American Idol: Top 12 Guys..

I have been a fan of American Idol since Season 4. I was blown away when I heard Carrie Underwood audition, I predicted that she'd win and she did!! I fell in love with Constantine Maroulis' stare and performan c. I think that was the season where the upped the age qualification of the contestants. This was also the first time (for me) to see rockers entering the competition.

Last year, I was with Team Daughtry - and I was really disappointed when he was booted out. I'm so happy that he has an album out, and his song is great! Everytime I hear it, I can imagine him singing it! Yeah!!

This year - the 12 hopeful guys - well, some of them were okay while some were great. There's always room for improvement - and as the show progresses they will indeed become better singers and performers as well.

I was so excited to watch the 12 guys perform tonight, it should have been a perfect early evening for me - but then there was a glitch on the satalilte feed of Star World - and so some portions were distorted. Argh!!

1. Rudy Cardenas - Of course since he was the first one to perform, he was a little nervous. He didn't start as strongly as he should have. I didn't like his performance it lacked energy and emotion.

2. Brandon Rogers - I honestly expected him to be great, but instead he was just alright. Nothing out of the ordinary - but indeed he has a good voice. He's been sanay with being a back-up singer and being the lead - is very different. I expect this guy to go far in AI - he's really got talent!!

3. Sundance Head - I was not impressed with his audition - it was okay, nothing really spectacular. But his performance tonight - well, honestly - I was not familiar with the song - and so I thought he sang it too bland, too safe, too predictable.

4. Paul Kim - I love him, simply because he's ASIAN!! Yeah!! His audition was not that mind blowing, it was good - but I was quite shocked he sang what he sang during the audition, I thought parang hindi bagay - but then bagay pala after all! This was the first time I saw an Asian dud He sang the Wham! song and I thought it was okay - just plain okay. It didn't highlight his singing voice. I hope he gets the vote because I LIKE HIM! Barefeet and all!! :) He's Korean but he's got soul!

5. Chris Richardson - He indeed sounds like Justin Timberlake. I didn't expect much from him - I thought that he might choke - but he didn't! He brings a different vibe, makes me think kinda Churchy kind of kid. The song he picked - well, I'm so biased - I will never like this song sung by anyone except if it's sung by Bo Bice. To me it sounded too pop. The emotion was not that solid, instead it turned out like he was just happy singing the song - there was no real grip on the message of the song. But that's just me.

6. Nick Pedro - First of all, I thought he picked the wrong song. His perfomance was really boring. It sounded kind of monotonous to me.

7. Blake Lewis - this Mr. Beatbox, I LOVE HIM!! I loved his group's performance during the Hollywood week!! They were AMAZING - they brought the house down. Can you believe I just said that? I loved his performance. It was modern - a song I am familiar with. And I thought he sang it very well. I may be biased but he's a good performer because he knows how to look at the camera. He has a presence, a good presence. Him being mulit-talented makes me an
instant fan. I loved his take on the song. I just loved it! He's kinda cute too!! hahaha..

8. Sanjaya Malakar - this kid is amazing. Despite his being Indian - I think he has a lot of potential. I hope he gets far in this competition - because he really does have talent. It's just gonna be hard for Americans to vote for him. Let's admit it, in America - kinda discriminate. He has a good voice and I thought his song choice was not so bad. It was really a safe pick - but I loved his voice when he sang it although I thought his performace lacked power, it was too kid
-dy, and since he's just 17 - the emotions he delivered were quite different from the song. He looks more comfortable on stage now compared to his audition and Hollywood week.

At this point - I was quite bored to be honest.... I felt like I was let down.. :(

9. Chris Sligh - this guy I absolutely adore! He has such a great personality, and his humor - I like!! Simon was correct when he said that he does not have the best voice, but he can perform. His voice I think can still be improved throughout the competition. His song pick was great - I loved the way he sang it. There was intensity and power! He captivated me instantly. His being chubby is absolutely adorable! He's like a singing Hurley! Yey for him!! Wuhooooooo!

10. Jared Cotter - my my, his version of the Brian McKnight song was so good. He was able to bring the emotion out and his voice was perfect for the song. He's kinda cute too!! I liked his performance, but I did not love it.

11. AJ Tabaldo - first off, I knew he had some Filipino blood in him. Since it was his 5th time trying out - I think he's already gained experienced and I would like to think that he's improved vocally too. His song choice was just right - it was upbeat, and he sand it perfectly for me - his perfomance on stage made me realize that the 5 years he waited was all worth it. He's now ready for for American Idol.

12. Phil Stacey - he ended the show with a little power. I say thing because he did not start very well, it was kind of a werid start, but he pulled it off. One of the better performances tonight. Simon was right, if it was Chris Daughtry - he would have nailed the song. I guess everyone was nervous. I just hope next week - everyone will up their game.

The guys kinda let me down - I was really disappointed with most of their performances but those that I liked were:
- Blake Lewis'
- Chris Sligh's
- AJ Tabaldo's
- Phil Stacey's

I hope the girls tomorrow do better! I can't wait to hear Lakisha!! :) She's so gooooooood!! :)