American Idol - the top 12

I wasn't gonna blog tonight due to time constraints, but I have been so blown away by some of the performances tonight that I just had to get my thoughts down in writing.

Syesha Mercado - Yeah, she was pitchy to start but she was also the first performer on the new stage. I liked the arrangement too. I still think she's one of the best singers, but I'm really worried about her based on this performance.

Chikezie - for the first time tonight, I was really impressed with him. Now if they could just get him into some better outfits! You can't be a rocker in an argyle sweater and a sweatband watch!

Ramiele - Boring, ordinary, and forgettable. She's a good singer, but this song didn't show it. I'm still not a fan, and I think she should probably go home this week.

Jason Castro - OK, so the song was forgettable, but he is one of the most talented in the group. He has a great voice, and I think he may be the only contestant who can give David A. a run for his money, but he needs to hit one out of the park SOON.

Carly Smithson - WOW. OK, so she's been singing that song every week for years, so it should be good. But I loved the arrangement, and she finally got a chance to really show her talent. Hm... she could challenge David A. too, but she's got to keep it up every week.

David Cook - Elanor Rigby is one of my least favorite Beatles songs, but David's arrangement was fantastic too. I finally believe that he could be a real rocker, not just a wanna-be. I still don't like the drugged-out eyes look.

Brooke White - Yep, she picked the perfect song for her voice. And it's so cool to see these people playing and singing. This year is truly a talent competition, not just a singing competition.

David Hernandez - Hm... it's just a very ordinary, amusement park-ish performance. It's just not a song that really showcases his voice. I still don't think he's the worst tonight, but I can see why he's towards the bottom of DialIdol currently.

Amanda Overmeyer - She should be singing Sgt Pepper's, but I'll have to fast forward through some commercials to find out if I'm right. OK, she's singing a song I've never heard of -- at least not by name. It's a good, solid performance... actually, it's pretty good. I'm getting a bit tired of her voice, but I love the way she made the song her own. (Or, if she didn't change it up, then she picked a brilliant song for her style.)

Michael Johns - He's my least favorite of the guys -- he's had some really awful performances in past weeks -- and while this week's performance was better, it was still ordinary and boring. He needs to go home soon.

Kristy Lee Cook - I'm still amazed that she made the top 12, but I guess there are a lot of country fans out there -- look at Carrie Underwood and even Kellie Pickler. Her country version of "Eight Days A Week" is actually damn good. Wow, I can't believe none of the judges liked it! I hate country, and I don't really like that song either, but I liked that version better than the original, and I thought the performance was great.

David Archuleta - Once again they've saved the best for last. This is a Beatles song I actually like, and I'm a bit disappointed that he chose to do the Stevie Wonder version. And he's stumbling over the words all over the place! That's his age and inexperience showing. He's lucky he has such a huge fan base. If he does that again in a later week, he'll be gone.

So, based on the performances tonight, I have to say that David A. will NOT win, because I suspect he will have another slip-up in future weeks. I wasn't so sure he could hold that front-runner spot all the way to the end anyway.

So who can win it? Jason Castro can, but he needs to do something amazing in the next week or two. David Cook can if he continues to give stellar performances like tonight's. And probably the best shot right now is Brooke White, who keeps giving solid, consistent performances. She also has a great personality and a unique sound, which makes her memorable every time she sings. That counts for a lot.

As for who's going home this week, it will probably be Syesha or David H, who had the weakest performances of the night and have had weak performances over the last few weeks as well. I'd rather see Ramiele go, but I think Syesha's time is up.