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Sunday, March 23, 2008

American Idol's Top 10 Will Perform Tuesday at 8/7c


Here are America's top 10 Idol Contestants:

Brooke White, 24, Mesa, AZ.
Carly Smithson, 24, San Diego, CA.
Chikeze, 22, Inglewood, CA.
David Archuleta, 17, Murray, UT.
David Cook, 25, Blue Springs, MO.
Jason Castro, 20, Rockwall, TX.
Kristy Lee Cook, 24, Selma, OR.
Michael Johns, 29, Buckhead, GA.
Ramiele Malubay, 20, Miramar, FL.
Syesha Mercado, 21, Sarasota, FL.

My take on the top 10 is this: I think, so far at least, David Archuleta and David Cook deserve to be in the finals. Cook has been consistently solid and his sound is well-defined. He's been very successful at infusing his style into a song.

David Archuleta simply has a fantastic vocal instrument. With the exception of 1 tough week when he forgot the lyrics to a Beetle's tune, his performances have been "right on". Some are saying that he is getting boring, but I disagree. He is so charming and especially talented at connecting with the audience, particularly when he sings ballads. I think he knows this and, while at some point I think he's going to need to prove that he can sing an uptempo song, I believe he's doing the right thing sticking with what he does best. . . for now, at least.

Unfortunately, I don't see Kristy Lee Cook or Ramiele Malubay sticking around much longer. And, although she is a vocal powerhouse, because of her position in the bottom 3 last week, I'm a little nervous about what might happen with Carly Smithson. If she can manage to stick it out until the end, I think she's capable of giving the 2 Davids a run for their money. Song choice is going to be especially important for her at this stage in the game.

I'm also interested to see what Brooke White and Jason Castro's performances will hold in the coming weeks. I don't see any danger of them leaving this week and have seen glimmers of great potential in both of them. Although her vocal range is more limited than Carly's, she has proven with her piano-playing performance of that she's got what it takes. Jason, I think, is more of an acquired taste. He is pretty quirky and has some mannerisms that are entertaining to watch, but I've been very impressed with a couple of his earlier performances when he played his guitar. He seemed so comfortable and just like he was really enjoying himself.

Be sure and check back daily for updates and please share your opinions.

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