AI7 Semifinals - Top 12 Women (2/20/08)

Ryan mentions at the beginning that the flu has hit the girls this week and several have been battling coughs, bronchitis, etc. He also asked Simon how he felt about a couple of the guys talking back last night, & Simon said he likes it!

Kristy Lee was up first with "Rescue Me." It was ok; there were glimpses that made me think her voice is better than this song showed.

Joanne sang "Say a Little Prayer" and again, ok. Judges blamed her nerves. The best part of her performance was seeing Danny on the side singing along! (LOVE) :)

Alaina did "More Today than Yesterday." Chikieze, take note: *this* is how this song is sung. She was maybe a bit too belty, but definitely my favorite of the night. I liked her 1st audition & we hadn't seen her since, so I'm happy that wasn't a fluke. I love her personality (teen but not obnoxiously so), she's pretty, & has an awesome voice with potential for versatility. If I'd voted tonight, it would've been for her.

And now my least 2 favorites... the Indiana girls! (phooey!) Amanda sang "Baby Please Don't Go" and it was rocky and bluesy and she scatted and the rest was even harder to understand (except for the ultra repetitive line). Yuck. R & P liked it; Simon said he likes her but he didn't enjoy the song. I do love how down-to-earth, mature & genuine she is. Ryan said he hoped the trucker who hit her was watching & voting, and she looked right and the camera & kind-of sheepishly said, "I'm sorry I pulled out in front of you, dude." Hee!

Amy sang "Where the Boys Are," and as soon as she started I was totally. cracking. up. Anyone who remembers Jessica Sierra's early song choice will understand. We got a small clip of her doing "Me & Bobby McGee" in Hollywood & it sounded good. However, this one was boring and way off-key.

Brooke did "Happy Together" and... as Simon said, it was very "her." Nice, but boring.

Alexandrea rocked "Spinning Wheel"! She really made use of the stage, showed a great vocal range, and was a very confident and entertaining performer. R & P loved it; Simon "didn't get it." One of my favorites; I hope she sticks around.

Kady sang "Groovy Kind of Love" with a slow, country feel. It was good and she has a powerful voice, but she missed some notes toward the end. The judges thought it was a bit boring & want to see more of her fun personality.

Asia'h did "Piece of My Heart" very well except for the smiling and bouncing; sigh. Yes, she's still adorable, but heartbreak? Not really a smiley, bouncy topic. And the judges complimented her for looking like she was having fun! Alrighty then. Simon said it was his favorite so far.

Ramiele talked a bit about her song strategy, which was interesting. Her "You Don't Have to Say You Love Me" was very dramatic (planned poses, etc.) but showed a great range vocally and stylistically. I don't know if anyone could ever top Nadia's version for me, but having said that, I did love Ramiele's and she did an awesome job. The judges loved it too and Simon said she "outsang" everyone else (which she did, ironically, by *not* oversinging the song itself; yay for her!).

Syesha chose "Tobacco Road" and did a decent job (though again makes me want to go listen to a previous Idol's version, that being Phil's from last year). It was good, & the judges said it wasn't her best but they liked it.

Last (surprise, surprise) is Carly. She was also sick but you couldn't tell from how she yelled her way through "Shadow of Your Smile" (I don't know this song at all, & this performance certainly didn't make me want to). At least she addressed her past (recording contract) in her bio clip; that will placate a lot of folks. Anyway, I find her unpleasant both to watch and to listen to. Randy, however, said this was the "best vocal of the Top 24!" Oh, my. Paula loved it too. Surprisingly (though I'm glad) Simon didn't! He even mentioned the hype & buzz around her (about which Randy acted clueless) & said she didn't live up to it! Yay, Simon!

My favorites were Alaina, Alexandrea, & Ramiele. Least faves were Amy, Kristy Lee, and Amanda. (Boy, there are a lot of 'A' names!) My guesses to go home are Amy and... I'll say Kady. (Should be Kristy, but I'm guessing she has a larger fan base.)