So who saw this coming on “American Idol?” It’s not so much the results that were shocking, but how fast they eliminated semi-finalists to reach the Top 12, which was actually at Top 13. It was truly one of the most exciting episodes I can remember, and as always, there were some good choices and bad choices by both America and the judges.

It went down like this….there were ten seats to the left of Ryan Seacrest, and they would be filled from the 24 seats to Seacrest’s right based on America’s 40 million votes. The Top 5 guys and Top 5 ladies would fill those seats. But after that, the judges would choose three guys and three gals to sing for their lives in order to fill the remaining two chairs as wild cards. Really? They were going to do all of that in two hours? Well, yes they were, and yes they did.

First, Seacrest invited the contestants down to the middle of the stage in groups. First up, Scotty McCreery and Robbie Rosen. Only Scotty made the Top 10, and Robbie was relegated to waiting to see if he’d have a shot at the wild card. Wow. That kid showed so much promise and this is just a testament to how talented the field is this season. This went on for about an hour and a half, and here were the results….

Top 10—Scotty McCreery, Pia Toscano, Lauren Alaina, Karen Rodriguez, Casey Abrams, Jacob Lusk, Thia Meghia, Paul McDonald, Haley Reinhart, and James Durbin.

Not in the Top 10—Robbie Rosen, Clint Jun Gamboa, Jordan Dorsey, Jovanny Baretta, Ta-Tanysha Wilson, Julie Zorrilla, Kendra Chantelle, Ashton Jones, Tim Halperin, Naima Adedapo, Lauren Turner, Brett Loewenstern, Rachel Zevita, and Stefano Langone.

The judges then chose their wild cards—Robbie, Stefano and Jovanny; and Ashton, Kendra, and Naima.

Ashton went first and sang “And I Am Telling You” by Jennifer Hudson, and I’m sorry, I don’t get why they chose her. This reeked of Simon Cowell and the fact that J-Lo called her a diva on Wednesday night. She did not deserve that shot more than Lauren Turner did.

Stefano was next and sang “I Need You Now,” and it was just awesome. I wondered why he didn’t just sing that one on Tuesday.

Kendra sang “Georgia on My Mind” but did way too many vocal acrobatics with it.

Jovanny sang “Won’t Let Me Go” which I believe is a Jon Secada song, and he also tried to pull a Karen Rodriguez and sing half of it in Spanish. But hey, he really belted this one and probably would have made the Top 10 had he chosen this one on Tuesday instead of that sappy Edwin McCain song.

Naima did Donnie Hathaway’s “For All We Know” and really brought it, again.

And finally Robbie did Elton John’s “Sorry Seems to be the Hardest Word,” the same song he sang in order to reach the Top 24. It was great again, but was it enough?

Then they showed J-Lo’s new video (gotta pimp your own, right?) and it was all auto-tuned just like everything else on pop radio today. Plus it was distracting with all of her outfit changes and with that dude singing and rapping counter to her. Very strange, but hey, it was better than Paula Abdul!

And then, the moment of truth. Who would be the wild cards? First, Ashton. Are you freaking kidding me? She should not have had that chance, let alone should not have reached the finals. Yikes. Next, Stefano, who did deserve it. But wait, there was more….a Top 13?? Yes, and Naima got the final spot. Whew. I thought she blew Ashton out of the water and was glad she also made it, but not that Ashton got in at the expense of Robbie. That just sucked, and I can guarantee that Ashton will be one of the first to be booted off.
And then I have a problem with Karen Rodriguez making it in too, but she did that on the strength of, well, appealing to the Hispanic community. I also didn’t think Thia deserved a spot over Lauren T, but that’s all on America.

So there you have it folks—your Top 13 finalists on “American Idol!” I guess I should rank them power rankings style and we’ll do this each week…..

1. Casey Abrams
2. Lauren Alaina
3. Jacob Lusk
4. Scotty McCreery
5. Paul McDonald
6. Pia Toscano
7. Naima Adedapo
8. James Durbin
9. Haley Reinhart
10. Stefano Langone
11. Thia Meghia
12. Karen Rodriguez
13. Ashton Jones

Thanks for reading folks, and see you all next week!

Look, it’s not like these ladies in the Top 24 of “American Idol” suck. But I think there was a distinct difference in the quality of performances from the guys Tuesday night to the girls Wednesday. I think the judges turned in a lousy performance last night as well, propping up several of the singers who just plain sucked, and doling out unnecessary criticism of others who were pretty good. So with that, I’m going to give you the recap based on my own thoughts, and add what the judges said……

THE REALLY GOOD
Naima Adedapo did a super cool version of “Summertime” and for my money, was one of the best of the night. She took that song and made it sing, and if you think that’s easy to do, get in front of a mirror and try belting it out and hitting the notes. There is also something exotic and awesome about Naima. J-Lo said she was like a colorful, exotic flower; Randy said it was a little “loung-y” for him. Dude, whatever! And Steven said Naima reminded him of a young Ella Fitzgerald. Wow.

Haley Reinhart took on Alicia Keys’ “Fallin’,” a monstrous task considering the source, but she damn near pulled it off to perfection. Randy said it’s a great song that did nothing for Haley, and that it was karaoke-ish. Say WHAT? Thankfully, Steven vehemently disagreed with Randy, and said “If I agreed with you, we’d both be wrong!” Ha! He said it was sexy, which it was, and J-Lo agreed with Steven and I, not with Randy. Yeah, take that, Dawg!

16 year old Lauren Alaina has been one of my faves from Day 1 and I hope America sees that in her, too. She did a boot-stompin’ version of Reba McEntire’s “Turn on the Radio” and did not disappoint. J-Lo said that Lauren doesn’t even have to try, she has a natural gift; Randy agreed but added that he knows Lauren can do even more, and then added that Lauren reminded him of a cross between two Idol champs—Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood. WHOA, Dawg. But hey, he might be on to something. What could Steven say after that? He simply agreed.

THE GOOD
Lauren Turner did Etta James’ “Seven Day Fool” (I’m told it’s the Jully Black version) and it was very good. Lauren’s got some mad pipes and has a chance to make a lot of noise if she hangs around. Randy said, “That’s how you do it!”; Steven said it was spectacular, which is a stretch; and J-Lo said Lauren’s voice is undeniable but that she felt like she could do even more.

Thia Meghia did a pretty flawless version of Irene Cara’s “Out Here on My Own,” something that was impressive as is, but when you consider she’s only 15, well, holy crap. There was nothing flashy or big-voice-y about it, but that’s why it was good. Steven said Thia has great pitch; J-Lo said she was really special; and Randy said he loves the tonal quality in Thia’s voice and that it reminded him of a great deceased singer named Michael Jackson. Again, WHOA Dawg.

Pia Toscano closed out the night and all I can say is it must have sounded much better live than it did on TV. She did “I’ll Stand By You” by The Pretenders and it was good, but, well, maybe I’m missing something. I thought it was kind of screechy in spots and just good, not great. Randy noted that Pia got a standing ovation, which she did and that it was amazing; Steven said it was over the top; and J-Lo said Pia was already a standout but that this performance vaulted her to new heights. Well, okay then.

THE PRETTY GOOD
Kendra Chantelle took on “Impossible” by Christina Aguilera, another one that was risky considering the source, but she did a decent job with it. Randy said he loves Kendra’s vibrato; Steven said her voice was good and that she looked hot in her leather pants; and J-Lo said she loves the heart Kendra shows but that she knows Kendra can do even better.

Rachel Zevita did a quirky version of Fiona Apple’s “Criminal” that was sort of Broadway-ish. Still, I thought it was decent. Steven said he loved Rachel’s strut but that it was “too Broadway;” J-Lo said she didn’t see enough from Rachel; and Randy said it wasn’t very good. Man, I thought that was harsh.

Ashton Jones took on “Love All over Me” by Monica and it was pitchy but not horrible. Steven called Ashton the “confidence queen;” J-Lo said Ashton has all the makings of a diva; and Randy said he liked Ashton and her confidence but didn’t love the song choice.

THE JUST OKAY
Karen Rodriguez did a weird version of Mariah Carey’s “Hero” in which she inserted some Spanish into it, clearly trying to generate votes from an entire race (sorry, I call it like I see it!). But the thing is, she was really nothing special last night. It was like a theme park performance. But the judges went apeshit—J-Lo said “Wow, you gave me goose bumps!”; Randy said Karen figured out a way to make it her own; and Steven said it was one of a kind and “fantastic.” REALLY? I just didn’t see it.

THE NOT VERY GOOD
Ta-Tynisa Wilson kicked off the festivities last night and set the table with a horrible rendition of “Only Girl in the World” by Rihanna. It was terribly off-key and awkward and a bad way to start. Steven said it was a beautiful way to open the show; J-Lo said it started off shaky but that Ta-Tynisa took it home; and Randy said it was just okay and nothing special, and that there were pitch issues. Yeah, that’s my Dawg!

Julie Zorrilla is someone I had high hopes for, but yikes. She did Kelly Clarkson’s “Breakaway,” and it was, well, pretty bad. Maybe it was too ambitious and not the right choice, but either way Julie really blew it. J-Lo said she liked it but it wasn’t Julie’s best; Randy said it wasn’t different enough from the original, which immediately made everyone compare it to Kelly’s awesomeness; and Steven said he liked the choruses but it was just the wrong song for Julie. Yep, pretty much.

So there you have it. Tonight we have to endure a marathon 2-hour results show, in which the Top 5 guys and Top 5 ladies will be announced and automatically reach the finals. After that the judges will choose wild cards, but I’m not sure if that will happen tonight or not. Actually they’ve been pretty secretive about the process this season, but it’s no doubt going to be different. Anyway, see you back here tomorrow morning with the results!

Okay, so we have finally arrived. “American Idol” last night reached the Top 24, meaning it’s now in America’s hands to vote and out of the hands, mostly, of judges Randy Jackson, Jennifer Lopez and Steven Tyler. That, of course, is good news for J-Lo, who had an extremely difficult time, and started crying as the episode ended Wednesday night, saying, “I don’t know if I can do this….” Well, that was a short cry that the producers made a bigger deal out of. She got it together in the first 30 seconds of last night’s episode, and the judges had those contestants march down a mile-long hallway one by one to learn their fate.

First up, the bubbly J-Lo wannabe, Karen Rodriguez, and she was the first one through, due in large part to her “connection” with J-Lo. Next was 17 year old Robbie Rosen, who would learn his fate from Tyler, who is horrible at delivering good news! Anyway, Robbie was in, and that’s good for America, because this kid is really awesome. Next was Tatanyisha Wilson, who was a yes. Then two people I never remember seeing sing were eliminated. Okay.

Next up, Tim Halperin and Julie Zorrilla, who sang an amazing Beatles duet in Vegas, and they both made it. Then Scott McCreery and John Wayne Schulz, the two male country singers in this thing–Scotty made it and John didn’t, on the strength of Scotty’s amazing final performance. I’ve been a moderate fan until now, but this kid really is something special. Then came Govanni, the Marc Anthony clone, and well, of course he made it! Lauren Turner was next and I don’t remember her from before, but I remember her after seeing her sing last night. Wow. Taiwan Strong and Erin Kelly were sent home, but I don’t remember much about her. Did the producers do that on purpose? Rachel Zevita, who has auditioned the last few years but didn’t advance to the live TV round, made it this time. She is very strange but indeed talented.

Then came some rapid fire good news–Kendra Chantelle, Jordan Dorsey, Lauren Alaina (my pick for winning it all right now), and Stefano Langone. Jackie Wilson from Nashville was sent home, but not before putting up a futile fight. I liked Jackie, but at this point it was a numbers game. Then more good news–Jacob Lusk, Mrs. Mike’s favorite; Pia Toscano; James Durbin, the dude who lost his rocker dad at 9 and has Tourette’s Syndrome; Casey Abrams, the eccentric harmonica dude who is sort of like a way more talented Taylor Hicks.

Then they brought in the final two girls, Thia and Jessica–and 15 year old Thia made it. Jessica was pissed, and I don’t really blame her. She is damn good and Thia is 15. It’s like the producers wanted a 15 year old in just to show they were right in reducing the audition age. Then the last three guys were marched in, with one spot remaining in the Top 24–Jacee, Brett, and Colton. Of the three, Colton was WAY more talented than the other two. But it was Brett they let through, maybe to show America that you can’t bully a kid forever.

So here is a press release from Fox about the Top 24.

So who do you like, America? I like Lauren Alaina, Casey Abrams, Robbie Rosen, Tim Halperin, Julie Zorrilla, Paul McDonald and Haley Reinhart. That’s off the top of my head–it sure changes once they have to sing live for the nation. Yikes. The guys sing for us Tuesday, the ladies Wednesday, and then a TWO HOUR results show on Thursday. Get committed, folks…and I’ll see you back here next week…..