American Idol: Top 24

Since I'm watching American Idol several hours after the show airs live stateside, my posts will either be combined and/or late. Sometimes, they might even be posted after the results show. However, my they will still offer my opinions and thoughts on the outcome.

Top 12 Guys

• Clint Jun Gamboa sang Stevie Wonder's "Superstition." Although he displayed a good usage of his vocal range and utilized the stage well, his negative personality shined through for me. 
• Baton Rouge native Jovany Barreto sang Edwin McCain's "I'll Be." I love this song, but he did nothing to add to it. He sang very well and maintained control of his voice. It was simply a blah performance.
• Jordan Dorsey's performance of Usher's "OMG" was horrible. Jennifer Lopez's assessment was correct: he looked uncomfortable and out of place singing that song.
• Tim Halperin's choice of Rob Thomas' "Streetcorner Symphony" was... interesting. He initially emerged as one of my early favorites (plus, he went to TCU in Ft. Worth), but this performance gave me reason to hesitate. He performed it well enough, but the song choice was not ideal. 
• Red headed Brett Lowenstern sang "Light My Fire" by The Doors. I must admit that he remained true to himself and his style. He appeared to have fun and nailed the vocals, but that performance seemed below average to me.
• James Durbin's performance of Judas Priest's "You've Got Another Thing Coming" really displayed his ability to rock a song. He sang it well and owned the stage. Did anyone else see Adam Lambert on stage?
• Robbie Rosen sang Sarah McLachlan's "Angel" and it was supposed to be what Ryan Seacrest called a "heartfelt" song. My heart definitely hurt for him. He seemed so nervous and vocally stumbled throughout the song. In all, he has amazing vocal ability but let his nerves get the best of him this time around.
• Scotty McCreery sang John Michael Montgomery's "Letters from Home." He's definitely one of my favorites and did an amazing job with song. My years in Texas have softened me to country music. Scotty's voice and positive personality really make him one of my favorites. I hope his country roots don't kick him out of the competition prematurely.
• Stefano Langone (from Seattle) is definitely a crowd favorite. His performance of Bruno Mars' "Just the Way You Are" was decent. There was a really off note that received a funny reaction from Jennifer Lopez. I must say that he does seem very comfortable on the stage.
• Paul McDonald sang Rod Stewart's "Maggie May" and it proved to be the perfect choice for his voice. The tone of his voice sets him apart and makes him quite unique on the show this season. Actually, his voice reminds me of Rod Stewart a lot. That was an overall good performance.
• Jacob Lusk's rendition of "A House is Not a Home" was undoubtedly one of the best performances of the night. He's not one of top favorites, but that was an awesome song choice and amazing vocal performance. 
• Casey Abrams' performance of "I Put a Spell on You" by Screamin' Jay Hawkins was exceptional. He closed the night out with one the night's best performances. The judges liked him too. 

Top 12 Ladies

• Ta-Tynisa Wilson kicked the night off with Rihanna's "Only Girl in the World" and she didn't do too well. The song choice was actually great and really contemporary. She just didn't sing it well. It just seemed very amateur compared to the original. She really did a good job working the audience though.
• Naima Adedapo sang her own version of "Summertime." She made the song her own and remained true to herself. It was definitely a throw back to days long gone. I liked Steve Tyler's description that it was "new, old timey." She looked great and sounded even better. 
• Singing Christina Aguilera's "Impossible," Kendra Chantelle owned the song vocally. I could tell that she tried to emotionally connect to the song as a performer. Overall, good job. 
• Rachel Zevita tried to sing Fiona Apple's "Criminal," but just didn't bring it. She deserves credit for trying to make it her own. Sadly, it just didn't work for me.
• Karen Rodriguez chose to sing Mariah Carey's "Here." RISKY. It is always incredibly risky to select choose a Mariah song, BUT (there is a but) she sang it VERY well. I enjoyed that performance a lot. As Jennifer said, I like that she showed her "flavor" tonight.
• Lauren Turner selected "Seven Day Fool" as her song of the night. It was soulful and great. It was great, but was a middle-of-the-pack performance. Jennifer was right when she said she was "holding back."
• Ashthon Jones sang Monica's "I've Got Love All Over Me." She sang it well, but I wasn't feeling the overall performance tonight. The song choice limited her vocal abilities though.
• Julie Zorilla attempted to pull off Kelly Clarkson's "Breakaway" and didn't come through. She's one of my favorites and this performance really disappointed me. Somehow, the song seemed too big for her. Maybe she'll do better next week...
• Haley Reinhart did a decent job with "Fallin'" by Alicia Keys. She didn't bring anything new to the song. There is something about her voice that I find VERY annoying. She seems to be purposefully whining and adding faux-huskiness to it. That is a poor description, but the best way I can describe.
• Thia Magia sang "Out Here on My Own" from Fame. She was perfect and didn't need to overpower the song with runs or anything. It was a purely amazing performance. 
• Lauren Alaina sang Reba McEntire's "Turn on the Radio" and she totally did it justice. She's already a superstar in my book. 
• Pia Toscano owned "I'll Stand By You" and it left me thinking that I'll definitely stand by her. The vocals, emotion, and everything about the performance was spot on. That was my favorite performance so far this season.