Season 9: Week 1 (The Guys)

Bonus Question: What product has Kris Allen been endorsing this season in Idol commercial breaks?
Bonus Question: One popular Randy-ism has been noticeably absent from the judging table this season, with it only being said once tonight (by Randy)....what is it?

Todrick Hall – Since U Been Gone. Well, I guess he gets points for reinventing this Kelly Clarkson song, but it was actually a pretty terrible arrangement and he didn’t sing it very well. I appreciate his ambition, though, I guess. His performance was just a little too high on the cheese factor.

Aaron Kelly – Here Comes Goodbye. Aaron sounded a little nervous in the beginning. His voice doesn’t seem that strong. He may have been better off in the contest if he had waited a couple years. This kid is no Archuleta, that’s for sure. He seems like he strains a lot when he sings…like it’s painful. Without being a bully, I would say Aaron's performance should send him home tomorrow.

Jermaine Sellers – Get Here. This performance was boring. And his singing didn’t sound anywhere near where he’s sounded earlier in the competition. I don’t know if he couldn’t hear himself or what, but he was shrieking a ton of really bad, really shrill notes. I would say Jermaine is another person who should go home tomorrow...I don't know if he will or not, though. I don't think the TV audience has seen him as a likeable contestant, so I wouldn't be surprised if he's packing his bags.
Bonus Question: What did Jermaine Sellers refer to Hollywood Week as?

Tim Urban – Pologize. Didn’t quite get there. I hate this song anyway, but this guy made it even more miserable. His performance was not impressive. That being said, I feel bad for Tim based on Simon’s critique. He looked heartbroken! I think the judges were a little more harsh with him than they were with some other contestants. They want Tim to go home tomorrow night. To be fair, Tim's performance wasn't stellar by any means, but I think the judges should give him a break since he's coming into the competition with a little bit of an unfair disadvantage, having not even been featured in the Top 24 shows!

Joe Munoz – You and I Both. Finally someone is doing a Jason Mraz song that’s not “I’m Yours.” And I would like to give to Joe some credit for changing the song up a little bit in a creative way. However, Joe’s voice didn’t transition well to the big stage. He seemed a little shaky…almost like a bleating goat (oddly, this is also how I describe Miley Cyrus’s voice). I wouldn’t be surprised if Joe was one of the first to be eliminated, but I think there were others who should go before him.

Tyler Grady – American Woman. I’m not sure about this guy. He has more poise than most of the other contestants to be sure, but I don’t think he’s as good as he thinks he is, or as good as we’re supposed to believe he is. And I’m going to get sick of this whole 70s niche if he’s planning on doing this every week. Perhaps the comments from the judges will help him to figure out what he needs to do differently. He kind of looks like John Mayer a little bit. That may have something to do with why I instinctively don't like him.

Lee Dewyze – Chasing Cars. I really like this song. I think Lee possesses a quiet confidence that is lacking in a lot of the other competitors. He sounded a little nasally on some parts of his song, but overall he is a good musician. He reminds me of Jeremy Camp…a lot. I think Lee is one of the more seasoned performers on the show. He seems like a professional. And I get what the judges are saying in trying to liken him to David Cook...but I think Lee would probably prefer to not be pigeon-holed into the shadow of another recent winner so early on.

John Park – God Bless the Child. I love his low voice! This song may have been a little too quiet for John to make the statement he needed to make since we haven’t heard anything from him since his audition. I think, though, that if he does a more fun and vibrant song next week, he’ll definitely be a contender for the Top 12.

Bonus Question: There are 3 male contestants from Illinois this season…2 points for each one you identify correctly.

One problem I have with Ellen is that on a number of occasions tonight, she referred to the male contestants performing to get the votes of “young girls.” I think that is a little sexist for her to assume that these guys will automatically get the votes of young ladies, and so they should pine for them, rather than trying to please the general audience. I agree there are a lot of young girls who watch and vote, and have unwavering devotion for some of the male contestants. But I think it’s a big generalization for Ellen to think that these girls are the majority of the vote. If that were the case, no female contestant would ever be able to win again. A judge would never advise a female contestant to perform for the “young guys,” that would be shallow and superficial. But for some reason it’s okay to expect the male contestants who are good-looking to pander to the 12 year-old giddy tween demographic.

Michael Lynche – This Love. I don’t get it. I think Mike’s voice is very whiny sounding. His confidence and likability really work for him because his voice just isn’t there. I do think it’s cool, though, that he makes a regular-sized guitar look like a ukulele.

Alex Lambert – Wonderful World. This is the kid who looks like the brother from Hannah Montana, plus a mullet. His dancing is a little awkward, but I really think his voice has a nice Maroon 5-ish quality to it. I think once he’s a little more comfortable on stage he’ll deliver a better performance. It wasn’t as bad as we’ve seen, but there’s room for improvement.

Casey James – Heaven. He’s supposed to be some kind of sex symbol, but does anyone remember Bucky Covington from season 5? I think they favor each other (they have the same hair, at least). Casey, however, is a better singer. I really like his voice. I prefer him when he’s singing more bluesy stuff, but I think he delivered an acceptable performance tonight. He looked dreadfully nervous, but that seems to be a trend. Does anyone else think it’s awkward for this whole Kara-Casey love story thing to take place? First of all, she’s married, and secondly, there’s got to be a rule somewhere against judge-contestant relationships. Depending on how you look at it, this issue could be an advantage or a disadvantage to Casey. It's not fair for him to gain this unwarranted attention and popularity on the show because Kara thinks he's exceptionally good-looking. But on the other hand, this focus on his looks is going to cause a lot of voters to think that Casey is nothing more than a hunky guy with an okay voice. I could tell at one point tonight during the judges' speaking, that Casey was not enjoying what was being said. I can't say that I blame him.

Andrew Garcia –Sugar, We’re Going Down. I love this song! I love the acoustic, stripped-down version Andrew created. I think Andrew is one of the few performers who may indeed be above the caliber of what American Idol contestants usually are. Oddly enough, he reminds me a lot of David Cook in that while everyone else is getting their feet wet and delivering average performances at this stage, I think Andrew always surprises.

What did you think of tonight's show? Who were your favorites, and who do you think needs to catch the first train OUT of Hollywood? Feel free to comment below!