American Idol 2008 - Top 12 Women Performances

American Idol 2008 continued the top 24 with performances by the top 12 women last night before a live audience and on live television. Maybe it was just me, but I really didn’t enjoy last night’s show at all. I was incredibly bored throughout almost the entire program. I thought some of the girls were good vocalists, but their song choices bored me, or they bored me, or it was just a lot of the same old, same old.

There were probably four performances that I would say were the “best” of the night. Although, like I said, I wasn’t crazy about any of them really. These are the four I thought were pretty good:

• Ramiele Malubay - Like Simon, I didn’t initially care for Ramiele. I still can’t really say I’m a fan, but I can say that I thought she outsang everyone last night. The judges thought she did well with Randy thinking she was almost as good as a pro.
  
  

  Ramiele Malubay - You Don’t Have To Say You Love Me

  [youtube bVYgGWGO8dg]
  

  Syesha Mercado - Neither I nor the judges were really blown away by her performance, but she’s obviously a talented singer. I wasn’t crazy about her song choice. I think putting her in the top is largely based on what we believe she could do.

  Syesha Mercado - Tobacco Road

  [youtube OUKQkYVGN-8]

  Alaina Whitaker - Again, I wasn’t really blown away by this performance. I remembered this girl for saying “oh shoot,” when Simon told her she wasn’t as good as she thought she was in her original audition. She’s probably not. But I think she’s better than what she showed here.

  Alaina Whitaker - I Love You More Today

  [youtube 4DwbAUZAq3c]

  Asia’h Epperson - This is the girl who’s father passed away right before her audition. I think she’s still getting a lot of points for her story…which is cool since it’s obviously a tragic story. She does have a good personality, though, and she really makes you want to like her. This vocal wasn’t the best of the night, but it was decent. Her name is spelled really stupidly (just thought I’d throw that in).

  Asia’h Epperson - Piece Of My Heart

  [youtube QX2kTZp6VTw]

I think all four of these girls will be safe this week. It seems some sort of flu hit the girls pretty hard so voters will probably take that into consideration. Plus, with no one really blowing us away, compelling stories or personalities are bound to get some extra votes.

There were three other girls who I think did fairly well and are probably safe this week.

• Kristy Lee Cook - Kristy was one of my early favorites. She came out first and stumbled right out of the gate (according to the judges). Apparently she was sick as well and she didn’t take advantage of her “twang.” I actually think she did…okay. Not as good as I was hoping for. I think she’ll be okay this week, but will have to step it up in the long run. Might I suggest taking a page from the Carry Underwood book of success…

  Kristy Lee Cook - Rescue Me

  [youtube ws9WVoIBKxA]

• Carly Smithson - I’m not a Carly fan at all. I hate the tattoos and I don’t really care for the stuff she sings. Having said that, it’s obvious the girl can sing. She didn’t do that well this week in my opinion (she was sick as well), but Randy and Paula thought she was fantastic. I thought it was a bit dishonest of Idol to talk about how she was signed to a label that “imploded” like she never really got a chance. They completely glossed over the $2 million the label spent to make and market the album and the fewer than 400 copies that sold part.

  Carly Smithson - Shadow of Your Smile

  [youtube PUG4WjcZIfI]

• Brooke White - I didn’t like Brooke at all in the other auditions but I think that was mostly because she refused to comb her hair. Thankfully someone finally took a brush to that birds nest on her head so it was slightly less distracting. I still think she looks like Gwyneth Paltrow’s sister or something, though. At any rate, she was only fair in this performance, but I think that was enough for this week.

  Brooke White - So Happy Together

  [youtube IkSNQfwqkOA]

  
  I think all three of these girls will be safe this week. They are two of the most memorable of the women, in my opinion. I actually think they’ll come back in the weeks ahead and pull out as frontrunners.

  There was one performance that I absolutely just hated. Now, I know a lot of people are going to disagree with me on this one, but I thought Amanda Overmyer was just awful…I mean, I hated pretty much everything about her performance. The judges kept saying how they liked her because she’s being true to herself… What do I care if she’s true to herself if I don’t like who she is? I couldn’t care less if you’re authentic when you’re trying to be a reincarnated Joan Jett or something. Dreadful.
  

  Amanda Overmyer - Baby, Please Don’t Go

  [youtube Hjc-HMbV_0A]

  As for the rest of the top 12 women…what can I say? I wasn’t impressed with any of them really. They all had certain qualities about them that were good, but I just kept thinking that I’ve seen all of this before. At one point I was talking to someone about how the person performing was forgettable and how I wouldn’t remember their name tomorrow…and I had already forgotten their name…while they were still singing…
  

  Joanne Borgella - I Say A Little Prayer

  [youtube gwk6ahqMkxs]

  Amy Davis - Where the Boys Are

  [youtube DViBE-LwD2A]

  Alexandrea Lushington - Spinning Wheel

  [youtube SNLZErqzJEU]

  Kady Malloy - A Groovy Kind Of Love

  [youtube 6cABUMjshV4]

  It’s really anyone’s guess who will be going home from the women, but I would guess that it would be either Joanne Borgella, Amy Davis, Alexandrea Lushington, or Kady Malloy.

  The American Idol Top 12 Women

  • Amanda Overmyer, 23, Mulberry, Ind.
  • Brooke White, 24, Van Nuys, Calif.
  • Joanne Borgella, 25, Hoboken, N.J.
  • Kristy Lee Cook, 24, Selma, Ore.
  • Amy Davis, 25, Cedar Lake, Ind.
  • Asia’h Epperson, 19, Joplin, Mo.
  • Alexandrea Lushington, 17, Douglasville, Ga.
  • Kady Malloy, 18, Houston
  • Ramiele Malubay, 20, Miramar, Fla.
  • Syesha Mercado, 21, Miami
  • Alaina Whitaker, 16, Tulsa, Okla.
  • Carly Smithson, San Diego by way of Dublin, Ireland

  For a quick recap of each contestant from a slightly different perspective, swing by American Idol: Top 12 Girls - ThinkBox Style and see what Jeff has to say about last night’s episode.