly and doesn’t do anything really different with it, but I think it was really good. The judges wonder if she was singing the lyrics to Simon. Speaking of whom, he loved the performance.

Burke: Very Carly. Simon, that is. She even looks like her. She’s too happy at times for the material, and I say ditch the guitar; she doesn’t need it. But she’s still one of my faves.

Bunny: Next to sing is Ramiele Malubay. She used to hula dance and demonstrates some moves. During her performance of “Don’t Leave Me This Way” by Thelma Houston, though, she should be moving around more. She doesn’t give the chorus quite the energy it demands. I’ve always loved the song, but it probably wasn’t the right one for her. Simon uses up his “ghastly wedding” quota for the night, but she’s still among the top three in his mind. She admits to vacillating on her song choice but didn’t want to be called “Lullabye Malubay.” She must be reading or listening to reviews, and I’m not sure whether that’s a good idea or not. A contestant could get valuable feedback that way, but it could also make them second-guess every decision they make, which seems to be what happened here.

Burke: What was she looking at? I wasn’t moved by the performance. She didn’t stand out. She’s safe, though.

Bunny: Kristy Lee Cook says America might be surprised she’s a tomboy. We’re not. The cage fighting is what tipped us off. I’m glad someone is singing Linda Ronstadt. Her rendition of “You’re No Good” is very good. What a difference a week makes! I love the outfit, and she doesn’t do the kooky eyes this time. Simon thinks she ought to concentrate on the country genre in order to make a bigger impression.

Burke: I liked the twang she brought to the song. She looked good and brought some ’tude this week.

Bunny: Looking really scary tonight is Amanda “Elvira” Overmyer. She is a really scary bookworm. She subscribes to Burke’s line of reasoning that nothing you learn is ever wasted. The song is “Carry On Wayward Son” by Kansas, and I’m thinking, cool song for her. Nope. When she’s not doing Janis, she simply can’t sing, which is what I and a lot of others suspected. When a judge in a singing competition tells you there’s too much melody in a song for you, it’s not a good sign. Randy thinks she should stick to bluesy rock. I think if she could sing, it would have been a great song for her.

Burke: The “Bride of Frankenstein” Overmyer. She’s more of a screamer than a singer. That was gross, I’m sorry. She’s going home to read a book about singing.

Bunny: I can identify with Alaina Whitaker. She doesn’t like her food to touch. My mom always told me it mixes in your stomach anyway, which didn’t make sense to me because your taste buds are on your tongue! She sings “Hopelessly Devoted To You” by Olivia Newton-John. Again, I love the song—I can’t help it if I’m from the Grease generation—but I know it’s not the type of song likely to wow the judges. I thought she was better last week, and I agree 100% with Simon’s comment about the pageanty look and performance. She looked like she was going to the prom.

Burke: Song choice rears its ugly head again + a poor performance = a ticket back to Oklahoma.

Bunny: Next is Alexandrea Lushington, who was a poster child for the Atlanta Fire Department because her father worked there. She also sang informally at Ground Zero a couple of months after 9/11. She sings “If You Leave Me Now” by Chicago. I have a feeling she can reinvent herself in many ways, because she comes across like a totally different person this week. Both performances were good. Simon says there was nothing anyone could do with that song. I admit that’s one thing they sometimes say that I don’t understand. What determines whether a song is impossible to update? Anyway, I thought it was pretty good.

Burke: What is she wearing? I didn’t like the song for her. Even she didn’t like it, judging by her reaction at the end.

Bunny: We are told that Kady Malloy’s big secret is that she sings opera. She thinks Simon will roll his eyes at that. She sounds pretty good, though. This time when I hear the opening strains of Heart, I’m not too hopeful. Her rendition of “Magic Man” is unimpressive. The music drowns her out, especially in the first half. She doesn’t really have the presence or power to really own it. Several of the contestants have said they are singing songs they personally love or always wanted to sing on American Idol, which we know is a no-no, unless the song really suits you. This one doesn’t.

Burke: I couldn’t hear or understand much of what she sang. She needed to worry more about the singing than walking down the stairs. Bye-bye, Kady.

Bunny: And last up this evening is Asia’h Epperson. She was a cheerleader in school and feels it prepared her for American Idol. She sings “All By Myself” by Eric Carmen. Well, it’s brave of her to take on a song that Latoya London retired, especially if she’s been sick. It’s just … okay. I’m always on the edge of my seat to see if she can hit the notes or her voice is going to drop out on her. Paula and Randy are positive, but Simon says she’s not that good of a singer, which is harshly put, but it’s true her strength is not pure vocal ability.

Burke: It was okay for me. I do like her personality and spirit. She’ll be safe.

PREDICTIONS

Bunny: I don’t have to even think about this one; Bunny’s Bombs are unquestionably Amanda Overmyer and Kady Malloy. A few other girls had so-so nights, but these performances were easily the worst. Who will actually go home? Amanda Overmyer, for one. I’ll just have to hope that she doesn’t kill me in my sleep. I’m going to go out on a limb here and say that Ramiele Malubay will be the second one. I’m just afraid that her early placement in the line-up combined with her less-than-stellar performance will do her in.

Burke: Once again, I thought the girls would shine and once again I was wrong. Questionable song choice and poor performances make me believe the guys were better. I have multiple Turkeys this week: Amanda Overmyer, Alaina Whitaker, and Kady Malloy, but for official purposes, I’ll take Kady out of that category. However, I think in reality we’ll be saying adios to Amanda Overmyer and Kady Malloy.

Prognosticats: Without hesitation, we proclaim the Hairball Performances of the night to be by Syesha Mercado and Alaina Whitaker. But America will give the fewest votes to Alexandrea Lushington and Kady Malloy. We smell tuna.

Bunny: There you have it—Burke’s and Bunny’s educated guesses and Big Z’s and Little Z’s random choices. We’ll see you again tomorrow night for the results!

(Aired 2/26/08)

Bunny: Tonight’s week-two performances on American Idol will tell us a lot about these guys. Were their successes or failures from the first week a fluke? Who will emerge from the back of the pack to establish his presence as a real contender, if anyone? Will the frontrunners stumble? Enough questions, let’s find out.

It is ‘70s night, which promises to be interesting—great decade for music. Each contestant also tells us a little something that America may not already know about them, although there are probably no surprises here for hardcore Idol fans.

Michael Johns, who held the anchor spot last week, has to go first tonight. What we may not know about him is that he’s “a bit of a jock.” Tennis is his racket. Yeah, I slay me. He starts us off with some Fleetwood Mac, “Go Your Own Way.” I like it overall, but he’s straining way too hard on the chorus, and at times it has the karaoke feel of someone trying too hard. Thing is, he doesn’t need to do that.

Burke: I liked the song choice. He seemed a bit spastic on stage, and he had a tough time with a few of the high notes.

Bunny: Jason Castro hates doing interviews but loves to sing and is generally better at the latter than the former. He is every air-headed guy I went to school with. He decides not to fix what ain’t broken and play the guitar again, but sadly, now it is broken. In the middle of Andy Gibb’s “I Just Wanna Be Your Everything,” he more or less loses control of the song and has to struggle to get it back. It’s not effortless and charming like last week, although not exactly terrible. Simon calls it schmaltzy. Well, it’s Andy Gibb. Anyway, Jason’s newfound fan base should save him this week, but he needs to prove that he’s first and foremost a singer. Quick-like.

Burke: It seemed a little rough to me. And he didn’t even try on the high notes.

Bunny: For six years, Luke Menard has been part of the cappella group Chapter 6. I like the wavier hair; maybe he’s playing up his resemblance to Orlando Bloom. He takes on Queen with “Killer Queen.” Obviously, he is trying to counteract his “forgettable” image from last week, but I didn’t love it at all. I’ve decided that, no, I’m just not a fan of his singing voice, sorry to say.

Burke: I didn’t like the song choice; it shows he can enunciate, but can he sing? After the big a cappella build-up, I was disappointed. It’s a song that isn’t a song.

Bunny: Ryan chats with Robbie Carrico in the red room before his performance and asks him about the “authenticity” factor. Robbie says, in a nutshell, “I be me.” And just like that, I’ve found my new catchphrase. We learn that Robbie loves drag racing. Then he sings “Hot Blooded” by Foreigner. The lyrics are a bit risqué for a show being watched primarily by teens and preteens. The “not really a rocker” thing is driving him crazy, but unfortunately, the song makes him look even more like a poser; I just don’t buy it.

Burke: Bo Bice wannabe. It was an uninspired performance with ordinary vocals. I will call him Robbie Carraoke.

Bunny: You do that. Danny Noriega admits he was in a punk rock band in ninth grade and played one show. Too bad tonight makes three. Yes, I’m mean. He does “Superstar” by the Carpenters. His vibrato is so-o-o-o-o slow-ow-ow-ow-ow. I can’t stand slow vibratos! I don’t think he’s good enough to pull off a ballad like that, although I will say his personality was a little more appealing this week than last. He’s kind of funny. Ish.

Burke: Bad song choice, bad delivery. What was up with his left arm? Good pout, though.

Bunny: Next up is David Hernandez. He was a gymnast as a kid. I didn’t really want to know about the leotards, but thanks. He does “Papa Was A Rolling Stone” by the Temptations. The “urban” thing doesn’t work as well for David as it did for Alexandrea, but he does a great job. I loved the arrangement with the background singers clapping. The boy can sing. Paula’s pet phrase this year apparently is “your vocals were in the pocket.” Simon likes David’s attitude of taking criticism as a challenge rather than sulking. I agree. I also like that he is showing some of his personality this week. Way to go!

Burke: The Phil Stacey of Season 7. He came out with good power and “funkability.” The nerves from last week were gone. Good job, David. He actually moved his feet!

Bunny: Jason Yeager tells us that he plays guitar, piano, and drums. He also did some movies, like Bourne Supremacy, Bourne Ultimatum, etc. I kid. His song is “Long Train Running” by the Doobie Brothers. It’s a good one to get the audience grooving, and he throws in an Elvis move at the end, but the result is not strikingly impressive. His voice just isn’t doing it for me. Simon says it was ordinary and awkward. And sitting there with your hand-antenna sticking out of your head isn’t awkward? Looks like it’s tough for Jason to maintain his composure in the face of the judges’ mostly negative comments. If he has a fan base, they need to get busy!

Burke: Much better than last week on song choice and performance; it was still karaoke, though. I like this guy, but if he sticks around till next week, he’d better pick a killer song.

Bunny: It’s interesting to learn the actual Nigerian pronunciation of Chikezie, which is CHEEK-ez-yay. Not so interesting: the blue polo shirt. At least the orange suit had something to say. He does Donny Hathaway’s “I Believe To My Soul.” I’m not sure the song is going to make him seem more current than last week, but he seems to enjoy himself and does a good job. Simon calls him Chi rather than risk saying Jacuzzi again. “Chi” gets in another jab at Simon’s clothing but can’t apologize enough this time. To his credit, he does point out that Donny Hathaway’s daughter is one of the backup singers. Cool!

Burke: I didn’t know the song, but Chi is back. Still too much scrapping with Simon, though.

Bunny: David Cook is bold enough to admit that he is a word nerd and loves crosswords. Okay, I officially love him now, but still hate the hair. He plays the guitar (he’s a leftie) and sings “All Right Now” by Free. Simon doesn’t like the filmed introduction where we heard about the crosswords; he thinks it’s boring and charisma-free. I usually agree with Simon, but not this time. This is not about their hobbies or interests. David reminds Simon that what matters more is whether America thinks he has charisma, and our favorite acid-tongued judge takes issue with being lectured about the “rules of the game,” but maybe a reminder is in order: This is about singing and performing, not whether someone can play Scrabble. David has to backpedal a bit so as not to appear to be arguing with the judges. I don’t think it will hurt him this week, but he might want to watch it in the future. Cocky doesn’t usually do too well on Idol.

Burke: Good song. He is definitely more of a rocker than Robbie. He still seems a little slimy and condescending. Simon is also being snarky.

Bunny: And what in the world is that hand thing of Simon’s?

Burke: Maybe he’s trying to hold the bolt in.

Bunny: Must be. Last to sing tonight is David Archuleta. As an 11-year-old, he sang “And I’m Telling You I’m Not Going” to Kelly Clarkson in a hotel lobby during the first season of American Idol (video). He takes on “Imagine” by John Lennon. He does a great job; the judges are going to be all over this one. Predictably, Randy says it was one of the best vocals ever on the show. Paula describes her bizarre desire to squish him and dangle him from her rearview mirror, and that he’s destined for super-stardom. Simon says it was a risky choice but it worked and he’s the one to beat. Personally, I think they overstate things way too soon and then there’s nothing left to say later. No question David has the skills, though.

Burke: Good song. I didn’t really like his slow version, but as much as I hate to admit it, he did a good job. Gosh, shucks, are they screaming for me? Another peeve of mine: Ryan continuing to diss Simon by thanking everyone but him. Very immature.

Bunny: I’m not sure whether to take that as a running joke or a real feud, though.

PREDICTIONS

Bunny: Time for predictions. Bunny’s Bombs tonight are Luke Menard and Danny Noriega. However, I think Danny’s fans will rescue him at least one more time, so actually leaving us will be Luke Menard and Jason Yeager. I know I said that last week, but unless they have fans I don’t know about, they’re going bye-bye soon.

Burke: It’s getting harder to pick the Turkeys and the Leavers, and that’s a good thing. The second five tonight were better than the first five. Burke’s Turkeys tonight are Jason Castro and Danny Noriega. But for the second week in a row, I also say Jason Yeager and Luke Menard will get the fewest votes.

Prognosticats: We proclaim the Hairball Performances tonight to be those by Chikezie and Jason Yeager. Those leaving us will be Michael Johns and David Hernandez. Agree, disagree, we don’t care. We be us.

Bunny: Tonight, we will say goodbye to four American Idol contestants, two guys and two girls. First, Ryan asks the judges a few questions, and we also see sort of an Apprentice-style montage of all 24 contestants getting the star treatment, set to Daughtry’s “What About Now.”

But of course we’re nowhere near hearing any results yet, because it’s time for the group number. I don’t think they had group numbers until top 12 in the past. But I guess I’d rather watch that than have Ryan go over every single contestant’s song and what the judges said about each.

David Hernandez sings the wrong lyric to “When You Walk In The Room.” It’s an “expression” on your face, not “sensation.” If he’s having weird sensations on his face, I hope they get him to a doctor. The girls don’t do a perfect job, either, but they’re much more lively than the guys, and they all look really cute. I think Brooke’s look is especially suited to the era. The rehearsed-and-yet-not-smooth-at-all group move at the end is rather amusing in its awkwardness. Well, it’s their first time, and 24 people is a lot to choreograph and rehearse.

Finally we turn our attention to the guys. Oops, nope—we still have to watch the recap from last night. Okay, now Ryan pretends to pick someone to speak with at random—ahhhh, let’s see, Garrett Haley, come on up here. And within seconds, the guy is history. Jason Castro seems to mouth, “Just like that?” to David H., and Danny Noriega appears to be in shock. Breathe, Danny, breathe.

Burke: His elimination is sudden but well deserved. He takes it like a man and is gracious in defeat. I’m sure a number of the guys are relieved it’s not them—yet.

Bunny: While Garrett is singing himself out, I can almost see what’s going on in Luke Menard’s head: “Hey, maybe I have a chance after all! Maybe Moon-River Boy is gonna be next!”

After the break, it’s the girls’ turn. After the recap, Ryan calls Kristy up, and I’m not sure what to expect. After determining that she is getting over the flu, he sends her to safety and points the finger at Amy Davis as the first girl going home. I wonder if she’s going to make it through her song without breaking down. Come on, Amy, you can do it! She manages to hang on, but she knows it ain’t so great. She is unfortunately out of her league here, as was Garrett.

Burke: Amy leaving is no surprise. She is the worst of the girls by far and proves it again during her final song.

Bunny: Then we get to see Paula’s new video, “Dance Like There’s No Tomorrow,” featuring Paula dancing in what appears to be a hurricane. I can’t help but laugh watching Randy wield a guitar, even though I know he was doing that long before he did American Idol. I like the beat but hate the melody, if you can call it that. Hey, I recognize one of those moves from my Paula Abdul workout tape! Ahem, I mean … I don’t actually own … you didn’t think I was being serious, did you? Then Ryan brings out a fan to re-create the moment and there’s lots of laughing and preening.

Ryan calls Joanne and Amanda to the stage and then tells everyone left on the couches that they’re safe until next week. I’m surprised Amanda is up there, although not disappointed.

Burke: It’s a shock to me as well. Amanda is one of my least favorite girls, but I didn’t think the voters would agree.

Bunny: After the commercial break, Ryan recaps their performances and tells Amanda she is safe, which means we say goodbye to Joanne Borgella. Of course, the judges have another chance to tell her how terrible she was, which I think is pointless at this juncture. She’s going to keep singing, and she is complimentary of the rest of the girls and the experience. She looks darling as she sings one more time. Ramiele and Kady seem to be taking it pretty hard. I don’t generally get too emotional when people get voted off, but when their fellow contestants start bawling, I’ve been known to shed a tear.

Burke: It’s too soon for Joanne to go, in my opinion. She is a better singer than she displayed last night. The song made her sound “mousy.” At least she has a career to fall back on.

Bunny: Now Chikezie and Colton are called to center stage and Ryan gives their recaps, after which he gives the news that Colton is leaving. He tears up immediately. I do like the ‘60s hair on him. Paula says quitting should never even enter his mind, but Simon says he should get a job and just enjoy singing. Paula says he should keep his opinions to himself. Huh?

A montage of the four of them plays, which hopefully gives Colton time to compose himself. Never mind—what am I thinking? Those things always make me sadder, too.

Ramiele is still crying. Honey, you’ve got a lot of rough results nights ahead as your compadres go home, one after another. Colton gets through it, and the first results night is at an end.

Burke: It would have been too soon for Mr. Eze. But Colton leaving doesn’t surprise me. To be fair, they could have eliminated any one of six guys. But I thought the teen vote would save these youngsters for a while.

Bunny: So how did we do in the first round of predictions? It’s a 3-way tie! Since this is PredictIdol.com, our main tally will keep track of how we predicted what would actually happen on Idol. But we’ll also make note of how we did when predicting those we think should have gone home. Bunny’s Bombs, Burke’s Turkeys, and Prognosticats’ Hairballs will reflect those scores.

SCORES:

Bunny: 1 out of 4
Right about Amy Davis
Wrong about Kady Malloy, Luke Menard, Jason Yeager
(Bunny’s Bombs: 2 out of 4)

Burke: 1 out of 4
Right about Amy Davis
Wrong about Kady Malloy, Luke Menard, Jason Yeager
(Burke’s Turkeys: 2 out of 4)

Prognosticats: 1 out of 4
Right about Garrett Haley
Wrong about Robbie Carrico, Alexandrea Lushington and Brooke White
(Prognosticats’ Hairballs: 0 out of 4)

Bunny: It’s time for the girls to show what they’re made of. Some of them are sick, but as Ryan says, the show must go on.

After re-interpreting some of Randy’s comments from last night, and determining that Simon likes it when contestants defend themselves from his criticism, girls’ night gets rolling. As with the guys, it’s ’60s night.

First up: Kristy Lee Cook. We hear the sold-her-horse-so-she-could-audition story again. She hopes to buy it back if she makes it on Idol. She does “Rescue Me” by Fontella Bass. She looks good but has a couple of weird facial expressions while she sings. I think she does a good job, but it looks like she’s a little afraid to hear what the judges have to say. Randy says it’s rough. Paula is encouraging, as always, and brings out it’s tough to sing with bronchitis. Simon’s problem is that it was done robotically and was the wrong song in the first place. I don’t know; I liked it more than they did, obviously.

Burke: I like her, but it seemed like an uninspired performance. Maybe just nerves because she had to go first? She has Kimberly Caldwell eyes.

Bunny: Joanne Borgella seems very sweet. She sings the song forevermore known as the “My Best Friend’s Wedding” restaurant-scene song, “I Say A Little Prayer” by Dionne Warwick. Her pitch is off and the voice is a little chipmunky, I hate to say. I wanted to like it more than I did. Randy and Paula liked it but wouldn’t say they loved it. Simon finds a way to use his favorite word twice, as in “a cabaret version of a cabaret song.” He also says if they can’t conquer their nerves by now, they don’t deserve to win, which is probably true.

Burke: I didn’t like the song choice and wasn’t impressed by the performance. She’s better than this. I was expecting great things from the ladies—no greatness yet.

Bunny: Next is Alaina Whitaker, Season 7’s youngest contestant. She sings the same song Chikezie did last night, “More Today Than Yesterday” by Spiral Starecase, but she makes it seem much more current. She gets better as the song progresses and does a great job. Randy liked it, and Paula says she nailed it with a great ending. Simon is smiling, so maybe he liked it too? He thinks she’s very good. He hates the song, so his reasoning is that when she does a “decent” song, she’ll be great.

Burke: Finally, some power from the girls. It’s not the best song, for me. The Carrie Underwood looks won’t hurt her chances. She’s the first one of the girls to shine.

Bunny: A very jingly Amanda Overmyer says she’s not going to sing Janis Joplin anymore, and I’m kind of relieved. I mean, I know she’s a legend and everything, but I think JJ is best in small doses. At times I get the sense Amanda thinks she’s a little too good to be on Idol, but I know a not-very-demonstrative person can often convey that impression when it’s not really true. Her song puts the band to the test. I don’t know it, but I can only assume it’s “Baby Please Don’t Go.” A quick check on iTunes reveals there are lots of versions, and I’m guessing Van Morrison did the original. Anyway, she definitely stands out, and I’m ambivalent as to whether that’s in a good or a bad way. Randy loves the bluesy/rocker/scatting and the “trousers.” Paula loves everything Amanda does. Simon likes her because she’s authentic but it wasn’t her best performance. He isn’t sure if she was scatting because she forgot the words, and I have to admit, I wondered the same thing—thought maybe she was filling time there for a minute. As she talks with Ryan after her performance, I start to like her personality more; I think she’s funny. She apologizes on camera to the semi driver she pulled out in front of.

Burke: She seems old for 23, and so far, I think she’s a one-trick pony. She should have tried out for one of those rock-star shows. I didn’t like the song or the arrangement. I’m not into that smoky, gravelly voice thing.

Bunny: So the girls aren’t super impressive so far.

Burke: No, I thought they would be kicking some butt, but I’m still waiting.

Bunny: Well, let’s see what the rest of the evening has in store.

One of many whose confidence flagged when they saw the talent around them in Hollywood is Amy Davis. She looks beautiful (love her outfit) and sings “Where The Boys Are” by Connie Francis. But she sounds nervous. Very nervous. I hate to say it, but I think she’s actually the worst so far, of the girls and the boys. Randy gives a good solid critique for once, explaining that she wasn’t successful at “scooping up to” the notes. Paula feels her nerves did her in and the performance was lackluster. Simon adds that it was just boring and cabaret. I feel bad for her, but it just wasn’t anywhere near the level it needed to be.

Burke: Too slowwwwwww, just plain rough for me. She is a pretty girl and I like the hair, but a terrible song choice may prove fatal to her dreams of Idol stardom.

Bunny: Brooke White takes the stage. She declares in her intro that Simon will never win her over to the “dark side.” Good for you, Brooke, stand up for what you believe! She has chosen “Happy Together” by the Turtles, which is a great song for her voice. Excellent. She’ll be around for a while. Randy says she “started gettin’ her slayin’ on” partway through. Paula says it’s about originality, and Brooke has it. Simon says it was the right song, but apparently all the sunshine and butterflies is too much for him. He is reminded of “washing-up liquid” commercials from the ‘60s in the UK. You can just picture little Simey watching his mum do the dishes with “washing-up liquid,” can’t you?

Burke: Come on girl, make me proud! Her moves look rehearsed but the niceness shines through. She should be here for a long time.

Bunny: I think of Alexandrea Lushington as the girl with the cute great-grandmother. Other than that, we don’t know much about her, so I’m not sure what to expect, and therefore don’t expect much. But this girl—wow! She does “Spinning Wheel” by Blood, Sweat and Tears like a pro. I’m not sure if she’s one of the sick ones, but there’s a thickness in her voice that I hope isn’t there all the time. She also seemed a little out of breath at times. But she comes across in her performance as older than 17 and does a great job getting herself noticed. Randy thought she tore it up. Paula says she has a dope outfit, which sounds funny coming from Paula, and that her interpretation was current. Simon doesn’t get it and thinks the whole thing was like an awful ‘60s musical, but she looks good. By the way, what’s with that weird thing Simon does with his hand sticking out from his head? Is that the antenna he uses to pull in WIKD from Planet Killjoy? I like how Alexandrea (pronounced Alex-an-DRAY-a) plays ventriloquist’s dummy during Ryan’s phone-number spiel.

Burke: Something about her voice bugs me, too, but that was the best all-around performance so far. She was real, she moved, and she has ‘tude, but not in a bad way. Where did she come from?

Bunny: Kady Malloy is a recording studio assistant who has a self-proclaimed unhealthy obsession with music. She knows she needs to prove that she can do more than a good Britney impression. She does “Groovy Kind of Love,” which I think is originally by the Mindbenders (someone correct me if I’m wrong). I don’t hear anything really outstandingly original in her voice, and she has a stiff-jawed kind of delivery. Randy says she was too restrained and her concentration was not strong. Paula wants to see more life and fun. Simon actually agrees with her at first; her Britney is brilliant but when being herself she should lighten up, which sets up a long round of judge-bickering. Paula’s chief goal seems to be simply to say something that gets the audience applauding. I can see how it’s tough for these young contestants to really get what the judges want based on their squabbles. Kady says she would have adjusted her activity level to the tempo of the song. She may be in trouble.

Burke: Good, clear, powerful voice, but not the best song to showcase it. She looked beaten down by Simon’s comments.

Bunny: Living her late father’s dream is Asia’h Epperson. She does Janis Joplin’s “Piece of My Heart.” The song suited her, and she made it her own. She’s a natural entertainer. Randy loved it: “You didja thing with it.” Paula says that there were good moments in the song, which is faint praise from her. Simon, though, says it was his favorite of the night and that she’s not taking herself too seriously—and he gets drowned out by the Idol theme song. When he’s complimentary, they cut him off. When he’s making little girls cry, they let him go on and on. Well, at least Asia’h can do a little happy dance. Her earrings are as big as her head, wow. I’ll be she could pull in a signal from Planet Killjoy too.

Burke: She has kind of a “dry” voice that cuts out sometimes. She had fun on stage. One of the better performances of the night.

Bunny: Tenth to sing is Ramiele Malubay, the pronunciation of whose name I’ve been wondering since the beginning. If Ryan is to be believed, it’s ray-me-ELL ma-LOOB-aye. The talk so far has been that she has a big voice for a little girl, and she says in her intro that that’s what she wanted them to think. Well, that’s good. Her song is “You Don’t Have To Say You Love Me” by Dusty Springfield. I kept itching for her to pick up the tempo a little, so her performance isn’t as great as I’d hoped, but still pretty good, and I really want her to stick around. Randy says it was classy and professional. Paula says she’s a force to be reckoned with. Simon admits he didn’t like her at first, but she was the most consistent in Hollywood, and outsang everyone tonight. Ramiele says that the hair, makeup, and shoes are the best part of Idol so far. It’s nice when these girls (and guys) can fully enjoy those parts of the experience, and I’m not being snarky here. You’ve got to have some fun amidst all the hard work.

Burke: I don’t mean to be mean, but who dressed her, Mr. Rogers? And where was the big voice? It was too slow for my taste, but she can sing and she seems nice. She’ll be around for a long time.

Bunny: Syesha Mercado and Michael Johns are making scarves big again. Well, maybe they have always been big, what do I know. In her real life, she’s an actress in Miami. She does “Tobacco Road” by the Nashville Teens, if I’m not mistaken. I never thought the song had much of a melody, and wasn’t thrilled with it last year when Phil Stacey did it. But that’s just me. Syesha nails it, including a big, big note at the end. Randy says she defnly defnly can sing. Paula is pounding on the table to emphasize her point that it was consistent, joyful, fun, and big. Simon agrees with Randy that it wasn’t Syesha’s best ever but it doesn’t matter because she’s one of the most talented girls. Paula! Stop that banging! And we know there’s a YES in Syesha’s name, thanks for reminding us.

Burke: The music seemed to drown her out a bit. I didn’t like the song. I like her, though; she lights up the stage.

Bunny: Okay, truth be told, it’s a little hard for me to maintain my staunch noncynical attitude toward the producers of Idol and their much-discussed and hard-to-deny overpromotion, shall we say, of Carly Smithson. I would have liked to see someone else get the coveted last spot, someone who needs it more. But I’m a peon whose sphere of influence is no bigger than Randy’s vocabulary. I have nothing against Carly, mind you, nothing at all. And I’m not a cynic, not a cynic, not a cynic… Carly talks about her previous record deal, which I think is a non-issue. The problem is that she oversings “The Shadow of Your Smile,” covered by many, one of whom was Barbra Streisand. Randy mentions that although Carly is one of the girls stricken by illness, she had the best vocal of the top 24 and it was blazing hot. Paula talks about the beautiful inflections of her voice. Only Simon (whom Carly, to my amusement, refers to as Captain Fantastic) gives us a real take on it, which is that it was a letdown. Again, I like her, no more or less than some of the others right now, but the girl used a shovel when a spoon would have sufficed.

Burke: I didn’t like the song, but she has a nice voice. She softened her look some. She’ll be safe for a good long time, too.

Bunny: Ryan asks the judges to recap their thoughts on the evening’s performances. Randy says the guys were hot, but the girls a little hotter. Paula says … you know, I can’t even begin to summarize what she says. Honestly, I don’t mean to be so down on Paula, but please, can we get an interpreter in here? Simon thinks the guys and girls are almost evenly matched, with possibly a slight edge to the girls.

Burke: Overall, I wasn’t as impressed as I thought I would be, but as a group they were definitely better than the guys. The song choices were suspect with many low-key and uninspired performances. I don’t think Simon was as accurate tonight as he was with the guys. I can’t wait till they hit their stride in a couple of weeks.

Bunny: I agree and would also give a slight advantage to the girls, very slight. I was most impressed with Alexandrea Lushington, probably because I didn’t have much to base an opinion on before. Also, Brooke White was a standout tonight in my mind.

PREDICTIONS

Bunny: My picks for worst of the night are Amy Davis and Joanne Borgella, although I like them both. I think they should go home based on tonight. However, I think Amy Davis and Kady Malloy will be the ones who actually leave us Thursday.

Burke: Burke’s Turkeys are Amanda Overmyer and Amy Davis. But, like you, I think America will bid adieu to Amy Davis and Kady Malloy.

Prognosticats: We think Kristy Lee Cook and Amanda Overmyer should go home, but Alexandrea Lushington and Brooke White will.

Bunny: Finally, finally, finally we get to the first actual American Idol performance show. We can’t wait to get started.

Asked for his thoughts on this highly praised top 24, Randy says this group is more original than ever. Let’s hope his comments this year show some originality. Paula says something about how often Randy says “dawg,” which means she and I are thinking alike, and this frightens me immeasurably.

I find it interesting that Simon lists what they’re looking for as “personality, originality, and singing ability,” in that order. Maybe I’m reading too much into it, but I didn’t think personality was that high on his list.

Ryan says the judges did a great job of finding this group of contestants, and that I can agree with. We’re anxious to see what the boys can do with ‘60s night, so let’s get on with it, shall we?

Leading off with the first real performance of American Idol Season 7 is David Hernandez. He needs to win over Simon and be memorable to the voting public in order to offset his disadvantage. His opening of “In the Midnight Hour” by Wilson Pickett is very effective, and I’m thinking, I didn’t know he could sing this well. He has a few affectations, though, and he seems awfully serious. He does have an excellent, powerful voice. Randy says he should watch his long phrasing. Paula thinks the way he colors up his vocals is brilliant. Simon says it’s better than he thought it would be but thinks he should loosen up.

Burke: Ray Romano, Jr. It’s a good song choice, but unlike you, I didn’t like the slow opening. He must be nervous because his feet never move, and that’s a good song to dance to. The last couple of notes are bad, but he has good power. I like him. Just step it up, man.

Bunny: In the number two spot is Chikezie, and I am sad they dropped the “Eze.” It’s still fun to say but not as much, even though Eze is not pronounced “easy” anyway but more like EH-zay, if I remember correctly from the audition. It takes a special kind of man to wear a suit the color of fresh-squeezed Florida citrus. The first notes of “More Today Than Yesterday” by Spiral Starecase seem to be in an awkward key for him, but it gets better. He has a nice smile while he sings. Randy thinks it’s a’ight. Yea-yea-yea-yea. So much for more original comments from the dawg. Paula loves him. Simon hates everything, including the suit. It’s harsh, but Chikezie almost loses my vote by slinging insults back about Simon’s monochromatic clothing choices and saying he’s sorry Simon didn’t “get” what he was doing. Oh, brother. I think this competition needs Chikezie, but that attitude won’t win votes. He would have been so much more charming if he could have laughed off the suit comment at least, the same way he handled Simon calling him Jacuzzi. Déjà vu #1: We begin another season of the endless struggle between judges who want to see relevancy to the current-day music industry and the under-25 crowd who can’t understand how to do that when the theme consists of a previous decade’s music.

Burke: He doesn’t seem to get going until halfway through the song. I like the look; the voice is good. It does seem old-fashioned, though. He does too much talking back.

Bunny: David Cook is next. I think it’s great he recognizes it was good for him that Simon said no in Hollywood because it would have made him overconfident to hear a yes from all three judges. He sings “Happy Together” by the Turtles. Boys and girls, this is how to make an older song relevant and give it a dose of your own style. I’m not a fan of the hairstyle (which, by the way, Paula shares tonight) but I think the performance is great. It’s the perfect halfway point between the original and the more manic Simple Plan version. I can see he’s going to be a mic-stand thrower-arounder, following in the footsteps of Bo Bice and Chris Daughtry. I like the twirl he gives it at the end, though. Neither Randy nor Simon seem to have heard Simple Plan’s rendition because they are surprised to hear the song sung that way, but the general feeling from the judges is thumbs up.

Burke: He’s too smug for my taste, but good song, good performance. He’ll stick around.

Bunny: Jason Yeager, one of the “unknown” contestants, sings next. We finally get to see his original audition and his cute son, Nathan, who looks to be about 7 or 8, and is very proud of him. He croons “Moon River” by Andy Williams (and almost every other singer of that generation), an interesting choice, and I don’t think it works for him. Since he has to blow us away out of the gate to remain in this thing, he needs to do something different with it to convince America he’s a contemporary artist. It comes out sounding rather Disney. (Okay, I just went to find out, and lo and behold—it was in a Disney flick, Pocahontas, although I don’t see it on the soundtrack.) But he’s a nice-looking guy with a nice voice. I hope he sticks around. Randy says he needs to maintain his concentration throughout a song. Paula did her first ballet recital to that song, which is an open invitation for Simon to poke fun; he says he bought his first puppy to that song. His feeling is that Jason is a dependable old dog but that it was a cruise ship performance. Ryan wants to know what it feels like in the gut to get that criticism, which is kind of like those sports reporters who stick mics in the losing players’ faces after a game and ask them how it feels to be losers.

Burke: It’s your first chance to sing in front of America, and you choose “Mooooooon Riiiiver”? C’mon! The song choice is forgettable at best, but I like the tone of his voice. I don’t see him getting many votes. Oh, and he reminds me a little of Matt Damon.

Bunny: Now it’s Robbie Carrico’s turn at bat. He once toured with Britney Spears and, I hear, dated her as well. He does resemble Justin Timberlake (I thought that before Ryan said it). We get to see him in Hollywood without his ever-present headwear. He does a nice job with “One” by Three Dog Night. At first I think he’s forgetting lyrics, but on a quick double-check at Three Dog Night’s site, no, they are kind of repetitive and not all that clever, really. Randy loves the song, and Paula says he picked the perfect song for him; I agree it was a good choice. Simon’s opinion is that it was the first current-sounding performance of the night, but he’s not sure if Robbie is really a rocker or if he’s still figuring out who he is. Well, I know who he is: He’s my underdog pick to win, so he’d better stick around.

Burke: I’m not a big fan of his look. I like the song choice. He doesn’t hit the high notes with any power, but it’s a good performance.

Bunny: David number 3, David Archuleta, sings “Shop Around” by the Miracles. I’ve never been crazy about the song, no matter who does it, but Wonder Boy does a great job with it. His talent is undeniable, and I love how he finishes off the song. Déjà vu #2: As with Jordin Sparks last season, I’ve no doubt we’re going to hear “you’re so mature for 17” every time he sings. Sigh. We’re only at the halfway point of the night, but Simon says it’s the best so far by a comfortable mile. David’s “aw shucks” laugh might get a little old, so he might want to look into retiring it before long, but it can be forgiven on the first night of competition. Ryan reminds viewers that they can vote for David but not adopt him. Awwww.

Burke: He does a nice job and has good stage presence. I’m not as enthusiastic as the judges. It doesn’t impress me until the big finish. He always sounds kind of out of breath to me. He’s not my favorite but will get the big teenage vote. No worries for a while for the giggly boy.

Bunny: Starting off our second half is Danny Noriega. He wants to bring “swagger and attitude” to his performance. He breaks into Elvis’ “Jailhouse Rock.” Okay, I didn’t expect that. He seems to have fun with it, and he should get the prize for having to remember the most lyrics of the night. Randy: “Interesting song choice for me for you.” Which is it, dawg? Paula gives her usual meandering comment, this one again having something to do with colors. Simon says it was almost grotesque, that he destroyed an Elvis Presley song, and that it would turn off any first-time viewers who happen to tune in to the show. Déjà vu #3: Paula talking over Simon the second he says anything negative, making me wish, not for the first time, for a selective mute button on my remote.

Burke: Sorry, Danny boy, Elvis has left the building. Simon got it right, but he’ll be safe for a while.

Bunny: We finally get to know a little about Luke Menard, who works as a carpet cleaner. He was cut during Hollywood week in Season 6, as were Chikezie and Danny Noriega. He gives the impression of being a nice, down-to-earth clean-cut guy, without actually being totally clean-cut. He sings a Harry Nilsson song, “Everybody’s Talkin’.” I love the song, but I’m thinking he’s in trouble. I wish he had put a little more power in it, and it might have helped if he had worn something more suited to the performance than a hooded jacket. At least he hit the last high note. Randy points out that it was consistently sharp. Paula makes note of the “Kenny Loggins tenderness” in his voice. Simon says it was forgettable, and unfortunately, he’s right. There’s some awkward chat between Ryan and Luke, wherein Luke, too, disagrees with the judges and overestimates his own unforgettableness quotient. Classic case of song choice killing a contestant’s chances before they even get started.

Burke: Likable guy, but nobody will be talking about him. He sings so softly the music drowns him out.

Bunny: Colton Berry is playing up his widely commented-on resemblance to Ellen DeGeneres, but he reminds me more of Mike White (Ned Schneebly) from “School of Rock.” I suppose it was inevitable that on ’60s night, a certain percentage of the guys would choose Elvis Presley songs, and this makes number two, “Suspicious Minds.” Déjà vu #4: Randy again not being able to give a critique without qualifying it with “for me.” You’re a grown man, Randy; own your opinions, don’t be afraid! Simon’s complaint is that it’s not relevant to today’s music industry but is more suited to musical theater. Ryan’s questioning of the judges after they’ve given their comments sometimes makes things worse, not to mention gives Paula another opportunity to speak, which never seems to turn out well.

Burke: Tell you what, Colton: I’ll let you out of the trap you’re caught in if you promise to never, ever sing an Elvis song again. “Eager and fun attempt” is the best Paula had. Simon got it right again, and that says it all.

Bunny: As a child of the ‘70s, the first thing I thought when I saw Garrett Haley last week was Leif Garrett. Obviously I’m not the only one who remembers He of the Luxurious Wavy Blond Mane. Would I have been reminded of him if his name wasn’t Garrett? Not sure; I probably would have made the Frampton connection instead. But I digress. At issue here is the singing. Is he better than Leif? Well, I’m not thrilled. He does “Breaking Up Is Hard To Do” by Neil Sedaka. It’s a little nasally. On the plus side in my book, however, is the fact that he is trying to learn from the judges, even though understanding them is often a challenge. This makes me want to vote for him. Randy says it was boring and wishes he’d done more with it. Paula suggests that he work with the band more to arrange songs differently. And Simon is now the one obsessed with colors. Among other things, he says Garrett is too pale. He thinks he needs to be more relevant, and I’m thinking the same thing about his “too pale” comment.

Burke: It’s a bad song choice and a forgettable performance. But I think I like him the best of the teenie boppers. Once again, the tireless female voting public will keep him around for a while.

Bunny: Next is Jason Castro, the second Jason and our last as-yet unknown contestant. He has a striking look with the blue eyes and dreadlocks, though I’m not partial to dreads myself. He is the only one tonight to make use of the new allowance for instruments. He strums and sings “Daydream” by The Lovin’ Spoonful. He seems a little rushed in the middle and there are a couple cringe-worthy notes, but he’s got an interesting vibe. Randy’s not blown away, Paula is, and Simon says he’s one of the top two of the night, which surprises me coming from him, and also talks about his effortlessness and charisma (after finding out from Paula what color it was: a blend of every favorite color she knows). I didn’t expect to like Jason C., but so far, yup, liking him.

Burke: It’s just all right for me. He’s not on my list of favorites. He has John Travolta eyes. He should be on a street corner with a guitar case open in front of him.

Bunny: One of the only times coming in last is an enviable position is on Idol performance night, and tonight Michael Johns gets that distinction. Does he look like Tim Daly to anyone else? He sings the Doors‘ “Light My Fire,” which I’ve already heard this too many times this season. It just isn’t a song that really showcases one’s range or ability to remember lyrics, so I wasn’t impressed as I thought I would be, but still, he’s good, and I’m loving the accent of course. Randy says “I luh dat,” and Paula proclaims it an excellent way to end the night. Simon says he’s the most consistent contestant with the natural charisma of a lead singer.

Burke: Good song, good performance. Now he is one of my favorites so far. He’s mature and confident on stage and a great contrast to all the “boy band”-ish contestants.

PREDICTIONS

Bunny: As we said, we’re going to be picking both who should go home and who will go home. So who do I think should go? As much as I hate to say it, Luke Menard and Jason Yeager deserve to get cut. They needed to be great out of the gate but just didn’t make the most of their opportunity. My picks for who will go home are the same—Luke Menard and Jason Yeager—since I think the voting will reflect what I just said.

Burke: Who would I send home if it were up to me? Burke’s Turkeys of this round are Danny Noriega and Colton Berry. You just can’t do that to the Elvis classics. But who will be going? Jason Yeager and Luke Menard. Their soft voices and lack of stage presence will do them in and they’ll be saying goodbye.

Prognosticats: We weren’t impressed with the caterwauling of Michael Johns and David Cook. We think they should leave. But actually leaving us will be Garrett Haley and Robbie Carrico. Where’s that tuna again?

Bunny: O…kay. Can’t say I agree with the felines’ random choices, but stranger things have happened on Idol. The girls perform tonight, so join us again tomorrow for reviews!

Bunny: Many are saying we have the most impressive Top 24 on American Idol yet. Without looking back specifically at each season to compare, I would have to agree it’s pretty strong.

And now it’s time to go on record with some top 12 predictions. We’ve listed below those we’d like to see in that group. As the performance shows begin next week, we’ll be posting our predictions of who will go home, and who should go home. However, since we haven’t seen some of the top 24 in the early rounds at all, it’s impossible to do that at this point.

That said, here’s who I’d like to see in the top 12:

Guys:
David Archuleta
Robbie Carrico
David Cook
Chikezie Eze
David Hernandez
Michael Johns

Girls:
Kristy Lee Cook
Asia’h Epperson
Ramiele Malubay
Syesha Mercado
Carly Smithson
Brooke White

I will admit that my choices for the guys are heavily biased toward those we’ve seen or heard from already. In other words, I’ve listed no men whom we don’t know at least something about! I’m sure this list would be different if I were making it after we saw them all perform. In the case of the girls, some got more screen time than others, but we’ve seen all of them at least briefly.

Burke: It looks to me like it’s a strong year for the girls, but that could change. Here is my desired top 12:

Guys:
Robbie Carrico
Chikezie Eze
David Hernandez
Michael Johns
Luke Menard
Jason Yeager

Girls:
Joanne Borgella
Asia’h Epperson
Ramiele Malubay
Syesha Mercado
Carly Smithson
Brooke White

Bunny: It looks like you are a proponent of minimal confusion, since you’ve eliminated two of the Davids and one of the Jasons.

Burke: That wasn’t my plan, but since it worked out that way, less confusion is always good!

Bunny: Here are the Prognosticats, carefully contemplating their choices, which are old folded-up business cards, each with a contestant’s name.

Prognosticats: We, unfettered by having to consider such crucial criteria as singing ability and face time, predict that the following will be the American Idol Top 12. And we want that tuna now.

Guys:
Colton Berry
Jason Castro
Michael Johns
Luke Menard
Danny Noriega
Jason Yeager

Girls:
Amy Davis
Asia’h Epperson
Kady Malloy
Syesha Mercado
Amanda Overmyer
Carly Smithson

Bunny: We’ll meet you in front of the TV on Tuesday night at 8 p.m. Eastern for the first performance show!

Bunny: Ryan starts the show from Egypt with Hayden Christensen in a cheesy “Jumper”-inspired intro.

It’s the big day, and the top 50 are having breakfast, those whose nervous stomachs will allow them to eat, that is. The judges are still debating the merits of various contestants. Ryan reminds us that the talent is so strong this year, each judge will have to sacrifice some of their personal favorites. By 9:00 a.m., final decisions are made, and Simon is not happy with some of them. If he were, I would be worried. Simon is my favorite judge, mind you, but he’s a little cantankerous for my taste sometimes.

Anyway, Ryan explains the agonizing trip the singers have to take up the elevator and across the endless room to the judges. Ryan is starting to talk like Tyra Banks, emphasizing EVry OTHer SYLLable.

We start with Ronald Hodge, Nina Shaw, Mycale Guyton, and Lisa Aukerman, all of whom are going home.

We’re then strung along on a thread of artificial suspense when Carly Smithson steps up. She doesn’t know if she will continue pursuing a singing career if it doesn’t go well today. Paula drags out delivery of the answer with lots of jabber, which Simon says is “torcha” to the contestants. It certainly appears to be hard on Carly. Finally she is given the good news; she has made it to the top 24.

David Cook is glad he doesn’t have to go get a job—he’s moving on, as is Amanda Overmyer, although I think he’s more versatile than she is.

There is a trio of Nos: Brandon Green, Amanda Hawkins, and Buck Smith.

David Archuleta is up next. In the interest of squelching the aforementioned artificial suspense, I’ll tell you now it’s a Yes. Simon explains that the judges scrutinize those under 18 to make sure they have the confidence to handle rigors of the American Idol machine. He does a little “torcha”-ing of his own before giving the news to a grateful David.

Next to secure a top spot is Kristy Lee Cook, not a big surprise. They do warn her she needs to be more consistent.

Brooke White really wants this, but she’s another one who’s not sure about her future in music if it’s bad news today. Fortunately, she won’t have to make that decision just yet. She’s in.

Danny Noriega, Jason Castro, Luke Menard, and Alexandrea Lushington, most of whom got very little if any screen time so far, are all Yeses.

By the time we get to Ramiele Malubay, I wonder if it’s time for someone to get shot down. I’m so glad she isn’t. She’s obviously one of Simon’s favorites, too. He was actually tapping his foot in time to the music in the clip they show of one of her Hollywood performances. Yay for Ramiele!

Now we come to another string of disappointed singers: Shaun Barrowes, Lorena Pinot, Drew Poppelreiter, and Natashia Blach. Natashia has a baby to go home to, and although I like her, it’s hard to be sad that she’ll be there for her child over the next few months instead of competing on Idol. Drew takes it well—he doesn’t want to miss turkey season, after all. Sorry to see you go, Drew.

Michael Johns says he wouldn’t have done anything differently; still, his confidence is slightly shaken as the day wears on. However, he gets the nod from the judges.

Next to take the elevator ride is Syesha Mercado, whose voice almost failed her during Hollywood week. I appreciate the fact that she says she is happy, even before she hears whether it’s yea or nay. Paula points out that the answer is within the spelling of her name.

Robbie Carrico is in. (Whew—so far so good with my early prediction!)

More happy faces return from the judges’ room: Garrett Haley, Kady Malloy, Chikezie Eze (Chikezie Eze, Chikezie Eze!), Amy Davis, Alaina Whitaker, Jason Yeager, and Asia’h Epperson.

The judges tell David Hernandez that he was one of the tough ones to make a decision on. Simon says he’ll have to work hard to have the faintest chance of winning, but he will get the opportunity to try.

Okay, we’re down to Josiah Leming. I’m holding my breath. He thinks it will be good news. He admits to the panel that their compliments had gone to his head, leading to overconfidence. I think it’s a good sign that Randy asks him how he thinks he’s done, but it’s not. Bye, young Josiah. The judges think he should stick with it, though. I think it would have been an even more interesting competition with him in the mix, but that’s the way it goes. I hope he can patch things up with his family and get some support; he seems to need it, poor guy.

It’s the end of the day and we’re down to two guys and two girls in the holding room. Colton Berry and Kyle Ensley see the judges together, as has been the custom in this phase of the selection process. They seem to be good friends. In a split decision, Kyle is going home and Colton is going on. This appears to be the verdict that caused the most disagreement among the judges. Surprisingly, Simon tells Kyle he thinks the other judges are completely and utterly wrong and that the American public would have enjoyed seeing him. Kyle accepts the news with his own sort of aplomb. Colton is sad to see his friend go home.

Last up are Joanne Borgella and Cardin McKinney. Either one would be a good choice, in my opinion. Cardin doesn’t think she did herself justice in Hollywood, whereas Joanne says she fell in love with singing again and is grateful to be here. In a unanimous decision, Joanne is in, Cardin out. As they leave the room, Simon admits this is the point where he changes his mind.

When all is said and done, in alphabetical order, here are the top 24!

GUYS:
David Archuleta
Colton Berry
Robbie Carrico
Jason Castro
David Cook
Chikezie Eze
Garrett Haley
David Hernandez
Michael Johns
Luke Menard
Danny Noriega
Jason Yeager

GIRLS:
Joanne Borgella
Kristy Lee Cook
Amy Davis
Asia’h Epperson
Alexandrea Lushington
Kady Malloy
Ramiele Malubay
Syesha Mercado
Amanda Overmyer
Carly Smithson
Alaina Whitaker
Brooke White

PREDICTION STATUS SO FAR:

There was definitely some early-round talent who didn’t make the cut. We would have liked to see Angela Martin, Josiah Leming, Rachael Wicker, Suzanne Toon, and Drew Poppelreiter get through, but it was not to be. There are also a few we were watching with interest who disappeared without a trace during Hollywood week: Alesha Stelzl, Samantha Sidley, Samantha Musa, and Beth Stalker.

However, Bunny’s early-audition prediction, Robbie Carrico, is in the top 24, as is Brooke White, Burke’s pick. Sadly, the Prognosticats’ choice of Natashia Blach didn’t make it. However, visit us again for more reviews and predictions as the competition heats up!

Bunny: So here we are in Hollywood again. Lots of people enjoy Hollywood week, but I’m less than enthusiastic about it. It’s tough to follow at times, and I feel like I’m struggling to keep up. Four days are crammed into two hours, and 164 contestants are whittled to 50, and then 24. (Yes, I know 100,000+ going down to 164 is a far greater ratio, but at least we have several weeks to digest those episodes.)

Ryan’s going to hurt himself if he says THIS is AMERican Idol with any more force.

This year, there are a few changes to the proceedings. Not only are the contestants allowed to use instruments, but there is no group singing this year. I guess I’m good with that. The rest of the competition isn’t about your ability to sing with others, so why waste time on it?

Also, this year everyone gets a second chance. Those who impress get a free pass to the third day; those who don’t have another opportunity to impress before the “bloodbath” of the cuts, which is an ridiculously extreme word for Idol to use for a singing contest.

We’re not going to comment on every contestant who was shown. Burke is sick and won’t be able to regale you with his witty color commentary tonight anyway. Rather, I’ll just cover some of the highs and lows from where I sit.

First off, although the instruments play a role in how well some of the contestants do, the whole idea isn’t given as much weight as I expected. By the second half of the show, it isn’t an issue. I wonder if they’ll continue with it next year. A few seem so distracted by the instrument they forget to give serious attention to their vocals.

Brooke White feels a little intimidated by the talent surrounding her, but she plays the piano and sings “Beautiful,” which is I think by Carole King. She is good but doesn’t stand out big-time for me. However, Burke picked her to win, and the judges still love her.

Amy Flynn chooses a song that doesn’t suit her and stops herself when she hits a bad note. She pulls out the standard-issue pout, but she will have a second chance.

Playing the drums while singing “Hooked On A Feeling” is Jake Mellema. Simon seems cranky (doesn’t take me long to pick up on a trend) and says it was a horrible, horrible song choice and presentation and that the only redeeming feature is the fact that they stopped him early. Even Paula is not impressed. I don’t think it was that bad! What do I know.

David Hernandez has a bit of an Elliott Yamin vibe but with a few too many vocal acrobatics for my taste. The judges are loving it, though, and comment on how comfortable he is on stage.

Biker/nurse Amanda Overmyer had a bad car accident a week before Hollywood in which the car was totaled. She suffered cracked ribs and got twelve staples in her skull. Neither seem to affect her performance. Her style is not one I personally love, but she definitely has presence. It’s a little hard to understand the words at times. Randy loves the Janis Joplin feel and thinks an artist like her could be big again. Simon fears she will become monotonous, and that’s my concern. She gets through to the third day.

In spite of a serious warning that there is no excuse for forgetting lyrics, of course there are some who do, including Cardin McKinney. Natashia Blach totally blanks on “Sway.” Come on, Natashia, the Prognosticats are rooting for you to win!

Still kissin’ on all the girls in sight is Ghaleb Emachah. Paula backpedals bigtime after his performance of “Everything I Do, I Do It For You” and appears to feel bad about her change of heart in regard to the Venezuelan Casanova. Simon, apparently, has been in a restaurant where the waiter has picked up a guitar, murdered a Bryan Adams song, and everyone has left, and he says Ghaleb’s performance was just like that. Really. I suppose Simon has actually eaten onions with ice cream too.

At the end of day one, 54 have been shot down, but as mentioned, they will get another chance.

Day two starts with Josiah Leming, one of my personal faves. He sings a song I don’t know, and it’s a strange choice, but the judges love it and Josiah is given the green light. Simon says it’s the one audition he will remember. I can see why; this kid is definitely unique.

Carly Smithson sings “When I Need You.” Paula says she is a force to be reckoned with, and Simon says the others should all hate her. I guess we know who to watch for.

Danny Noriega, Ramiele Malubay, and Michael Johns also make it through.

Next is David Cook, who plays guitar and also sings the Bryan Adams song. I am really liking this guy. I’m surprised at the song choice for him, but maybe it’s his attempt to prove he’s versatile before the judges can make that assertion. His voice does crack a bit on the high notes, and Simon thinks he wouldn’t do as well without the guitar, but David moves on. Good.

Robbie Carrico also chooses “Everything I Do.” Since he’s my early pick, I’m glad to see he’s got a Yes so far.

After hearing the same song a few more times by mostly unsuccessful contestants, we move on to Kyle Ensley. Kyle has learned a new pickup line: Y’ever eat deer jerky? His performance prompts a “corny” from Paula and an “abysmal” from Simon, who has had enough for the day and takes off. Not a great start for the would-be politician.

The next thing I notice is that Randy is sitting in the middle, which I don’t remember seeing before, except for when he’s preventing fisticuffs between Paula and Simon.

It’s day three in Hollywood, and once again the term “bloodbath” is used to describe the proceedings. There are 116 contestants who have to bring it today in order to stay. They come out in groups of 10 and sing a cappella one by one, so the pressure is on. It’s going to be brutal, Simon says. He reveals the judges’ approach: If they feel a singer doesn’t have a shot at the top 10, they’re gone.

Suzanne Toon looks totally different than the original audition; I didn’t recognize her. She sings “Summertime” and I think it’s good. According to the judges, it’s not. Bummer; I like her. Perrie Cataldo is also taken out of the running.

Amy Flynn and her voice coach are rehearsing outside. The coach, Angel, made it to Hollywood in Season 4. Amy has picked a song she’s never heard before, a risky move. Too risky; she’s gone.

So far, only 4 out of 40 have made it. Ryan says the cuts are vicious. Okay, enough with the violent phraseology. Did the writers’ strike affect American Idol? It certainly seems so. Get thee to a thesaurus.

A couple of singers who got attention in the early auditions are cut next: Kayla Hatfield and Angelica Puente. There’s good news for Kristy Lee Cook, though, who sticks with what worked for her the first time, “Amazing Grace.”

I’m already tired of Jeffrey Lampkin’s theatrics, but he gets a Yes. His sister Michelle was eliminated earlier today.

I’m very sorry to see Angela Martin go home next. Tragically, her father was killed in the time between the audition and Hollywood week, and her sisters talked her into competing anyway. Sad backstory aside, I think she’s very talented. She takes the rejection with class. I hope things start looking up for her.

Now it’s day four and it’s the last chance to blow the judges’ socks off. Survivors from the first three days perform today to get into the top 50. Now they will have a band and backup singers and can sing any song they want; basically the same setup as in the top 24 to come.

Well, the judges’ socks are on the floor. David Archuleta sings “Heaven” by Bryan Adams with feeling and maturity, especially for a 16-year-old. Other than his audible intake of breath before each line, I think he’s great. Randy goes so far as to say he’s the best so far in Hollywood. Even Simon is moved to list what David has going for him: youth, good looks, likeability, and most important, a good voice.

Kyle Ensley does a good job with “You Raise Me Up.” Simon apologizes for walking out on him previously, and he is given the go-ahead. Someone get that young man a stylist, please. He looks like my 7th-grade math teacher. (No offense to math teachers.)

Jeffrey Lampkin has a rough, rough day, and he’s going home. I can’t say I’m heartbroken. Joey Catalano sings through a migraine, but it’s not enough. His voice is a little high for my taste, anyway. Then again, I love the Bee Gees, so what am I talking about?

Using signs in order to save her waning voice, Syesha Mercado conveys to Ryan that she’s ready to go in spite of the sickness that plagued her on day one. This girl is a star! The judges think she’s one to watch, and I agree wholeheartedly.

We hear Michael Johns’ original audition again, and it’s more impressive to me this time around for some reason. He sings “Bohemian Rhapsody” today, and although he sounds a little strained on the higher notes, Simon says he’s the best of the day.

Next it’s time for Carly Smithson to prove herself again. In spite of a recently discovered allergy to her dog, she does a great job on “Alone” by Heart. I love her accent.

Asia’h Epperson also gets a Yes. I like her better here than I did originally. Simon loves it and throws lots of superlatives around. I think she’s a great addition to the competition.

Now Brooke Helvie sings “Unchained Melody.” She has some trouble and asks if she can try again on the part she messed up. The judges say no, there’s no time, but she does it anyway, and she inexplicably starts at the beginning instead. She is very upset to be going home and wishes she had been given a fair chance. Come now, be reasonable, Brooke. Her singing, I like—her attitude, not so much.

Last for the day, just like at audition time, is Josiah Leming. The list of 200 songs they are given to choose from overwhelms him, and he isn’t able to settle on one until 3:30 a.m. the day of his performance. The rehearsal with the band is not a success, and Josiah is in tears. He runs into Debra Byrd, vocal coach, in the lobby of the hotel, who gives him firm but kind advice and offers extra help. But after less than two hours of sleep, an unprepared J.L. takes the stage. He thanks the band but says he’s going to go it alone with “Stand By Me.” It is not good. He tries to get sympathy by saying it took guts for him to dismiss the band. Josiah, Josiah. When you do something that takes a lot of courage, let other people verbalize it for you, or the effect is lost. Simon reads him the riot act (now they’ve got me using violent metaphors). More tears follow. You’ve got to get it together, kiddo! Bottom line, however, is that Josiah’s got something special, and he makes it through despite the Idol promo earlier in the show that made it look like he doesn’t. I should know better than to believe them by now. I think he’s going to add some interest to the competition, assuming he makes it past “the chair” tomorrow night.

Speaking of which, we find out tomorrow who has made it into the top 24. We see lots of clips of the judges deliberating and Simon saying no, no, no. And I want to know who he would stake his life on!

It would be more or less redundant for us to make predictions based on the show tonight, but watch for our commentary after tomorrow’s broadcast, and renewed predictions and reviews after performance and results shows in the coming months. Thanks for reading!

Bunny: After taking a few days to recover from audition overload, we wanted to take a few minutes and recap our favorites going into Hollywood week. Having picked Carrie Underwood to win in Season 4 based on only the audition shows (I told you I wouldn’t let you forget), I am hoping to prove that my superior talent-evaluation powers are still finely honed.

Burke: *coughs into elbow*fluke*cough*

Bunny: Sigh. Inside, I agree. Still, here are a few contestants who stand out in my mind at this point, chosen from among those I singled out in each audition recap. Bear in mind, I have not read any spoilers on the web or elsewhere about who supposedly have made the top 24. I’m not saying I don’t read Idol message boards and blogs, because I do (after I’ve written my own recaps), but I don’t read “spoiler” threads that claim to have early info on the contenders.

Angela Martin
Audition city: Philadelphia
As I noted in the Philly recap, I think Angela has a great combination of talent, beauty, and a sympathetic backstory. Fair or not, the influence of the latter cannot be ignored completely. However, I have faith that Angela can “de-wedding-ize” her performances and impress the judges and America.

Alaina Whitaker
Audition city: Dallas
The inevitable Carrie Underwood comparisons could hurt her, but I think Alaina has the chops to make it. She’s young, but that didn’t hurt Jordin Sparks. Here’s hoping we hear lots more of her powerful voice.

Perrie Cataldo
Audition city: San Diego
My notes on Perrie and San Diego as a whole are sketchy, but his name has stuck with me, probably for a reason, and he’s one of the few men who really stood out for me.

Rachael Wicker
Audition city: Omaha
The unanimousness (is that a word? Unanimosity? No, that sounds bad) of her going-to-Hollywood vote was ruined by Simon, and I usually agree with our favorite wardrobe-challenged judge. But in view of the fact that he has said no to other contestants who have gone on to prove him wrong to varying degrees, I don’t hesitate to go out on a limb and say I like Rachael’s chances, as long as she learns not to overdo the little yodel in her voice. She’s unique.

Robbie Carrico
Audition city: Miami
What struck me most about Robbie is his naturalness; it didn’t feel like he was trying too hard to impress, and his singing seemed effortless. That’s an extremely important quality, in my opinion.

Ramiele Malubay
Audition city: Miami
The fact that she could do justice to an Aretha song says a lot about this dynamo. If she can catch even part of the wave of popularity enjoyed by Jasmine Trias, she’s got the talent to back it up.

Syesha Mercado
Audition city: Miami
Syesha’s confident rendition of “Think” has made her a definite contender in my mind. I have a feeling we’ll be hearing a lot more of her clear, compelling voice.

Natashia Blach
Audition city: Miami
Maybe the reason Natashia sticks in my mind is the fact that she sang one of my favorite songs (“At Last,” admittedly an overdone song on American Idol), but my notes show that I really liked her voice, and I usually didn’t write that unless the contestant really made an impression on me. While I wouldn’t pick her to win the whole thing, I think she’ll make it to the top 24.

Cardin Lee McKinney
Audition city: unknown (Best of the Rest episode)
I’m hearing that there are a lot of Cardin fans out there, and deservedly so. I liked her attitude during the audition and she’s got lots of talent and a good Idol “look.” She’s another one who got a No from Simon, but I think she’ll learn from the judges’ appraisals and keep improving.

Obviously, I was the most impressed by Miami, and not so much by Charleston or Atlanta, although it’s possible Cardin auditioned in one of these cities.

Burke: Not a lot of them stood out to me, and unfortunately, I don’t have the time to write out details right now, but here are a few who did stick in my memory:

Kristy Lee Cook
Audition city: Philadelphia

Brooke White
Audition city: Philadelphia

London Weidberg
Audition city: Charleston

Suzanne Toon
Audition city: Miami

Brooke Helvie
Audition city: Atlanta

Joanne Borgella
Audition city: Unknown (Best of the Rest episode)

Bunny: My overall pick to win—just for the fun of it—is ROBBIE CARRICO. I’m not saying he’s my favorite, because he isn’t (it’s far too early for me to choose a favorite anyway), but I did like him, and I have to pick somebody.

Burke: My overall pick is BROOKE WHITE.

Prognosticats: The felines’ favorite is NATASHIA BLACH.

Bunny: If you’d like to go on record here with your pick to win, feel free to leave a comment! We’d be interested in why you made your choice, if you care to share. (Please keep it polite. There are places on the Internet for heedless contestant-bashing. This isn’t one of them.) Thank you for reading Predict Idol, and come back and check in with us again!