Hi everyone, and welcome to a new season of "American Idol!" I'll be filling you in on all the fun stuff coming your way, starting with this season's first voting rounds airing tonight on Fox.
To catch you up on who made the cut, here's a quick list of the Top 12 Men and Women:
The Top 12 Guys:
Chikezie, 22, Inglewood, CA
Colton Berry, 18, Staunton, VA
Danny Noriega, 18, Azusa, CA
David Archuleta, 17, Murray, UT
David Cook, 25, Blue Springs, MO
David Hernandez, 24, Glendale, AZ
Garrett Haley, 17, Elida, OH
Jason Castro, 20, Rockwall, TX
Jason Yeager, 28, Grand Prairie, TX
Luke Menard, 29, Crawfordsville, IN
Michael Johns, 29, Buckhead, GA
Robbie Carrico, 26, Melbourne, FL
First impressions: The standouts during Hollywood Week were definitely Danny Noriega, David Archuleta, David Hernandez and Michael Johns. Of course, we didn't see much of these other guys.
Other thoughts: Carrico wins this year's Bucky Covington look-alike award. Also, this season's guys include three Davids, two Jasons and one Chikezie.
Final word: Doesn't it seem strange to have two contestants named Noriega and Castro, when in real life the former dictator of Panama was named Manuel Noriega and he was once accused of spying for Cuba's President Fidel Castro? Coincidence? I think not!
The Top 12 Girls:
Alaina Whitaker, 16, Tulsa, OK
Alexandrea Lushington, 17, Douglasville, GA
Amanda Overmyer, 23, Mulberry, IN
Amy Davis, 25, Lowell, IN
Asia'h Epperson, 19, Joplin, MO
Brooke White, 24, Mesa, AZ
Carly Smithson, 24, San Diego, CA
Joanne Borgella, 25, Hoboken, NJ
Kady Malloy, 18, Houston, TX
Kristy Lee Cook, 24, Selma, OR
Ramiele Malubay, 20, Miramar, FL
Syesha Mercado, 21, Sarasota, FL
First impressions: Standouts here include Irish-born Smithson who almost made it on "AI" two years ago, Brooke White who is the only person I can remember from Hollywood Week who used an instrument and didn't stink, and Malubay, the pint-sized singer with the really big voice.
Other thoughts: Overmyer, or the "Rocking Nurse" as some have called her, needs to break out of the Janis Joplin sound or she won't last too long.
Final word: Syesha Mercado could be this season's Big Voice, as long as she doesn't get laryngitis again.
To learn more about the new contestants, or to see their photo shoot, check out Fox's American Idol site. Then come back tomorrow to read about tonight's first voting round! –Chris Sardelli
Your Idol Merchandise is missing the interactive stuff -- the Playstation video game and the karaoke (www.techtogo.com). This is new!
-- 1. Posted by: Dottie at February 20, 2008 1:37 PM