I was actually very impressed with quite a few contestants on American Idol tonight – some of whom I believe are ready for the radio – artists this season who seem to have a niche, know who they are, have unique voices and strong presence. Any guesses as to which contestants I believe are ready? Who would you like to hear on the radio right now?

Actually I think there are 4 really strong front runners including: Michael Lynche, Crystal Bowersox, Casey James and Lee DeWyze.

Tonight’s performances were really good and most contestants seem to be growing and improving. However a few struggled. If I were to base only on tonight – Aaron Kelly or Siobhan Magnus would be going home – as the other’s seemed to be stronger. But both have big fan bases, so I’m not sure either are at risk. However, the song Siobhan selected (“Across the Universe”) was slow and very unlike her previous songs, and I’m not certain that song would get people to pick up the phone for her. I actually won’t be completely surprised if she’s in the bottom three based on tonight’s performance. She’s a darling girl and I’m a fan, but with so many stronger performances, it’s hard to call at this point.

I still think Katie Steven and Tim Urban are at risk of going home and I’ll be surprised if they are not in the bottom three. They just are not as seasoned as some of the other contestants on American Idol.

American Idol: Stand-out Performances

I loved Andrew Garcia‘s version of “Can’t Buy Me Love” – although the judges said it was a bit corny, I loved the twist he gave it, he had fun and his voice sounded great. I thought his personality shown through a bit more than in the past and he had fun.

Michael Lynche “Eleanor Rigby”. I just love him and think even if he doesn’t win the competition, he’ll get signed and have a great and successful career. He’s so polished and his voice is so silky smooth and easy to listen to – love the twinkle in his eyes and the crowd goes wild for him. Simon commented that the performance was a bit “musical – theatrical” and now he’s confused as to what kind of artist Michael Lynche would be – I can see Simon’s point – but Kara and Randy both felt his performance was current and relevant – and I agree with them as well.

Crystal Bowersox – that girl is so talented and it’s fun to hear her take on different songs. Her performance of “Come Together” was amazing (even though it was difficult to understand the words)… I love that she is so true to who she is and makes each song her own.

Casey James’ version of “Jealous Guy” was different than he’s done before – it was tender, vulnerable and showcased a bit more emotion from him. I liked it (but didn’t love some of the vibrato) – but it was completely his style and I could imagine hearing it on the radio right now with him singing it. The judges gushed about it and Simon even said it was the best performance of the night. I’m not sure I would go that far, but I did like it.

Lee DeWyze “Hey Jude”. One of my favorite songs, and Lee did a great job (even though it started a bit shaky). I was a bit surprised with the bagpipes coming in and thought that was a bit fun (I love the bagpipes). The judges thought that was over the top and strange, but they didn’t hammer the point as they seemed to like the performance anyway. Lee is getting more confident and I just love his voice (as if I haven’t said that before). I can’t wait for him to get comfortable with his talent and really let go of the stresses – so we can see what he could really do if he completely believed in himself.

Tim Urban actually did the best he’s ever done (in my opinion). The song “All My Lovin’” was a bit repetitive and I was glad when it was over, but his vocals were the best I’ve heard him. I still call it that he could be a teen idol on Disney or Glee or something. (Casting agents take note…)

Katie Stevens is such cute and the judges loved her version of “Let it Be”. Her voice is not as easy for me to listen to as some of the others, and I thought she did a good job, but it wasn’t my favorite.

Aaron Kelly – “Yoda” as the other contestants call him – he has a huge fan base and even though his “Long Winding Road” struggled to move forward and felt quite shaky, his fans are likely to pull him through to another week.

So if I had to put money on it, I’d say either Tim Urban or Katie Stevens will be going home (Likely Tim Urban), but we could see some surprises.

I’m super excited for tomorrow and Utah’s own David Archuleta — to perform tomorrow night on American Idol. It will be fun to see how much he’s grown – but also I absolutely cannot get enough of his voice and talent. He is simply amazing and I love his music and the fact that he’s so humble.

Anyone else want to guess about who is going home?

Which American Idol contestants do you want to hear on the radio?

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