American Idol Season 9's Top Twelve Announced

Top Twelve American Idol Contestants for Season 9:
The Top Six American Idol Girls: DiDi Benami, Siobhan Magnus, Paige Miles, Katie Stevens, Lacey Brown and Crystal Bowersox
The Top Six American Idol Guys: Aaron Kelly, Michael Lynche, Casey James, Lee Dewyze, Andrew Garcia and Tim Urban

Lilly Scott was voted off American Idol, and that surprised me. It seemed to take her back also as she lamented that she didn't know "what America was looking for." Lilly brought a distinctive flair to the program that will be missed. Lilly and Katie Stevens were the last two to be put on the hot seat. There was no doubt in my mind that Katie would be leaving...but it didn't turn out that way. Katie does have a strong voice; however, she hasn't come into her own yet. I get the feeling that she's been in lots of pageants and has yet to shake that vibe. Given more time, a different side may emerge.

Katelyn Epperly also bid farewell to American Idol fans. She never seemed to get comfortable on the stage, and that came across in her performances. Katelyn was pitted against Paige Miles on Thursday. In my opinion, that could have gone either way. Paige has done well in the past, but had a very weak performance on Tuesday due to her emotional state. Seems she went from laughing through one song to choking back tears in another. Paige needs to find some middle ground.

Todrick Hall was not destined to be in American Idol's top 12. I think he was fortunate to get as far as he did. Performing and dancing were his strong suits. Todrick was very gracious as he took his final bows. He was paired against Lee Dewyze to await his fate. I would have been shocked had Lee not been chosen over Todrick for a top 12 spot.

Alex Lambert and Andrew Garcia were opposite one another as the decision loomed on which of them would go on to American Idol's top 12. Alex got the bad news and took it harder than any of the contestants. Alex had a distinguishable sound, but I think, due to nerves, his talent materialized a little too late. Andrew could just have easily been the one going home. It was a toss up, in my opinion.

The top 12 American Idol contestants will now be moving to a grander stage and will perform for a larger audience. I look forward to seeing all of the contestants together in one time slot. It all happens on Tuesday, March 16^th.

The Top Eight Guys Take the Stage March 10^th on American Idol
The Top Eight Girls Take the Stage March 9^th on American Idol

Visit the American Idol Web site for more information.