American Idol - The Second 12 of the Top 36 Perform

Jasmine Murray - "Love Song"

I like this girl so I was disappointed in the generic performance. She's cute and charming but this song didnt let her show off any skillz.

Matt Giraud - "Viva La Vida"

Matt is talented but seems to lack star quality. He also seemed very nervous to me. Watching him, I thought about Albert Brooks sweating through the newscast in Broadcast News. He looked that uncomfortable. And I'm surprised since he works in a dueling piano bar.

Jeanine Vailes - "This Love"

Ugh, I hated this. She does have great legs but she kind of looks like a drag queen. I found her performance to be annoying and shrill.

Nick Mitchell aka Norman Gentle - "And I Am Telling You I Am Not Going"

LOL! I loved this performance. Finally, some entertainment in this boring show! I laughed and laughed. Yes, he's mocking the show. But hey, it needs some mocking. Plus, the boy can sing. You could tell that during Hollywood week, which was why the judges didnt know what to do with him. Here he struggled on the hardest song in the world, but he did hit a few good notes. I wish he'd make it to the Top 12 just so his Andy Kaufmanesque takeover of Idol could go on and on.

Allison Iraheta - "Alone"

Wow, I liked this girl a lot. I didn't expect to, given her look and demeanor in the interview, but she rocked out on a very hard song. She seems older than 16 to me. Her voice reminded me a little of Bonnie Tyler or last year's rock and roll nurse (but better than the nurse).

Kris Allen - "Man in the Mirror"

I agree with the judges that it wasn't a great song choice, but Kris is definitely cute and likable. He's got real teen idol potential if he can radiate a somewhat bigger personality. He started off shaky but got better as he went through the song.

Megan Joy Corkery - "Put Your Records On"

I wasn't digging this girl and wasn't sure what the judges were raving about. With her blond hair and innocent white dress and tattoo sleeve, she looked like the spawn of Brooke White and Carly Smithson. She's definitely beautiful but I found her voice irritating and pitchy and thought she seemed nervous. Also, what's up with the odd dance moves and Tammy Faye eyelashes?

Matt Breitzke - "If You Could Only See"

Blech. I'm typically a fan of contestants who are built like offensive linemen (cf Sundance Head, Matt Rogers), but Matt leaves me a bit cold. I thought this was a generic bar band performance of a generic bar band song. He then made things worse by smarting off to the judges.

Jessie Longseth - "Bette Davis Eyes"

Ooh, awesome song, but too bad she sounded so nasally. There is something irritating about her personality too. And then more sass to the judges. Goodbye, Jessie.

Kai Kalama - "What Becomes of the Broken Hearted"

Making an error of Samsonesque proportions, Kai either cut or tied back his hair so it looked like a mop top. His hair was really his best feature, and it looked dorky last night. This was a pretty boring performance and I don't think his heartwarming story will be enough to get him through.

Mishavonna Henson - "Drops of Jupiter"

I like this girl. She has a whimsical look about her and a nice personality. But she didn't really bring it. Still, I think she has a shot to make it. I like the name. She should drop her last name and just be Mishavonna.

Adam Lambert - "Satisfaction"

God, this kid grates on my nerves. I know he can sing but everything about him is so contrived. He's now desperately trying to be butch but we won't forget that he covered "Believe." His hairstyle is annoying but I guess it makes him Tiger-Beat-Ready. I thought the performance was totally cheesola, but I have to admit that his stage presence and voice are on a different level than the rest of this group, except for Allison. Notice how they let him sing last just like they let Danny Gokey sing last - they are pushing their favorites.

Predictions

Top Guy - Adam Lambert
Top Gal - Alison Iraheta
Third Finisher - Nick Mitchell (a girl can dream)