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Glad to be back! This year, in addition to posting evaluations at the semifinal and final rounds, I hope to be able to post notes on the auditions as to possible rising stars and/or early favorites.

In the later rounds, I'll also try and post two lists for each round -- how they did for the night, and where I see them overall in the competition. While the nightly evals are subjective, the "overall" list is going to be highly subjective. Remember, it's not just about the voice, but also the stage presence, personality, and "the look". (Side note: if the contestants are really going to be back-stabbing vultures, it is going to hurt them on my scorecard.)

I also might as well define a few terms and/or concepts that I will use throughout the competition, so that the regulars will know what I mean when I use them.

Pitch - More or less, this can be summed up as "are they hitting the right notes", A/K/A being "in tune". What Randy means when he says someone is "pitchy" is that they're not hitting the notes right. (Of course, I don't always agree... Randy will call someone "pitchy" even if they're not, but something else sounds wrong to him, likely tonal quality (see below).
Sharp and Flat - Singing higher than and lower than the proper pitch, respectively. Note that singers on the stage are more likely to be sharp than flat, probably because they are "over-singing" (see below).
Tonal Quality (Tone) - Different than and regardless of pitch, this is the overall sound the singer's voice makes. I'll usually use a descriptive adjective here. Examples of tonal quality include nasal/pinched (see Mikaylah from Season 4), gravelly (Bo), full/rounded (Carrie, Anthony), etc.
Over-singing - probably the most misunderstood term. it may mean different things to different people, but when I use it, I basically mean that the singer is "forcing" their voice beyond it's normal limits, which can be in pitch, volume, and/or "energy level".

Oddly enough, in the later stages, the single most critical factor each week will be song selection -- can the contestant find the right song within the style that allows them to showcase their voice and personal style to the best extent? It needs to be challenging, but not so difficult as to not be able to be performed well with less than a week's preparation. It needs to allow the singer to show range, power, versatility, and emotion.

Other things to look for on the vocals:

Volume does not equal quality! Many of the auditions will have people who just belt it out, but most of the yellow tickets will go to people who are in control and focus on getting the song right -- yes, you need some power, but power alone will not get you very far.
Watch out for one-trick ponies. Some people sound incredible on first blush, but may not be able to do anything else. Take Anwar from last season -- he had only one speed: all out. He had real problems getting a song to build to the high point because it was either a complete mess in the beginning, or he gave himself nowhere to go by starting out too big.
Specifically for the girls, take heed of the lower register. While guys can have these problems too, it's more common for the women. Many songs start out lower and softer, to allow for a natural emotional peak during a higher and louder section at the end. The gals seem to have a harder time keeping a solid and controlled performance during the lower-register "verse", while still nailing the higher-pitch "chorus".

In terms of stage presence, what I'm really looking for is:

Appearing comfortable on stage: This is entertainment, folks. A "pop idol" needs to be able to look like they're having fun up there, and that they aren't intimidated by the lights, cameras, and/or audience.
Playing to the audience: Both the live audience and the folks at home (via the TV cameras) need to be drawn into the performance. There are many ways to do this, it's not just with moving around the stage and audience area, but could be done just with eye contact, if done right.
Matching the visual to the audio: Dressing, moving, and generally acting in a way that matches the mood, tempo, and style of the song selected
Song choice: While very important for the vocals, it also is important to match the song with the personal style and look of the singer.

kevkrom, I look forward to your evaluations. It's gonna be fun.

Just FYI, for those who are interested, the real work of making a star comes after the contest. The artist has to go out and promote their album and themselves, and work hard at it. Only a small number of former AI contestants are doing well in other entertainment industry venues. Jennifer Hudson will be the first former AI alum to star -- have the lead -- in an A-list motion picture. Dianna DeGarmo is touring in a Broadway musical as the lead.

So far, only Kelly Clarkson, Fantasia, Josh Gracin (who had two #1 Country singles) and, although she's still only just beginning, Carrie Underwood, look likely to have long-term recording success. Clay might, but he still hasn't cut a 2nd album.

Recording artists must tour to promote their material and to stand any chance of making the really big bucks. Here is a link to the list top touring acts of 2005.

The 2005 American Idols Live tour (which the top 10 contestants have done each year) is #37 on the list, grossing $16.9 million.

Only Kelly and Clay Aiken have had success with solo tours. In 2005, Kelly grossed $11.7 million domestically on her first solo tour. This figure does not include her overseas tours. She has become a big star in Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, Canada, and Ireland, and is building in continental Europe.

Clay did a solo domestic tour in 2005, grossing $7.1 million.

Although my personal favorite of the AI alumni is Kelly Clarkson, Josh Gracin has the best story of them all. As fans of the show will remember, he was in the Marines during his stint on AI. Afterwards, he went back, finished his commitment to the Marines, then moved his family to Nashville where he has become one of the top new Country artists largely on his own without any help from the AI machinery.

Finally, so far (and to the best of my knowledge) only three former AI alumni have gone to Iraq to entertain our troops. They are Kelly Clarkson, Diana DeGarmo and Josh Gracin.