AI7 Top 16 Results / Top 12 Announced (3/6/08)

The only good thing about there not being a group number tonight was that our VCR broke and I wasn't able to tape the show, so now I don't have to be disappointed that I can't rewatch it to catch whatever I missed the first time! Or something. I will say, that if I had to pick an episode I couldn't tape, this would be a good choice.

Instead of a fun 80's group number, we get Blake Lewis performing a pretty good current yet 80's-ish song("How Many Words"). Didn't like the beatbox/club-dancy stuff, but overall I liked it better than I expected. A long-haired Chris Sligh was apparently playing in his band (ok, that I would've rewatched because I totally wasn't paying attention to the band the 1st time!).

After recapping the guys' performances, Ryan jumps right in. There are 12 silver chairs and one by one he is letting contestants know their fate. We'll notice a pattern after the first few...

David Cook is first, and he's in! Ryan says he talked to Lionel Richie on the phone earlier and Lionel loved David's cover. Nice for David to hear!

David Archuletta is also in (surprise, surprise).

As is Jason Castro.

Now to girls... Brooke is in (yay).

Syesha is in (surprise, surprise).

and... Kady is OUT. (s,s) 'Journey' video, sing-out. She expected it.

Ok, back to guys. And instead of making me wait til the very end, they are going to tell me David Hernandez' fate right. now. I'm not ready. I can't look. Seriously... I've been trying not to obsess or get my hopes up, but I've listened to the mp3 of "It's All Coming Back to Me Now" about 6 times since Tuesday night, and it's soooo one of my top Idol songs ever right now. So... I brace myself, and... he's IN!?! He was outed as a male stripper and stuck in the middle of the performance group with a Simon kiss-of-death "You've sealed a spot" so as to make people think he's safe & not vote... and he's still IN?!? EEEEeeEEeE!!!!!111!!! Ok. Deep breath. I really don't love him *that* much, it's just that I haven't had a semifinal favorite actually make it to the finals in at least 3 years, so I forget how it feels. And I really, really love his voice. Whew!

Michael - is obviously in.

Luke, however, is out (s,s). Video, singout.

Ramiele - in.

Carly - in/ss.

Amanda - in!

which leaves Kristy and Asia'h. This literally could go either way. So... Kristy is in, Asia'h is out! I'm a bit surprised, but not terribly disappointed. Kristy seems to be the only country gal and Idol fans love their blond country singers, while Asia'h was one not-Whitney too many, I guess.

Ok, down to the last 2 guys - Danny (no!) and Chikieze. This, too, could go either way. But Chikieze got the pimp spot and has little competition for his genre, while Danny has more attitude than genre, and is polarizing. Later that can be helpful, but right now it may prove fatal. And it is - Chikieze, in; Danny, out. Boo! He takes it fairly well though; I think he was kind-of cried out over Asia'h and was able to perform quite well for his own singout. I will definitely miss him, but he hadn't really chosen songs to highlight his voice. And from my perspective, the qualities that I like in his voice are similar to why I like David H, and he has chosen music to show it off more (& music I enjoy listening to), so if I'd had to pick, I guess I'd pick David. (And I voted more for him, so I guess I did pick, to some extent.) I'm still somewhat surprised though.

Looking over the list, for what started out to be [Randy]"The year of the young one"[/R], we now have only one teenager in the Top 12! 10 of them are between 20 and 25; Michael is the old man at 29.

Recap dance intros for our new Top 12! Next week: bigger stage, Lennon/McCartney songs, and the possibility that no boys will have to go home! Yay!