AI7 Preview

After almost two months of American Idol auditions and the breezed over, but thankfully group performance-free, Hollywood week over, the Top 24 start performing next week.

I am guessing this group below will make it to the "big show"... for the most part, these are the "teacher's pet"... blessed with lots of, or enough, screen time.

For the ladies we have (from left to right):
Syesha "Oooh, I lost my voice but aint' I cute that I hold up signs instead of talking, but mamma can I siiii-nng or what when I have to!" Mercado...

Amanda "I'm a bad-ass rocker bike chick nurse and the reincarnation of Janis Joplin" Overmyer...

and finally, Carly "I'm a tattoo chick from Ireland, I made it to Hollywood two seasons ago but then had problems with my visa and while my audition this year wasn't as good as two years ago, I really want this bad and if I don't make it this year I will give up on my dreams of singing" Smithson. 

Okay, you get the point... by no fault of their own, they got screen time and mostly deserved... though Nurse Overmyer is going to have to convince me she's more than a one-trick pony.

On the guy front (bottom row, left to right), I think it is pretty safe that Aussie white-soul singer Michael Johns will waltz through the semis... easy on the eyes and ears, both the singing and the melt-inducing accent/speaking voice.  Chikezie Eze.is my screen time exception... this guy's likability light shines bright and who doesn't love saying that name!   And even if you find him a tad annoying, it's hard to fall in love with David "paralyzed vocal chord" Archuleta.... and we're already mimicking his smokey "thank you, thank you"s here.

And since we tend to have more of an eye on the boys, here are a few more thoughts...

Danny Noriega has been impressive, but boy has the flame been burning high he been sassssy... so I fear that will be an issue... plus I think Archuleta hands-down wins the "Tiger Beat" vote.

Next up, is a non-screen hog... "and 20 others from Atlanta got their ticket to Hollywood" or during the final cut, the judges torture Irish-tattoo chick Carly for 10 minutes and then we learn John, Joe, and Mike have made it through in the 23 seconds prior to a commercial break... so, unless my memory is failing me (somewhat/very likely!), Luke Menard is one of those victims of "moving on" whiplash... but given what I see above and he can sing too... bring him on!

Finally, I have to give a shout-out to our one hometown boy David Hernandez (also hailing from AZ, is Brooke "straggly blond, piano playing, emotional mess, nanny, this is also my last shot at a music career" White). I thought David was a stand-out with his Hollywood rendition of "Love The One Your With"... but Simon made sure to say he wasn't impressed with him (never a good sign) during the final cuts.

Lastly, on the Josiah (homeless boy that turns Brit when singing) "shocker"... I am on the side that was glad to see him go.  In retrospect, it's easy to see the (cruelly) crafted this whole "build him up, watch him fall" storyline.  I didn't think his first Hollywood performance, Mika's Grace Kelly, was worthy of a free-pass to what was that cringe-worthy final performance.  His shtick (emotionally immature, false bravado) was already getting old, so it probably only would have been worse if he kept on being set up for a bigger fall (I have little doubt he would have stuck around for awhile).