On Wednesday night, we were excited to tune in to “Idol” to see what Lee DeWyze and the rest of the Top 12 Guys have to offer this season. And here’s what we found:
1 Todrick Hall, 24, Arlington, Tex. “Since U Been Gone” by Kelly Clarkson
After Todrick’s first audition with his own composition about “Idol,” I knew that I was going to be in for something wild and original. And I wasn’t disappointed; Todrick not only sang a song that was written for a female singer, but he also completely changed the arrangement to the point that it was hardly recognizable. And even though the judges weren’t fans, I was. He took a risk, and Todrick and his theatrical background (he was in “The Color Purple” with Fantasia) pulled it off.
Emmy: I don’t think that Rodrick murdered the song. I think that he made it orginal. He took a girly-ish song and made it something that everyone would listen to (EL).
Maddie: Simon, what were you thinking? Todrick didn’t “murder” the song at all — I’d like to see you try singing those ridiculously high notes, buddy.
2 Aaron Kelly, 16, Sonestown, Pa. “Here Comes Goodbye ” by Rascal Flatts
I love this kid; I really do. He’s just so… sweet. Sweet looks, sweet voice, sweet personality — which, unfortunately, didn’t work to his advantage tonight. I, along with the judges, did enjoy Aaron’s killer falcetto, but Aaron didn’t seem to be enjoying it quite as much; he looked like he was going to wet his pants throughout the entire song. Aaron has it in him, and he’s sure to make it through to next week, but he needs to realize his own potential and gain some self-esteem. We all love you, honey, so just believe! (MC)
E: His rendition of Rascal Flatts’ “Here Comes Goodbye,” was good, but I felt like he was imitating them more than making it his own. He did, however, have the southern twang in his voice as he sang, on which I compliment him. To do a Rascal Flatts song correctly, a southern twang is necessary.
M: He’s young, he’s cute and he’s humble: Aaron Kelly is the David Archuleta of Season 9. Only unlike the Season 7 runner-up, Aaron’s got a little more going on in the looks department, unlike Archie, who just kind of looks like a fish (squint a little, and I swear, you’ll see it).
3 Jermaine Sellers, 27, Joliet, Ill., “Get Here” by Oleta Adams
First off, for some reason, Jermaine’s outfit reminds me of the villain from Disney’s “The Princess and the Frog.” And that is a compliment because I really like that outfit.
Jermaine’s performance was good. I found that he was singing way too soft and also breathy. You could hear him exhale swiftly into the microphone, which made it unpleasant. As Ellen mentioned before, if it sounds bad here, it sounds worse at home. So hopefully, viewers will see that. As much as I would like to support a fellow Illinois resident, I don’t think he performed up to the standards like he could have (EL).
M: While Jermaine’s song choice wasn’t the best in the history of “Idol,” his personality just might get him through; after calling up Michael, the composer that Jermaine publicly dissed for messing up his song in Hollywood Week (nice), I don’t know how America won’t remember him enough to give him a second chance.
4 Tim Urban, 20, Duncanville, Tex. “Apologize” by OneRepublic
Glad that Tim Urban is here. I think he has potential hidden under that hair. Tonight’s performance wasn’t the greatest. I like “Apologize” a lot, and thought he did OK with it. Of course, there was room for growth.
The judges, sadly, beat Tim down, and near the end it almost looked like he was about to cry. His eyes were watery and starting to look a little red. So that started making me feel really bad for him and wanted to give him sympathy votes. I have resisted the urge to.
Overall, he was OK, and I would like to see more from him, but I don’t know if I will get the chance to.
On the bright side, if Disney is looking for a non-rebelling Mitchel Musso and another sweet-face Sterling Knight, they can look no further than Tim. And if “Idol” drops Tim, which I can easily see, Disney should pick him up. Tween girls would love to shriek in his presence (EL).
Oh, God. Where to begin? Tim Urban, who wasn’t even originally chosen to be in the Top 24 but was asked to come back later on, was just bad. It was pitchy, obnoxious and an insult to a song that I know and love, but it doesn’t even matter; after Simon’s comments that the judges had made the right decision in cutting him in Hollywood made Tim look like he wanted to cry, there’s absolutely no way that Tim is going home this week. Besides the screaming-girl vote that he’s bound to get because of his looks, he’s now got the pity vote, as well — even I was tempted to pick up the phone and dial 4, and I’ve wanted him out since his first audition.
With both the heartthrob and pity votes that he’s just earned, Tim Urban just might become the Sanjaya of Season 9, only with better hair (MC).
5 Joe Muñoz, 20, Huntington Park, Calif. “You and I Both” by Jason Mraz
Joe’s performance was easily forgettable. I found that him and Tim were pretty much on the same level performance-wise. Joe is a sweet guy and deserves to come back, but I don’t know if viewers are going to bring him back (EL).
M: I hadn’t seen Joe at all prior to this performance, and I felt overall satisfied with his abilities as a performer. One problem: that’s all I felt — satisfied. He’s got a solid tone to his voice and handled the song well, but his performance was forgettable enough that I’d already forgotten what song he had sung after the next performance.
6 Tyler Grady, 20, Nazareth, Pa. “American Woman” by Guess Who
First off, this dude looks a lot like Tyson Ritter, the lead singer of the All-American Rejects, so he has caught my eye. His whole 70s obsession is a little weird, but that’s what makes him unique. That and his crazy curly, mop-head hair.
Tonight, I enjoyed his performance. I liked how he started off slow then kicked it up along with the music. He moved around the stage acting like a rock star. His performance was enjoyable and rememberable.
According to Simon, however, it was like Tyler was in “rock star school.” Well, you know what, Simon? At least he put something INTO his performance and didn’t stand stiffly on stage or just sit on a stool wide- eyed (EL).
M: Simon claimed that Tyler was “pretending to be a rock star”; um, Simon, do you realize who you’re talking to? With that huge mop on top of his head and that sexy smile for the camera, Tyler Grady IS a rock star.
7 Lee DeWyze, 23, Mount Prospect, Ill. “Chasing Cars” by Snow Patrol
This was like the grand finale of the night, but it happened in the middle of the performances.
As I watched Lee’s performance I tried not to be biased because he attended Prospect and lives in my hometown. I didn’t want to say that he was amazing when he actually stunk.
But Lee blew me away. I loved his performance. His voice is unique and has a rough edge to it, making me love it even more than I did in Hollywood week.
As Lee was on stage, he was playing his guitar and was really enjoying the moment. I didn’t want Lee’s performance to end.
When it did end and the judges told Lee how they thought it wasn’t a great performance (crazy judges!), Ryan asked Lee what it means to be on the stage in the Kodak Theater in front of millions of people. Lee replied with, “I’m having the time of my life. It feels like I don’t ever want to loose this feeling again.”
Right after Idol went to a commercial, I went on iTunes and preordered his song. You can bet I will be listening to it nonstop (EL).
M: Hopefully, you’re already on the former Prospect student’s side, but if you need any more incentive to vote for him in the upcoming weeks, remember: The top three contestants come back to their hometowns with the “American Idol” crew for a special performance that airs on the show, usually at the contestant’s HIGH SCHOOL. And guess what? That’s us. So vote for Lee, and we get to be on TV. Got it? Good. Now go vote.
8 John Park, 21, Evanston, Ill. “God Bless the Child” by Billie Holiday
As a fan of John from early on, I was sad to see the judges tear John’s rendition of the classic song down, especially when he explained that the song holds a special meaning to him and his family in the difficult economy. But it’s undeniable: John wasn’t at his A-game tonight. He executed the song well enough, but his performance lacked the star power that is necessary to gain votes at this stage. John has potential, however, and I hope to see him back (MC).
E: Another fellow Illinois resident. This time you go to my dream school, Northwestern University. I am very jealous of you right now. John’s performance did not make me jealous, though. Maybe he should stick to singing in lounges and coffee shops.
9 Michael “Big Mike” Lynche, 26, Astoria, N.Y. “This Love” by Maroon 5
Big Mike brought energy to an episode that was turning very dreary very fast. He was fun, hip and exciting, and even though he did have some pitch problems at some points in the song, Mike stuck out from earlier performers simply because he had chosen a song that was fast enough to dance to. He wasn’t perfect, but his performance was solid (MC).
E: His performance was good and rememeberable. The only downside to it was that he had a guitar and played like three chords and then totally forgot about it. So the guitar was unnecessary.
Big Mike has a great personality and is very charismatic. He will probably be sticking around for a while and maybe even get into the top 12. The judges like him, and people at home like him. He grabbed people’s hearts when his wife had a baby during Hollywood Week, and now people aren’t going to let him go.
10 Alex Lambert, 19, North Richland Hills, Tex.”Wonderful World” by James Morrison
Another Lambert? Well, although Alex isn’t related to last season’s runner-up, Lambert seems to be a good name to have in the magical world of “American Idol.” Tonight, though, even his name didn’t save him from the judges’ wrath; despite a decent performance that matched the tone of his voice, the judges — and I — all agreed that Alex lacked the confidence to back it up. Ellen compared him to a banana that hadn’t ripened (um, OK), which, hey, is kind of a weird analogy, but since it’s Ellen, we’ll let that one slide. But even with his mullet, his casually attractive looks coupled with his subtle Texan accent will keep him in the running.
“Ripen” and lose the mullet and you’ll rock it, baby — call me! (MC)
E: Alex’s performance was weak. He was obviously uncomfortable up on stage and was focusing too hard on the song and not enjoying the moment. Also, I do not like your mullet. I am not a fan of mullets. It only suits one person, and that’s Dog the Bounty Hunter. Last time I checked, Alex, you’re not a bounty hunter.
11 Casey James, 27, Forth Worth, Tex. “Heaven” by Bryan James
You can’t NOT remember Casey James, the guy who narrowly made it through to Hollywood by taking off his shirt in the first audition to get a third “yes” from Kara. And, not surprisingly, they played up Kara’s “thing” for Casey tonight, Ellen claiming that she could “feel Kara undressing him with her eyes.” And hey, if it boosts ratings, I’m sure she’s glad to exaggerate it, too. But even without Casey and Kara’s slightly creepy relationship, Casey had a stellar performance. He is, as Kara said, not just eye candy, but “ear candy” as well, although his half-buttoned-down shirt did get a little distracting.
Simon and HIS exposed chest claimed that they were both cursed with good looks; yeah, well, you’re also cursed with broken buttons (MC).
E: I like Casey James. His choice of appearance tonight was for Kara; in the auditions she had asked him to unbutton his shirt and let his hair down. He did the same tonight. I also like his story how he was in a motorcycle accident and the doctors said he would never be able to play guitar again, but guess what? He IS playing the guitar and is thankful everyday that he can. Any person who loves the guitar that much is going to stick around in my brain.
12 Andrew Garcia, 24, Moreno Valley Calif. “Sugar, We’re Goin’ Down” by Fall Out Boy
Andrew took a risk tonight, and I thought, unlike the judges, that it paid off. I thought it was super neat to see him do “Sugar, We’re Goin’ Down” by Fall Out Boy acoustically. I love acoustic songs and to hear one of my favorite songs acoustically was great. Unfortunately, Andrew played a Paula Abdul song that was a hit in Hollywood Week and that will be riding on his shoulders for a while. It will take a lot for him to move past that, but he definitely has the potienal to. I think we will be seeing him next week (EL).
M: Andrew’s performance was creative and reminded me of Kris Allen taking on Kanye West’s “Heartless” with an acoustic guitar: risky but completely worth it in the end.
The Hits: Todrick, Tyler, Lee, Casey, Andrew
The Misses: Jermaine, Tim, John
Who should go home: Tim, Jermaine
Who will go home: Joe, John
— Maddie Conway and Emmy Lindfors
