American Idol 7 - Top 12 Guys Recap

American Idol Season 7 aired tonight Feb 19, 2008 with a '60s Night' theme for the guys. Here is a recap of tonight's top 12 boys' performances.

David Hernandez - David chose to sing "In the Midnight Hour." His voice was strong, but on the higher notes, he strained a bit to hit them. Randy said he did a really good job but fell apart at the end. Paula said he has perfect vibrato. Simon told David it was better than he thought it was going to be. However, Simon said he lost it at the end, and he needs to loosen up.

Chikezie - Chikezie came out wearing a stunning red suit that complemented his recent weight loss. He sang "I love you more today than yesterday." Randy and Paula told him it was pretty good but he's old fashioned and should make it fresh. Simon got his name wrong and called him something like Chekuzie. Once Simon quit laughing at his own mistake, he apologized and told Chikezie that he hated the whole performance because the suit was hideous and the whole song was cheesy and outdated.

David Cook - Bartender and musician David Cook performed "So Happy Together." His version of the song was really good in my opinion. Randy said it was "weird" to begin with but it turned out great. Paula told him he "rocked it" and made it very original. Simon thought it was good and almost believable, but he seemed to shout the middle part of the song a tad.

Jason Yager - Jason's son Nathan was in the audience tonight. Jason sang "Moon River." Randy said he had some pitch problems. Paula gave her first ballet recital to that song, so she liked it. Simon thought his performance was more suited for a cruise ship. Because Simon viewed his performance as "middle of the road," he compared Jason to a sheepdog that people can always depend on.

Robbie Carrico - Florida singer Robbie Carrico revealed that he was in a group that opened for Britney Spears a few years ago. Tonight, he pounded out "One is the Loneliest Number." Randy said it was a nice version and it "moved" him. Paula said he picked the perfect song for him. Simon thought it was the only performance to make sense to him. Simon is confused to whether he is a pop or rock singer.

David Archuleta - This young man performed "Shop Around." It was a good performance to me, especially when he hit the last word at the end. It was great. Randy thought it was brilliant and says he sings maturely. Paula likes his confidence. Simon said it was the best performance of the night so far. He also made the comment of "when you've got it, you've got it." David was so excited and happy. He kept smiling and laughing right on through his after-song chat with Ryan.

Danny Noriega - Californian Danny Noriega was cut last year from Season 6 in the first round of auditions. Danny came down the stairs wearing tight black pants, white shirt, and black tie as he sang "Jailhouse Rock." Randy said he knows how to have a good time and that his vocals were "okay." He said it was "kind of hot." Paula said he has amazing vocals and that his performance was "almost scalding." Simon did not like the performance. He called it awful. Simon and Paula also began to argue a bit over whether the performance was indeed good or bad, and Simon was trying to understand the jibberish Paula was speaking. Danny, obviously upset with Simon's opinions, thought he had picked a good song. When chatting with Ryan after the judges' critiques, Danny gave Simon a quite "gay" head snap for not liking his performance.

Luke Menard - Carpet Cleaner Luke Menard auditioned for Season 6 but the judges did not let him through. Luke made it to tonight and sang "Everybody's Talking." I didn't think the performance was that strong, not after hearing the previous singers. That's just my opinion. Randy said it was pitchy. Paula agreed and doesn't feel it was his best song choice. Simon said he was forgettable.

Colton Berry - I enjoyed Colton's "Suspicious Minds." It is one of my favorite songs, so I was singing right along with him! Randy noted that he started rough but finished the song nicely. Paula and Simon said the song was "okay" but not superb or unique. During the after-critique chat, Simon voiced that people should focus more on their singing and less on their hair. In turn, Ryan called Simon's haircut "hopeless." What a great comeback!

Garrett Haley - Garrett tried out for American Idol while on vacation. Tonight, his "Breaking Up Is Hard To Do" brought me mixed feelings. It was unique, but it just wasn't as good as his competitors. Randy doesn't feel he made it his own and didn't make it interesting. Paula suggested he be more courageous. After telling Garrett his performance was boring, Simon complained about his appearance being "haunting." I can agree with that to an extent. I understand that Garrett is trying to be himself, but we know that looks can get people pretty far even if it's fair or not. Garrett should get a sexy new haircut and choose a better wardrobe.

Jason Castro - Blue eyes, dreadlocks, big bright smile, and a guitar are the package you get with Jason. Again, with his guitar, he performed "What a Day for Daydream" tonight. Strangely, in a few close shots of Jason, he reminded me of John Travolta. He even sounded like him a few times while he was singing! Maybe it's just me. Anyway, Randy liked the guitar but noticed he had a few pitch problems. Paula said he blew her away and made a good song choice that appeared effortless to him. In Simon's opinion, Jason is great with the camera and was in his personal top 2 list for tonight.

Michael Johns - Australian native Michael Johns "Light My Fire" was hot. Randy loved it. Paula said it was a great ending to the night. Simon thought he was natural and has "got it."

At the end of the show, Ryan thanked several people but purposely left out Simon Cowell. Such cheap, yet funny entertainment! Tune in tomorrow night (Wed, 2/20/2008) to see the top 12 ladies perform. On Thursday night's show, the two guys and two girls with the lowest number of votes will be leaving the show for good.