American Idol
News (Page 17)

A few American Idol women suffered through the flu last night, as Kristy Lee Cook and Joanne Borgella seemed particularly affected by sickness.

Still, this group of 12 easily outperformed its male counterparts from the evening before. We could choose from an array of solid auditions, but have tried to stick with our two favorites below. Along with the obvious selection of the worst from the night...

• Syesha Mercado (pictured): She went big - and it paid off! This crooner's rendition of "Tobacco Road" was far from a ballad, but the judges didn't seem to mind. Simon called it "terrific" and Paula said the performance was "joyful, fun and big!"

• Asiah Epperson: Tugged on our heart strings with her original audition, performed mere days after her dad passed away. But has proven that she's far more than a sob story. Simon said her rendition of "Piece of My Heart" was his favorite of the night.

And the worst...

• It's a good thing Amy Davis is so pretty, as you can see below. We don't mean to be so harsh, but "Where the Boys Are" just didn't cut it for us. Or the judges. Randy said it wasn't great for him, while Simon was even more brutal: "It was a very boring song."

Might Jason Castro be a dark horse on season seven of American Ido? It's possible. All three judges loved his rendition of "What a Day for a Daydream."

Still, after the opening performances of the top 12 American Idol males, we see three favorites standing out from among the rest. They are:

- David Archuleta: How is it possible that this former Star Search winner is just 17 years old? He sang "Shop Around" and was told by Simon Cowell: "When you got it, you got it … That was, by a comfortable mile, the best performance of the night so far."

- David Cook (pictured): This wannabe rock star has the look and sound to go far. He turned the 1960s romantic tune, "Happy Together," into a fun, speedy tune.

- Michael Johns: He lit our fire, readers! Singing that classic song by The Doors, this Australian is as polished as any American Idol semifinalist, maybe ever. Former lead singer of a band called The Rising.

Who was your favorite of the night? Who do you think will be voted off? We think it's time for Garrett Haley and Jason Yeager to go home.

Everyone who has watched American Idol so far this season knows about Carly Smithson, Michael Johns and Asiah Epperson. They'll all been featured a lot before being chosen as three of the final 24 contestants on the show.

But what about those that are still relatively unknown, yet remain in the hunt for the Idol crown? Singers such as Garrett Haley (pictured( and Jason Yeager that have barely received any air time?

Don't worry, guys, says executive producer Nigel Lythgoe has two words for you: Kelly Clarkson.

"She wasn't shown at all [during the audition process]," Lythgoe told reporters in a conference call Friday. "There certainly is an edge in having [a lot of airtime]. But at the end of the day, it's how you come out [tomorrow] and Wednesday and sing your song."

As the top 24 contestants on American Idol begin singing for their reality show lives tomorrow night (voting is now on you, viewers), USA Today is running a feature that outlines the professional backgrounds of a few finalists.

Perhaps in response to the timid album sales of Jordin Sparks and Blake Lewis, American Idol has passed a quintet of supposed ringers on to the finals, those that have actually had a recording deal with a label in the past. But that's a negative in the eyes of many.

"The reason I watch is to see someone journey from nowhere to stardom," Kevin Kotke, a fan from Milwaukee, told the newspaper. "The only kind of record a contestant should be able to claim is the $5 self-published kind from the mall."

But Season 7 contestants can claim quite a bit more than that:

• Carly Smithson recorded for MCA, which lavished more than $2 million on her debut album, then dumped her when it sold poorly.
• Kristy Lee Cook signed with Britney Spears' production company in 2001.
• Michael Johns' band, The Rising, was dropped by Madonna's Maverick label.
• Robbie Carrico sang with Boyz-N-Girlz United, an Orlando boy/girl band.
• David Archuleta won $100,000 on Star Search in 2003.

While some fans are bothered by this sort of experience, American Idol executive producer Nigel Lythgoe says the flap "is a storm in a teacup… Let's just let the stories unfold."

He adds that show rules require only that contestants not be currently under contract: "We're looking for 'great,' and, yes, those people in all likelihood have had dealings with the industry before."

What do you think? Should American Idol contestant be wholly undiscovered?

On Friday night, the top 24 contestants on season seven of American Idol celebrated their accomplished as one, close-knit group.

The singers got together at the Day After Lounge in Hollywood. Ryan Seacrest, Ace Young and Justin Guarini were also on hand, with the latter being impressed by the talent around him.

"The judges have always been saying, 'this is the best year ever' and so on, but this year I really think they got it right," Guarini said.

According to witnesses, some serious flirting has already begun. For example, Kady Malloy, who sang "Unchained Melody" during tryouts, held hands with Colton Berry.

Also, Kristy Lee Cook strutted around the room with a few girlfriends. Sounds like a fun even for all!

The final 12 men take the stage Tuesday night on FOX.

From Kristy Lee Cook to David Archuleta, here's a glance at this year's top 24 contestants on American Idol. Click on the thumbnails for a larger version of each singer...

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American Idol has announced its top 24 contestants for season seven.

We don't wanna sound like a shill for Fox, but it truly might be the case that this is the most talented troupe of crooners in the show's history. We've been mightily impressed so far.

The singers aren't hard on the eyes, either. Take a look at a few:

Michael Johns is an early favorite among the men.

Alex Lushington is only 16 years old.

Asiah Epperson has the name, look and talent to go far.

Say hello to Garrett Haley.

Visit our American Idol home page to view more contestants and their photos now!