You know what time it is? That’s right! It’s AMERICAN IDOL TIME!

Love it? Hate it? Whatever. I can’t get enough. I’m addicted. I’ve been watching religiously since season 2. I’ve got several American Idol alumni albums in my collection. And even if you can’t stand the show you can’t deny the popularity and success of many of the past winners (and several runners-up).

And now it’s time to finally get a good look at the top 12 girls for season 9. I have some early favorites, but of course that could all change tonight as some of the less-featured girls get the spotlight.

Simon Cowell thinks this is going to be a girl’s year. I’m not so sure about that.

Tonight the girls are singing Billboard Hits. Let’s just get right down to it, shall we?

Paige Miles is singing first. She’s from Florida. I have almost no recollection of her in the auditions or Hollywood week. She’s picked “All Right Now” by Free. This is a really strange choice. This is a total southern “FREEDOM ROCK” anthem and she lacks the vocal balls to pull this off. I’m not impressed. At. All. All around weird. Simon thinks she has the best voice of all the girls, but didn’t think it was a good song choice. Kara thought it was brilliant choice and she was able to inject some soul into the rock song. Randy didn’t like the choice of song, but thought she did a great job. Ellen thought she pulled it off. Clearly, the judges were too busy adjusting to the new seating arrangement to actually listen to the performance.

Ashley Rodriguez is from Massachusetts. This is another girl who didn’t really get much airtime. She’s picked “Happy” by Leona Lewis. Ok… first things first… this chick needs to learn how to use a microphone. You can’t whisper directly into the face of the mic or all you’ll get out of it is pops and sputters. Secondly, she has to learn how to listen to the music behind her because she never seemed to find the key once she stopped doing that ridiculous 13 year old girl breathe-singing she did through the verse. Kara thought there were some nice moments, but lots of bad spots. Randy thought she did a good job, but doesn’t compare favorably with a big singer like Leona. Ellen thought it was a predictable choice and wants to be shocked. Simon thought it was clumsy and unoriginal.

Janell Wheeler is the wine sales rep from Florida. I remember liking her in Hollywood week when she played her guitar. She’s very pretty and could definitely get by on her looks alone. She’s picked “What About Love” by Heart. Janell’s nerves seem to be getting the best of her tonight… her voice is a bit shaky and unsure. I’m not sure this was the best song choice. She’s not really a rough and ready rock singer. Randy didn’t like the song choice. Ellen liked the choice but noticed some sour notes. Simon thought she delivered 65% and got off key. Kara thought the song was way too big for her.

Lilly Scott is one of my early favorites, with her silver hair and raspy voice. Idol has to have one girl every season that comes in with strange hair and good voices… they usually go home about 6 or 8 weeks in never to be heard from again. I hope this is not her fate. She’s picked “Fixing a Hole” by The Beatles. She’s playing her guitar tonight and this is a very interesting choice. It’s perfectly showing off her quirky nature and playful attitude. She has a great sense of who she is a working musician and I hope she stays around for a long time. Ellen thought it was a random song choice that made it stand out and loved it. Simon said it was the best so far tonight. He felt that she sang the song because it portrayed her as an artist. He doubts her star power. Kara called her “believable” and thought she was comfortable on stage. Randy thinks she’s a real indie artist and thought it was honest and great.

Katelyn Epperly is from Iowa and she had quite a bit of screen time over the past few weeks. She’s picked “Oh Darling” by The Beatles. HOLY HELL WHAT’S WITH THE HAIR!? UMB is reminded of old Madonna with the hairdo. And by old Madonna he means young Madonna. There is absolutely nothing unique or exciting about this performance. I’ve seen this exact performance a million times in every karaoke bar I’ve been in. She does, however, have a good voice. Much better than Paige or Ashley for sure. Simon thought there were moments of screaming, but he likes her a lot. Kara thinks she knows her voice very well and thought she did a good job switching the melody. Kara doesn’t like her look tonight. Randy liked the tone and melody. He likes her vibe. Ellen thought there was a lot of personality in the performance but thought her voice seemed pushed.

Haeley Vaughn is from Colorado. She’s the super young black girl who sings country and is already on my short list as in the running for the “Most Annoying” contestant. She’s picked another Beatles song, “I Want to Hold Your Hand.” She’s playing her guitar. She’s switched the arrangement in an interesting way, moving some rhythms around and playing with the melody. There are some ok moments in this performance, and some real cringe-inducing squeaks that made all the animals in my house do that weird ear-flicking thing… you know the thing I mean. Kara thought there were some technical issues with the performance. YOU THINK!? Randy thought it was unpredictable and the top notes were “not that pleasing.” Ellen praised her age and presence and enjoyed it. Simon thought it verged on terrible and her smiling may have made it a utter mess.

Lacey Brown is a veteran of the show from Texas. She almost made it to the top 24 last year. She picked “Landslide” by Fleetwood Mac. This is one of my all-time favorite songs. Or at least it was before tonight. Seriously, she has turned this beautiful musical poem into a sing-along on the short bus — designed to compel the driver to aim for the nearest cliff. There was this weird lilting volume change on every 4th beat, coupled with some strange accent that I can only describe as Irish as filtered through a Texas-raised goat’s ass. Also, she’s wearing her grandmother’s curtains. Randy thought it was the wrong song for her, and said it was terrible. Ellen thinks she’s better than this performance and she seemed lost. Simon thought it was depressing that he had to listen for so long. Kara thought her voice sounded forced tonight and she should have picked something by Sixpence None The Richer.

Michelle Delamor is from Florida. She’s had quite a bit of screen time up to this week, but I can’t for the life of me remember if I liked her voice or not. She’s picked “Fallin‘” by Alicia Keys. She’s got a nice voice, is on key, and is very pretty. But plain. The song was really kind of predictable and she didn’t do much to change it up. Ellen called it “fantastic, but safe.” Simon thought she did it very well but there wasn’t a “wow” moment. Kara thinks she’s commercial looking but there were a couple of moments that weren’t great. Randy thought she did a pretty good job but she needs to take some risks.

Didi Benami is from Tennessee. Didi is another of my early favorites. She reminds me a lot of Brooke White from a couple of seasons ago. Long time readers will remember how much I loved her. She picked “The Way I Am” by Ingrid Michelson, better known as the “here’s my sweater” song. She’s got a great quirky vibe about her, the way she dresses and this song choice is absolutely perfect for her. Didi’s got a ton of personality and she definitely knows her strengths. I expect her to be around for quite a while. Simon thinks she is a good singer but thinks she’s trying too hard to sound like Adele. He didn’t see a spark. Kara thought the song was good and liked her changes to the song. Randy is missing the star factor though she sounded great singing it. Ellen thought it wasn’t the best first impression because it was too low key.

Siobhan Magnus is another of my early favorites. She’s from Massachusetts. Siobhan has that ballsy strong voice that has been lacking so far this show. She’s picked “Wicked Game” by Chris Isaak. This is a super hard song to sing, because the range from the verse to the chorus is quite wide. I know from experience. Siobhan’s falsetto is very pretty and this interpretation is quite nice and authentic. Kara liked it though she thinks she gets a bit nasally. Randy thinks she’s got a great voice and wanted her to do a bigger song. Ellen loved the song and thought it was a real performance. Simon liked the song but would have preferred a bit more energetic song.

Crystal Bowersox has been the most memorable girl of the season so far. I have been rooting for her, brown teeth and all, since she first appeared in the auditions. She’s got the dreads and the guitar singer songwriter vibe that I really like. She’s picked “Hand in my Pocket” by Alanis Morrisette. She’s playing acoustically for the intro. AND SHE’S BLEACHED HER TEETH!!! Crystal might not have the strongest voice (though it’s good) but she is definitely the most talented. This was a great cover of this song. It was original and different. Randy thought it was a real and honest performance. Ellen thinks we are lucky she’s on Idol. She adds something fresh. Simon thinks there are thousands of her outside subways everywhere. He thinks she needs to find something original but she’s refreshing. Kara thinks she has greatness in her.

Katie Stevens is going to close the show. She’s 17 and from Connecticut. You will remember her as the girl whose grandmother has Alzheimer’s. She’s performing “Feeling Good” by Nina Simone/Michael Buble. Katie might have one of the best voices in the girl’s group this year. It’s strong and fairly controlled. Her biggest problem is lack of experience. I suspect she’ll be around a while. Ellen thought she has a great voice, but she was acting a bit too old. Simon thought she needed to pick something younger too. He thought it was pageant-y. Kara thought she was pitchy and all over the place. Randy thought she was singing sharp and he’s reminded of Jordin Sparks.

Ok… so here are my rankings from best to worst:

1. Lilly Scott
2. Crystal Bowersox
3. Siobhan Magnus
4. Didi Benami
5. Katie Stevens
6. Michelle Delamor
7. Katelyn Epperly
8. Janell Wheeler
9. Ashley Rodriguez
10. Paige Miles
11. Haeley Vaughn
12. Lacey Brown

So – Who are your favorite girls? Who do you think is going home?