*  The show once again returned to two of my least favorite things:  The lip-synched group number, and the baffling tradition of getting encore performances from contestants who’ve just been informed that America never wants to hear them sing again.

*  Kara has a goodlooking husband…why is the newlywed so obsessed with Casey James??

*  Kris Allen sounded great.  I hope his album picks up steam and is eventually certified gold…he’s a powerful singer and a nice guy, to boot!

So, what did you think?  Sad to see any of the booted contestants go?  And who is your favorite?  Sound off below!

CASEY JAMES : “Heaven” - Casey was the only guy that I would’ve wanted to sign to a record deal on the spot last night.  He’s a total star and really has it all: talent, looks, personality, and voice.  And with the right songs, there’s no doubt he could sell records.  For his sake, I hope the show moves away from the focus on the Kara/cougar story and allows the women at home to nurture their own crushes.  My mom, for one, told me she couldn’t stop smiling the whole time he was singing.   Grade: A-

LEE DeWYZE : “Chasing Cars” – What are we going to do without Simon next year?  The other three judges voiced disappointment in Lee’s gritty take on the Snow Patrol hit, but Simon, in all of his wisdom, stepped in and pointed out that it was the best performance of the night (up to that point).  Randy was strangely fixated on the fact that Lee did not do a Kings of Leon song and refused to let it go.  I look forward to hearing more from this guy.  Grade: B

AARON KELLY : “Here Comes Goodbye” – This definitely was the pleasant surprise of the night for me.  16 year-old Aaron chose a song from the country genre, a format which fit him perfectly, and delivered a passionate version of the Rascal Flatts tune.  If Aaron can continue to remember all of his lyrics and hit those impressive high notes, I think we’ll see his confidence grow, and most likely find him in the Top 10.  Grade: B

ANDREW GARCIA – “Sugar, We’re Going Down” – Heading into tonight’s show, Andrew was far and away my favorite male singer, based primarily on his charming revamp of Paula Abdul’s “Straight Up.”  But Simon said it best when he noted that Andrew was the biggest disappointment of the night.  He’ll need another magical moment soon, because the goodwill of “Straight Up” will not carry him forever.  Grade: B-

TYLER GRADY : “American Woman“ At this point he’s certainly style over substance, but at least he’s somewhat memorable.  Tyler knows how to work the Mick Jagger swagger on stage, but he needs to pick more modern songs and then give them his retro rock spin.  Grade: C

JOE MUNOZ : “You And I Both” – Not a bad singer, but Joe just isn’t a star.  This safe performance was pretty forgettable, for the most part.  Grade: C

TODRICK HALL : “Since U Been Gone” – You gotta hand it to the guy for taking a risk with his radical rearrangement of the Kelly Clarkson smash, but the risk did not pay off.  I think Todrick is actually very talented, so if he takes the judges advice, I think we will see much better from him in the coming weeks…if he makes it through.  Grade: C

MICHAEL LYNCHE : “This Love” – I’ve never been on the Big Mike train, and last night provided me no reason to buy a ticket.  At this point, he’s nothing more than a backstory, and his personality isn’t going to be enough to keep him going in this competition.  Grade: C-

JERMAINE SELLERS : “Get Here” – First of all, this is a really tired song that I wish the show would just retire already.  But much worse was Jermaine’s shrieky delivery of this normally quiet song.  Simon said that he’d totally blown it.  He might be right.  Grade: D

JOHN PARK : “God Bless the Child” – John was another huge disappointment for me, as I was really quite taken with Shania’s guy during his initial audition.  But last night’s performance was boring, sleepy, and actually quite bizarre.  Grade: D

TIM URBAN : “Apologize” – When Ryan first announced that Tim had chosen this OneRepublic song, I cringed a little, remembering how many times I’ve heard singers botch the high notes in this tune.  He should never try falsetto again, but if this cutie does get the chance, it will only be from the result of the busy, dialing fingers of love-struck teen and pre-teen girls who aren’t listening to his voice.  Grade: D

ALEX LAMBERT : “Wonderful World” – The only thing worth mentioning here is my fascination with his Carol Brady-inspired shag haircut, complete with flip in the back.  If I were to dissect Alex’s singing and stage presence, it would just get too ugly and sad.  Grade: D-

Who is going home tonight?  Hopefully, Alex Lambert and Tim Urban, although there are several that could vanish and not be missed.  If you’re like me, you’re probably wishing the next three weeks would pass very quickly, as that’s how long it will take to weed out all the guys who have absolutely zero percent chance of being the next American Idol.

Who is your favorite male contestant?  (Vote in our poll on the right.)  And who needs to be sent home right away?  Sound off below with a comment!

The Top 24 contestants have been announced for “American Idol,” and Season 9 appears as if it will be one of the more competitive years we’ve seen in a while.  There were at least three or four strong singers who didn’t even make the cut, which is a good indication of the level of talent we’re dealing with.  Here’s a list of the 12 girls and 12 boys who made it:

GIRLS

Didi Benami, 23 - Hollywood, CA
Crystal Bowersox, 24 - Elliston, OH
Lacey Brown, 24 - Amarillo, TX
Michelle Delamor, 22 - Miami, FL
Katelyn Epperly, 19 - Des Moines, IA
Siobhan Magnus, 19 - Cape Cod, MA
Paige Miles, 24 - Cypress, TX
Ashley Rodriguez, 22 - Boston, MA
Lilly Scott, 20 - Littleton, CO
Katie Stevens, 17 - Middlebury, CT
Haeley Vaughn, 16 - Ft. Collins, CO
Janell Wheeler, 24 - Tampa, FL

BOYS

Lee DeWyze, 23 - Mount Prospect, IL
Andrew Garcia, 24 - Moreno Valley, CA
Tyler Grady, 20 - Nazareth, PA
Todrick Hall, 24 - Arlington, TX
Casey James, 27 - Ft. Worth, TX
Aaron Kelly, 16 - Sonestown, PA
Alex Lambert, 19 - North Richland Hills, TX
Michael Lynche (“Big Mike”), 26 - Astoria, NY
Joe Munoz, 20 - Los Angeles, CA
John Park, 21 - Northbrook, IL
Jermaine Sellers, 26 - Joliet, IL
Tim Urban, 20 - Duncanville, TX

Among those not named to the Top 24 was Thaddeus Johnson, who was so overcome with emotion from his elimination that he needed a moment to collect himself.  In a stall in the men’s restroom.  With his mother.

Are you happy with this year’s finalists?  Has a favorite emerged for you?  I know a lot can change, but Crystal Bowersox is my personal frontrunner.  What do you think?  Comment below!

Normally I don’t start blogging at this stage of the season due to the fact that we’re not seeing all of the singers perform.  Let’s not forget that at this point last season, Kris Allen and Allison Iraheta hadn’t even been spotlighted yet and it was all about Danny Gokey and Lil Rounds.  But with that being said, there have been several standouts that have caught my ears and eyes.

CRYSTAL BOWERSOX – If it’s possible for a favorite to have already emerged for me, it would be Crystal…although we know how quickly that can change.  The single mom’s impassioned take on Aretha Franklin’s “Natural Woman” was unique and powerful, and the fact that her competitors spontaneously joined in as background singers tells me that she’s a well-liked contestant.

ANDREW GARCIA – Is there anyone who wasn’t charmed by his acoustic version of Paula Abdul’s “Straight Up”?

LILY SCOTT – The blonde sandwich maker who sang Ella Fitzgerald’s “Lullaby of Birdland.”  Charming, quirky, and talented.

HAELEY VAUGHN – It’s hard to forget the black teenager who likes to sing country songs!  More than anyone else so far, she’s got that hard-to-define star quality (like her obvious idol, Taylor Swift).

CASEY JAMES – Ever since he took his shirt off for Kara, it would be easy enough to write off this Brad Pitt look-alike as mere eye candy…but don’t.  He plays a very decent blues guitar, and his vocals on John Mayer’s “I Don’t Need No Doctor” were fine.

JANELL WHEELER – Another sweet blonde singer with a guitar…and this one’s pretty!  I loved her inventive interpretation of Estelle’s “American Boy.”

A few other contestants are on my map, but not totally blowing me away as of yet:

MICHAEL LYNCHE (“BIG MIKE”) – It would difficult to imagine him not making the Top 24 when the TV cameras have followed his wife into the delivery room as Mike competes in Hollywood Week.  I almost feel like the fix is in…like he’s the show’s version of The Blind Side or something.

DIDI BENAMI – Another blonde guitar player, but this one with Brooke White/jumbo-sized emotions.

KATIE STEVENS – The cute teenager who’s been caring for her sick grandmother.

MARY POWERS - Strong vocalist who is driving me insane with her strong personality.  Her take on Pink’s “Sober” was a bit of a carbon copy, and I’m hoping she doesn’t make the Top 24.

What do you think?  Is Ellen fitting in as an Idol judge?  Have any contestants stood out for you?  Sound off below!

Ellen prefaced her statement by saying, “I think he’s a funny guy and I think he’s a smart guy.” She continued to say, “He’s gonna be a challenge. He’s Simon and I’m me and we’re both completely different people.”

On the morning of her American Idol debut, new judge Ellen Degeneres called Ryan’s radio show to talk about her experiences on the panel and working with the notoriously callous Simon Cowell.

Ellen prefaced her statement by saying, “I think he’s a funny guy and I think he’s a smart guy.” She continued to say, “He’s gonna be a challenge. He’s Simon and I’m me and we’re both completely different people.”

Check out the video of Ryan bringing us up to speed of how the first 2 days of “Hollywood Week” are going and how Ellen Degeneres is fitting into the panel. Also, check out this vid (below) of Ellen talking about her first day on Idol.

Every year, tens of thousands of hopefuls from across the nation audition for a shot at stardom. The show’s judges – Simon Cowell, Randy Jackson and Kara DioGuardi – travel across the country in search of the next American Idol. They winnow down the competitors to a select group of semifinalists who sing their hearts out each week in front of a studio audience and television viewers. This season, joined by rotating guest judges including Victoria Beckham, Mary J. Blige, Joe Jonas, Neil Patrick Harris, Shania Twain and Kristin Chenoweth, the American Idol judges visited Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Los Angeles and Orlando in their quest to find performers worthy of the “Golden Ticket” to Hollywood.
Emmy Award-winning talk show host Ellen DeGeneres will join American Idol as the new fourth judge sitting alongside Simon, Randy and Kara. As the new judge, Ellen will offer her own unique perspective to the contestants throughout the competition.
The judges have their say after every performance, but it’s the viewing public that determines who will advance to the next round of competition and who will go home. Voting via telephone and text-messaging begins immediately after each performance show, and the results are announced during the following night’s broadcast.
Eventually the competition is narrowed down to two finalists who compete for a major recording contract and the American Idol title. Past winners Kelly Clarkson, Ruben Studdard, Fantasia Barrino, Carrie Underwood, Taylor Hicks, Jordin Sparks, David Cook and Kris Allen have become household names and have made their mark on the recording industry.
Emmy Award-winning American Idol is created and executive-produced by Simon Fuller, founder of 19 Entertainment Ltd. The series is executive-produced by Cecile Frot-Coutaz, CEO, FremantleMedia North America; and Ken Warwick, Executive Producer, FremantleMedia North America. Bruce Gowers serves as director.

via American Idol

Yesterday, Simon Cowell announced that this would be his final season on American Idol as he prepares to bring his hit UK television show The X-Factor to the United States. Cowell called in to Ryan’s radio show Tuesday morning to further discuss his plans.