American Idol 2010 -- The Top 12 Ladies

Here we go with this year's semi-final shows ... Ellen's first live performance rounds, and of course the first ones for the contestants in front of a live studio audience. Simon says it's going to be a year for the ladies, and of course at this point he could be right. I like several of the girls -- Lilly, Crystal, Didi, and Katie -- maybe I'll end up liking more as the weeks go on. (Goodness knows, I ended up falling out of love with at least one of the ladies during each of the last couple of years.) And here I am again, thinking I wasn't going to do "play-by-play" this early and instead just a quick wrap-up post -- but I guess I just can't help myself.

Paige Miles ("All Right Now" by Free) -- This is a great way to kick off the first live show! She started out a bit too quiet, but quickly got a lot better. I'm starting to like this girl, too.

Ashley Rodriguez ("Happy" by Leona Lewis) -- Not only am I not seeing anything original in her performance, but I heard several off-key or slightly warbly notes. Two people have to be eliminated this week, and as of now I think she's one of them.

Janell Wheeler ("What About Love" by Heart) -- Hmmm ... the second unimpressive show of the night. Are the girls letting their nerves get to them? This is another one I just wasn't liking.

Lilly Scott ("Fix It All" by The Beatles) -- She struggled a bit with the low notes, and it's always daunting doing a Beatles song, but she did better than the last two ladies (though I still hesitate to call it a "great" performance).

Katelyn Epperly ("Oh! Darling" by The Beatles) -- Now, that's the stuff!! This has got to be the best performance of the night so far! Not only was she spot-on-key, but she seemed by far the most comfortable on stage. Yay!!

Haeley Vaughn ("I Wanna Hold Your Hand" by The Beatles) -- When we're talking originality and energy, this performance was top-notch, but as far as execution -- am I being too critical? -- I thought it was good, but not great.

Lacey Brown ("Landslide" by Fleetwood Mac) -- I've got to agree with the judges ... it just wasn't a good performance at all ... perhaps the weakest of the night. She made it into the 24 this year after being cut last year, but I think this may be it for her.

Michelle Delamor ("Fallin'" by Alicia Keys) -- A very solid performance ... though it seemed a little "safe". Ha-ha ... I swear I typed that word three seconds before Ellen said it! Anyway, excellent, though she should try something a bit more original.

Didi Benami ("The Way I Am" by Ingrid Michaelsen) -- A left-field song choice ... and she made it one of the best of the night! She needs to work on not sounding so much like Adele, but otherwise she's just delightful ... one of my early favorites for sure!!

Siobhan Magnus ("Wicked Game" by Chris Isaak) -- Gosh, another unconventional pick for a song, and I think it paid off for her as well. She surprised me with what a wonderful performance she gave!

Crystal Bowersox ("Hand In My Pocket" by Alanis Morissette) -- This might make some of you out there groan, but ... Crystal rocks my Bower-socks! I just knew she was going to give a great performance, and she didn't disappoint me one bit!

Katie Stevens ("Feelin' Good" by Michael Bublé) -- Excellent!! There were just one or two notes that kept that from being perfect, but I really liked it. (Totally disagree with the judges on the song choice.)

My most favorite performances of the night: Didi Benami, Crystal Bowersox, and Katelyn Epperly.

My least favorite performances of the night: Lacey Brown, Janell Wheeler, and Michelle Delamor.

Who I think should be eliminated: Lacey Brown and Janell Wheeler.

Who I think will be eliminated: Lacey Brown and Janell Wheeler.

Let's tune into the guys tomorrow night, and the results on Thursday!