Idol Thoughts: The Top 24

Okay, you know how, at the very beginning of this blog, I mentioned that I have avoided (not necessarily on purpose) "American Idol" and its winning singers' CDs? Well, after missing out on the first six seasons of hope, heartache and anticipation, I've finally given into the temptation, and for the first time I've been watching it from the beginning of the season. I've been wanting to know if I'll feel the same excitement and/or heartbreak as my favorite performers either clear the next hurdle of eliminations or get drummed out of the competition, and also to see how eager I might be to buy the winner's and/or runner-up's debut album when it hits the stores. I've gotta say, watching "Idol" has been fun so far! How much fun? To give you an idea, I've never ever talked back to the people on my TV ... until this show.

So anyway, now that Simon, Paula and Randy have narrowed the field of competitors down to the Top 24, I thought I'd start sharing my thoughts weekly (or thereabouts). I have to say that, though I don't have a basis for comparison since this is the first season I've watched, there's a pretty impressive crop of talent vying for the title this year. Having seen the 150+ first-round picks whittled down to 50, I really have very few complaints about the judges' eliminations this week -- and I certainly don't envy them in the tough choices they had to make.

I lamented the oddly quiet exits of some of the more promising, higher-than-average-profile contestants: Colton Swon (the Ryan Cabrera lookalike from Oklahoma), Joseph Catalano (the guy who lost, what was it, 100 pounds?), Pia Easley (the punk-ish looking African-American girl with the knockout voice), and Drew Poppelreiter (the super-hunky, good ol' Mississippi farm boy).

I was most heartbroken, as I suspect many were, to see Josiah Leming get the boot, although I can't say I was terribly surprised after his tragic misstep in his second-chance Hollywood audition. It's probably a blessing in disguise that he tanked, when I think about it: he was letting the pressure get to him, and he hadn't even gotten past the Top 50 yet. The stress was only going to get more intense from then on, so unless he seriously pulled himself together, I don't see how he could have handled it. That's not to say he doesn't have talent; I cringed when he started in on Mika's "Grace Kelly", but was pleasantly surprised at how well he carried it -- that takes charisma. I fully expect to see his name pop up somewhere else very soon, and if he puts out a CD, I'll be buying it. Not to mention, he's just too darn sweet to disappear into oblivion. Hey -- word has it he's going to be on Ellen DeGeneres next week ... keep your peepers peeled!!

I found myself agreeing with Simon's vociferous opinion in the final men's elimination: I think Kyle Ensley should have gone on to the next round, and that Colton Berry should have been sent packing. Sure, Kyle is the geekier looking one (I can hear the question echoing from all corners of the country: "Do we really need another Clay Aiken?"), but I was much more impressed with his singing than I was with Colton's. I was pleased with their decision on the women's side: Joanne Borgella might have shown a bit less poise than her immediate competitor, but I feel like she has more promise. Besides, as Mika is fond of singing, big girls can be beautiful too.

My early favorites? Let's see ... there's something I like about Amanda Overmyer (the motorcycling respiratory nurse) -- a chick who can rock is a refreshing change from the endless parade of pop and soul divas -- although I do agree with Simon's comment that she needs to start varying her style; doing nothing but Janis Joplin-esque vocals will become monotonous quickly. Then there's Syesha Mercado ... I tell you, anyone who almost completely loses her voice but can still belt out a song as well as she did has undoubtedly got what it takes. And how can you not love the soaring voice that comes out of a girl as small and adorable as Ramiele Malubay?

As for the guys: I've really liked Michael Johns (the Aussie transplant) ever since he seriously impressed me with his handling of Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody", a difficult song to pull off by any means. David Hernandez has got soul and style, and I think he's in it for the long haul. Danny Noriega could stand to tone down the theatrics just a bit, but he's got a good, solid voice and is certainly likeable. Then there's my personal favorite, David Archuleta ... that boy is the most adorable thing on the face of the planet, period! He's got the voice, the stage presence, the looks, and the personality, and I hope he goes all the way. Of course, we all know that he'll have record producers lining up for him even if he's eliminated next week (perish the thought) ... there's just no way he won't be a hit with the teen and tween girl audience.

So, I guess that about sums it up ... now, on to the next round! Oh, and by the way ... if I hear one more rendition of "Everything I Do (I Do It For You)", I think I might kick my TV screen in.