A HOT AI Night!

This week the males were HOT! They wowed the judges, including the ever critical Simon. And they certainly wowed me!

The night started out okay with Luke Menard. I have nothing against him, but the problem is I have nothing to praise him about either, aside from his similarity with Orlando Bloom. He is, as Simon said, forgettable. Which is why I think he is in grave danger of being cut this week. David Archuleta followed, with a very goose-bumpy performance of an Eric Clapton classic. The judges didn't like it as much. I'd have to disagree with them. I believe that this was one of my favorite David Archuleta moments. I liked the whole piano thing he did at the beginning, until he just focused on his singing. A few pitch problems here and there but he really made the song different. Danny Noriega followed and I was rendered speechless! He must have outperformed and outsassed all the ladies. Vocals weren't quite good, Simon wasn't feeling it again. The arrangement was actually pretty funky.

Then the night was really set on fire! There was David Hernandez singing a female-popularized song and owning it (although it pales in comparison to his hot interpretation of "Papa was a Rolling Stone"). Then there was Michael Johns' deep rough voice and unique stage antics. I'm very glad he's back in the game - last week was a disappointing night for him. David Cook's rendition of the Lionel song was extremely unpredictable and he did a great job! I'm glad Simon is starting to warm up to him. He is one cool guy. And his voice is perfect for that rock scene!

Then there was Jason Castro! He was the absolute highlight of this night, in my opinion. Just as Paula said, he showed his vulnerability, and his phrasing is really what sets him apart. I also love his voice! It has this accent that really makes me want to listen to him sing over and over again. Personality wise, he is a cinch to be my favorite. He is this shy, funny guy type with a bit of a flirtatious side to him. He is ADORABLE!!! I find myself smiling whenever I listen to his interviews and his singing.

Chikezie was the last to perform and I must say that I am starting to get annoyed by his cockiness. Simon asked him a painfully simple question if Whitney sang the song, and he had to show off his musical memory by telling him who remade the song, yadda yadda. His vocals this week wasn't all that good either. Very pitchy. I couldn't relax as I was always trying to adapt to the tone.

All in all, I like 5 out of the current 8 so here's to hoping that the 5 I like get through! Way to go, guys! Go beat the females, who I believe are sorely lacking in diversity this season.

My American Idol Picks and Ramblings

My Top 3/4 picks!
1. Jason Castro
- I LOVE his tone and voice, his funny, shy guy personality, his eyes
2. David Archuleta
- The judges are right, he sings like a seasoned performer, and his personality shines through each of the songs
- ADORABLE, ADORABLE, ADORABLE!!!!
3. David Cook or Michael Johns
- These two are fighting this spot. Michael Johns didn't choose the right song
- Still waiting for David Cook to really rock it

Ramblings:
1. Is it just me or is Simon Cowell extremely critical this season? I mean there are performances that are actually pretty good but he's not impressed!
2. What does Simon have against Crossword?? Sheesh, do all American Idol contestants have to follow the same mold?!
3. A guy should win this season because the guys are more unique and diverse.

American Idol Season 7 Top 24 has been chosen!

And here are my top picks from the cream of the crop!

Michael Johns

Great voice, good looks, he's not tied down to just one genre, very cool persona, Michael Johns is an ultimate package and he can definitely light the crowd's fire.





His rendition of Bohemian Rhapsody is interesting, he didn't go crazy with it, and instead made it his own:



David Archuleta

He's 16 years old but very mature, is as charming as charming can ever get, has a very interesting past (he almost lost his voice!), has that huskiness to his vocal box and good looks to boot! He's certainly going to capture a lot of hearts.



That's pretty much my top picks for now!

Another one I really liked who didn't make it was the cool guy, Josiah Leming. The way he shouts in his songs is extremely interesting, it's high-pitched, almost on the brink of breaking, but it really works! I think he can really make it big in the commercial pop/alternative/punk industry because he is the type of voice and personality that people are looking for nowadays (maybe minus the excessive crying).



Everyone will agree that Mika's songs are hard to sing, what more to make it your own? Josiah proved he has mad skills to do that. And have you ever seen Simon smile like this before??



Sadly, he didn't quite make it. The pressure of delivering was too much for him, he wasn't able to practice enough for his last performance, and he did the risky move of singing without a band which Simon misinterpreted as arrogance (I personally think Josiah did that only because he was afraid he'd mess up more if he played with a band he wasn't able to practice with).

I guess it's better luck next time for him. He still lacks the maturity that 16-year old David possesses. He has to get his act straight a bit, be a little more confident, a little less rattled so we can hopefully see more of him in the near future.

On the female side, I personally do not have any favorites. The closest I have of a favorite on the female arena is the rocker nurse. She is a very very cool contestant but I agree with Simon that she has to change it up because she runs the risk of being overly predictable. The other girls don't seem to fit the genre I'm looking for. A lot of beautiful contestants, no doubt, but they seem to be all belters / country gals and I really really hate country music. The thought of having another Carrie Underwood winner makes me shudder.

Can't wait for next week!