This is my second season of going through Hollywood Week (and first for Group Round... drama!!!). This Season has been harder to get a sense of who the best competitors are, and it has to be considered what little we’ve been shown compared to all the dramatics. Last season’s freak-out was Dan-jaya. This season it’s a triple-freak out with Nathaniel, Nick/Norman, and of course, Tatiana. They were purposely included for the drama factor.
For that, I’m hesistant to name my picks for Top 12. I will say that Danny and Lil Rounds seem assured for Top 12. My two favorites are, for the men, Danny, and for the women, Jasmine. With this new format of eliminating nine of twelve in the three groups, it’s a huuuuuuge benefit for the ones who have had exposure and near impossible for those with little exposure (they have no chance now to build an audience base over the weeks as before). I really really don’t like this change.
Here is the list of 36 semifinalists on American Idol Season 8 (updated for the Joanna Pacitti disqualification)...
Name: Adam Lambert
Age: 26
Hometown: Los Angeles
Audition City: San Francisco
(CCC’s take on) Top 12 prospects: Fair (exposure)
———
Name: Alex Wagner-Trugman
Age: 19
Hometown: Los Angeles
Audition City: Phoenix
Top 12 prospects: Unlikely (lack of exposure)
———
Name: Alexis Grace
Age: 20
Hometown: Memphis, Tenn.
Audition City: Louisville, Ky.
Top 12 prospects: Questionable (lack of exposure)
*Group 1
———
Name: Allison Iraheta
Age: 16
Hometown: Los Angeles
Audition City: San Francisco
Top 12 prospects: Unlikely (lack of exposure; other 16 yr olds with more exposure)
———
Name: Anne Marie Boskovich
Age: 22
Hometown: Nashville, Tenn.
Audition City: Jacksonville, Fla.
Top 12 prospects: Unlikely (lack of exposure)
*Group 1
———
Name: Anoop Desai
Age: 21
Hometown: Chapel Hill, N.C.
Audition City: Kansas City, Mo.
Top 12 prospects: Fair (exposure)
*Group 1
———
Name: Arianna Afsar
Age: 16
Hometown: San Diego
Audition City: Phoenix
Top 12 prospects: Fair (exposure; young and cute)
———
Name: Brent Keith
Age: 28
Hometown: Blanchester, Ohio
Audition City: Louisville, Ky.
Top 12 prospects: Unlikely (lack of exposure)
*Group 1
———
Name: Casey Carlson
Age: 20
Hometown: Minneapolis
Audition City: Kansas City, Mo.
Top 12 prospects: Fair (exposure; cute)
*Group 1
———
Name: Danny Gokey
Age: 28
Hometown: Milwaukee
Audition City: Kansas City, Mo.
Top 12 prospects: Excellent (great exposure and talent)
*Group 1
———
Name: Felicia Barton
Age: 26.
Hometown: Virginia Beach, Va.
Audition City: Louisville, Ky.
NOTE: replaces Joanna Pacitti (age 23: audition city: Louisville, Ky.)
Top 12 prospects: Unlikely (lack of exposure, last-minute entry)
———
Name: Jackie Tohn
Age: 27
Hometown: Los Angeles
Audition City: New York
Top 12 prospects: Unlikely (lack of exposure)
*Group 1
———
Name: Jasmine Murray
Age: 16
Hometown: Starkville, Miss.
Audition City: Jacksonville, Fla.
Top 12 prospects: Fair (some exposure; cute, young and talented)
———
Name: Jeanine Vailes
Age: 27
Hometown: Sherman Oaks, Calif.
Audition City: San Francisco
Top 12 prospects: Unlikely (lack of exposure)
———
Name: Jesse Langseth
Age: 25
Hometown: Minneapolis
Audition City: Kansas City, Mo.
Top 12 prospects: Unlikely (lack of exposure, limited range)
———
Name: Jorge Nunez-Mendez
Age: 20
Hometown: Carolina, Puerto Rico
Audition City: San Juan, Puerto Rico
Top 12 prospects: Questionable (modest exposure; may benefit from ethnicity)
———
Name: Ju’Not Joyner
Age: 26
Hometown: Bowie, Md.
Audition City: New York
Top 12 prospects: Unlikely (lack of exposure)
———
Name: Kai Kalama
Age: 26
Hometown: San Clemente, Calif.
Audition City: San Francisco
Top 12 prospects: Questionable (lack of exposure)
———
Name: Kendall Beard
Age: 23
Hometown: Austin, Texas
Audition City: San Juan, Puerto Rico
Top 12 prospects: Unlikely (lack of exposure)
———
Name: Kris Allen
Age: 23
Hometown: Conway, Ark.
Audition City: Louisville, Ky.
Top 12 prospects: Unlikely (lack of exposure)
———
Name: Kristen McNamara
Age: 22
Hometown: Napa, Calif.
Audition City: Louisville, Ky.
Top 12 prospects: Fair (exposure; sympathy factor)
———
Name: Lil Rounds
Age: 23
Hometown: Memphis, Tenn.
Audition City: Kansas City, Mo.
Top 12 prospects: Excellent (exposure; judges favorite)
———
Name: Matt Breitzke
Age: 27
Hometown: Bixby, Okla.
Audition City: Kansas City, Mo.
Top 12 prospects: Fair (exposure)
———
Name: Matt Giraud
Age: 23
Hometown: Kalamazoo, Mich.
Audition City: Louisville, Ky.
Top 12 prospects: Unlikely (lack of exposure)
———
Name: Megan Corkrey
Age: 22
Hometown: Sandy, Utah
Audition City: Salt Lake City
Top 12 prospects: Unlikely (lack of exposure)
———
Name: Michael Sarver
Age: 27
Hometown: Jasper, Texas
Audition City: Phoenix
Top 12 prospects: Fair (exposure)
*Group 1
———
Name: Mishavonna Henson
Age: 18
Hometown: Irvine, Calif.
Audition City: Phoenix
Top 12 prospects: Fair (modest exposure)
———
Name: Nathaniel Marshall
Age: 18
Hometown: Malone, N.Y.
Audition City: New York
Top 12 prospects: Fair (exposure; will the drama queen attitude help?)
———
Name: Nick Mitchell (a.k.a., Norman Gentle)
Age: 27
Hometown: Brookfield, Conn.
Audition City: New York
Top 12 prospects: Questionable (much exposure, but too clownish? And won’t get Simon’s vote)
———
Name: Ricky Braddy
Age: 25
Hometown: Nashville, Tenn.
Audition City: Louisville, Ky.
Top 12 prospects: Unlikely (lack of exposure)
*Group 1
———
Name: Scott MacIntyre
Age: 23
Hometown: Scottsdale, Ariz.
Audition City: Phoenix
Top 12 prospects: Fair (exposure; sympathy factor)
———
Name: Stephen Fowler
Age: 26
Hometown: Beachwood, Ohio
Audition City: New York
Top 12 prospects: Questionable (messed up last performance)
*Group 1
———
Name: Stevie Wright
Age: 16
Hometown: Phelan, Calif.
Audition City: Phoenix
Top 12 prospects: Fair (exposure; young)
*Group 1
———
Name: Tatiana Del Toro
Age: 23
Hometown: Los Angeles
Audition City: San Francisco
Top 12 prospects: Questionable (huge wildcard; vote for the worst?)
*Group 1
———
Name: Taylor Vaifanua
Age: 16
Hometown: Hurricane, Utah
Audition City: Salt Lake City, Utah
Top 12 prospects: Unlikely (lack of exposure)
———
Name: Von Smith
Age: 22
Hometown: Kansas City, Mo.
Audition City: Kansas City, Mo.
Top 12 prospects: Questionable (odd style)
Group 1:
Top Male: Danny
Top Female: Casey
Number 3: Michael
Wildcard: Stevie (or Tatiana just to irritate us)
Anoop might miss out having to face Danny and Michael.
Don’t know the Group 2 & 3 breakdowns yet.
Thanks for the run-down. BTW....here’s some news (and you notice she’s not on your list)
LOS ANGELES (AP) - An “American Idol” contestant who made the show’s top 36 was disqualified. In its press released issued Wednesday night announcing the 36 contenders, Fox TV said that Joanna Pacitti was “ineligible to continue.” No reason was given.
Felicia Barton of Virginia Beach, Va., replaced Pacitti, a Philadelphia native, in the top 36.
The show announced the semifinalists Wednesday night, then later released an update saying it had cut Pacitti loose and subbed in Barton, a 26-year-old married mom.
Pacitti, 23, could not immediately be reached for comment.
A few of the contestants in Tuesday night’s episode, including Pacitti, flubbed the lyrics but made it through to the next round.
Pacitti, who auditioned in Louisville, Ky., entered “Idol” with a showbiz resume. She had a record deal with Geffen and released an album in 2006. Billboard reports it sold more than 16,000 copies. “American Idol” judge Kara DioGuardi recognized Pacitti when she auditioned in Louisville, Ky.
She also starred in “Annie” on Broadway as a young girl, and sang on the soundtracks for the movies “Legally Blonde” and “Bratz.” Britney Spears’ tune “Out From Under,” from her latest album, was first performed by Pacitti on the “Bratz” soundtrack.
All that experience was enough to draw complaints from viewers who thought she was too polished for the top-rated show, which purports to pluck raw talent out of nowhere and turn them into stars.
However, eight seasons in, “Idol” has selected singers who have spent time in the recording studio.
Pacitti’s situation echoed the controversy over last season’s finalists, Carly Smithson and Kristy Lee Cook, who had previous record deals.
Smithson had recorded an album for MCA Records, while Cook once had a deal with Arista Nashville. Other experienced seventh-season singers include Robbie Carrico, who was in the pop group Boyz N Girlz United, and runner-up David Archuleta, who won “Star Search” in 2003.
Brent has a great look and name for country, but he's been too much under the radar to build a fan base and his song choice didn't help.
Stephen's performance was a'ight, as was Ricky's, but neither will move on.
Onto the women, this side is much more topsy-turvy. I had Casey (the new bikini girl) as the top pick, and she may still make it through on her looks, but her horrendous song choice may very well knock her out.
So my #1 female pick is now... GULP... Tatiana. For better or worse, she's the star on the female side based on all the drama and has gotten way too much attention, so she'll get more votes than we realize.
My wildcard pick of Stevie just blew up after her disappointing performance, and we've learned that Simon hasn't been impressed with her during Hollywood week, so no chance at a wildcard.
So now a wildcard may go to Alexis, who was a rare bright spot on the women's side.
Jackie was OK, Ann Marie was passable.
So now my revision goes (and mind you, this is based on my predicitions of the voters, not personal preference)...
Group 1:
Top Male: Danny (all the way)
Top Female: Tatiana (gulp... the drama continues)
Number 3: Michael (by a hair)
Wildcard: Alexis
outside shot: Anoop, Casey