It’s this time of year when I really feel like American Idol is too much of a good thing.  It’s like when I took the kids to the fair and I sampled a little bit of their hot dog, a bite of the churro, a pull from the cotton candy and then rode the rides.  It’s too much sensory overload and I want to barf.  I just want to clear out the clowns and get to the main attraction, which for me is always the Top 10.  Those are the people that you know are really good.

I’m so sure that John Park (tall, cute Korean guy), Todrick Hall (better dancer than singer), Jermaine Sellers (what was with that outfit this week?  OMG it made him look like a Black Pee Wee Herman), and Tim Urban (so cute, but not good enough) are the next to go (two this week and two the following week).  I really want Andrew Garcia to de-seat Disney-esque Teen Beat, Aaron Kelly, for the Top 10, but he needs to get off his meds, inject a little passion in his performance, and choose the right darn song.  If he doesn’t have another “Straight Up” ace up his sleeve, he’s going to be going home.

I’m not sure if the teen vote will go to Aaron Kelly, but he’s the most likely candidate.  If David Archuletta can win American Idol, so can this kid, but I’m not going to be happy about it.  Michael Lynche is a good solid contender.  I think he would be a great performer if you happened upon his show in some fancy hotel that’s getting a little bluesy, but keeping it classy and jazzy.  I think he’s very likeable, but when stacked up against the others, I’m not so sure that he has the staying power of the rest.  The best shot for massive appeal is mullet-sporting, banana-ripening, cutie pahtootie Alex Lambert.  He’s only 19 and I think he really could capture a wide range of votes from varying age groups – the teens and us old folks.  If he can get over the nerves, I think he actually has the most appeal.  He has such a unique voice and his authenticity is A-DOR-ABLE.  Casey James definitely has the cougar vote (me included) and I believe he also has the IT factor.  I think that he has just enough self awareness and singing experience that he could go all the way.  Lee Dewyze (love his name), I believe is the dark horse for the guys.  He has some great raw talent and I love his sound.  I always think about Adam Duritz from the Counting Crows when Lee sings, but more dirty rock than dirty hippie.  I look forward to seeing how these guys grow during the course of the show.  It could be a great group.

As for the girls, I have a harder time sorting out the good from the great because they are really a diverse group of gals.  There’s a bit of something for everyone.  Here is the conundrum that I have with American Idol.  In the first few seasons, the finalists and winners were really of the big ballad and R&B vein.  You can see that with early Kelly Clarkson, through Ruben Studdard and Clay Aiken, and onto Fantasia.  Okay, country snuck in there with Bo Bice and Carrie Underwood in Season 4, but I think that marked the beginning of a shift for American Idol to open the music to more acoustic and folk performers.  But now, I feel like the music is so diverse that I have a harder time choosing my favorites.  I like listening to Alicia Keys just as much as I like listening to Feist, Imogen Heap and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs.  The girls this season are like that for me.  I prefer indie and more folk-like music, but I also enjoy a good pop song or R&B tune thrown into my mix.

The standouts for me this season are the folk-indie girls:  Crystal Bowersox and Lilly Scott.  I actually think these two will be standing in the Top 3 at the end of this season.  I think they are natural, stand out talent that people will want to hear from.  Didi Benami (love her name) and Lacey Brown also could fit in this category, but they don’t have the staying power and I suspect that they will be gone in tonight’s elimination or next week’s for sure.

As for the pop and R&B grouping we have varying level of skill, but they are all really good (with the exception of the last person).  That being said, I have a hard time distinguishing who I really like in the bunch.  Siobhan (quirky glass blower) and Paige Miles (Simon thinks she has the best voice in the competition) are out of this world with vocal chops.  Damn those girls can belt it out!  However, I’m not so sure how they rate on the likeability factor.  They could grow on us just as well as the wrong song choice or negative comments from the judges could really sway their staying power.  Michelle Delamor (beautiful curly hair Christian chick) is also a strong contender.  I think her professionalism and beauty can really keep her in for a while.  Katie Stevens and Katelyn Epperly also have a lot of talent, but it’s not clear what really distinguishes them from the pack.  Haeley Vaughn grates my nerves with her lispy talk and giggles.  Her lack of maturity and experience is going to have her sent home tonight or certainly next week.

So to try and complete the Top 5 girls outside of Crystal & Lilly…I just can’t say right now.  Siobhan, Paige, Michelle, Katie and Katelyn are too close together in the pack for me to pick.  Let’s see how they do next week.

With my (reputation) betting pool, Idol Watchers, I had to declare my top three, so I thought I would share with you too.  I think Lilly will take it all and standing in the finals with her will be Casey and Crystal.  We also rack up points weekly by correctly guessing those that go home each week.  I think that this week we’ll be saying goodbye to Tim Urban, Jermaine Sellers, Lacey Brown and Didi Benami.  I can’t wait to see how I score tonight with my Idol and wine.  Cheers everyone!

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