American Idol's Top 12 Women

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 American Idol's 12 female finalists face off tonight on the first live show of the ninth season. Crystal Bowersox is a favorite going in and Miami's Michelle Delamor hasn't received nearly so much screen time. To inject a little hometown rah-rah, here's hoping Michelle shows America her best tonight.

"This stage of 24 will launch one of these faces into superstardom," Ryan Seacrest crowed at the start of the live show. Superstardom? You mean like Kris Allen?

Idol takes a page from The Jay Leno Show and borrows one of his site gags to spoof the reason why Ellen is no longer sitting near Simon on the judge's panel like she was during Hollywood week. "Simon wants me," she quipped. "He has wandering hands." Then they showed a mock clip of a hand stroking Ellen's thigh under the panel. Amusing.

Don't even have to watch the rest of Paige Miles' take on Free's rock classic All Right Now. She doesn't have the voice for this testosterone laden '70s rocker. She's on first and she'll be the first of two voted off when results are revealed Thursday. Pitchy too. Shockingly, the judges liked that performance. (If she's spared, it's only because the night's outright disasters were Haeley Vaughn and Lacey Brown who are coming up as fans' least favorites on some polls and two get voted off after tonight on Thursday's Results show.)

Ashley Rodriguez was a frontrunner but by picking a tuneless and forgettable Leona Lewis song (Happy) she proved unmemorable, was a bit pitchy, and squandered some of her lead. Disappointing. The judges finally stopped sipping happy juice and pretty well nailed the problems in that dispiriting, poorly arranged performance.

A girl is supposed to win this season? We're not seeing ANY evidence of this tonight so far. Janelle Wheeler took on Heart's What About Love, a gargantuan song Janelle just doesn't have the voice for. "You're well on your way to the top," is a lyric within the song but it won't apply to her, I'm afraid. Janelle cites Fleetwood Mac as one of her musical inspirations. She would have been wiser to attempt one of Stevie Nicks' songs because she might be able to pull one of those less rangey songs better. (Dreams might have worked.) Ann Wilson's piercing voice on a power ballad is just too much for her to handle.

Well, the judges say to do something different and that's what Lilly Scott did with the Beatles' Fixin' a Hole, an odd song choice but done with a quirky originality, played guitar on it, and she has an interesting look. Not sure I'd buy one of her albums yet but she is worth watching. The show can begin now. Best so far.

I'm with Simon and Ellen on Katelyn Epperly. Some of that Oh! Darling Beatles cover lost me vocally but I kept coming back to the screen. Katelyn has a firecracker vibe, the hair, the dress, and she proves compelling.

I want to hold Haeley Vaughn's hand and tell her nicely to never sing another Beatles' rock and roll song. Her vocals were behind the beat of I Wanna Hold Your Hand and this was totally the wrong genre for her. Her market is hers alone in country and this 16-year-old really needs to rethink her choices. "A complete utter mess," Simon says. He's right. She needs to stick to Taylor Swift-style country where she can be in her comfort zone. Tonight, she's bought herself a ticket to ride back home.

The backing chorus is throwing Lacey Brown off tune on overly stylized and drunken sounding take on Fleetwood Mac classic Landslide. Indulgent as Simon said and disrespectful to the song. The Stevie Nicks composition is a simple, poetic statement and doesn't need or stand up to vocal ornamentation. What is it with singers destroying Stevie Nicks lately? First Taylor Swift's off-key Grammy duet of Rhiannon, now this bomb.

Miami's Michelle Delamor finally gets some screen time and interview portion with Ryan. She delivered the "classic" American Idol voice and look on a stately, rich-voiced run at Alicia Keys' hit Falling. Technically the best voice of the night so far and yet I agree with Ellen that if she shakes it up even more she'll elicit the wow factor. Still, a true singer and hopefully one who sticks around and grows on this stage. I heard a little Diana Ross in that tone. Perhaps stronger.

Didi Benami, are you talking to us or singing? Just awful. The night's most dreary, unmusical, and lifeless performance. She needs to be one of the two sent home for that affected, boring style. We don't need one Adele, certainly don't need this pitchy amateur.

Siobhan Magnus has a nice voice, there's talent there. She sang the most difficult song of the night (Chris Isaak's Wicked Game) and though her rendition wasn't nearly as smoldering and sensual as the original, she hit all the notes with strength and display's the night's widest range of the Top 12. "She can blow," Randy says. Uh, whatever, dawg.

"Mama needs a bigger paycheck," says Crystal Bowersox about why she needed to go onto Idol. What happened to making music because you HAVE to get it out of you? Thankfully, Crystal did showcase a fresh take on melodramatic Alanis Morissette song, Hand in My Pocket, and stripped it of its hysteria. I disagree with Simon's initial take. She's promising.

Katie Stevens, forget it. Feeling Good is way too big a song for such a tiny talent. Hannah Montana taking on Michael Buble. Fail. Simon's right, too. Pageanty. Stodgy, as well. And, sorry, Randy, she doesn't have a "huge" voice. Adam Lambert does and that's why he nailed this song with flair last season and gave Buble a run for the money.

Overall, the sanest judge's panel we've seen, maybe ever. No Paula loopiness, no hostility or rudeness. We're not used to this civility on the panel. Ellen seems a good addition as a judge. No fireworks among the panel ... yet.

See you Wednesday for the guys.

Comments

[gail]

Howdy, great interview with Michele. Nice to have a Miami girl in the game...since it is a girl's game this year :)

[gail]

Paige, poooooooor song choice ick.

[Lesley]

is there something wrong with my TV? Best voice? I didn't hear it! Brilliant, Kara? Please!

[gail]

My TV is broken tooo.

[gail]

snot and peeee....that's the person I want for Anerican Idol!

[HoCo]

The judges sipped too much happy juice. That was pretty bad that Paige performance.

[gail]

These song choices suck...Ashley isn't much better....ick2

[Lesley]

Oof. Ashley was terrible. She has a good voice in there but was terribly off key and , just, oof.

[Ladybugnine]

Hey y'all. Pitchy, party of one.

[Lesley]

Simon may want to take back that statement about the girls winning this season...so far anyway....Janelle blew this one..yuck!

[gail]

Like Janell but not the song choice....geez can't these girls figure out what they do best. Her voice is great but not for that song.

[gail]

Janell has a good voice...but she's got to figure out who she is.

[gail]

Lilly Scott that's where my money is if....I was a betting girl...oh I hope she does well.

[Lesley]

they have no oompf yet either..the first one had some signs of it but all in all, sucky, pitchy and unmemorable. I hope BOWERSOX brings it!

[gail]

Guess I gotta stay up and vote...Lilly chooses the right song for her. amazing.

[Lesley]

Lilly Scott looks like that original VJ from MTV...what was her name?? She's good, but in a coffee house sort of way...like Smelly Cat.....

[Ladybugnine]

finally! the right song choice!

[Lesley]

Nina Blackwood! Only with straight hair. Agreed she's the best so far.

[gail]

My love of music has moved to the internet....so true

[Lesley]

Thing about Lilly is she is very indie..not necessarily mainstream Idol schlock which means she probably won't/can't win..waiting for the standout 'wow' performer still...

[HoCo]

No WOW yet but at least we see a bit of an artist. I'm not nearly ready to desire a Lilly Scott record yet, but she might grow on me. The only decent performance thus far.

[Bo]

if they expect me to sit through all these commercials something better happen REAL fast, they a losing me

[Ladybugnine]

ha! @ nina blackwood!

[gail]

Hoco I like her and you will too! damn it....:) Don't forget to vote! #4

[Lesley]

First of all, Katelyn looks like a cheap lounge singer here...she's too cute and fresh to look like that...very amateurish wedding singer here...

[gail]

Katelyn great song choice. Well done!

[Lesley]

Agreed w/Simon Katelyn needs a lot of work. But there is potential there. She's cute.

[Lesley]

For once I agreed with Kara re Katelyn being natural and not needing the post makeover Sandy a la Grease look!

[gail]

geez Katelyn reminds me of Carrie Underwood personality wise....

I am not crazy about Haily hope she changes my mind.

[Lesley]

Haeley was trying too hard to channel Across the Universe...it was painful...she may be the annoying one this season.

[gail]

Hailey changes a mind....geez she was the best so far.

[Lesley]

Gail---re Katelyn reminding you of Carrie Underwood, personality-wise....you mean no personality, right?

[gail]

stage presence sp? Lesley

I'm rewatching Hailey I like what she did with this song do hear some technical challenges but really like what she did.

[HoCo]

Katelyn reminded me of a more scrubbed down Bette Midler in The Rose era. Carrie Underwood? Not at all. Katelyn has a personality and was not robotic.
Haeley was atrocious. My favorite female from auditions bought her self a ticket to ride home.

[Lesley]

"I want to hold Haeley Vaughn's hand and tell her nicely to never sing another Beatles' rock and roll song"---HoCo

never, ever, ever, ever again. please. amen.

[Lesley]

OMG HOCO!!! LANDSLIDE!! Uh oh.....

[gail]

I watched it 3 times she made it her own. I liked it. Might have to itune it ha!

[Bo]

good night, this is awful

[Lesley]

uh oh. did she just say LANDSIDE? oooof. Oooof. This is bad.

[Lesley]

Dare I say choosing buffoonish Megan over her last season was a wise move? this is just an aural trainwreck!

[gail]

Stevie Nicks made the top 24????

[Lesley]

hubby said he felt like it was a MUDSLIDE, not a Landslide...

[Lesley]

"You have nice eyes." Ouch.

[HoCo]

She did sing Landside, she sidestepped that second L! Awful. She should have sung it straight. She's attractive and might have otherwise saved herself.

[gail]

Mudslide lol hahahahah bwahhhhahahaha

[Lesley]

Come on Miami..make us proud!

[Lesley]

Michelle's good! she reminds me of one of the singers from Expose

[gail]

Michelle thumbs up great song choice.

[gail]

"This stage of 24 will launch one of these faces into superstardom," Ryan Seacrest crowed at the start of the live show. Superstardom? You mean like Kris Allen?

Basically it doesn't matter if you win idol or you are the 3rd runner up right Hoco?

[Lesley]

who's ingrid michaelson? quirky sound...who does didi sound like? hahahaa, I'll buy you Rogaine...I love this song! It reminds me of my wedding song by nellie mckay.