Poll of the week: Jennifer Hudson eclipses fellow 7th-place finishers

The winner of the latest version of IDOL LIVE's 2010 edition of the poll of the week champion series for readers' favorite seventh-place finalist of all nine seasons was no surprise.

Jennifer Hudson of Season 3 took in nine votes, or 37% of all 24 votes cast during the course of the week. While this number isn't very high at all, it's pretty easy to believe that J-Hud is the most popular seventh-place finalist of all time due to her post-Idol success.

The next closest placing was was Season 7's Kristy Lee Cook's showing in second thanks to seven votes (29%), while Season 9's Tim Urban nabbed four votes (16%).

In the next round, readers will be asked which 6th-place finalist is their favorite of all nine seasons. Voting will be open for exactly one week.

Ryan Starr 1 (4%)
Kimberly Caldwell 0 (0%)
Jennifer Hudson 9 (37%)
Anwar Robinson 2 (8%)
Ace Young 1 (4%)
Sanjaya Malakar 0 (0%)
Kristy Lee Cook 7 (29%)
Lil Rounds 0 (0%)
Tim Urban 4 (16%)

Total votes: 24

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Was the Top 10's performance on GMA this morning a joke?

In case you missed it, Season 9's Top 10 finalists took a break from their busy Idols Live! tour (in fact, they even moved a show for it) this morning on ABC's Good Morning America. Following solo performances by Lee DeWyze and Crystal Bowersox, it was time for all 10 finalists to take the stage for a medley of Bon Jovi's "It's My Life" and Kelly Clarkson's "My Life Would Suck Without You." Below is how it all went down:

I don't think there's ever been less of a reason to attend an Idol concert as this one. It was like George Stephanopolous and Robin Roberts raced up and down 42nd Street and grabbed the first 10 young people they saw, rushed them to Central Park, pushed them up on stage and forced them to sing on the spot.

Now, I'll give them the excuse that the cramped stage minimized their ability to move around, so dancing in place a la Aaron Kelly was pretty much the only other option. But c'mon, that was an embarrassment to group performances. The sloppy harmonies, the awkward poses the cameramen caught, the rampant out of tune singing, it never ends. In fact, it's more sad than anything, because they seem like a great group of people.

So as the show cancelations keep a'comin', is anyone really surprised why the tour is flailing around? I would not pay to see this on stage, and apparently many others feel the same.

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Poll of the week: Crystal Bowersox favorite Top 7 contestant

There were no surprises on the Top 7 edition of the poll of the week, as IDOL LIVE readers opted for Crystal Bowersox over Siobhan Magnus this week.

Crystal's 24 votes (26%) were just enough to edge out Siobhan's 22 votes (23%). No one else came close, as Lee DeWyze's 15 votes (16%) were next followed by newly departed Tim Urban's 12 (13%).

Crystal is also now in the lead overall, as she has 182 votes to Siobhan's 180 total.

In the latest edition of the poll of the week series, readers are asked who their favorite Top 6 contestant is. Voting will be open for exactly one week.

Aaron Kelly 10 (10%)
Casey James 4 (4%)
Crystal Bowersox 24 (26%)
Lee DeWyze 15 (16%)
Michael Lynche 5 (5%)
Siobhan Magnus 22 (23%)
Tim Urban 12 (13%)

Total votes: 92

Running total for Season 9:
24th - Haeley Vaughn (0 votes)*
21st (tie) - Janell Wheeler (2 votes)*
21st (tie) - Todrick Hall (2 votes)*
21st (tie) - Paige Miles (2 votes)*
19th (tie) - Joe Munoz (3 votes)*
19th (tie) - Jermaine Sellers (3 vote)*
17th (tie) - Tyler Grady (4 votes)*
17th (tie) - Michelle Delamor (4 votes)*
15th (tie) - John Park (6 votes)*
15th (tie) - Ashley Rodriguez (6 votes)*
14th - Lacey Brown (9 votes)*
13th - Katelyn Epperly (10 votes)*
12th - Lilly Scott (14 votes)*
11th - Michael Lynche (16 votes)
10th - Alex Lambert (22 votes)*
09th - Didi Benami (56 votes)*
08th - Andrew Garcia (58 votes)*
07th - Tim Urban (60 votes)*
06th - Casey James (64 votes)
05th - Aaron Kelly (85 votes)
04th - Katie Stevens (93 votes)*
03rd - Lee DeWyze (148 votes)
02nd - Siobhan Magnus (180 votes)
01st - Crystal Bowersox (182 votes)

*indicates contestant has been eliminated

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IDOL LIVE predix: Top 9 Results [Pt. 2]

The music of Elvis Presley was alive and well at CBS Studios in Hollywood last night, which was actually a nice change for this season. Even though Adam Lambert didn't deserve to be the Top 9's mentor, he met expectations and was able to actually give targeted advice to some of them (whether or not they took the advice was another issue).

With that said, read my predictions for how tonight will go below:

Bottom 3
Katie, Andrew, Tim

Eliminated (9th)
Andrew

Eliminated (8th)
Tim

If all goes according to plan, tonight should be fairly easy to call. A predictable bottom three of Katie, Andrew and Tim should be in store (even though Katie and Tim were too good to be grouped with Aaron based on last night's performances). While Katie will merely be subjected to another scare after having a stress-free week, she shouldn't sweat it just yet.

Andrew on the other hand should finally bite the dust tonight, as he was just inches away from exiting last week, and he delivered another underwhelming showing last night, with nowhere to go but up or out. By ditching the guitar and opting to go on a world tour around the Idol stage, he showed that with nothing but a mic in his hands, he really can't hold a candle (figuratively, anyway) to his peers.

And then there's Tim, who actually surprised a lot of people these past two weeks. He will probably finish in eighth because his fans will have assumed he was safe and that Aaron was in danger (whom many of them also like) so if they didn't waste the rest of their night watching Glee, they probably dedicated it to helping Aaron out. Therefore, Tim will be the "shocker" that really wasn't a shocker, and even though his time shouldn't be up yet considering others that are still on the show aren't nearly as much fun, he can look back and say he went out on a high note.

In my original predictions I have Aaron and leaving in ninth-place (just like I did last week) and Lee leaving in eighth-place, so I probably won't be right on either count but hey, why start winning now?

Since the Top 24 I have correctly predicted 5-15 eliminations and since the Top 12 I have correctly predicted 1-3 eliminations.

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Poll of the week: Siobhan Magnus favorite Top 10 contestant

For the second week in a row, Siobhan was selected as the most popular remaining Idol finalist on the show per IDOL LIVE readers.

Siobhan took on 23 votes, which was easily enough for the top spot in the poll (27%). Sort of close behind was usual front runner Crystal with 16 votes (19%). And Lee DeWyze placed third for the week thanks to 13 votes (15%).

Didi actually gained eight votes despite being eliminated tonight, which was tied with Katie's eight votes for fourth place for the week.

In the latest edition of the poll of the week series, readers are asked of who their favorite Top 9 contestant is. Voting will be open for exactly one week.

Aaron Kelly 7 (8%)
Andrew Garcia 2 (2%)
Casey James 3 (3%)
Crystal Bowersox 16 (19%)
Didi Benami 8 (9%)
Katie Stevens 8 (9%)
Lee DeWyze 13 (15%)
Michael Lynche 0 (0%)
Siobhan Magnus 23 (27%)
Tim Urban 4 (4%)

Total votes: 84

Running total for Season 9:
24th - Haeley Vaughn (0 votes)*
21st (tie) - Janell Wheeler (2 votes)*
21st (tie) - Todrick Hall (2 votes)*
21st (tie) - Paige Miles (2 votes)*
19th (tie) - Joe Munoz (3 votes)*
19th (tie) - Jermaine Sellers (3 vote)*
17th (tie) - Tyler Grady (4 votes)*
17th (tie) - Michelle Delamor (4 votes)*
15th (tie) - John Park (6 votes)*
15th (tie) - Ashley Rodriguez (6 votes)*
14th - Michael Lynche (8 votes)
13th - Lacey Brown (9 votes)*
12th - Katelyn Epperly (10 votes)*
11th - Lilly Scott (14 votes)*
10th - Alex Lambert (22 votes)*
09th - Tim Urban (27 votes)
08th - Casey James (48 votes)
06th (tie) - Katie Stevens (49 votes)
06th (tie) - Andrew Garcia (49 votes)
05th - Aaron Kelly (52 votes)
04th - Didi Benami (56 votes)*
03rd - Lee DeWyze (85 votes)
02nd - Siobhan Magnus (94 votes)
01st - Crystal Bowersox (116 votes)

*indicates contestant has been eliminated

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IDOL LIVE predix: Top 10 Results

Wow, what a night. It wasn't as bad as last week, but it sure was the strangest one to date. Aside from Ryan's childlike behavior and the haphazardly-incorporated backstage voyeuristic perspectives of what we're not supposed to see during commercial breaks, there were tons of uneven vocals and out-of-character characteristics.

With that said, read my predictions for how tonight will go below:

Bottom 3
Didi, Andrew, Tim

Bottom 2
Andrew, Tim

Eliminated
Tim

There are so many possibilities for different members of the lot to go home tonight that it's almost too predictable that it's unpredictable. Even though there were some real clunkers tonight *cough*Siobhan*cough*, it was Didi who really earned her spot in the bottom 3, especially considering she's yet to make an appearance there. Her comments from Simon were so over the top that even Ryan's outrageous prying questions to Didi won't be enough to spare her from the danger zone this week. Hopefully this will knock her out of this recent funk so she can get back to her singer/songwriter mode for Kara's sake.

Likewise, Andrew will finally end up in the bottom 3 this week, but he'll be in a little more trouble than Didi. Despite a very good, classic "Acoustic Andrew" showing, his past few poor performances will finally catch up with him. Not very surprising all things considered.

But then there's Tim. I know, this is the second week in a row that I've predicted Tim will be leaving, but I honestly think his time has finally run out for a variety of reasons. For one, he was the worst guy last night, which usually counts for something. Next, Simon's lame attempt at a reverse-psychology critique definitely fooled some little girls into going to bed on time, which equals less votes for "Teflon Tim." And his happy go lucky attitude can only carry him so far (by "so" I mean 10th place). Hopefully he gives us one last slide as he says goodbye.

In my original predictions I have Paige leaving tonight, which obviously is impossible considering she left last week.

Since the Top 24 I have correctly predicted 5-14 eliminations and since the Top 12 I have correctly predicted 1-2 eliminations.

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Poll of the week: Siobhan Magnus favorite Top 11 contestant

After impressing many with her performance of "Paint It Black" last week, Siobhan seemed to gain the most momentum among IDOL LIVE readers as reflected in the latest poll of the week asking which Top 11 contestant was their favorite.

Siobhan had a total of 24 votes cast in her favor, totaling 26%. This was just four votes ahead of usual top vote-getter Crystal Bowersox, whose 20 votes (21%) put her in second for the week. Lee DeWyze brought up the third wheel with 14 votes (15%).

Surprisingly, this week's casualty Paige Miles did not reel in a single vote this week and only garnered two in all since polling began in Top 24 week.

In the latest edition of the poll of the week series, readers are asked of who their favorite Top 10 contestant is. Voting will be open for exactly one week.

Top 12
Aaron Kelly 13 (14%)
Andrew Garcia 2 (2%)
Casey James 4 (4%)
Crystal Bowersox 20 (21%)
Didi Benami 5 (5%)
Katie Stevens 5 (5%)
Lee DeWyze 14 (15%)
Michael Lynche 1 (1%)
Paige Miles 0 (0%)
Siobhan Magnus 24 (26%)
Tim Urban 3 (3%)

Total votes: 91

Running total for Season 9:
24th - Haeley Vaughn (0 votes)*
21st (tie) - Janell Wheeler (2 votes)*
21st (tie) - Todrick Hall (2 votes)*
21st (tie) - Paige Miles (2 votes)*
19th (tie) - Joe Munoz (3 votes)*
19th (tie) - Jermaine Sellers (3 vote)*
17th (tie) - Tyler Grady (4 votes)*
17th (tie) - Michelle Delamor (4 votes)*
15th (tie) - John Park (6 votes)*
15th (tie) - Ashley Rodriguez (6 votes)*
14th - Michael Lynche (8 votes)
13th - Lacey Brown (9 votes)*
12th - Katelyn Epperly (10 votes)*
11th - Lilly Scott (14 votes)*
10th - Alex Lambert (22 votes)*
09th - Tim Urban (23 votes)
08th - Katie Stevens (41 votes)
06th (tie) - Casey James (45 votes)
06th (tie) - Aaron Kelly (45 votes)
05th - Andrew Garcia (47 votes)
04th - Didi Benami (48 votes)
03rd - Siobhan Magnus (71 votes)
02nd - Lee DeWyze (72 votes)
01st - Crystal Bowersox (100 votes)

*indicates contestant has been eliminated

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IDOL LIVE predix: Top 11 Results

Last night's Top 11 performance episode was one of the most boring, unwatchable offerings this show has given us in a long time, mostly due to majorly poor song choices. I mean, thinking of the 800+ songs that have hit the No. 1 spot on Billboard's Hot 100, who would choose "The Letter"? Or "Against All Odds"? Have these people not watched the past eight seasons?

With that said, read my predictions for how tonight will go below:

Bottom 3
Andrew, Paige, Tim

Bottom 2
Paige, Tim

Eliminated
Tim

Much like last week, the bottom three will not be controversial and will send one very deserving finalist back home. Andrew, Paige and Tim all did horribly last night, and usually Top 11 week serves as a catalyst to weed out the weaklings early on in the season. Andrew being the third member of the B3 won't be unexpected, and it might just be enough to shake him from this very bad stretch he's had since the Top 24, but it wouldn't be helpful for him to not be placed in this grouping because it would almost guarantee a boot either next week or the week after.

After Andrew is granted safety and sits back down on the couches, it will come down to Paige and Tim. Since everyone and their mother/brother is pegging Paige to leave thanks to her dreadful take on Phil Collins's "Against All Odds" (a cursed Idol song), and that's not out of the question. But considering she was nearly verbally assaulted by the judges last night, there might just be enough fans out there who scrounged up a few pity votes that could keep her from missing the tour. Tim, on the other hand, performed in the danger zone spot of second and sang pretty badly, not to mention his genius slide. In fact, the slide was the highlight of the performance, so maybe that will be enough to keep him? But no, Tim will say goodbye despite having vocal tween girl fans and will not make the tour, which won't sit well with some of the venues that will be tasked to somehow fill seats come June.

In my original predictions I have Tim leaving tonight, so if history repeats itself like last week, maybe I might just be right on the money again...

Since the Top 24 I have correctly predicted 5-13 eliminations and since the Top 12 I have correctly predicted 1-1 elimination.

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Janell Wheeler covers "American Boy" on YouTube

Despite being eliminated prematurely during Top 24 week, Janell Wheeler seems to be sticking with the music thing. This evening she uploaded her first acoustic performance since being eliminated onto her official YouTube account. Watch her perform Estelle's "American Boy" below:

Can Janell please replace Paige Miles or Tim Urban? If she had picked the right song in the semifinals, she just might be still in contention. Sadly, she will always be a prime example of the importance of song choice, especially early on in the season.

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Poll of the week: Crystal Bowersox favorite Top 12 contestant

Now that thew two polls of the week have been condensed into one for the finals, this week's bragging rights of "favorite contestant among IDOL LIVE readers" go to Crystal Bowersox.

Crystal nabbed 14 votes, or 21%, just one vote over her chief rival Lee DeWyze's 13 votes (18%). But Siobhan Magnus was nipping at their heels, taking in 12 votes (18%).

In the latest edition of the poll of the week series, readers are asked of who their favorite Top 11 contestant is. Voting will be open for exactly one week.

Top 12
Aaron Kelly 8 (12%)
Andrew Garcia 2 (3%)
Casey James 1 (1%)
Crystal Bowersox 14 (21%)
Didi Benami 4 (6%)
Katie Stevens 3 (4%)
Lacey Brown 2 (3%)
Lee DeWyze 13 (20%)
Michael Lynche 1 (1%)
Paige Miles 0 (0%)
Siobhan Magnus 12 (18%)
Tim Urban 4 (6%)

Total votes: 64

Running total for Season 9:
24th - Haeley Vaughn (0 votes)*
21st (tie) - Janell Wheeler (2 votes)*
21st (tie) - Todrick Hall (2 votes)*
21st (tie) - Paige Miles (2 votes)
19th (tie) - Joe Munoz (3 votes)*
19th (tie) - Jermaine Sellers (3 vote)*
17th (tie) - Tyler Grady (4 votes)*
17th (tie) - Michelle Delamor (4 votes)*
15th (tie) - John Park (6 votes)*
15th (tie) - Ashley Rodriguez (6 votes)*
14th - Michael Lynche (7 votes)
13th - Lacey Brown (9 votes)*
12th - Katelyn Epperly (10 votes)*
11th - Lilly Scott (14 votes)*
10th - Tim Urban (20 votes)
09th - Alex Lambert (22 votes)*
08th - Aaron Kelly (32 votes)
07th - Katie Stevens (36 votes)
06th - Casey James (41 votes)
05th - Didi Benami (43 votes)
04th - Andrew Garcia (45 votes)
03rd - Siobhan Magnus (47 votes)
02nd - Lee DeWyze (58 votes)
01st - Crystal Bowersox (80 votes)

*indicates contestant has been eliminated

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IDOL LIVE predix: How the Top 12 will place (and who will win)

Just as I put my neck on the line last season, I am ready to set myself up for failure by predicting how each Top 12 finalist will finish in the current season. Yes, people are still recovering from the shock that Alex Lambert and Lilly Scott are no longer contenders for the title (I'm not one of them), but there's never been a better time to throw your hat in the ring and predict away.

From the Top 24 until now I've correctly predicted four out of 12 eliminations, so I'm batting .250 to date. When looking at who would make the Top 12 at the outset of the Top 24, however, I pegged 8-12 finalists correctly. Last season, I did not correctly pick a single finalists' placing among the Top 13 at the outset of the finals, which kind of stings. Hopefully this time around it goes better.

After giving the scenarios careful thought, you can read my predictions below.

The Top 12 of American Idol: Season 9 (ordered by predicted place of elimination)

12th-place finalist
>Lacey Brown

Lacey has made it here thanks to her southern, country appeal, because her vocals sure didn't earn her a spot among this group. Add to this the fact that she will have to take on something originally sung by The Rolling Stones this week and Lacey has a recipe for disaster. She does have a cute personality and seems really sweet but sweetness doesn't always cut it in this competition.

11th-place finalist:
>Tim Urban

Tim made it into the Top 12 thanks to a really strong performance this past Wednesday, but now that he's accomplished the all important goal of making it into the finals, his days on the show are numbered. Tim and Aaron cannot remain in this competition while the other one is still in contention, and Aaron's country twang will beat out Tim's "looks" faster than you can say "hallelujah." He might get lukewarm praise for his first two performances but the critiques won't do much for Tim because unlike Kris Allen last season, his fan base isn't going to get much bigger. Still, 11th place ain't half bad for a last minute replacement.

10th-place finalist:
>Paige Miles

Paige managed to evade elimination throughout all three semifinal rounds despite my consistent predictions to the contrary. After using her rock edge to pleasantly surprise America on one of The Rolling Stones' tracks, she will get lost in the shuffle and by Top 10 week she will not be able to stand up against a wave of strong competition, especially from the remaining girls. Think of her as this season's Lisa Tucker.

9th-place finalist:
>Aaron Kelly

Aaron is a nice kid and all, but he can't compete with the majority of these guys. His age works against him and his lower register isn't fully developed, not to mention he lacks a good sense of pitch (I'm starting to sound like Randy here). What he has going for him is the whole country thing, which many Idol voters love, but unless he gets to really shine on country night (assuming it happens prior to Top 9 week), the thin ice he's skating on will shatter.

8th-place finalist:
>Lee DeWyze

Lee is a hard one to call, because he's certainly giving off a dark horse vibe, but at the same time he could be overlooked fairly easily. His main competition is Andrew Garcia, since they're on a similar playing field when looking at the rest of the guys' field (Casey James is head and shoulders above the rest of the guys). If he doesn't go out by Top 8 week, he will probably go all the way to Top 4 because he'll pick up a lot of other guys' votes. But he is pretty polarizing for some reason, so eighth place seems like a perfect place for Lee to bow out at.

7th-place finalist:
>Katie Stevens

Once one of this season's favorites to take the crown (and my personal pick to win at the outset of the Top 24), Katie has unfortunately now been relegated to third string on the girls' team. Despite majorly disappointing showings to date, Katie still has time to turn it around, but considering she lacks a few attributes that some of the more established artists like Didi Benami and Crystal Bowersox have (like guitar playing skillz), Katie has a big hill to climb before she can get back into contention. You can tell Kara and Simon really want her to stick around for as long as possible, but they can only do so much before her fan base becomes overwhelmed.

6th-place finalist:
>Michael Lynche

Big Mike has been wowing everyone as of late (and by "everyone" I mean the judges and Ryan) and seems like the guy to beat at this point. His touching sob story still gets mentioned every week, and his vocal showings have been pretty solid. Therefore, he will surely jump the hurdles at the beginning of the finals, but once the finalists get down to the nitty gritty at the halfway point, he will have to stand out as a marketable, viable recording artist, not just a performer with a big voice. This is nothing against Mike, because he is undeniably talented, but he just won't be able to have the success that other finalists could have if given a record deal. Therefore, sixth place seems like a very fitting spot to depart on.

5th-place finalist:
>Didi Benami

Didi was one of the early favorites to win, and unlike Katie it seems she still has a fighting chance to succeed in this goal. But her chances of being victorious hinge on whether or not she can make songs her own. Didi is one of those contestants who thrives on personalizing her performances, and if she is weighed down by comments from the judges claiming she "played it too close to the original" or "didn't spice it up," she won't make it too far. I do believe Didi will continue with "Terrified"-like performances, though, so that should be enough to get her to the halfway point. But once again, the competition is just stacked too high and she probably won't be able to outlast finalists like Crystal or even Andrew.

4th-place finalist:
>Andrew Garcia

As mentioned earlier, Andrew is a wildcard. He could either drop out around Top 8 where I'm thinking Lee will end up, or he could go as far as Top 4 thanks to his early strength. If he can avoid the mention of his now annoying "Straight Up" performance from Hollywood Week and if he can start picking the right songs, Andrew should be just fine for a Top 4 finish. Andrew will have help now that real themes are on us, so he will have more guidance of what kinds of songs he should be taking on, so it's unlikely we'll have to be subjected to another "Genie In a Bottle." He won't win (no guy will), but he'll finish just fine for an early favorite.

3rd-place finalist:
>Crystal Bowersox

And then there was Crystal. It's no surprise that Crystal is supposed to win this season, and she very well could. But what I've learned from past seasons is rarely does the early front runner win the whole thing (Season 4 was the exception to the rule). Therefore, it's usually one of the "very good but still has potential to grow" contestants who wins, and Crystal is certainly not one of those. She is a bona fide artist and could go out on her own right now and attract good size audiences on a tour if she wanted to. She's like a caged canary with nowhere yet everywhere to go (and judging by her attitude and general demeanor last night, she wasn't too thrilled about making it into the Top 12). Thus, Crystal will finish as second-runner-up and not runner-up, because as Season 3 showed us, audiences do not like female-female finales. This will be more than enough for her to be considered a "real" artist and yet still have a shot at doing will with an album.

Runner-up:
>Casey James

Casey is more than the guy of Kara's fantasies. He is a rough yet smooth vocalist and is the most believable artists among the guys. He has all the ingredients to be both a solo artist or the lead vocalist of a band a la Chris Daughtry. And despite all of these factors, the best Casey can hope to finish is second place. That may not seem fair, but really is a girls' year, and Casey is anything but a girl. He will seem more appealing as runner-up anyway, even though predecessors like David Cook and even Kris Allen have made winning Idol "cool" for guys. But as long as he sticks to performances more like "Heaven" and less like his indulgent showings, Casey should sail through to the finale.

Winner:
>Siobhan Magnus

Siobhan Magnus will win Season 9 of American Idol. That's all it comes down to. She has wide appeal, gaining fans in all demographics thanks to her quirky yet friendly personality. She has youth, which is always a plus. She has a unique name, something more winners have had (Ruben, Fantasia, Taylor, Jordin, Kris) than didn't have (Kelly, Carrie, David). And most importantly, she has a killer voice. Siobhan doesn't come off as a polished professional, nor does she come off as an immature karaoke singer, and the producers are definitely looking for someone (some girl) who will fit this bill. Siobhan in her wildest dreams probably doesn't think she has a shot at the title, but she will get the hint sooner or later when she sees her friends picked off one by one as the weeks go by. At this point, it seems wrong that anyone but her will win this season, but stranger things have happened as we all know. For now, take this prediction to the bank.

And there we have it. Each week I will compare my original predictions with how things turn out in reality in addition to making revised predictions depending on the circumstances each week. (Photos courtesy of AmericanIdol.com).

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IDOL LIVE predix: Top 16 Results

In the final hurdle before making it to the coveted Top 12, four more contestants must bite the dust tonight when their Idol journeys come to an inevitable end. Similar to the past two weeks, it seems like those leaving tonight among each sex will be more clear cut than not, although traditionally anything can happen during this week. Therefore, I have reasoned that the following four contestants will be departing tonight.

The final two guys of the semifinals to be eliminated are:

>Todrick Hall and Aaron Kelly

Todrick has been a marked man since the semifinals begin, so him going will be expected. His performance of Queen's "Somebody to Love" was mediocre at best, too theatrical and extremely overpraised by the judges, the latter factor being the result of a reverse psychology of sorts to make sure his fans feel he's safe. The second-to-last spot is also traditionally a danger zone, and Mike Lynche's better than expected performance of "This Woman's Work" clearly overshadowed Todrick. Aaron, on the other hand, will fall victim to another young guy with a lot of appeal to tween girls and grandmas - Tim Urban - whose "Hallelujah" was great last night. Tim has slowly been siphoning votes away from Aaron over the past few weeks along with Alex Lambert, so Aaron will most likely feel the full effect of this tonight when he's sent packing.

The final two girls of the semifinals to be eliminated are:

>Paige Miles and Katelyn Epperly

Paige is a no-brainer (although to be fair I think I've said she'd be going the past two weeks as well). This time she really screwed up on "Smile," as it has been universally panned mich like Haeley Vaughn's "The Climb" was last week. Paige couldn't come up with a coherent explanation for the performance when asked about it by the judges, so she didn't win any sympathy votes. Although she showed promise, her time is up. Katelyn will be the "mini shock," because most people will expect Katie Stevens to leave. Unlike Katie, however, Katelyn does not have a built-in fanbase and has had to rely on giving great performances the past two weeks. Tuesday night was a real dud, so it makes sense that this support will evaporate in favor of some of the better performers like Crystal Bowersox and even Lacey Brown.

Last week I only got one out of three predictions right, so I'm now only 2-8 (really disappointing). Hopefully tonight I'm able to up my record with tonight's results.

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Chris Golightly disqualified

Idol360.org is reporting original Top 24 contestant Chris Golightly was disqualified. Per a tweet from former Idol Hollywood contestant Samantha Musa:

Just got off the phone with Chris GoLightly. He was disqualified yesterday, after already being told he was in the top 24, over some bogus old contract. The contract expired, but they disqualified him for not telling them. He is talking to lawyers, but doubt thet can do anything.

Tim Urban has replaced him, as reflected in tonight's episode. The funny thing is hardly anyone has noticed he's missing from the roster.

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