American Idol, Week 1: Boys

Here we are with the boys! I'm watching this one on my DVR, so...forgive the lateness! As always, if you'd like to follow along, you can find the episodes on www.ch131.com.

Let's get started!

1. Todrick Hall: Since You Been Gone. Umm...wow. Is he covering (and completely re-writing) the hit from Kelly Clarkson? I'll say this - he's got guts, and he pretty much owned that stage. (Randy summed it up. The song should have still existed somewhere in there, past just the lyrics being the same.) Good start, though!

2. Aaron Kelly: Here Comes Goodbye. (Hey! It's the classic Idol Watch the Moving Camera Until Your Head Nearly Snaps Off, then Switch! At least it's something to do on that big ol' stage...) Strong voice...great for this song, actually! He, of course, looks a little nervous..but he reminds me of the winner from last year. Chris? (Sorry - my daughter is sitting next to me, and hasn't stopped asking for cartoons yet. I'm having a hard time focusing!)

3. Jermaine Sellers: Get Here. Hrm....sweet voice. A little pitchy - if he put a little more power into the opening of the song, I think it would take care of that problem. (Oops...nope. He's got more power in the chorus, still a little pitchy. Powerful, though, and the audience loves it.) Not loving this song choice - it's not showcasing his voice well. Not at all.

4. Tim Urban: Apologize. (LOVE this song. I'm excited!) Dude's got a lot to live up to - nobody wants to be plan B and go out on the first round! But...things are not looking good for our Tim. Those high notes are just not living up to the original version. He tried to choose a crowd pleaser, I think, but it's just not grooving for him. So sad...

5. Joe Munoz: You and I Both. I don't know if it's the three year old next to me playing with the Rock Band guitar...but I cannot understand a WORD of this song. It seems like this kid is getting swallowed by the song...but he does have a nice voice.

6. Tyler Grady: American Woman. Disclaimer - I don't like this style of music. It doesn't move me, it doesn't groove me. That said, he's doing an admirable job...or at least giving it an admirable try. I wish his voice was a bit bigger for this piece. Simon's right - it feels a little fake. A little "I'm 70's!" instead of "I'm inspired by 70's!"

7. Lee Dewyze: Chasing Cars. First four words, I already love it. Finally, someone who found a song that is popular, but DOESN'T swallow them up. I like his take, I like his voice, I like his look...I'm a fan!!

8. John Park: God Bless the Child. Love his tone! I really hope he sticks around...I want to see what this kid can do. Great song choice. (Agree with the judges, though - not sure where he sits in the current music scene. )

9. Michael Lynche: This Love. Great song choice! I think this guy automatically gets a good percentage of the votes...just because of what he ended up missing to be here!!! His first child, I'm sure he thought 8 days before the due date was an OK time to be gone for a few days!!

10. Alex Lambert: What a Wonderful World. An ok performance. Unfortunately, I don't like  him. His Hollywood week left a bad taste in my mouth. (Sorry, this is getting so short - the kids are preparing a mutiny. Just two more!!)

11. Casey James: Heaven. Crowd favorite, definitely! I think it's getting to him, though - I can see him grinning, and it's limiting his singing. LOL He's going to have to get over that if he goes forward! That being said, it was a good performance, and definitely a great start.

12. Andrew Garcia: Sugar We're Goin' Down. (Siu Jeun is dancing right now....that's a good sign. He hates bad singing!) (hahahah...now Siu Jeun is grabbing out one of Daddy's Rock Band microphones so he can sing along. I love that kid!) I love this kid's voice...I don't like his take on the song. A little too lounge-y for me - I liked the original much better. Still, one of my favorites for the night!

My picks for lowest are...Tim Urban and Joe Munoz. Yeah.