American Idol Top 24 Discussion

[rickey]

Discuss the show here.

[richie]

Kind of an uneven night for the guys so far. I thought David Archuleta was amazing, and David Cook was also excellent. Michael Lee Johns was good but had a few weak spots that I didn't expect - needs to bounce less. David Hernandez was good, but lost it a bit. I was not as sold on Jason Castro as Simon was, but apparently all you need are blue eyes and lots of teeth to do well. It is a shame Luke Menard kind of tanked, and Jason Yeager slipped away, he has a nice voice. I was shocked Danny Noriega got swallowed by his song. Robbie C is kind of scaring me, already looking like an aged rocker, very Vince Neal.

[DJRyce]

My personal favorites for the night (Not necessarily the best vocal performances, but the singers I'm rooting for, based on auditions, personality, etc)

1. Jason Castro - I completely and utterly fell in love. It's not the eyes, it's the dreadlocks. But honestly, I think his performance was the most natural and believable of the entire night. His song didn't sound like a 60's song-- every adult contemporary/mix radio station in the country would be playing it. Plus he says Texas music inspires him, 2 points.
2. David Cook - not amazing, but a fun performance. I think the best is yet to come from him, hopefully in the form of "Livin' on a Prayer" in its entirety.
3. Robbie - I can't remember his last name, but I think he's got a great sense of humor picking that song. It was very listenable, and he changed it up from the original. It's the type of silly cover you'd hear at a rock concert, and I dug it.
4. Michael Lee/Johns - I don't understand why they saved him for the pimp spot, but I'll take it. He's the strongest performer, you can definitely tell that he's had experience being in front of the stage. He looked very comfortable, and he's got a sexy accent.

I also picked these guys because they all seem to have actual musical experience, and I kind of think musicians that write their own music are more legitimate. I think any of these guys have the talent to write their own records, perform with a band, and go on tour.

[Abs]

David Hernandez, I liked his performance, it's a good start of the show :)
Chikezie Eze was... uh, has an unmemorable performance...
David Cook, aside from some off-pitches tune, I think it was good
Jason Yeager, Moon River? what was he thinking? *sighs*
Robbie Carico tried so hard to be a rocker, and failed :p
David Archuleta had a good performance, I like his voice
Danny Noriega was alright, kinda forcing it a little bit, but it's alright
Luke Menard was disappointing.
Colton Berry, the song I like, but I don't think his voice is suitable for the song
Garret Haley was boring, I could fall asleep during his performance
Jason Castro was so-so, there's nothing interesting about him and his performance *shrugs*
Michael Lee Johns closed the show with a great performance :cool:

I think Garrett Haley and Luke Menard will be voted out *shrugs*

[Jodi]

Okay, so this is the first night I've watched the show this season. I wasn't going to, because I really have so many other things I'd rather be doing, but my mom insisted I watch because it has been our tradition to call each other during commercial breaks and discuss the relative merits (or demerits?) (dismerits?) (Tom Skerritts?) of the contestants.

As soon as I heard David Cook, I was thrilled that I was watching. Something about the guy I just dig. Maybe it's his laid-back way, his "normal" appearance, his not being gorgeous but being attractive in a way I can't really describe. Or maybe it's that I just love what he did with a song that I have loved since I was who knows how old. I loved the tone in his voice and the feeling that he might just break out into craziness any moment.

I fell completely in love with David Archuleta as soon as he did the "What a feeling" thing in his interview. At first I thought, what the hell, does this kid have a bit of a marble in his mouth or what? But when he stated singing, I was blown away. All that coming from a KID? What the hell? And this year, a kid who doesn't look like poultry (no offense to actual poultry, which is cute in its own right). Fantastic. I was grinning from ear to ear to ear while being immensely entertained and digging his voice and attitude. (And yes, in case you're counting, I did indeed sprout a third ear just for the occasion.) Fantastic. I wanted to pick him up, put him in my pocket, and head for an amusement park.

I dug Robbie Carrico, because he seemed, again, NORMAL, and like a cool regular guy who happens to look adorable in a bandanna. He'd certainly turn my head if I saw him on the street. Although I didn't LOVE his vocals, I did enjoy them. I want to see him lose a little control and totally, uhm, "rock out".

I almost fell to the ground when I saw Jason Castro. My god. That hair, those eyes, that mouth, that nose, that skin, that guitar, that ... posterior. Everything about this guy. I swooned mightily. And then he sang. And I almost asphyxiated. Simple song choice, simply performed, with no effort and with no posing. No crap. No annoying facial expressions or attempts to be something he wasn't. I couldn't get on the phone fast enough to tell my mother I was in love.

And then came Michael Johns, who, on looks alone, could have held my attention for days. I'm an enormous fan of that sort of guy. The scarf made me think slightly uninnocent things. The singing of a song I've loved for about as long as I loved the Turtles song, well ... be still my heart. Although is performance wasn't pitch perfect, I still dug his performance and wanted to be his bride.

No one else did squat for me. The other seven guys can all go home now, as far as I'm concerned.

[pattypooh]

Jodi, I gotta agree with you about David Cook! You said EXACTLY what I said during his performance!!! LOVED IT!!!!!

[lilyd]

i loved jason castro last night! thought he was great and he came out of nowhere!! wow! best of the night!
and of course david archuleta was great too! he'll easily make top 12. hes got such a mature, smooth voice.
i actually liked quite a few of them. the only ones i thought were really bad last night were jason yeager and chikezie. from the very first notes they sang.....eeeewwwwww. not good

[Kimber]

I thought there were some good performances last night including David Cook, Robbie, Jason Castro and Michael. After seeing some of the really weak performances I was thinking they really should have put Josiah through to the top 12 guys. He was much more interesting than a lot of these guys, was a better performer and has a better voice.

[lilyd]

kimber thats a really good point. josiah was better and way more interesting that jason yeagar and chikezie!!

[iloveliberty]

Hello! This is my first post here. I've been an American Idol fan since day 1 of the first season, and it's been refreshing to see such a varied and "different" crowd every year. I'm happy with the 24 they've picked this year, for the most part (though I did think that Josiah Lemming could have easily replaced about five or six of these guys and rounded out a stronger Top 24).

For a record of my tastes, my favorite past Idol was Elliot Yamin (wonderful singer with strong voice control), and some of my other favorites were Nikko Smith and LaToya London. (Looking at that, I guess I'm a fan of the R&B/soul singer types.)

Anyway, here's my take on the guys last night, with scores out of 10 ONLY BASED ON LAST NIGHT'S PERFORMANCES. (If I was taking Hollywood week and the auditions into account, Archuleta would be much, much higher. But then that wouldn't be fair to the guys that got no airtime.) I've relistened/rewatched all of the performances again just now, so my memory is fresh:

David Hernandez -- 7/10 -- Eh. It was boring! He sang well enough, though not spectacularly, and I agreed with Simon -- he needs to get loose and lighten up a bit.

Chikezie Eze -- 6/10 -- Eh again. I didn't think it was as bad as Simon wanted to make it out to be, though. He sang okay, but his voice is kind of light and not very powerful, so it only came across as "okay" and not "wow". And I liked the suit! I want one just like it! Anyway, I wasn't super impressed, and I find it hard to believe that he's one of the twelve best guys they could find.

David Cook -- 9.5/10 -- He got rid of the ugly hair and the creepy soul patch, he smiled, I liked his introduction video, and he was awesome! I loved it! This was one of the two best performances of the night, in my opinion. I didn't like his last note (though he hit it) -- didn't fit with the song. A couple of pitch problems in the beginning of the song, also. But his "rock" voice added an awesome twist to this song. Last week before hearing him really sing, I didn't like him that much because I was getting this creepy "Phil Stacey" vibe from him for some reason (I know, doesn't make sense, huh?) But now? I'm totally digging this guy.

Jason Yeager -- 4/10 -- At first, I was going to give him a lower score, because I hated this performance. But after listening to it again online, I have to say -- not a bad vocal at all. It was a good one, actually. No wrong notes, very pretty voice ... all in all, he could have done something more upbeat and gotten better reviews from people. It was just SOOOO boring. I mean, really -- that was a terrible song choice. Lovely song, but this is American Idol! Geez. So ... 4/10, but ONLY because of the nice vocal. That's the highest I could possibly give. I hope he does something unique and upbeat next week, if he makes it through.

Robbie Carrico -- 8/10 -- I liked it. I didn't love it, but I liked it. The only problem I had was that I was kind of bored with it. There were some pitch problems. I also, like Simon, don't buy the whole "rock" thing with the guy. I'm not sure why, either. But performance-wise, I liked it. And I loved the falsetto on the chorus -- that kicked ass.

David Archuleta -- 7.5/10 -- Not his best performance, by a mile (his "Heaven" performance was stellar). He had some pitch problems all over the place, and I think the song was too low for him. Puberty came a'knockin -- voice cracks galore. Plus, I noticed this before tonight, but didn't mention it -- he BREATHES so loudly! I like his energy, and he's cute as a button, and he can definitely sing and sing well, but tonight was not his best. That being said, it was still better than some of those other guys.

Danny Noriega -- 8.5/10 -- I loved this! I love his "sass", too. He's awesome! I went back and listened -- I heard not ONE bad note. He got a little off tempo in the middle, but I got the sense that it was more of the band speeding up than him slowing down. It was a super fast tempo, though, and I thought he did remarkably well. He's also definitely a great performer. He's Vote For the Worst's pick for this year, but unlike Sanjaya from last year, Danny 1.) has got a great "sassy" personality and 2.) he can actually SING.

Luke Menard -- 1/10 -- Only to be nice, I'll give him a one. This was awful! Not only was his performance AND his singing awful (notes all over the place! no control in his voice!), but his attitude sucked. I hated this whole mess, and I hope he GOES this week! He deserves it! This was just terrible! What a bad first impression!

Colton Berry -- 9/10 -- Yes, that high! I loved this performance, and just making sure by listening to the replay -- yup, excellent vocals, as well! I have no delusions about him going very far, but there's no denying that this little guy is really talented! Just listen to the audio -- he really did well, I thought. Very nice voice.

Garrett Haley -- .5/10 -- You read that right. HALF A POINT. He kept switching between being too sharp and being too flat. Pretty voice, but good LAWD! I had to turn the online replay off because I couldn't relive this mess all the way through again.

Jason Castro -- 9.9/10 -- Best performance of the night by a mile. Whoo! Not only is he very good looking, and his dreads are cool, but he really has talent! I loved the way he sang the song. His voice is great, but the WAY he used it ... that was natural and easy and just plain awesome. I will DEFINTELY look forward to his performance every week. (Actually, to be fair, there was one line and one other note near the very end, where he sings "what a day for..." and then an "oh" that were sort of off, tone-wise. But I missed that the first time around, and I still loved the entire performance. Anyway, that's the only reason why he gets a 9.9 instead of a 10.)

Michael Johns -- 9/10 -- Okay, this was good. Listening back, he hit no wrong notes. He looked great. He performed well. Why am I not excited about this guy? I'm not sure, but I'm bored with him. But to be completely fair, he was good last night -- I have to give him props. Nothing "wow" about it, though, like Jason Castro's performance. Just "good".

So again, best to worst:

Jason Castro (9.9/10)
David Cook (9.5/10)
Colton Berry (9/10)
Michael Johns (9/10)
Danny Noriega (8.5/10)
Robbie Carrico (8/10)
David Archuleta (7.5/10)
David Hernandez (7/10)
Chikezie Eze (6/10)
Jason Yeager (4/10)
Luke Menard (1/10)
Garrett Haley (.5/10)

Truthfully, I'm not as excited about watching the females tonight -- I always seem to be more interested in hearing the guys sing, for some reason. But there are some females that I'll be looking forward to -- Remielle, for instance. She's cool. And she's part Asian, and so am I, so I've gotta root for her. :rolleyes:

[lilyd]

i tend to prefer the guys too. but i do think there will be some really good girls singing too. i just think the boys are better.

i loved jason last night too. his performance was so , i dont know, in another league that the rest of them. so different and easy and not like something we have seen over and over again. i agree, best of the night!!

[Lux]

I think all guys have great voices, I relly like this season, but my favorites yesterday were Jason Castro, David Cook, Michael Johns and Danny put a smile on my face, he´s very entertaining, sorry but David A just doesn´t appeal for me, seems like a good kid,bubbly and all, the male version of Jordin Sparks. I´m looking forward for the girls´s performances tonight. :cool:

[Abs]

Kristy Lee Cook, she looked pretty :)
Joanne Borgella, ungh... no comment.
Alaina Whitaker had an okay performance, I think her voice sounds like Carrie Underwood, I like it
Amanda Overmyer, I don't know whether she was singing or mumbling, :p
Amy Davis had just ruin my ears
Brooke White, I liked the music arrangement and it suited her voice
Alexandrea Lushington was just so-so
Kady Malloy, aside from a few off-pitched tunes, I enjoyed her performance :)
Asia'h Epperson, I think she's good
Ramiele Malubay sounded too old for her age, but she has a great voice nonetheless
Syesha Mercado, I don't like her shouting *shrugs*
Carly Smithson had a great performance, I liked it

[Kimber]

My favorites of the night were Alaina, Alexandrea and Asia'h. I really like Brooke but I didn't think she sounded all that great last night. I hope the flu is all out of their system by next week. I imagine that played a part in some of the poor performances. Worst performance of the night had to go to Amy Davis.

[lilyd]

i didnt get amanda overmyers performance either and quite frankly she gonna get old real fast. everything sounds exactly the same!! urgh!
i thought kady had a beautiful voice, dont get why the judges were all over her.

[Lux]

Wow I think the girls are pretty talented, my favorites were Ramiele, Brooke, Alaina and Kady, I didn´t like Amanda´s song, Syesha shouts a lot, didn´t like Carly performance either.

[scaturgos]

Sorry to be in the minority, but she is so good I can't understand the
lack of positive reaction to her.
I don't know what in the world Simon is thinking about. Seems if he doesn't like the song (anything written before noon today) he ignores a great performance. I admire him for telling the truth when Randy and Paula rave about some clunker, but it seems that when they get it right, he still goes against them just to disagree with them.
I had never seen Alex before but she sings great, looks great, moves great, and gave a real performance. If she's eliminated tonight, Fox just lost another viewer.

[brazen weep]

Sorry to be in the minority, but she is so good I can't understand the
lack of positive reaction to her.
I don't know what in the world Simon is thinking about.

Right on. Her voice is one of the best of the chicks this season.

[sexylexy]

My fav 3 now are David Archuleta, Ramiele Malubay & Danny Noriega!!!

[Hawt_4_Sanjaya]

My fav 3 now are David Archuleta, Ramiele Malubay & Danny Noriega!!!

I agree with you, but also Carly Smithson.

[dc-snoopy]

Hmmm...I see three tiers in both groups: The groupings:
(A) means they should make it to the final 12, unless they really screw up major
(B) means they are good but not great and with some luck and hard work and
good choices, they can make it to the top 12
(C) means they are below average (for this level) and that it would take an
an exceptionally strong performance to keep from being eliminated

Guys:
(A) David A
(A) Jason C
(A) David C
(A) David H (I obviously like him much more than many others, but I think he
has real potential for a good recording career)
(A) Michael J

(B) Colton B (eliminated...he did it to himself by a poor performance)
(B) Robbie C
(B) Jason Y (good voice...made a really lousy choice for the first time we hear
him sing)

(C) Chikeze E (to me it was shocking that he didn't get eliminated with the
significantly worst performance of Tuesday night)
(C) Luke M
(C) Danny N is a weak performer, but due to his high rating with various crowds,
may make it into the final 12 even if he doesn't deserve it. He is big with
the VFTW crowds and those who like the swishy flamboyancy, but he
doesn't sing as well as they think. Good voice, not so great control and
has problems with enunciation (which throws odd quirks into his timing)
(C) Garrett H (eliminated)

[dc-snoopy]

Same for the gals. Here are my groupings::
(A) means they should make it to the final 12, unless they really screw up major
(B) means they are good but not great and with some luck and hard work and
good choices, they can make it to the top 12
(C) means they are below average (for this level) and that it would take an
an exceptionally strong performance to keep from being eliminated

Gals:

(A) Asia'h E
(A) Ramiele M (to me, the standout best singer and performer)
(A) Syesha M (to the best, but a very good performer)

(B) Alexandrea L - borderline A/B and should make it to the top 12 unless
she does something wrong, but not quite in the same class with
the others. But she has the potential to be really good. We'll see
(B) Kady M - I have to admit that I have a hard time telling random blond
model contestants apart. Neither one even sounds that unique
but kind of like Celine/Whitney clones
(B) Amanda O (does a good Janis Joplin but really needs to find some
different sound for variety or she'll get old fast and go home
(B) Carly S - another border A/B. Good voice. Makes some bad song choices
and definitely sounds way too old (in that respect she reminds me of
Lakisha). Also, has too much baggage and instead of telling things
straight always has a "spin" on it that comes out in the media and on
the Internet...just tell the truth and live with it. The baggage may ultimately
do her in
(B) Alaina W - see comment on Kady M
(B) Brooke W

(C) Joanne B (eliminated) She was weaker than the rest to begin with and
needed a big performance. She gave a weak one...that's why she's
going home
(C) Kristy Lee C (should be thanking her lucky stars that she was safe based
on her looks, not on her singing--and better do better because it won't
happen too much longer)
(C) Amy D (eliminated) She wasn't even that impressive in Hollywood week
started as an underdog and needed to really wow to stay in. Didn't
happen.

[kyo2590]

My Top 3 Favorites are: [In no particular order]

Ramiele Malubay
David Archuleta
Amanda Overmyer

:):):):)

They so have a great chance of getting in the Top 12.

[justintime]

Jason C--He surprised me, and kept me interested.
Ramiele--She's a pleasure to listen to, and she's beautiful too.
Carly--Definitely a pro and has some depth, I'm sure
David A--Reminds me of the talent that Charlotte Church demonstrated.
David H--I like him very much. I could listen to him all night.
Amanda--Unique sound. Great appeal. Hopefully she'll develop a strong voting base.
Chikeze--Needs to tighten up his delivery, but he has a lot of potential.
Robbie--I just want to hear more from him
Kristy--I know that she has it in her. I just know it. I really want to hear it.
Jason Y--I have hopes for him
Alaina--Surprisingly, she kept my interest
David C

There is a certain amount of diversity of styles that we could expect from this group, and I think that it would be fun to see them perform on stage.

[titanic]

my top 3 favarites:

1. ramiele malubay
2. ramiele malubay
3. ramiele malubay

[lilyd]

i have no real idea of which girls will make it.....dont really care either. for me its all about the guys this year.

i am pretty sure of 4 guys making it to the top , not so sure about the rest....
Jason Castro
David Archuletta
Micheal Johns
Robbie Carruco (or whtever his last name is.....)

not sure of who the last 2 guys will be. could be a few. we'll have to see how they do these next few weeks.....

[dc-snoopy]

i have no real idea of which girls will make it.....dont really care either. for me its all about the guys this year.

i am pretty sure of 4 guys making it to the top , not so sure about the rest....
Jason Castro
David Archuletta
Micheal Johns
Robbie Carruco (or whtever his last name is.....)

not sure of who the last 2 guys will be. could be a few. we'll have to see how they do these next few weeks.....

Hmmm...you and I don't quite see eye-to-eye.

I personally think that Robbie Carrico is in danger of being voted off tomorrow
for the very lackluster and slightly pitchy performance last night. My "safe"
singers are:

David Archuletta
David Cook
David Hernandez
Michael Johns

The others are all maybes. I think that Jason Castro is on the edge there.
He gave a fantastic performance last week, but this week he was in the
bottom two with that performance. The Bee Gees song was a very bad
choice and his performance was not strong either. The double-whammy
made it a really bad week for him, but I think he has too strong of a fan
base not to make it to the final-12.

[lilyd]

Hmmm...you and I don't quite see eye-to-eye.

I personally think that Robbie Carrico is in danger of being voted off tomorrow
for the very lackluster and slightly pitchy performance last night. My "safe"
singers are:

David Archuletta
David Cook
David Hernandez
Michael Johns

The others are all maybes. I think that Jason Castro is on the edge there.
He gave a fantastic performance last week, but this week he was in the
bottom two with that performance. The Bee Gees song was a very bad
choice and his performance was not strong either. The double-whammy
made it a really bad week for him, but I think he has too strong of a fan
base not to make it to the final-12.
well i stand corrected on Robbie, i thought he had a bigger fan base than he did. i didnt particulatly like him, just thought he had lots of fans. i dont think jason was anywhere near the edge, the only ones who didnt love him this week were the judges, all the other things i have read have been very positive. but you are right, he has a huge fan base and should be around for awhile. he has the biggest and most active thread on the AI boards, even bigger than Archuletta....

heres a review you can check out.....

I needed to bring this over! Vote for the Worst is another site that just trashes the idols. So I was so happy to read this. (I apologize to all the MJ fans)

Jason Castro
Song: “I Just Want To Be Your Everything” by the BeeGees

Notes: Jason is like a performing savant. In his interviews he can’t even form three words together to make a sentence (much like Randy on one of his BETTER days.) But you put him on-stage and stick a guitar in his hands and Jason sings like a pro. His off-beat arrangement and clean, effortless singing is what makes Idol so great, finding undiscovered talent. Jason is a talent.

GRADE: GROOVY -- But because he’s not a ringer, the judges crap all over him. Simon tries to verbally man-rape his performance, calling it “terrible, and an affront to humanity.” (I might’ve paraphrased a little.) This is the most naked attempt at sabotage I’ve seen since, uh, last week. According to the stupid IPod popularity poll that the Idol Producers didn’t want you to see, Jason had the most hits of any Idol. His Jack Johnson style of poppy love and happiness songs could be on the radio right now... Instead the judges celebrate some godawful Fleetwood Mack or Queen song hackery. And to further the AI torpedo attempt Pinhead Paula tells Jason not to play his guitar next week. Why? Because he stands out right now and could actually win your National Karaoke Wank-fest? Screw you Idol.

[Kimber]

I hope Jason C desn't listen to the judges about the guitar thing. I love watching him sing while playing the guitar. What good is it to allow the contestants to play instruments if the judges are going to tell them not to?

[aprylette]

I hope Jason C desn't listen to the judges about the guitar thing. I love watching him sing while playing the guitar. What good is it to allow the contestants to play instruments if the judges are going to tell them not to?


THANK YOU!!

I think that's bogus to discourage Jason from playing guitar when that's his performance style. I'm just hoping that they are NOT attempting to compromise him & his performance tomorrow especially since he appears to be more popular already than Michael Johns, 1 of their chosen ones! Maybe AI didn't anticipate Jasons' popularity skyrocketing so quickly.

The shows' producers & most of his fans know by now that he's shy & not having his guitar accompanying may make him appear less confident on the stage this week.

Doesn't matter to me 1 way or the other because I'm voting like crazy anyway!;)

[brazen weep]

I'm afraid that Jason without his guitar will look like Linus without his blankie.

He should do the performance with his shirt off so we don't notice.

I hope he does well. Shy = cute.

[lilyd]

i think he will be fine. they showed a clip of him singing without his guitar for his "audition" and he sounded great. although i highly doubt that was his actual audition i still think he will be ok. i only hope he doesnt stand there stiff as a board while singing. they will definately say something to him about that.
he is such an emotional singer that i think we may actually see a little more from him this week since he wont have to worry about playing at the same time. he can put evenmore of himself into his song

[DaisyKary]

So far I'm rooting for David Cook. Cookie and Michael Johns are the strongest performers.

(I want David Hernandez back!!!)
:)
Kary