Week One

Now it's down to business. Finally the real competition has begun. With many changes and lots of confusion this season, the Top 13 kick off Season 8 tonight with hits from Michael Jackson (seems fitting because several of the contestants listed Michael Jackson as their favorite male artist). Two contestants will be going home tomorrow.

Lil Rounds--She has incredible talent and "The Way You Make Me Feel" is my favorite Michael Jackson song, but it did not portray her big voice at all. The song just wasn't challenging enough for her.

Scott McIntyre--I can never remember Scott's name, which probably says something as to how long he will last in this competition. I think he has amazing musical talent, but I'm not sure if that will be enough. So far, he's just "the blind guy." Tonight didn't help. While his performance was fairly good, it was slightly boring and not very memorable.

Danny Gokey--I've been on Team Danny since the beginning. I'm glad he got away from the sob story about his wife tonight and had some fun on the stage. I loved his quirky dancing and his scruffy vocals (and that smile).

Michael Sarver--Welcome to the competition. I loved seeing this side of Michael. He sings with so much passion, and again, the smile. I think he really connected with the song and the audience. Great job.

Jasmine Murray--Good song choice. I've had faith in this girl, but she kinda let me down again tonight. I think she has a beautiful and pure voice. Kara keeps saying how commercial she is, and I completely agree. It was a good performance, but she was flat here and there. The last note was overkill. She should have left it alone.

Kris Allen--I love when the boys get to bring out their guitars. Kris is just so darn adorable. Kara said when he plays his guitar, we get to see a whole other side of him. She's completely right. He was very Jason Mraz-esque tonight. Did anyone watch his dancing feet? =] Yeah, his voice cracked a couple times on the high notes, but he's got great stage presence. (P.S. I typed the Jason Mraz thing before Randy said it.)

Allison Iraheta--The token rocker chick this season, and she's just 16. She's got powerful vocals but tonight didn't impress me much. The song was kinda boring, but it was a good performance. I was a huge fan of her when she sang Heart during the Top 36 round. Carly flashback anyone? I think she's got at least a few more rounds in her. The faithful rock fans will put her through.

Anoop Desai--Interesting. Very karaoke. I agree 100% with Paula (who actually got a "boo"). That song is untouchable, and it didn't help that he just sang it straight. He tried too hard to imitate Michael Jackson. For the surprise 13th contestant, Anoop did not pick the right song at all.

Jorge Nunez--Let's throw a little Latin love in this season. Jorge is absolutely adorable. I loved when he got so emotional that he couldn't speak in English last week. Tonight, his performance was just average. It was an okay vocal, but that's about it. I'm with Simon on this one, it was just corny.

Megan Joy Corkrey--I LOVE this girl! She is such a breath of fresh air, truly unique. I'm not sure how long she will last against all of the big voices in the competition, but I think she has a future in the music industry. It was a cute performance, and she definitely brought a smile to my face.

Adam Lambert--This guy has SICK vocals. Like Danny, he's been a front-runner since the beginning. I'm still adjusting to his theatrical side, but no one can deny that this guy is untouchable when it comes to vocals. I can see him belting on Broadway or fronting a rock band. I'm excited to see what he brings to the competition. (side note: did anyone else think he looked super creepy when the strobe lights started flashing? ha.)

Matt Giraud--Ahh, the dueling pianist back in his element. I was not ready for his performance to be over. At the end of the song, I seriously went "wait, it's over already?" Great solid performance, as Simon said. I loved it.

Alexis Grace--I like Alexis and her blues-rock tone, but she didn't impress me tonight. It was a good performance, but not outstanding. I'd like to see her stick around a little longer and show her stuff though.

Pretty good first show. No one completely failed or forgot the words. The judges didn't even rip into anyone. Possibly because they're just being nice in the honeymoon phase or maybe because 13 contestants is a lot to pack into two hours.

Predictions: I think Jasmine, Scott, and Jorge may all be in trouble. I would say Anoop based on tonight's performance, but he's got quite the fan following.

Speaking of fan followings, I'm excited to hear the change in rules tomorrow night. I think giving the judges more power will improve the credibility of this competition and help to prevent any more Sanjaya catastrophes.

Kelly's performing tomorrow night. Her new album is amazing. Go buy it. Right now.