By: Mary Cavaliere

Tonight’s episode showcased the Top 12 guys. I’ve rated each performance on a scale from 1-10 and noted why each contestant scored high or low in my book:

1) David Hernandez (8) ~ He has a nice voice but his performance was a little bland and there were a few bad notes at the end as well.

2) Chikezie (8) ~ Simon hated his performance and his suit but I thought he was very charismatic, nicely dressed, and original.

3) David Cook (9) ~ I thought his rendition of Happy Together was very unique. I loved it!

4) Jason Yeager (8) ~ He was obviously nervous but he has a nice voice. He played it a little too safe though (which is why Simon said it was a cruise-ship performance).

5) Robbie Carrico (7) ~ He has a nice voice but I wasn’t as impressed as the judges. I thought it was a safe and also boooorrrring performance.

6) David Archuleta (10) ~ Wow. He’s adorable, he’s humble (take note Josiah Leming), AND he can sing! He’s original and sings from his soul. For me he was THE BEST OF THE NIGHT!

7) Danny Noriega (7) ~ I love his voice and definitely disagree with Simon that his performance was “grotesque”. It was simply a poor song choice and Elvis is a bit ambitious for his voice and his persona.

8) Luke Mendard (6) ~ He says he’s not here to be in the Top 24 or the Top 12, he’s here to win. That’s not even remotely possible. Although his version of Everybody’s Talkin’ was somewhat original, he is a one-dimensional singer and booorrrring. THE WORST OF THE NIGHT.

9) Colton Berry (7) ~ He has a good voice and was definitely better at doing Elvis than Danny Noriega, but it was also a bit ambitious for his voice and persona.

10) Garrett Haley (6) ~ He looks like Leif Garrett but he has a very feminine voice. Neil Sedaka was a good choice for him but he lacked confidence, sounded a bit nasally, and was very pitchy. He has the potential to be great, but he’s just not there yet.

11) Jason Castro (8) ~ He is very unique, original, and entertaining. I loved him (and his dreds)!

12) Michael Johns (8) ~ Ryan Seacrest eluded to saving the best for last. I don’t know about that, but I will say he is charismatic and enjoyable to watch.

If I were making the decision as to who would be voted off, I’d choose Luke Mendard (because he thinks he’s better than he really is) or Garrett Haley, not because he’s a bad performer, but because I think he’s too young and not yet ready for this level of competition.

I can’t speak for the girls yet, but I agree with the judges that this is going to be a tough competition for the guys. I don’t think I’ve seen so many in one season who were all so equally talented. I hope the girls put on as good a show tomorrow night as this one.

You can read more of Mary’s television blogs at www.myspace.com/italiangirl57

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