Idol's Top 24: The Girls

Kristy Lee Cook: Is she dead inside? Seriously, it looked like she occasionally widened her eyes here and raised her eyebrows there and popped a hip a couple times to convince us that she was a real live girl instead of a T-888. I shall sum her up in a sentence: Kristy is a cute little blonde thing who can sing pretty well but don't seem to have much else to her.

Joanne Borgella: This was just flat-out bad. She tried to put a little sass in her performance to try and salvage it, but her version of "I Say a Little Prayer" was all over the place and not pleasant to listen to. I know people are sick and that sucks…but other girls managed to still sound like they weren’t tone deaf.

I wanted to show her face here, because it may be the last time you see it.

Aliana Whitaker: In the middle of her first line, I wondered out loud to no one (because my roommate was on a plane to Rhode Island) “Is she trying to be the second coming of Carrie Underwood?” The first bit of “More Today Than Yesterday” before she picked up the tempo sounded like it had an odd sort of twang to it that I was physically shying away from. However, then she started rocking it. She was the first girl to not suck, which I know sounds like a backhanded compliment, but I mean it in the most positive way possible. Her voice is fantastic and her stage presence shows promise (and she managed to be one of the only ones to avoid the “girl, you look scared as hell” comments from Randy and Paula). I’m a fan.

Amanda Overmyer: I really, really did not like whatever it was that she sang. I had a hard time hearing her over the band. The song, to me, ended up sounding like one big cacophony of noise. I also think she ended up doing more growling than actual singing. I realize that her voice is raw and gravelly and “authentic” (could Paula possibly throw that word around any more, BTW?) but she’s channeled it into better songs. I really like her a lot, but I just don’t see how she fits into the Idol model of success. I can’t see her finding mainstream success. So she’s basically the Season 7 poster child for “different,” and the only way I see her lasting very long is if she proves she can do something completely different.

Amy Davis: You are lucky you’re pretty, darlin’. Because, as far as I can tell from your performance (and I’m being kind calling it that) of “Where The Boys Are,” that’s all you’ve got going for you. I can’t even be bothered to waste more time writing anything else about you, because I will be shocked beyond belief if you aren’t booted tonight. Oh, except to mention that she’s a trade show model…and she told us hat without breaking in to an embarrassed giggle. Yeah.

Not much to her but her smile, unfortunately.

Brooke White: Lookit you, “Little Miss Down Home, Pretty As Pie, Cute As A Button I Love Puppies And Rainbows” girl. You’re on stage and you’re singing and smiling (so wide and bright and mildly disturbing that you look like the love child of Carly Simon and The Joker) and things are just gosh-darn fantastic. You sing “So Happy Together,” which really seems like the perfect song for you. The performance even comes complete with what appears to be a (slightly stilted and awkward) pre-rehearsed dance routine. Everyone loves you. Your voice is great and you’re adorable (though I think David Cook sang it better) but you FREAK ME THE HELL OUT. I just can’t jump on the bandwagon here, I’m sorry. *shudder*

Someone please explain her to me. Really.

I almost died laughing listening to Simon’s commentary…he just can’t figure her out because she’s so effortlessly sweet and nice and it just doesn’t compute in his head. I love it.

Alexandrea Lushington: So many of the Top 24 underperformed this week (because of nerves or inexperience or sickness or entire lack of personality) that Alexandrea’s rendition of “Spinning Wheel” proved to be quite a shock to the system. She came across as almost overperforming, causing Simon to liken her performance to something out of an over-the-top 60s musical. He’s not wrong. She tried just a little too hard. Reached a little too high for a few of her notes. Got excited to the point of being spastic a couple times. I like her, though. I think if she just takes it down a notch or two she’ll be kicking ass and taking names.

Kady Malloy: She was the second coming of Kristy Lee Cook, which was a shame because her impression of Britney Spears had me in hysterics. The second she opened her mouth, though, all of the life went out of her eyes. It’s like that uber-colorful, Windows Media Player backdrop behind her sucked out her soul. It didn’t help that she sang a slow song sitting on a chair. Did you learn nothing from “Moon River” guy? Not a good idea, Kady. Also not the best song choice, but I liked you enough to hope that you stick around long enough to pick better material and find where you hid your personality.

Asia’h Epperson: I understand other bloggers’ concerns about choosing to sing Janis Joplin when you aren’t Amanda Overmyer. But here’s the thing: the judges have been harping all week about taking a song and making it your own…and I think that’s exactly what Asia’h did. Here’s the other thing: the song is about heartache and abusive relationships and she sang it with a happy gleam in her eye and a spring in her step. Yeeeeeahh…little awkward.

Still…I like her stage presence, I love her voice (she hit all of her notes – yay!) and I think she’s all-around fabulous.

Ramiele Malubay: Honestly, initially I thought the judges threw her in there as the token Asian girl. They repeated “little girl, big voice” so many times I started rolling my eyes. But then she kicked the crap out of “You Don’t Have To Say You Love Me.” That song always gets to me, for some reason. And when it’s sung well…forget it. With this performance the schmaltzy novelty they labeled her with has (hopefully) disappeared forever. She established herself as a serious contender and climbed into my Top 5 favorites (male or female). One minor gripe: really, the best part about the experience is “the shoes and the hair”? Oy.

Stop stealing Christian's "Flock of Seagulls" 'do. It doesn't work for you either.

Syesha Mercado: There was something about her that immediately turned me off when I first saw her during Hollywood Week. I don't know what it was (after all, it was in the middle of a very inspiring story about how she lost her voice and yet somehow still managed to come out and bring it) but I just plain don’t like her. It’s not that she’s a bad singer, because she’s not. She’s actually one of the strongest vocalists, in my opinion. She has a personality and she doesn’t seem to be an idiot. But I just DO. NOT. LIKE. HER.

Carly Smithson: Bad song choice, not her best performance. I love the not-so-subtle attempt to smooth over the “wait! She already released an album!” bru-ha-ha in the package before her performance. She’s the kind of person I want to like, and I do. But if she doesn’t pick it up and start giving stronger performances, her tattoos and interesting backstory will only carry her so far. I do really like her voice, though.

I predict Joanne and Amy will get the boot.