IDOL DAY AGAIN! Hollywood Week 71-24

From 71 to America's Top 24.

Last night, producers revealed 7 lucky people who made it to the Top 24. 5 guys and 2 girls and they are :

1. Michael 'Big Mike' Lynche (his newborn is named Layla Rose - so cool right!)
2. Didi Benami (my fave!!!)
3. Katelyn Epperly (love her curls!)
4. Aaron Kelly
5. Casey James (taking your shirt off gets you noticed!)*
6. Lee Dewyze
7. Todrick Hall

*(did y'all see Kara's leg flip up when he hugged her?! LOL!)

Tonight there are 17 spots left to fill, just 7 for boys and 10 for the girls. Who will make it through? My bets are on (and this is without looking at the cheat sheet of leaked names)....

Boys I can only think of 6 off the top of my head...

Andrew Garcia (my fave this season - MUST GO THRU!)

Jermaine Sellers (first awesome guy contestant)

Tyler Grady (broken hands guy)

Tim Urban (broken hands guy)

Chris Golightly (orphan guy who went thru like 20+ foster homes - blonde afro)

John Park (I'm guessing this one is in cos they keep featuring him here and there without really telling us his backstory or showing us his audition. Plus he's Asian, so he stands out, so I'm thinking he MUST be in!!!)

GirlsI can only think of 6 off the top of my head...

Janell Wheeler

Haeley Vaughn (I'm not a huge fan, but she's gotten a lot of positive screen time and 'refreshing feedback' - so I think shoo-in)

Lilly Scott (sure wan la - they like cool chicks with their own unique style - remember Megan Joy from last season?)

Ashley Rodriguez (total package)

Crystal Bowersox (tattooed hippie mom with a story that can sing - sure in)

Katie Stevens (prim, proper, innocent-looking 16yr-old with a grown up voice - plus grandma story - in!)

What about you? Whom do YOU want to go through?

Latest goss, even before we can get to the piano shows, one of the Top 24 have been cut from the show due to breach of contract - tsk so fast. This person has been replaced already la of course. And imo, not a big loss. Doubt they woulda won anyways.

Powers out! Did you guys watch last night's show? I found the whole 'room-by-room results' and 'rehash each contestant's journey backwards' not very exciting. The only thing that made my day was seeing Mary Powers NOT make it through. Ok, thats just mean, but then again, its really nothing personal, I just don't think she would have gotten very far in a competition where popularity is just as important as singing chops. Her know-it-all, over-domineering, alpha-female persona (whether true or due to a lot of clever editing) was featured so heavily at Hollywood week, it woulda been hard for her to downplay at voting rounds to win viewers over, especially when there are so many other very likeable girls in the competition.

In previous seasons, producers would always break up Room Results in one episode and 'The Final Judgment' (the long walk to face judges solo with sing-offs) in another. So the second hour of last night's show was quite a refreshing change - did not have to wait another day for some Top 24 names - a first in Idol history!

What did you guys think of Jessice Furnley's and Shelby Dressel's dismissals? I agreed with the former but disagreed with the latter. I thought Shelby shoulda gotten through, just cos I think vocally she's solid like the rest, but her story gives her an edge and it would have been interesting to see how that woulda played out. Seemed like Simon thought as much because I swear I heard him mumble 'wrong decision' as she walked off.

Tonight, as usual Ryan promises MORE drama, MORE emotions and the MOST dramatic season of American Idol yet tonight (all reality shows say this season after season - 'in our most dramatic season yet!'). I wonder if there will be any sing-offs this season. From the preview clips, doesn't look like any.

Wheeeee less than half an hour to tonight's one hour episode of Idol! Lets all go watch (pray for no rain - rain = no ASTRO here!)

xoxo, s.

ps. Full top 24 deets are already available on americanidol.com :)

Drama or Nada?

'We're just trying to rehearse without any drama!'

Yea'riiite.

85 Idol dreams were dashed the day before, and 96 carried on to Group Day.

Groups ranged from 3 - 5 people and apart from having to agree on a song and come up with choreography..

But where was the drama that comes part and parcel of every Group Day of Hollywood Week?

Apart from the 'stealing of moves and ideas' (Neopolitan vs Destiny's Wild <-- wahsey so creative lor) and like one power struggle (Mary Powers wants her 'Power', she even kena from the music director - Mary : "I'm not tryin' to be pushy..." Music Director : "But you are..." ooh burrrrn!), oh and Big Mike's group following his baby's birth via video on his iPhone, there wasn't much drama really.

Compared to last season's huge blow out between Kristin McNamara and Nancy Wilson Nathaniel Marshall's diva breakdown (think Mariah hands and tears but with short hair and a stringy headband), Bikini girl's no-show-turned-late-show and Tatiana's group ostracising her, last night's drama ranked mild.

In fact, it seemed like everyone kinda got along. Most of them even looked like they slept early.

Looks like after 8 seasons, contestants are getting a clue on how to stay calm.

Kudos though to producers for trying to er, flesh out and hype up the drama as much as possible with the intense-action-movie-music accompany. Ryan adds to the 'drama' by declaring that "This group is mentally drained and physically exhausted' because its Group Day..." (cue dramatic music).

I've heard from our own Idol producers that Group Day really is just a mechanism to challenge the contestants physically and mentally. Its a test of their mettle and their ability to cope under pressure and still perform despite it all. At this point, if you've made it to Hollywood Week (or Theatre Auditions), you're pretty much good singers. Now its time to figure out who can survive the entertainment industry. If you can remember your lyrics (they're only given 12 hours to learn a song, do it in a group and add choreography), and sing it well, you'll get through. If you can pull your group together, and show the judges that there was tons of effort, the whole group goes through.

I'm happy to see Michael Lynche and Tim Urban go through to the final round of Hollywood. I'm super happy that Katie Stevens got through (so cute, her group was called 3 Men And A Baby, 16 yr-old Katie bein' the baby, and it included my fave guy singer this season Andrew Garcia).

"I'm not power hungry" - Mary Powers

I'm sure she's not. She just wants to win, and I respect that. But you know what, I'm not liking her too much right now. And if she makes it through to the voting rounds, she'd better start endearing herself to viewers/voters, else she'll be one of the first to go.

Next week, can't wait to watch the final round of Hollywood Week. Only 71 are left after group day, and its time for them to take the stage solo with music. Who will be the 12 guys and 12 girls to make it to the Top 24? Eeee, so exciting!

xoxo, s.

ps. I found out the name of the girl with glasses and purple beanie: Erin Hunley

pps. Today's Friday peeps! Survivor XX : Heroes vs Villains today at 530pm on Channel 5 (encore at 12.30am!) Don't miss it! *tsk* still can't believe I missed last night's Survivor Special - Channel 5 rerun pleeeeeeeeeease!

Ellen On Idol!

Ellen : "My Point,..... And I Do Have One...."

Thats the name of Ellen's first book (I have it, and I love it, I read it over and over again for a laugh whenever I'm between books), and I hope that will be her judging style too. I mean, taking Paula's chair doesn't mean she has to her 'pointlessness' right? Ooh, bitchy. I have no idea where that came from!

Woot! I'm super excited to see Ellen get on the panel this week.

I didn't even bother reviewing last week's audition eps because :

1. Denver with Posh was pretty much like Boston with Posh.

2. The "Road To Hollywood" episode that "promised" to showcase the best of the best auditionees was basically a clip show from the different audition cities. Seems more like Fox's last minute rabbit-outta-the-hat-trick to make up an extra episode so they could start Hollywood Week in a separate week. Either that, or it was producers' way of highlighting more of the Top 24's stories that didn't get fair showing in earlier eps. Y'know, they gotta build profiles and backstories mah...

Aiyo, I was so bored, I kept looking at the clock. Longest hour ever spent watching American Idol. Fair enough there were some pretty good singers we hadn't seen before, but overall...*yawn*....my favourite part was the trailer for 'Hollywood Week' hahaha.

So, since we're talking about Ellen and Hollywood week, which started taping like 2 weeks ago, everyone has probably heard about the whole 'Ellen hates Simon cos he was NINETY minutes late' debacle right?

If you haven't, well basically Ellen's been ranting everywhere (and I mean everywhere and to everyone, including producers) that the show would be better off without Simon. She was extra peeved cos she made an effort to shift her schedules around (and she is one super busy woman you know, daily talkshow leh) to do Idol and she was made to wait NINETY minutes for Simon to saunter in (apparently he's quite the diva)....

Some sources have said this situation is highly exaggerated and that Simon was like only fourteen minutes late.

I say...whatever. Just let me watch the episode already! Wednesday hurry up and get here already!

xoxo, s.

ps. In the meantime, I've scheduled a mini Idol reunion for Wednesday (IDOL DAY of course!) so I'll find out what everyone's been up to and pass the dirt on to you guys soon!

pps. More ridiculous AI rumours abound - apparently the buzz now is that risque deejay Howard Stern is being wooed to take Simon's place on the panel. Alls I can say is.....ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! Previously tipped to take the Brit's mean spot were Gene Simmons (ech, no thanks) or Tommy Mottola (not a bad choice, but is does have personality?). I say again, how about Paul McCartney?