American Idol 11 – Final Judgement Pt 1 – Recap and Videos

From what I’ve seen tonight, not too impressed with Jen.  Too screechy.  Sounds more like my mother’s siamese cat.

I’m so excited!

i’m bummed that live recapping at EW is delayed for us west coasters!! is there a way around that?

Excited for the reveal!! :D

 expecting the results …. exciting to heard the hopefuls one last time before the decision . :)

Someone please tell Creighton Fraker to shave the next time he is on TV being watched by millions of people. 

Lauren Gray reminds me of Kelly in a way. WTF!!!!! She is so good, they didn’t want her to go through. NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOoo!!!!!!!!!!!!!

http://ufreetv.com/fox2.html
Does this link work for anyone at all? I’m trying to watch the east coast feed but it never ever works for me :(

I don’t like Jen Hirsch at all. She may be able to hit the notes but her tone is not good.

 I love Jen’s tone, I think she is fantastic.

Mercy, I love Joshua Ledet.  Mercy mercy – love that voice.

What a range Joshua has! Hope he sings rock!

I really don’t understand how people like the caterwauling from Jen Hirsh, which  she continues to be unnecessarily screechy, yet Lauren Grey is called out for being loud. They both clearly have that problem…But Lauren is much better to me anyway. Sads :(  

And I hate who hates high scream notes.

 I just hate her phrasing.  Too much stutter.

 I don’t understand how people can call Jen’s amazing singing caterwauling, but then I remember I don’t need to understand people’s opinions, because it is theirs and not mine :)

I love Haley Johnson and she can rock some bangs :)  She may be my favorite girl!

Bahahaha! Sorry, this is soooo mean…but just when they go to break, they show DeAndre with an amusing crying face. LOL

I like Haley and Joshua :)

That channel is offline.  the one on tvpc,com was removed by the local affiliate, but the west coast channels are still up.

Sad that Lauren didn’t make it. :(

Oh look…Another Haley. lol She seems cool. My new Idol faves rarely share the names of my past faves though.

Love Joshua. Extremely meh on Creighton. Not sure who Haley is.

Nico Star didn’t sound good at all for the judges.

Thanks. That really sucks as the first two minutes actually worked but then they just turn it off for some reason.

Do you know what time does it start for the west coast?

Love that smoky, raspy Elise voice – but she looks about 38.

How did Lauren not make it but this blond girl did. Another season I don’t like on idol…

Can’t access the live blog either. Haven’t been able to the last few times, though I was earlier during the city audition episodes.. Strange. Maybe because I’m old fashioned and refuse to have a face book or twitter account?  What’s up with JLO’s sparkly green dress and the way it illuminates onto her face making her appear as a female leprechaun?

Joshua Ledet’s my favorite this season so far. I love the tone of his voice.

Maybe not quite 38, but she does look a bit long in the tooth! So far, I like her alot.

So far I don’t see anyone special. Lauren G. was special but she didn’t make it.  I don’t get it :(

Reed? Talk about an Idol singer that would struggle on current Pop radio……Geez!

Erica sounds kind of goaty. Me no likey.

 I think idol just wants variety and not just pop artist for the show. The winner will be more mainstream of course. I don’t think Reed will win but he will be an entertaining contestant for the show. He is growing on me, I kind of like his quirkiness. :)

I like Erika. She also, like Elise, looks older than she is, but I like her tone.
I would love to hear her belt out some serious rock.
(She has way more of a potential rock vibe than that lame Colton, IMO.)

There seems to be a lot of big voices. Some are going to have to employ the sometimes less is more thing. Love powerful voices, but it seems a lot of screaming is happening.

It looks like we’ve got 2 country girls in the top 24.  I suppose the show wants to see if they can repeat last year’s success maybe?

 Unfortunately, in situations like this subtlety and nuance are not always effective, and may instead work against them.

wait so what did Haley Johnsen and Joshua Ledet sing?

Chelsea was much better than Bayley. So far I’m not very impressed with anyone.

I wish they would show more of Chelsea :(

I loved her when she tried out last year, and I still love her. She has a fantastic voice and personality. 

He needs to take that stupid ass cowboy hat off. He’s trying too hard. It’s annoying. JMO.

He needs to take that stupid ass cowboy hat off. He’s trying too hard. It’s annoying. JMO.

I wish Elise would’ve saved that performance untill the voting round..that was great…a makeover will help her look younger

I wish Elise would’ve saved that performance untill the voting round..that was great…a makeover will help her look younger

I can’t believe I just noticed Steven’s pants! WTF?
On a better note, good bye and happy trails to the douche.

I can’t believe I just noticed Steven’s pants! WTF?
On a better note, good bye and happy trails to the douche.

what are u sweating??? mostly water…lmao..Heejun is so funny

I just don’t see how Hee has gotten this far.  He has a nice voice, but he can’t pronounce anything.   

Elise Testone and Erika Van Pelt are pretty much the same type of singer

Chealsea Sorrell and Baylie Brown are pretty much the same type of singer

only one of each will make it into the top 12

 I love Heejun, that is all. :)

You’re probably right. I guess Now is the time to give it everything they’ve got. One shot deal.

YESSSSSSSSSSSSS!  Richie’s out and Heejun is in!

awww Heejun is such a sensitive guy.

Heejun, I love you!  You’re so precious. 

Are they going to pick half the top 24 tonite and the other half tomorrow?

I agree. He won’t win of course, but he’s providing such comedy and interesting TV sound bites compared to some of these bland contestants.

It’s on for 2 hours tonight and 1 hour tomorrow so probably 16 tonight and 8 tomorrow.

Jessica was fantastic

So happy that Heejun made it!! Love him so much.<3

He's without a doubt my fave male this year. Hopefully next week(or maybe tonight even)I'll find my female one.

Jessica was just incredible! Such control!

Wow. Jessica…that was stunning

 Yep, sucks too, but it is what it is.  Kind of why I hate the newer trend of going from 24 to 12(13) in one week.  You get someone who may do great on a song and get through, only to crash afterwards. Meanwhile, someone picks an uninteresting song but would have done awesome the next week. One or two performances just aren’t always enough to get a good feel to me.

That girl can sang! Wow another incredible 16 year old. The next Charice.

Phil Phillips reminds me of Lee DeWyze.

As beautful as Jessica’s voice is, that P2 is going to outlast her, maybe win this damn thing.
Here in lies the core problem with what this show has become.

Wow…Jessica was amazing. :O

They are going to eliminate 12 next week? Are people going to vote, or will the judges decide?

America votes next week.

If that’s the case, I pick Erika over Elise and… the other one could go either way.

I’ve watched like two seconds of this season so far, but Jessica just impressed the crap out of me.  She’s 16?!  Her voice is beautiful.

P2′s a nice guy, but I also see him as another Lee.

He’s gotten by on his personality, which Steven wasn’t shy about pointing out.  I don’t know how I feel about that, even though I do love him.  There’s a place for him in the entertainment industry, even if it isn’t being a singer.

The Green Mile episode is always painful, but for some reason this seems more painful and boring than any of the other ones.  I don’t know what it is, maybe it’s the lack of diversity among the people who are getting through.  This group still looks like season 9 to me.

Cindi said: Phil Phillips reminds me of Lee DeWyze.

Lee sounded a lot better during this stage of the competition, which just shows how bad Phil Phillips is.

It feels like you have made a judgment about the season already and are projecting.

Colton, you dedicate it to your sister?! you really don’t like her!

P2 may last longer in the competition because of his ability to change up songs, but if you take that element out of the equation I don’t see much there vocally.

OH really, that sucks. I forgot about that. They aren’t going have a chance to win America over.

I don not like the way she sings. Sounds like she’s trying to sing around something in her mouth.

I doubt P2 will win. Jessica may have a great voice but it’s boring just like Thia’s was. Of course that’s JMO. However remember the voting public is the same one that made KeSha a multi platinum artist. 

In your opinion Phillip is bad.  It all depends which ears are listening to him.  A lot of people have prejudged him because he’s a WGWG.  Like I’ve said before Top 5 baby at the very least.

I think Colton is going to go a long way as well. 

Not only WGWG, but a southern boy.

WOW  Jessica is fantastic!

Yes!! Heejun :) , i think he has a refreshing personality, but i think too he has a very good voice and more important than that is that he really connect and deliver the emotions of the song. :
Jessica …… i mean just WOW!! , Great performance … happy for this two in the top 24, i actually like Phillip P more tonight too. ;)

I’m having a hard time deciding if I want Brielle or Reed to leave first. 

Bingo! Fits right into the AI core demographic voting audience.

I agree with your attitude.  I like to see how the season unfolds and be entertained.

 He really isn’t that good, fodder again I guess. :)

Brielle=fodder

I don’t care for Brielle at all.

This season is fulllll of growlers which is a style I usually like, but so many of them are wearing me out. sigh….

Adam looks much older than his age,wow

 I agree P2 sucks. lols I do see some glimpse of S9 and S10 combine. :)

strong ladies!  i like jen, elise, erika, and the Sanchez chick.  And with all the Lin-sanity sweeping America - maybe Heejun can make a dent on Idol too.  I wish there were a few black women though and I don’t like the black guys they chose.  Boo

Kinda diggin’ crazy drummer guy.  Didn’t catch his name.

Seriously?  

I did not like Phillip at his first audition, but he’s grown on me.  He’s got something. Heejun is going to be a fan favorite, which makes me happy.  I was stunned to learn Jessica is only 16.  And, I’m sorry, but I don’t find her anything like Thia.  Thia was a pageant bot with zero personality.  Jessica sings with the potential for pop stardom. Haley Johnson, Erika, and Elise are my favorites so far.  I liked Jen the first time I heard her, but… I don’t know.  She’s grown old already. Not a good sign.  Oh, and another cliffhanger. *sigh*

WTH? I can’t believe they made Adam the cliffhanger. ARGH….

Opinions and all that….

 I don’t really see the Thia comparisons either, outside of their race I guess..

Brielle….her mom could hurt her chances plus her edit with group shows she can be bossy herself.

Except Phillip Phillips has already assembled a huge following. 

Agree with you,they both are annoying for me but i think producers feel they make good tv,as there are always a few each yr that seem less a judge choice and more producer.

It feels like you have made a judgment about the season already and are projecting.

What am I projecting?  I don’t understand how that word is being used in relation to my post. 

As far as my opinion goes, based on the people who have gotten through, I don’t see a lot of diversity.  I’ve long said that it looks like AI has a quota system, and this group doesn’t change that belief.  Over the past few years they’ve also cast certain types, and once again, this year is no different.  

Hopefully, this group won’t have some of the same issues that the season 9 people had.  I hope that they are willing to work on any weaknesses that they have, and that they won’t be afraid to stretch beyond their comfort zones.

I’m watching on DVR delay, so I’m a bit behind. Also, I just started watching last week, so I haven’t heard these kids “on their own” until tonight.

That said, Hee-Jun has moments of jazzy brilliance in his singing that are interesting enough that I’m glad he got put through. And I thought what Steven said to him was simply lovely.

 You were projecting that it will be like season 9, and you are doing that again in this post.

With the dudes that have made it through already (not even counting the ones to come tomorrow), Colton has NO shot at the top 12.

I mean, you already have major personalities with huge fan bases coming in like P2, Reed, Creighton, Hee-Jun, Adam, Joshua, etc… and like I said, we aren’t even on tomorrow’s show yet.

Colton has no shot going beyond the first performance show so people on here should be happy. 

This season does not remind me of S9 at all.  Sure some styles overlap (like they do every year), but there are more belters and actual strong vocalists this year IMO.
I’m very excited to see how S11 unfolds!

I really thought Nico Starr was going through.  Based on his auditions, I thought he had it all…looks, the voice, the moves. 

Not all of the voting public. It appears a portion of the voting public seems to be out of touch with current music. Some people who watch this show and listen to what’s on radio today are hardly voting. At least, not many.

Please don’t assume. Everything isn’t about race. I’m comparing singing styles. IMO they are both boring. That is all. 
As far as I know they aren’t the same race whatever they are. I thought Thia’s family was from the Philipines. I didn’t pay attention to Jessica’s family aside from the fact that there were a lot of them. Unless I see different I figure they were born and raised in the U.S. Since her name is Latino that would make me believe her family possibly came from South America. 

In your opinion Phillip is bad.  It all depends which ears are listening to him.  A lot of people have prejudged him because he’s a WGWG.  Like I’ve said before Top 5 baby at the very least.

I have no problem with him playing the guitar, he’s a great guitar player.  My issue is that he hasn’t had a good vocal performance yet.  The first song that he sang during his audition was horrible, and he’s gotten worse since.  There were a lot of good singers who were cut, because he fits a certain type that AI thinks that their audience wants to see.  My problem is that there are plenty of guitar playing white, black, Asian, Hispanic, etc. guys who can actually sing, so why pick Phil over them?

One of the producers of the show was talking about how the steep rating drops this year is because they didn’t make any changes, and now they have to compete against all of these shiny new shows, well one change that they should have made is to open up the casting.  Cool it with the quotas, cast a more divers group, and get people who have musicality, personality, and who can sing.

Colton had already amassed a pretty good size following from his audition last year. I wouldn’t count him out yet.

Jessica is half Filipino and half mexican. She also sounds nothing like Thia.

I don’t think that’s the right word, or I just don’t understand.  I’ll just leave it by saying that one of the problems with season 9 was the lack of diversity, and season 11 lacks diversity too.  IMO, at this point, that’s how they are alike.  I hope that that’s where the similarities end, but that similarity is huge.

We have a new Queen Obnoxious (she comes by it through heredity)…Brielle.  She should joing King Obnoxious…Heejun.  Phillip is too much like Lee, Reed like Taylor, and Baylie like McPhee to win.  My favorites…Jen & Joshua…weren’t as impressive tonight.  Chelsea moved up the list. Sorry to see Neco and Lauren go.  I may go into the live shows with no favorite for the first time since I became addicted to this show during Season #1.  Maybe one of the final 9 will change that tomorrow.

I didn’t see all of the show, but I sure thought Lauren Gray was sensational.  Great voice!  She reminded me that I still am not over Lauren Turner. I will never get over Lauren Turner.

 I actually think he would have been in a better place last season than this season. Too many bigger personalities with arguably better voices. I think Colton gets lost in the shuffle.

Plus, I really don’t think the producers/judges are too high on him.

I think it was on here I read people found him smug and his tweets were arogant?….

I think there are a lot of good singers who made it through. I think it will be a good season

Jessica and Thia alike????? Not getting that at all.

It feels like a lot of colorful personalities this year to me. These people are not dull, though some of them scream too much. Heh. I’m liking this group so far.

There is the occasional entertainer that lights up a room.  He is one.

 What do you mean lack diversity?

I don’t know who I disliked more Brielle or her mom.  I didn’t think her final performance was that good.  I hope she’ll be gone quickly.

I disagree.  I think Colton is totally going to shine on the live performance show and make it through no problem.   I’d sure like to know how Reed, in particular, has a huge fan base.  Annoying is his middle name. 

I’m assuming you mean a lot of bluesy/soul Adele like belters?

Well that can go 2 ways. You have to wait and see who gets voted through to the top 13. There are enough people to have a good mix at that stage.

Jessica and Thia alike????? Not getting that at all.

Same here.  Jessica is one of the better 16 year olds I’ve heard on Idol.  I can see myself voting like crazy for this girl. Thia bored me to tears.

 Exactly. Is there a potential you will get a very similar top 13? Yeah, there is that potential every year. Right now I could see a top 13 with jessica, heejun, reed, erika, jen, baylie, joshua, and adam though which is pretty diverse in look, style, and singing.

Sigh…I love how so many contestants who auditioned in Pittsburgh are being highlighted, but only one is actually from PA. Why couldn’t Heejun be from here too? :/

That’s not to say that I don’t think Adam is talented. He is, but he’s not my type of singer. I want someone from my state to make it far on Idol, but I’m not one to jump on every single PA singers ship.(Aaron Kelly comes to mind.)Just like I’m not going to vote for any girl just because I want a girl to win this year. It’s all about the voice in the end. Gotta love someone enough to want to buy their Idol singles and originals.

Anyway…Does Adam remind anyone of Michael Slezak? I know he’s gotten the Danny Gokey comparisons already, but to me he seems like a combo of the two. And somewhere…. lezak is raging for no apparent reason. lol

I think Jessica has more emotion than Thia, but she sang a song much too old for herself and sounded like a forty year old lounge singer. Of course, the producers will probably suggest Disney songs for her in the voting rounds like the do every year with girls that age.

Enjoyed the show tonight.  I agree with most of the choices.  I absolutely love Jessica Sanchez, scenery chewing and all she’s got pipes and some serious moxie.  I want to see her go far.  Not glad Lauren went home, and I would have love to see Brielle say goodbye, but you have to have fodder, and she is definitely that.  I am meh on both Joshua and Colton.  Joshua is a bit ott for me, if he can reign it in a bit, then I might be interested.  Colton just does nothing for me.  

Again….opinions and all that….

In all fairness, P2 actually got really good critical reviews for his audition. 

Top 5?  I would say that he makes Top 3.

Scotty McCreery would be the first to say that he was horrible with his auditions last year, and look at him now.  A platinum selling artist. 

 I have to agree with this somewhat; although, I think Phillip has a decent voice.  My problem with him is that his singing is so affected as to be unappealing. Way too quirky. The guitar has nothing to do with why I don’t like him.

I have not been following very closely so I don’t know what people are saying this year. This is the first time I’m seeing most of the people going through to Top 24.

Hadn’t really latched on to anyone before tonight….but I am loving Josh and Jessica so far….
Also need to see more of Adam and Reed…liking them also

Ha ha! Too funny. You have to post that on TV Line. Like, now.

A little crying is OK and expected, but the lengthy, drawn-out weeping sessions are getting a bit much.  And Adam with the baby he’s missing?  We went through that last season.  Had hopes for this season – will stick it out to voting time at least and some decent performances.  Like UhHuh or whatever his name is.

I love Heejun because of his personality, but he can sing too.  I know he has issues with enunciation that he probably can’t fix, but I don’t give a crap, I feel something when he sings.  That counts for something.  He’s not just there cause he’s the funny Asian dude, but the funny Asian dude who can blow!

I am reserving judment on both Reed and Phil, I see something, and they are interesting, but not quite as sold on them for a vocal competition.

I dont have a problem with Phillip being a WGWG i like acutally like WGWGs (kris allen was one of my favorite contestants ever)…The problem is that Phillip isnt a very good singer..and not even the not-perfect but still good kinda singer…he’s just bad to me…I agree that on paper, Phillip would be the ideal contestant..i just dont see him lasting that long w/o any good vocal performances

I also dont like adam brock….he’s too old-fashioned, and not in the cool/retro/throwback type of way…

I do like the fact that Heejun is a funny guy…but he also takes his music and the competion very seriously…

Elise Testone was great…but needs and makeover

Jessica Sanchez…wow…she’s one to watch out for

I made a statement a few days ago and i still stand by it…and im not trying to get all “racial” but if River St James was a WGWG instead of a BGWG he would have sailed through to the top 24…They didnt air any of his performances..but I challenge some of yall to look at some of his videos on youtube and tell me if im wrong

Why are people comparing Jessica to Thia?

Jessica is SO much better. Thia had a more jazzy/ classical style, while Jessica is straight up Pop/Rnb a la Beyonce. Anyway, I’m so glad Idol finally showed more of her backstory because this girl is the real deal. She’s only 16 and she can sing and emote like that… amazing. 

No way. lol I do wonder if Slezak sees it too though…

Ok, as of right now, love…

Erika Van Pelt
Baylie Brown
Reed Grimm
Colton Dixon

2 of my favorites made it – Colton and Chelsea. Scott D was my 3rd fav and hoping he is shown tomorrow. I do like Phil, Heejun is interesting and Joshua has a strong voice.

This is the most boring group I’ve ever seen.  Worse than season 9 and 10. I can see PP winning this easily.  You don’t have to be a great singer to win.  The last three winners are average singers so PP is okay there plus he is from the south and he’s cute, white, male and plays guitar.  They are also pimping him because they’ve given up trying for anything else.  So predictable it’s funny.

Does everyone remember that William Hung made one million dollars for “singing” after leaving American Idol.  He paid off all his student loans and paid for the rest of his college expenses.  Someone like Heejun could become an International star.  Making the TOP 10 would help him immensely!

Although Jen would provide some competition, I can’t see any of the other girls but Jessica winning American Idol.  I wonder if she’ll throw in a little Rap in one of her songs?

wasn’t that thrilled with tonights episode but glad heejun got in,and his cowboy”friend” got the boot

she kind of looks like thia’s sister

Joshua is my fav.  I like Jen but not the song she sang tonight.  Jessica was really good.  I don’t get P2 and Frakkar and Reed.  Was the green mile show last year this way?  I didn’t see it.  I don’t remember seeing just a bit of singing then the final verdict this way before.  Don’t like this format.

now now casey abrams that’s cheating,pretending to be this ”reed grimm”

you competed last year,lol

Erika’s SFYL was horrendous, and that tatoo? . . oh my.  That is going to cost $ to get removed.  Erika’s fodder.  Chelsea killed ITYS, surprised me. Elise is impressive.  Haley Johnsen is a sleeper.  She will build fanbase.  Jessica . . . wow. 

You know what I’m loving about this season? There is not one contestant this season that everyone is against. Whenever I hear someone ranting about the failures of a contestant, the next one to comment is singing his/her praises. I don’t think I’ve ever seen that before. I know I’ve mentioned who I liked and disliked earlier, but I’m withholding all judgement about the final 24 until after the first week of live shows.

nico should have went through

No, last year the Green Mile was done in an airplane hangar. The “Sing For Your Life” with just one instrument is the same, however.

I want Jessica to win. She’s raw and she may not make the kind of music I favor but her upside is just crazy. She’s got this amazing pure voice, great control, she’s not afraid to rough it up (though she needs seasoning to figure out when to do it). She does overmelisma things but she’ll figure that out with experience. She’s got some edge to her so I fear she may have a likability problem but I like that she wants this and I really do think she’ll work hard.

Chelsea is my favorite voice in this competition. Maybe I’m even more drawn to her because she’s got one of the few pure (as opposed to gravelly) voices they’ve shown. I wish they’d shown more of her performances. I like that she’s friends with Baylie, who’s a package artist but a weaker singer. Baylie’s going to have to figure out a specific identity for herself on this show fast and she’s going to have to pick the right songs.

I also wish we’d gotten to see more of Haley Johnsen because she’s also another pure voiced singer and I really like her tone.

I’m emphasizing the pure voices because I feel like they’ve been emphasizing gravelly singer after gravelly singer after gravelly singer. Though, Erika who’s a favorite of mine has a good mix of gravelly and pure and I feel like she’s got a really good command of when to do what.

On the guys side, I kind of liked Phil Phillips’s performance tonight? I don’t understand it myself. Heejun really does have this beautiful quality in his voice. He’s not the best singer in the competition but there’s something in his voice that makes me listen. His personality is definitely a big part of his entertainment factor but I kind of hope this doesn’t turn into “Heejun’s getting by on his personality”. I really enjoyed his New York State Of Mind performance, better than Creighton’s actually. I’m glad Creighton’s in the t24 though. Josh is probably the best male singer this year, he’s killed it every time we’ve seen him. Colton Dixon’s SFYL performance was probably the 1st one of his I’ve liked. Still not my favorite but I’m happy for him.

This stupid commercial break stuff before a decision is revealed is stupid. I’m sorry but does anybody actually believe that after dragging out the Adam Brock thing so long they’re going to cut him? I don’t really get why he’s in the t24 but congrats to him.

I feel like when we see these people actually perform, it might feel a little more diverse than it does right now where they can choose who to emphasize and which clips to show. It used to be they’d cast 2-3 per “type” in the t24 where they had a favorite and then a backup or 2. So, if a certain type is overloaded then what’s supposed to happen is 1 or maybe 2 will get through. I’m definitely hoping for balance between singing styles and genres in the finals.

I thought both River St James and Nico were good and am disappointed the show never puts those types of singers through

river should have gone through too

Your assessments so far on all the contestants this season have always been an interesting and intriguing read. :)

funny how karma works, cool asian kid in, douche cowboy out,reminds me a little of last year when jordan dorsey went home and scotty ,well the rest is history

I’m not even sure if they aired Jen during the audition episodes or not, but she was my absolute favorite during Hollywood Week.  I’ve been growing less and less enchanted with her since then. 

One thing that particularly worried me tonight was when she talked about her (amazing) performance of “Georgia On My Mind” during Hollywood, and why she loved it.  Not for any musical reason, mind you.  She said it was her favorite because the judges really liked it. 

My problem is that there are plenty of guitar playing white, black, Asian, Hispanic, etc. guys who can actually sing, so why pick Phil over them?
Because he’s a cutie patootie and he’s from the South!

 I just watched Joshua again. I see the Fantasia comparisons. I love him. I love that he can really belt it out, but can end so beautifully simple. He seems really likable too.

I want Brielle out of there no question.  That nasally Joisey Girl voice is beyond irritating.

Just started watching…liking Jen (but she can be shouty at times) and Joshua (smooth tone with nice control).

I do not get P2 — to me, vocally, he’s the poor man’s version of Paul of last year.  He will probably be picked to fulfill the soft rock, guitar playing guy, but with a fatal flaw (vocal deficiencies) so he can be voted off early.  He’s the WGWG fodder.

kcostell “I’ve been growing less and less enchanted with [Jen]“  I agree.  Nt impressed with Jen’s comments before the judges.  These kids don’t understand that their comments (how they are viewed as a person) will have an impact on the voting public.  Be humble, grateful, and sincere (even if you have to fake it. lol)

Love Joshua!  Representing our state of Louisiana very well!
Actually, I like a lot of the contestants this season; but only like one girl…I think her name is Chelsea.  The country gal!

Big respects for Steven of what he said to Heejun. Very sincere…he really does care about the kids. 

Korean pop is very big in Asia, I’m sure Heejun would do very well over here.

Just watched his clip, he was so moved to have been selected, and were Eben and Colton crying at the end too? They all seemed very happy for him, he seems very popular with the other contestants.

Just watched the videos of thiose who made the top 24, thanks MJ. Heejun is the only one who stood out for me, and the girls seem much stronger as a whole than the boys but I can’t remember any of them individually.

I don’t see a problem with Heejuns pronounciation, but then again I’ve lived in Asia for nearly 15 years so probably used to it:)  I actually thought it was terrible that Fox were putting subtitles under him speaking, and when they did it to that African guy. Both their accents were perfectly understandable.

It’s funny. Not a big fan of Phil Phillips but his bromance with Heejun makes me like him. Every Idol season needs a bromance! PHILJUN! lol

elliegrll, I do understand your opinion, but I also understand why gangreen expressed a judgement about a season before the TOP 24 have sung.

We’ve discussed the quota system concept elsewhere.  Supposedly, Simon liked Candice and encouraged her on Twitter to return next year.  Seriously, I don’t understand how she didn’t make it as I am trying to sort out all the blondes that did! 

I like special surprises like Jason Castro.  Will there be any surprises here?  Will someone be off the list and someone added in?

I don’t really like Jens tone, and she sounds close to screaming on many of the high notes.   Creighton is OK.   Joshua has a great voice.   Hayley seems nice although nothing outstanding yet.   Like Elise, don’t like the dress!   i would like Reed to just sing without all the weird bits.   Quite like Erika and Chelsea from the small bits I’ve seen.   Bayley is cute, probably quite marketable.   Don’t like Brielle,   Jessica is great.   Love Heejun,   liked Colton tonight.   Phil Philips seems like a great guy, do not get his voice at all.
Adam looks, dresses and acts way, way older than he is. He’s boring.

I enjoyed Season 9 contestants; it was Simon and Kara that drove me crazy.  I won’t know if it will be like Season 9 until I see the Final 2 AND the winner.

From what I’ve seen, the girls in the Top 24 are stronger than the guys.

But we’ve said that before, only to have a guy win, so…

I still can’t tell the difference between the girls.  Only Jen and Jessica stand out, and my opinion of Jen has diminished.   Frankly, once again, it’s the guys who stand out and have personality with talent.  (So far – could change in an instant).  I actually like Phil P for the first time tonight – I finally “got” him.  Idol is my favorite voice competition show, but to me Xfactor picked more interesting females.  But, we will see. 

I don’t have any favorites, but Jessica is the most talented at this point.  But, last year, I think Scotty won it at this time.  He had the combination of personality, charm and talent that wins competitions.  I suppose Heejun and Phil had good last performances and their bromance will take them far.

Overall the girls have the greater range and vocal ability, but their personalities are blending in together.  Only big-flower girl stood out because she (and her mom) annoy me.  Like last year, the boys have more distinct and individual personas.

I might have missed it, but they are not showcasing girls that play instruments.Come on idol, please edit the girls better!  

Elise……. tore that song to shreds. In the best way possible. Comparing Thia & Jessica is weird. I don’t think they’re alike. I think Jessica is much more developed than Thia was on the show and performed with more conviction. But I like Thia’s voice better.

I like Heejun the person, not yet sold on the vocals.
So far the best girl is Jessica Sanchez.  Most of the others are oversinging.  Biggest surprise is Halley (Hollie, Haley, not sure) the clumsy hipster.  She exceeded my expectations.
Reed will wear out his welcome quickly, as well and Creighton and Joshua.
Phillip will win, no matter how good or bad he is, much to my consternation.

Not sure about P2 winning.  When Paul was casted, some people were making the same prediction.

Without his guitar, P2 is going to struggle in the live rounds.

Heejun sounded better than usual, but he could use some coaching.  He reminds me of Scotty — there’s something inherently likable about him.  Plus, they showed his sensitive side — for some reason his tears were less annoying than Adam’s.

Colton sounded better than last year, but his facial ticks and EARNESTNESS distract me.  Along with his hair.

I like Bailey, Jen, and Erika.  Jessica is okay, but I’m not feeling it.  She’s come across dated.  Please sing more current songs!

Haley wasn’t Tripster the Hipster, that was a different girl.  They both sang the same song and both wore fedoras.

HKfan, I went back and added that Heejun is a GOOD singer. I didn’t know Korean pop is very big in Asia.  There have been times where a contestant has the potential to go beyond the United States/Canada borders and become International stars.  It seems a lot of the contestants have already formed bonds with each other.  That can lead to some surprising moments!

I get American Idol … two days behind the US.
It airs here on Thursdays and Fridays. But I can’t help to peek in and watch a couple of mjs’ videos.

HAAAAPPY!!!! HEEJUN got through to  – TOP 24.

I watched Richie Law because of “Ring of Fire”  – CUT !
I’ll save the rest to watch on TV.

I loved Jessica Sanchez, find Colton Dixon interesting & Heejan cute; hope all three make the top 10. Over and out till tomorrow :)

This group still looks like season 9 to me.

Well, Season 9 actually had a good group/top 24, but voters messed that up.

This is the most boring group I’ve ever seen.  Worse than season 9 and 10.

Season 10 had a great group, so if this season is even half as good as Season 10, then I will take it!

Jessica Sanchez… Gah, so much freakin’ melisma. Way to ruin the beginning of a perfectly beautiful song. 

Chelsea’s voice is quite beautiful.  I’m very much looking forward to her progress and growing comfort with performing.

My thoughts on tonight:

-Love Jessica, she was amazing.
-A little disappointed in Erika and Jen’s final performances, but I think there were a lot of nerves, which is understandable.
-Colton was actually pretty good tonight.
-I don’t get Phillip. He is unique, but reminds me too much of Lee.
-Really like Elise.
-I think Chelsea is better than Baylie, although I like both.
-Not as disappointed over Lauren as others seem to be.
-Reed is odd. Not really sure how I feel about him LOL.
-Heejun doesn’t have the greatest voice, but I’m glad he’s through.
-Haley is promising.
-Josh has a ridiculous voice.
-Adam should tone it down a little.

Overall, I am impressed with the top 24 so far. A little worried about consistency with some of them, but Hollywood brings out the worst in a lot of them.

There was some good constructive criticism from the judges! Lets hope they keep it up.

Joshua was a revelation. He can go big and take it to church, but then he can bring it back down again. He is tasteful. Great song choice too. Hope his lack of screen time thus far won’t hurt his chances to go deep.

What pressure for the people to go to the judges by passing through Kelly and Carrie’s pictures.
-I wanted Lauren Gray (?) to get through because I loved her smoky voice in Vegas, so disappointed for her.
-I like Jessica Sanchez, but I personally don’t like that tremble in her voice ( I don’t know the term for it), but I’ll see if she will wow me or not. 
-I like HeeJun.  I actually think that he sounds good at his last sing off.
And I saw him play a piano and holding a guitar ?
- How can Phillip P pass through Hollywood after forgetting that much lyrics ?
- And Bailey Brown looks like a star, I hope she can really sing.

The coach from Hell Peggy Blue just got interviewed at my local channel and one person that she mentioned she loves was HeeJun. She loves the sweetness in HeeJun’s voice, his is like butter cream.

For me it’s Jessica and Colton. I wish them good luck.

For me it’s Jessica and Colton. I wish them good luck.

My comment was doubled. How that happened? Please moderator delete one of my post. Thank you.

I am pretty impressed how well the show is put together. No “sob stories” or brainless over praising. (Unless they did outside of these videos I saw…)  Instead,  I had my heart string pulled when Phil was waiting for HeeJun, and Schyler was waiting for Colton. I got a little teary.  
] I thought Hee Jun gave a really good performance, not just personality today. It was a good song choice for his voice. 

Phil was better, too. I really felt that he was unique: He has this rough rock’n roll sound going.  I like Phil-HeeJun pair, and want them to go far, though I am fearful that Phil may not be able to keep doing the same kind of songs that fits his voice. Only Scotty can get away with singing country after country after country after country. (How did that happen? Oh, yeah, somebody correctly predicted that he could sell a lot of albums, so he got a pass :)

For Colton, he sounded good, too, but he’s got a style.  He doesn’t look like anybody else this year. You have to stand out somehow, and he is doing a good job.   Look at his Jacket! 

Anyone know why Scott Dangerfield has had almost NO screen time?  Also was wondering what happened to Brittany Zika from the Portland auditions — very pretty voice but didn’t see her anywhere in Hollywood.

These weepy guys are a big turnoff…just say’n. 

I think Jessica is amazing. She is such a talent and I bet she wins it this year.

“Colton sounded better than last year, but his facial ticks and EARNESTNESS distract me.  Along with his hair.”

Maybe he’ll get better. As it is – he doesn’t have a voice or performance style that interests me – too ‘inconsistent’, if that’s gonna be the new catchword.

As far as the hair – I guess he figures it makes him stand out in a group. Better the vocals do that – it’s just Jason Yeager’s hair style from 2008 – and it didn’t do him much good either. IMO.

I know that so far the show has been one long audition, and the contestants are right to choose songs that show everything they can do vocally, but good God what a lot of boring songs we heard in this episode! I can barely remember what anyone sang.

I think that once the live shows start and the contestants are trying to catch the attention of the voters as well, song choice starts to play a larger part in differentiating between people who may still be sounding similar to us at this stage. (I maintain that singing more interesting songs than his rivals played a big part in Lee winning in Season 9). 

Well, I’m hoping that someone will start to show smart musical instincts soon! To me, nobody’s sounding very current yet. I’m heartily sick of the classic audition songs that get trotted out every year.

I like American Idol…it is the only “reality” show that I watch and that is as much about the “personalities” that inhabit the show as the singing.  Sure, I’m always thrilled when an Idolette does well in the real world but I am equally excited when the show, itself, makes me feel (the reason I turned off season 9 midway through Hollywood…cause I never “felt” that season).

I firmly believe that singers are “made”…having said that I also think that in order to make it you have to have the talent and the charisma that can be molded into something.  No one has ever shown up on AI as a finished product…if they were they would already have a contract.  Instead we get to watch as people “find” their way…something shows like The Voice and X Factor don’t think are important.

I also don’t believe that “pop” singers are the be-all and the end-all and would be bored to tears if everyone just sang knock-offs of the current top 40 (besides I can only think of a hand full of top 40 songs that showcase a singer or someone’s musical talent…most are just earworms with no redeeming value.

So far, I think the judges have done well giving us some good candidates that have the makings of being able to develop and grow and impress us….and, as it should be, it isn’t about great technicians but about kids who can hold our attention for the 2 or 3 minutes it takes to sing a song.  Good job AI…I’ll be watching and enjoying this year!

Jen Hirsh and Joshua Ledet are my two vocal favorites. I also like Jessica, Heejun, and Baylie.

Is it possible that the big surprise might be a TOP 25 instead of TOP 24?  Naw…that would be too exciting.

I’m surprised that Brielle made it through, but a part of that may be the “entertainment” value of her and her stage mom (ugh!).  IOW, “casting” the show.

I loved Joshua Ledet. He is so not a Jacob Lusk. He is much much better.  I’ve liked him from day 1.  I also like Reed Grimm.  Usually the quirky wears on me but I love this guy when he performs.  And I think Jessica Sanchez is going to be my girl for this competition if she holds up on the live shows.  Not that the other girls are bad but they all seem to be shouty, growly, low toned altos without a lot of range. With the exception of Chelsea Sorrell and Jen Hirsh, I thought a lot of them were kind of interchangeable. 

Huh?  They don’t have the same ethnic origin.  Thia’s heritage is Phillipino and Jessica’s (going from her surname) is Latino.

She may be Phillipino.  They have hispanic last names because of colonization.

I don’t have any problem with AI “casting” the show…to trot out 24 technically proficient choir singers would be boring as hell.  Besides, if we really look at the current crop of real world singers it becomes apparent that you have to have something beyond a voice to succeed.  Hell, Adele has gotten as much press over the last couple of days over her “finger” at the Brits and her “diamond ring” than she has about her selling 700k+ albums last week.  Singers are a dime a dozen, personalities are a little harder to find.

I disagree.  I think the boys are a stronger over all group.  The girls a pretty generic.  Good voices but pretty indistinct from one another with a couple of exceptions.  The guys are pretty diverse and have a range of talent.  I think the chances of are high based on personality, vocals, and audience appeal that we will have a boy winner. I will hold out some hope for Jessica maybe taking it all.

I’ve been entertained by every season of Idol, even the infamous S9.  lol  That’s because every season, I’ve found at least one contestant who I genuinely like and who has gone far (and been signed and done quite well), so no season has been a bust for me.  I haven’t yet found that “one” this season, but I hope that I will.  :)

Yes, I read that Jessica is Filipino and Mexican.

I’ve pretty much hated PP all season long ……….. but I kind of liked his performance last night. He can come up with some cool arrangements for songs, but I still think he’ll be lost without his guitar during the live shows.

I’m surprised that Brielle made it through, but a part of that may be
the “entertainment” value of her and her stage mom (ugh!).  IOW,
“casting” the show.

Brielle’s mom could be her undoing- I know I wouldn’t vote for her if she sang the greatest version of the greatest song in the history of singing.
Yeah it’s unfair as all get out, but moms need to stay out of the way in the background and concern themselves with what their kids are up to, not be part of the entertainment themselves.
Just UGH.
And no, it’s not right to punish the kid, but my vote my reasons.

So far I am team Heejun all the way and it is purely a personality vote.
Again, not the fairest method of choosing who to vote for but this is entertainment and he entertains me. A dry sense of humor will always get my attention and that “mostly water” last night bought him a season’s worth of votes.
If I was voting on voice I would go with Adam, but I don’t so too bad.
I don’t quite get Phillip yet and the Grimm boy just baffles me.
And am I the only one who thinks Creighton looks perpetually dirty?
Something about his skin tone is not translating well to my television because he looks like he hasn’t seen soap for weeks.

I don’t have all the girls straight in my head yet- I don’t much like girl singers anyway, but right now there’s some blonde girls and some brunette girls and beyond that I don’t know.

So yay Heejun and everyone else has to earn it by not oversinging, not annoying me by being too perky or too earnest, and I swear the first person who says “I want this more than anyone” is dead to me because no you don’t.
Looks like a decent season!

To be honest I wasn’t really impressed with anyone except maybe Jessica Sanchez-at least she dialed it back-everyone else really oversang everything.
I did like Colton Dixon a little-but I’m disappointed I haven’t found a favorite yet and this is way late for me-hope it’s not another season 9.

For the girls, Elise is my fave right now, closely followed by Haley Johnson.   I do like Phillip.  His tone is edgy and I personally think he will be able to perform just fine without his guitar. He’s already got a huge fan base too.  Heejun = love.  Great personality. Great vocals.  Elise, Haley, Phllip, and Heejun are my personal top 4. 

Next week, the 24 only had one chance (two if you count wild card) to sing all they got into top 12.

Singers who had tons of screen time will had huge advantage. So almost all the favorites will be into top 12 except if they fall real flat next week. The cannon fodders (who had a very small screen time) like Jessica had to sing her heart out.

For cannon fodders, they had to pick the riskiest songs. Boring songs will get them boot out. The more difficult the songs to sing or can connect with people at home the better.

Jen and Erika will definitely advance based on how much their screen time. if Baylie can pick the right country song for her to sing, she is in.

For the guys so many choices. (Alomost all of them got screen time) They will had to duke it out. So far probably Hee Jun and Colton are safe to top 12.

John Park (season 9 top 24?) competed in the Korean Idol program and has a new video on youtube.  Think he also does modeling.

They showed Chelsea singing in Hollywood over her SFYL performance? WHY?  I love her voice – it is a real powerful but spot on, great tone, country vocal. I’m rooting for her over Baylie and Skyler. Chelsea’s vocal combines the best from both of the two other girls. She reminds me of Carrie in that she has the tone and power!

Given P2′s youtube popularity and that he’s a WGWG, now that he’s made the voting rounds I could see him going very far (based on the voting demographic).

It wouldn’t surprise me if TPTB is already planning P2′s coronation song.  I can see him very popular with the AI voting crowd. 

Of course I love Heejun. Favorite girls are Erika, Jenn, Elise. But if they advance, watch them get pick apart by the public for their appearances.

“It wouldn’t surprise me if TPTB is already planning P2′s coronation
song.  I can see him very popular with the AI voting crowd.”

I agree.  I’ve also seen signs of Reed becoming very popular with the older Idol viewing demographic, so I’m sure that these two guys will last a long time.

My biggest problem with this group is that so many of them oversing so much of the time. 

That might actually work to Reed’s advantage.  Imagine him going on stage immediately after 3 or 4 straight people shout their way through a song and frantically grab every big note they can find.  By that point light, fun, and “precious” might be exactly what people are looking for. 

I’ve seen to many sure thing frontrunner types crash and burn in the live rounds to feel very certain about P2′s chances to win.

I do think he’s a lock for the top 13 though. Him, Heejun and Reed are all in on the boys side barring a complete and total meltdown on stage.

The only girls I’m going to say I feel certain about making top 13 are Jessica Sanchez and perhaps Jen, but I think Jen in particular could seriously blow it with a bad performance. I think for the girls, the problem is too many of them so far are bluesy/rockish/soul – not to mention blonde LOL – so they will cancel each other out. I expect the girls side will feature some PAINFUL cuts. As much as I love Erika, I think she’s really vulnerable.

I also agree with kcostell about there being a lot of oversingers. I think anyone who shows restraint during the semi will have an advantage because they will stand out.

Are you saying Reed Grimm = Tim Urban? :)

I can think of three “country gals”: Baylie, Chelsea, and Skylar. Baylie and Chelsea were put through last night.

Idol needs to cut down on the Top 24 reveal.  It’s too long, and the show was boring.  I was wondering how I can get through the whole 2 hours when I got bored half way through the introduction for the first contestant Jen Hirsh.  Most of these contestants aren’t interesting as singers or as people.  It gets tedious watching them.  

ITA. They need to go back to doing it in one 2 hour episode.

I wonder what was the incentive to stretch it out this time? Isn’t this usually a lower rated segment?

I think tonight’s ep will be the lowest rated one so far. All the crowd favs (Heejun, Phillp2, Reed) went last night and these eps are BORING AS HELL. Heh.

Idol has always had bubble complaints that the “chairs” episodes were so boring because they rarely showed singing…and “fans” have always complained that their favorite (see Allen, Kris) weren’t featured at all.  Now Idol is trying to show more singing and more interaction with most of the Idols and the bubble (it seems to me) tends to think it too is tedious.  So how should AI narrow down the field….post names on a bulletin board like teachers do in school, or just have the judges turn around if they like someone, or have a coached studio audience scream and clap and have the sound measured like the old “amateur” hour?

I think last year was also three hours.  They had the one hour on Wednesday (the first hour was Las Vegas group round I think), then two hours on Wednesday.  They had the drama of JLo breaking down, even then it was too long.  This year nothing very interesting happened, so it feels more dragged out than last year.

They are making a TV show to entertain, they shouldn’t make a show dull just to give equal time to everyone when those singers aren’t interesting enough to justify the attention given to them.  I do think they should show all the finalists sing, but just ten seconds or so of singing for some of them shouldn’t really take up that much time. 

Fans complain all the time of course, but the show can’t be all things to all men.  The show should try to accommodate what the fans wants, but it shouldn’t be at the expense of making an entertaining show.

But what is entertaining and nail-biting to some is boring and over-done to others.  People always have suggestions to Idol on how to make a better show…if they incorporate those ideas they are heroes, if they don’t they are non-listening villians who are out to ruin the show.  Don’t think I’d ever want to be a producer, editor, or director on a reality show…you are damned if you do and damned if you don’t.  No wonder they make the big bucks…pays for all the ulcers.

But what is entertaining and nail-biting to some is boring and over-done to others.  People always have suggestions to Idol on how to make a better show…if they incorporate those ideas they are heroes, if they don’t they are non-listening villians who are out to ruin the show.  Don’t think I’d ever want to be a producer, editor, or director on a reality show…you are damned if you do and damned if you don’t.  No wonder they make the big bucks…pays for all the ulcers.

It’s Jessica & Colton for me, so far. “The Prayer” was just sublime. A refreshing change from all the belting, which is getting sound-alike to me. I like Colton’s dynamics too.

Among the louder singers, I like Erika and Heejun. Somehow Erika reminds me of a rougher Ann Murray, in looks, tone, and likeability.  I do hope they help style her better, without eliminating that midwest-girl-next-door quality from her attire. Heejun did right to play up the personality angle. Asian men can’t catch a break on TV, whether it be reality shows or scripted shows. The only one with some success is the guy from LOST who’s now on Hawaii Five-O. John Park had the best tone his season and couldn’t get into the finals. (Next year Scotty comes in with the exact same tone and wins the whole thing LOL.) Plus I do like Heejun’s tone so much.

But what is entertaining and nail-biting to some is boring and over-done to others.

Someone who knows how to make good TV knows what is entertaining and what is boring.  They know how to make a show that appeal to the 90% who find it entertaining and not the 10% who find it otherwise.   There are all the different voices all the time in Idol bubble, a good producer would know when to take in opinion that’s good for the show, and when not to.  

I know that many people complained about showing bad contestants in the past, this year the producers took notice of that, and showed nothing but niceness at the beginning.  The problem with that is the producers removed an important element of the audition, but put nothing else to replace it, instead they also removed the drama of judges disagreement, of whether a contestant can pass through this first hurdle, so we ended up with a show that has no drama, no funny singing to divert attention, just the endless tedium of watching the judges saying “yes, yes, yes.”  Why can’t they see that this simply won’t work?  Now the long-winded reveal process, but very little drama (most of those they focused on got the “yes”), and extended introduction on the contestant’s background, even when they are dull as ditchwater.   Why can’t they see that it won’t work?  Is there something wrong with the producers?

Reed may be one of the few contestants shown that didn’t over sing. Some may feel he over-scatted–but he sings very, very well. I think he is the best male vocalist in the competition.

The problem with the over-singing is that the contestants feel the need to leave it all out on the floor. (As is often requested by the judges/producers throughout idol history) Too bad–because vocal gymnastics can be grating after awhile.

I agree Lizbeth I don’t like oversinging either.I don’t think Heejun ovrsings- I think he did a great job with NY SOM .I also like Reed for that reason as well. I don’t mind when a singer builds to a high note for effect but I like to hear the melody more than runs!

I actually liked how they did it, we got to know the top 14 and see how they sing and what they have done so far, , it was a great way to get to know some that we have not seen as much