Orianthi shreds on the Idol stage while Chief Sparkleface Hair-a-mess, Ke$ha dons a headdress while talk-rapping. Who did you like better?

American Idol Season 7 winner David Cook kicked off the show with “Jumping Jack Flash,” continuing with the Rolling Stone theme, saving my ears from the usual cheesy group performance opener.  It was announced that the “Judges Save” is still in effect for this season, but even they couldn’t save the artist performances that night. 

Orianthi has proved she has mad guitar skills, but her vocals during her single “According To You” were unimpressive compared to her crazy guitar shreds. 

Is Ke$ha’s 15 minutes over yet? Seriously I don’t even know what to think of her performance — from her squealing talk-sing, auto-tuned mess of a voice, to that Native American headdress, what? Also, I’m pretty sure the music just straight up stopped when 3OH!3 spewed out their part of the song.

The contestants in the bottom three were Tim Urban, Paige Miles, and Lacey Brown. Tim scored a lifesaver for this week and the final votes came down to roommates Paige and Lacey.  Sadly Lacey didn’t impress America or the judges with her pitchy cover of “Ruby Tuesday” and was the first to get the ax of the top 12. 

What do you think of this outcome? Who are your favorites so far in the competition, if there are any?  Tell us below in the comments and make sure to check back next week on AMPradio.com for more coverage of Season 9 of American Idol!

At last, the 12 chosen ones move on to the big stage this week on American Idol,  tackling classics from the Rolling Stones.  How did the rookie performers do taking on the rock legends? See the best and the defunct of the bunch here!

 There was a wavering feeling in my mind when it was announced that this year’s sub-par finalists would attempt rock classics from the Rolling Stones, but thankfully no one butchered their choices.  A few of the contestants upped their game while others can’t seem to top past performances. 

Starting with the worst of the night because it’s more fun: Andrew Garcia still hasn’t lived up to his one hit wonder performance of Paula Abdul’s “Straight Up,” and fell on his face with his cover of “Gimme Shelter.”  It sounded like one of your drunk friends trying to hit all the notes on Rock Band, which always fails.  Worse than his performance was judge Kara’s one-note criticism, I swear she says the same thing to every contestant: “I didn’t think you connected with the meaning of the song.” In Ke$ha’’s words, “blah blah blah” good thing Simon’s there to put her in her place.

Each week, Aaron Kelly comes more and more out of his shell and last night he proved he has star quality with his cover of “Angie.”  With a new makeover and new confidence, Aaron strutted all over that stage and owned his performance. 

Aaron may have conquered the big stage this week, but he went head to head with a 9-year-old reporter in a dance off.  I think he better stick with the vocals…Watch the junior reporter interview the final 12 contestants!

Who do you think America will vote off this week?  Vote below!

Last night, the final 12 contestants were revealed on American Idol, at the same time revealing how gullible and foolish voters are. America, you are on crack…

Admittedly, I am starting to get in this show after never watching it before and not caring who the next “American Idol” is, but after reviewing the shows each week, I’ve seen the potential talent some of the contestants have, and I’m am in shock of the results of the final 12 Idols.

First of the girls, Katelyn Epperly wasn’t a big shock since her performances were drawn out and flat, but the quirky Lilly Scott actually had something artistically unique about her and she put an original spin on each performance.  She wasn’t afraid to be the artist she was and took big risks that I guess America wasn’t ready for.

Of the guys, it wasn’t surprising to see Todrick Hall go after his over theatrical interpretations of each song, he’ll find his way over to Broadway.  However the biggest disappointment of the night was seeing Alex Lambert get voted off instead of Andrew Garcia.  He was my personal fav of all the contestants and has  one of the most distinct voices of the bunch.  It was apparent that everyone thought he was going to make it into the top 12 (because he’s actually TALENTED) as they gathered in a tear soaked group hug after his performance. He really should have taken care of that whole mullet thing sooner.

Well America, I hope you confident in your decision to vote for the less talented and unoriginal performers that would never have a chance in the industry if it wasn’t for American Idol.

Want more American Idol videos? Click here.

The top eight guys took the stage last night on American Idol and let their nerves get the best of them.  The guys’ group is full of a bunch of softies channeling way too much into their sensitive side.  The only thing manly about last night’s show was Simon’s chest hair glistening in the spotlight.  Watch videos of the best performances of the night, and don’t forget to vote who you think will be cut next! 

I thought I was watching a repeat of the girls’ performances last night as the guys sang mushy ballad after ballad, with guitars in hand.  We all know the sensitive guitar-playing guys get all the ladies, but when you’re trying to win over America it’s probably best not to look like such a sissy. 

To be fair, no one sang terribly last night and it’s going to be a close call for who’s voted off.  Tim Urban redeemed himself with yet another rendition of ”Hallelujah” and could now have what it takes to make it in final 12.

Most of the guys need some self-affirmation to boost their confidence before hitting the stage.  They look like a deer in headlights when performing and taking smack from the judges.  Grow some cojones guys and put some energy in those performances!

Watch the videos of the best performances of the night:

Michael Lynche: Kate Bush “This Women’s Work”- It’s o.k. Big Mike, we were ALL embarrassed for Kara when she started crying like a manic. 

Todrick Hall: Queen “Somebody To Love”- Finally, an energetic performance that woke the audience up, I wish it came sooner.

Alex Lambert: Ray LaMontagne “Trouble”- Even though he looked like a sad little puppy the whole time, Alex picked the perfect song for his distinct voice.

Yo, listen! Yo, American Idol is gettin’ hott as the final eight girls fight to stay another week under America’s watchful eye.  Crystal Bowersox flabbergasted the judges with another electrifying performance, while other contestants fall miles short of impressive.  Read on for the American Idol 30 word rehash — AMP style, dawg. 

So building from that observation, here is my summary of the performers last night in 30 words or less.  Go ahead count them, I dare you.

Katie & Paige will fall in the bottom two, Katelyn has crazy person hair, Lacey sounds mousey, Siobhan’s weirdly good, Didi surprised everyone, Lilly’s grandma knitted her earings, & Crystal is unstoppable. 

Annnnd breathe.  There you have it.  American Idol recap in 30 words for all us inattentive viewers out there who can’t sit through an entire episode without fidgeting. 

Watch videos of the best performances of the night below:

Crystal Bowersox

Siobhan Magnus

Didi Benami

What do you guys think of the contestants this year? Are they underwhelming or will a superstar blossom from this season’s competition?  Tell us below, and don’t forget to vote who you think will be voted off this week!

Read a full recap on Billboard.

Then there were 16.  American Idol gets real as four more contestants are voted off, leaving the best of the best, or the decent of the decent, safe for another week. 

Looks like those terrible song choices really came back to bite contestants in the butt, but that’s what you get when you think Creed would be a good choice.

For the boys, voters sent forgettable John Park and God-fearing Jermaine Sellers home, I guess God was too busy to call in His vote for Jermaine, oh well I’m sure He has bigger plans for you both! 

The girl rejects included overly spunky tween Haeley Vaugh and fashionable Michelle Delamor, which came as surprise, but let me reiterate so other contestants don’t make the same mistake she did. No matter how crazy awesome your voice is, DO NOT sing Creed, period.

So another episode has come and gone and has withered away this less than spectacular group of Idols.  Do you think America voted off the right contestants, or was it bull honkey- Tell me your thoughts?!

A recuperated Crystal Bowersox and nine others rocked the Idol stage last night, but like the guys the night before, some of the songs choices were unfitting and risky for the young group.  I’m still baffled why anyone would sing Creed in a vocal competition…

So it’s my second night of ever watching this show, and I was way more impressed by the girls’ vocal chops and thought they had a much better night than the guys.  Sure the guys were blindsided by the last-minute switch of performance days, but an artist should always on top of their game.  Check out my favorites and major flops of the night and see if you agree.

If there’s one thing I’m a sucker for in music, it’s the deep southern folk/gospel sound, I don’t know where that taste came from, but I absolutely love the raw power and passion singers project into their music.  That being said, it’s no surprise I was blown away by Crystal Bowersox and Lilly Scott’s performances.  Crystal covered one of my favorite Creedence Clearwater’s tunes “Long As I Can See The Light” and made everyone feel the Lord in that studio, dang she has a big voice.

Scott has a similar style as Bowersox with that natural stripped down sound and puts her own unique spin in her performances.  Singing Sam Cooke’s “A Change Is Gonna Come,” Scott made the song her own and isn’t afraid to be the artist she’s aspiring to.

The girls’ group includes a lot of quirky singers I feel will go far in this competition.  With indie artists making a huge dent in music right now, voters will sway towards the unique musicians like Bowersox, Scott, and Siobhan Magnus who also blew the judges away with her impressive end note wail.  Music tastes are shifting and listeners don’t want the same old commercial artists American Idol produces, so these distinctive voices are upping the Idol game.

The biggest gaf of the night belonged to Michelle Delamor, who chose to cover Creed’s “With Arms Wide Open,” which I’m still confused about.  Props to her for changing it beyond recognition enough to make people forget she was singing Creed, wtf.

Teensters Haeley Vaughn and Katie Stevens failed to impress with their poor song choices and uninteresting performances of “The Climb” and “Girl Put Your Records On.”  They’re both likable enough to make it to the next round, but their inexperience onstage could hurt them in the future.

I don’t think Didi Benemi deserved the overly harsh criticism from the judges.  The song choice “Lean On Me” by Bill Withers wasn’t a perfect fit for her, but she has a decent voice and I thought she pulled it off well enough to be safe for another week.

Paige Miles has a big sassy voice that didn’t shine through the wordy Kelly Clarkson tune “Walk Away,” and Katelyn Epperly’s droned out version of Coldplay’s “Scientist” could have been amazing if she didn’t over exaggerate the performance.

Who’s left? Oh yeah, Lacey Brown, I can’t even remember what she sang, I must have zoned out during her performance…That can’t be a good sign for her.

The obvious stand outs in the girl group are Crystal Bowersox, Lilly Scott, and the “weird little thing” Siobhan Magnus, who most likely will advance to the finals.  They need to watch out for Katelyn Epperly and Paige Miles because as soon as they figure out the kinks, they’re going to do some major damage. 

My vote for the night for best performance definitely goes to Crystal Bowersox, and I’m going to say Lacey Brown is outsies this week.  Check back tomorrow for the results and remember to vote who you think is the next to leave American Idol below!

Last night’s episode was supposed to feature the girls’ performances, but Crystal Bowersox was rushed to the emergency room, so the girls forfeited the night to the guys. The last-minute switcheroo seemed to shake up the guys who didn’t seem prepared at all to perform.

Hello AMP enthusiast, this is Britt, blog-aficionado from the AMPtourage.  After eight seasons, I have yet to jump on the American Idol bandwagon, and as someone tuning for the first time EVER, I was really unimpressed with the contestants’ performances, I mean I thought these were supposed to be the best singers in America?  Maybe the guys were thrown off by switching days, but it’s more likely because most of them chose songs that didn’t fit their style and tried to overcompensate by playing an instrument, typical men.  There were a couple I thought stood out from the group and might have a chance in this competition, see if you agree.   

Lucky number one of the night was Mr. Muscles, Michael Lynche singing James Brown’s “It’s A Man’s Man’s World,” reminding everyone it’s the boys’ night to shine.  Michael set the bar high for the other contestants with a strong, soulful performance.  He gives off a Motown vibe with his smooth voice that’s perfect for R&B.  The judges all agreed he gave his best performance so far and has the total package for stardom. 

The unfortunate soul to follow that performance was John Park, sporting a Justin Bieber doo to pair his dud of a song choice.  Singing John Mayer’s “Gravity,” John Park failed to impress with his vocals, giving  a bland performance with no flavor or accentuation. 

One thing contestant Casey James and I have in common is that we’ve never watched American Idol before.  “Goldie Locks” tried his best to imitate what he think a rock star does with Gavin Degraw’s ”I Don’t Wanna Be.” His voice sounded shaky the whole time, or what I like to call “sheepy,” because he was focusing more on his guitar solos.  I got what he was trying to do, but as Simon bluntly put it, he lacked the “grit” of a rocker. 

I was pleasantly surprised by the next contestant Adam Alex Lambert, and finally got into this show during his performance.  At first I was iffy about this guy, because come on he’s rockin’ a mullet, he’s got to know that, but his rendition of John Legend’s “Everybody Knows” got my attention.  His voice stood out from the rest of the group, it was so unique and compelling to listen to.  Ellen compared him to a ripened banana showing a huge improvement from last week and proving he’s gaining experience and confidence after each performance.  Just get rid of that Billy Ray Cyrus mullet and you’re golden. 

Todrick Hall and Jermaine Sellers failed to impress the judges with their ambitious song choices.  Hall lacked any oomph with his modified arrangement of Tina Turner’s “What’s Love Got To Do With It,” and Sellers’ choice of Marvin Gaye’s “What’s Going On” didn’t represent his vocals to the fullest or transfer in his gospel rendition. 

I really liked Andrew Garcia, not his voice, just him.  There’s just something about this guy that makes me want to listen to him, I just wished what came out of his mouth was as compelling as his look.  When he didn’t hold back, he conjured up that deep, raspy bellow, but the judges suggest he needs to work on his pitch problems in order to top his Paula Abdul performance.

I think I was as confused and uncomfortable as Aaron Kelly during his age inappropriate choice of The Temptations’ “My Girl,”  but I’m cheering for this underdog. Mass-produced Disney look-alike, Tim Urban busted out his guitar for his lackluster cover of Matt Nathanson’s ”Come On Get Higher.”  The song choice was a perfect fit for him, but his vocals strained to reach the high ranges. 

Last but not least, Lee Dewyze closed the program just as it started, on a high.  Singing Hinder’s “Lips Of An Angel,” Lee gave a passionate performance that had the “grit” Simon mentioned, but his stage presence was awkward and stiff, and should watch out to not fall into the “Nickelback” soft rocker category.  We all know pickels have more fans than Nickelback…

As a whole, the guys’ are a pretty average group with very few stand outs.  My guess is the girls are gonna blow them out of the water in this season’s American Idol.  Judging from last night’s performances, my vote goes to Alex Lambert as the best for the night, and I’m gonna call that it’s bye-bye for Tim Urban. 

Check back tomorrow for my take on the girls’ performances, which hopefully won’t be such a snooze-fest.

Who do you think is going to get voted off?

The guys finally got to perform live for the first time and did a fairly good job. The boys took way more risks than the girls the night before, and some were really unique renditions of songs we all know and love. To check out the recap read on!

Todrick Hall put such a different spin on “Since You’ve Been Gone” by Kelly Clarkson, it really rocked my world. Definitely makes me want to hear that version on AMP Radio in the near future. Randy however didn’t like that he completely changed the version of the song because it was obviously good enough to be a hit. Simon thought he murdered the Kelly Clarkson single. It was very entertaining even though his vocals were a bit scratchy.

Aaron Kelly really sang with feeling and you could tell through his facial expressions. Simon really liked Aaron’s performance, but he did give him the tip that he should portray a bit more confidence when on stage. I think it’s pretty cool that he is humble and not so egotistical when performing.  He just wanted to sing at his best in his own skin. Kudos, Aaron Kelly, Kudos!

Jermaine Sellers dressed oh so chic last night for his performance but vocals never lie. He didn’t do too well and the judges caught rift of this. Simon thought the choice of song was a bit too old for his fan base. Sellers’ voice was a bit over the top but most of the judges (everyone but Simon) think that he’ll still be voted for and will continue to the next round.

Tim Urban, the twenty year old cutie from Texas, sang “Apologize” by OneRepublic. Tim was asked to come back after being eliminated but Simon now thinks they should have never asked him back on the show.  The judges do think that he might return just based on him being a fan favorite. Is that truly fair? We’ll find out tomorrow!

Last night, Joe Munoz sang “You and I” by Jason Mraz and I wish that he didn’t. Jason Mraz is such a distinct vocalist that is very hard to imitate well. Randy thought he was bold for picking such a song but thinks it kind of worked for him. Simon thought it was a safe performance and that Joe didn’t deliver the way they know he could have. Good Look Joe!

My favorite seventies rocker Tyler Grady performed “American Woman” last night and sadly didn’t deliver. Simon thought Grady’s performance was a tad clichéd “I’m trying to be something I’m not” type of rocker. Ellen thought that Grady was lacking a certain charisma and originality. We’ll see if America is down with the seventies rock as much as I am, yep I said down and it’s still cool ; )

Lee Dewyze is the Danny Gokey of this season and sang the infamous Snow Patrol song “Chasing Cars.” Kara and Randy didn’t really like the new mix of the song but Simon and Ellen were on the same page in agreement that Lee did amazing! I’m Team Elimon on this one! Great job Lee my favorite of the night thus far!

The contestant that Shania Twain kept flirting with during auditions was none other than John Park. Simon thought Park sang pretty flat and Kara agreed.  Ellen however disagreed and thought that he did a good job and thinks people should pick up and vote for Park. What did you guys think?

Michael Lynche sang Maroon 5’s “This Love” and performed with his guitar. Ellen and Randy liked his spin on it but Kara did not and neither did Simon. The new dad did however take the criticism really well so that might run well with America in getting him enough votes. We shall see.

Alex Lambert dominated by Mary Powers during Hollywood Week but it paid off because he was good enough to make it to the top 12 guys. I loved his voice during Hollywood week and I loved it last night as well. He sang “A Wonderful World” by James Morrison but the judges didn’t love his vocals on that song. Ellen feels like Lambert is like a banana that just isn’t ripe yet. Will Alex be ripe enough to make it to the next round? We’ll find out soon enough!

Casey James, the sexy man with his shirt off and one of Kara’s faves, sang “Heaven” by Bryan Adams last night. It was so sultry and sweet that I actually felt my heart melt a little. Cheesy I know but it was just so amazing! Kara was blushing throughout the judging and the other judges definitely poked their fun at her as well. Girls pick up the phone and vote for this guy if we want someone to be easy on the eyes this season..Please! Good luck Sexy I mean Casey!

 Andrew Garcia changed up Fall Out Boy’s “Sugar We’re Going Down” and I thought was pretty cool. Simon however was disappointed because Garcia didn’t take any risks. During Hollywood week Andrew did a really cool rendition of a Paula Abdul song but I guess this week he wasn’t so fortunate with his spin on an FOB song. We’ll see if this Dad can pull through to the next round.

Who were your favorites of the night? Who will stay and who will go, tell us what you think below!

Last night the top 12 girls of American Idol took the stage with the first live showing of the season! To see who shined last night and who just took things to the next level of terrible read on!

The top twelve girls performed last night and did an amazing job. Simon even said he thinks it’s going to be the girl’s year, but it is definitely too soon to tell. Paige Miles sounded great in her auditions and Hollywood week but something changed this week. Maybe it was being in front of a live audience or choosing the wrong song. Simon thinks she has the best voice out of the girls but I didn’t enjoy the performance.

Ashley Rodriguez didn’t do to great last night and had a few pitchy moments. She did take on a monster though by choosing “Happy” by Leona Lewis. Simon deemed her take on the song as clumsy with no originality. We’ll see if she makes it to the next round but that performance wasn’t very convincing. Janell Wheeler has a great presence on stage but more importantly didn’t quite deliver the song she chose. Simon didn’t like her performance and thought she was kidding herself by choosing such a big song. He still believes that she is going to make it through to the next round regardless. We’ll see if Simon is right tomorrow…

Lilly Scott spent most of last year living out of her car and feels very grateful that she is now on AI. She chose a Beatles number and it sounded pretty amazing. Simon said out of the four girls that have performed thus far, Scott was number one.  Lilly’s voice is a cross between Adele and Missy Higgins. Katelyn Epperly did a great job putting her twist on “Oh My Darling.” Kara liked her performance but suggested that she shouldn’t try so hard with makeup and wardrobe. Randy didn’t agree and really liked the makeover. Epperly is my favorite of all the contestants this season so far she has an angel type of vibe going on for her. Hopefully she gets her wings and flies through to the next round!

Haeley Vaughn attempted “I Wanna Hold Your Hand” by the Beatles last night, and I’d have to say it was a good spin on the classic. Unfortunately the vocals weren’t very strong and a bit pitchy. Simon deemed the twist as terrible blaming it on Haeley trying to smile the entire time that affected her vocal. Lacey Brown was rejected last year in being in the top 12 girls so this year she was out to redeem herself. Unfortunately for Lacey the judges thought her performance last night was borderline terrible. Simon did say she had pretty eyes though… umm yeah cool Simon that’ll win over America right?

Michelle Delamor sang one of my favorite songs in the entire world “Fallen” by Alicia Keys and I think she did Ms. Keys justice. I liked that she didn’t just imitate Alicia Keyes but added her own flavor to the song. The judges were kind of split down the middle on what they thought about Delamor’s performance. Overall, the judges thought Delamor played it safe. What did you guys think? Let us know below!

Didi Benami is known to put on the waterworks throughout this season but last night she stood strong, especially when she received a rough critique from the judges. Didi in my opinion sang very well and I’m just such a fan of the Adele/Duffy voice. Simon admitted that he found the performance dull and boring while Kara said she thought it was great that she put her own twist on the not so unique song of the season. I’m hoping Didi will pull through and make it to the next round do you?

Next up, Siobhan Magnus sounded like she was singing out of her nose the entire time she was on stage. Kara agreed that there were some nasal parts here and there but Kara liked her take on the song.  Overall the judges liked her. Did the song remind anyone else of Friends with the scene where Ross and Rachel…squish the juice box? Simon mocked her at the end of the critique because Siobhan was talking in a monotone voice.

Crystal Bowersox sang “Hand in My Pocket” by Alanis Morisette another favorite of mine, which I thought she did great. Most importantly I liked the harmonica usage the most and hopefully she’ll continue to bring out the instruments. Simon thinks she’s like the million musicians outside the subway singing for change and admitted if he saw her in the real world he wouldn’t stop in his tracks. Putting it in that perspective, I kind of see where he’s coming from, because I feel like I’ve seen people like Crystal before. Does Crystal have star potential or is she just another music loving coffee-house vocalist?

Katie Stevens sang “Feeling Good” by Michael Buble yesterday and was told by Ellen that it was a little too conservative. The alum judges agreed with Ellen and said she needed to sing in the present-day because she’s only 17. I’m a big fan of Katie’s, but she could have done a lot more with such a great song.

Hopefully the guys pull through on tonight’s episode with a little more originality then the girls brought yesterday. Let us know your thoughts on the girls below!

See the recap of the judges’ critiques of the top 12 girls: