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Tonight the Top 12 guys took the stage on American Idol, and boy was it obvious that they were nervous. There were a few good performances, but most were either boring or all out crappy. Tonight also saw the return of Simon and Ryan’s bickering. Jeez, and so early in the competition. We’re not even with the Top 12 yet, and already these two are at each other’s throats. It sucks that they fought because I’m concerned that most people will just remember the arguing rather than the actual performances when it comes to voting time.

I’ll separate the fellas into three categories, but first a caveat: I unfortunately missed the first two performances so I’ll just refer to what I saw from the recap near the end of the show. Yes, I know that the recap footage was taken from the dress rehearsal, but it’s the best I can do.

The Good

Chris Sligh: Chris came out and woke everyone up from the coma caused by the previous singer, Sanjaya. I thought he was great and was full of energy, although he did get a little ahead of the beat like Randy and Paula said. I think that Simon is unsure of what to make of Chris. I think that, similar to how he felt about Clay Aiken years ago, Simon knows that the guy can sing, but he sure as hell doesn’t fit the American Idol mold. Oh, and methinks that Chris’ Il Divo crack stung Simon just a wee bit. Heh heh.

AJ Tabaldo: Like Chris, AJ was energetic and picked a great song to liven up the place. His singing and dancing were both great. He kind of reminds me a little of Mario Vasquez, who left the competition during Season 5 in spite of being a shoo-in to win. I’m pretty sure that AJ will be back with us next week.

The Bad

Phil Stacy: I fell in love with “I Could Not Ask for More” ever since I first heard Clay perform it during Season 2, and Phil’s performance just doesn’t compare. I think that he was putting his mouth too close to the mic because the first half of the song sounded mumbled. However, he did do well during the chorus, which is what people will remember most.

Brandon Rogers: Brandon was one of the performances I missed, but based on the recap, I’d say that it was good, but as the judges would say, safe and forgettable. This was a common theme among the guys.

Nick Pedro: Another boring performance. Nick has a nice voice and he’s cute, but he’ll have to do a more upbeat song if he makes it through this week.

Blake Lewis: We finally get to hear what he sounds like without beatboxing. I like Blake. He’s got a Sting-like quality to his voice.

Jared Cotter: I love this song (”Back at One” by Brian McKnight), and for the most part Jared did well. However, his performance was rather bland and unmemorable. Why, oh why do people pick slow ballads as the very first song they sing in front of the voting audience?

The Ugly

Paul Kim: First of all, I agree with Simon in that Paul should quit his little gimmick of going barefoot while performing. It’s childish and reminds me of Jasmine Trias’s flowers in her hair during Season 3, or Ruben Studdard’s 205 T-shirts in Season 2. As for his performance, I was diappointed. Paul just came across as being a weak George Michael impersonator. I wouldn’t be surprised if Paul doesn’t join us next week.

Chris Richardson: Dude, you are NOT Justin Timberlake. You sound like a sheep trying to sound like Justin. Give it up already. Bo Bice totally rocked that song last year, while you killed it.

Sundance Head: I don’t know why this guy is such a favorite with people. He seemed to lose steam after his initial audition. I have so far not been impressed with him, and I didn’t care much for his performance.

Rudy Cardenas: I missed Rudy’s performance, but from the recap I saw, I think it was horrible. He sounded sharp for the most part.

Sanjaya Malakar: I was wondering who would sing the obligatory Stevie Wonder song, and Sanjaya fell in that trap. This kid has a nice smile and a great personality, but his performance was blah. Why haven’t these contestants learned that unless you ARE Whitney, Mariah, Celine, or Stevie, do not sing their music. These particular artists have very distinct sounds and are so well-known that anyone else who tries to sing their songs comes across as an impersonator.

I think that the two going home this week are Rudy and Paul. The other three in the “Ugly” category have already established fanbases, so it’ll be hard to knock them out of the competition.

Tommorow night is the ladies’ turn to sing. Let’s hope that Simon and Ryan behave themselves.

Technorati Tags: American Idol, Ryan Seacrest, Paula Abdul, Simon Cowell, Randy Jackson, American Idol Top 24, Rudy Cardenas, Sundance Head, Brandon Rogers, Paul Kim, Chris Sligh, Phil Stacy, Nick Pedro, Sanjaya Malakar, Blake Lewis, Jared Cotter, AJ Tabaldo, Chris Richardson

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