Ranking Group 1 of The Top 36

What a terrible night for American Idol! I was really looking forward to the actual competition starting and getting to see the standouts in the large group of 32. So far, there is really only one standout for me: Danny Gokey. I have heard a lot of internet buzz that his performance last night was not as good as the judges made it out to be, and I agree to an extent. I think there have been way better performances at this stage of the competition in past seasons, but after such terrible performances one right after the other, I was ready to stand up and cheer Danny on. I think the judges felt much the same way. So, as will be the tradition from now on, I will rank the performers based on how I felt they did last night. So, here they are, starting with the worst:

Below Average:

12. Casey Carlson

Yuck. There is absolutely nothing I liked about her performance. She murdered a song by a great band, The Police, and tried to make up for it with weird facial ticks. I was not impressed at all, and I think she will be long gone once the results come out tonight.

11. Stevie Wright

Her performance was equally terrible as Casey's, but I feel that she is redeemed slightly by not covering such an iconic song. Performing a Taylor Swift song in a singing competition doesn't make much sense to me, and Stevie just proved that she is not mature enough of a performer to make it on this show. She was out of tune and out of place on that stage. Sorry, Stevie.

10. Steven Fowler

Why did this guy get another chance? He forgot the words and now he murdered a Michael Jackson classic. He never got into the song and it was just oddly off throughout the whole thing. I also hate people who use the excuse that they only feel comfortable performing with an instrument- then you probably shouldn't be on American Idol. Sorry, Steven!

9. Jackie Tohn

I don't know what rubbed me wrong during this performance, but I just couldn't stand it. Maybe it is because I hate Elvis and I hate "A Little Less Conversation" even more. But, song choice aside, I'm always bothered when contestants put singing to the side and focus on "Getting Paula on her feet". Paula is always on her feet, so that is not that great of a task to shoot for. But, her outfit was weird and I don't think she showcased her vocals well at all.

Average:

8. Brent Kieth

Just a very forgettable performance of a song I've never heard of called "Hicktown". I have a bias against Country singers, but I just don't think he did very well. Nothing about the performance stands out, it was just an average country bar performance. I don't think we'll be seeing any more of Brent.

7. Ann Marie Boskovich

I was holding out high hopes for her, and I think I enjoyed her performance more than the judges did. Her problem was that she tried to tackle a song that was too big for her. I remember "Natural Woman" being performed by Kelly Clarkson and she nailed it. This didn't have quite the same impact. There were some good notes, but overall a fairly bland performance.

6. Anoop Desai

Even more frustrating was Anoop's rather lackluster performance. I was really rooting for him, but his performance left me unexcited. I really hope to see more of him, but based on that performance, I don't know if he can be saved. It has to get better than that, dawg.

5. Michael Sarver

Another very average performance that doesn't really stand out in my mind. He is a likable guy and sang a well-liked, fun song, but it was just bland. He only places higher than Anoop because he met my expectations for him while Anoop didn't. There isn't much more to say here.

4. Tatiana Del Toro

It is physically painful to put her so high on my list. She was the most annoying contestant I've ever witnessed during Hollywood week and I was apalled that the judges let her through. But, she was much more subdued and managed to give a decent performance. I feel that she is desperate for fame, and this is her sneaky plan to weasel her way into the finals. I worry that she is secretly a genius and is going to somehow plot her way to the finals. I think I've gone a little far, but she did do better than expected.

Above Average:

3. Alexis Grace

I was not as big a fan of her performance as Simon was, but I do see a lot of potential. Out of all the girls, she was BY FAR the best. She definitely deserves to move on. I wish the judges wouldn't emphasize how she should "dirty herself up". If she is a talented singer, that is all that matters and she should just be herself. But, I think she has some soul and could be a good addition to the top 12.

2. Ricky Braddy

Who is this guy? I feel bad for Ricky because if he had more screen time during auditions and Hollywood week, he would have a much better chance of moving on to the top 12. He gave a great performance of "A Song For You", which was nailed by previous idol contestant Elliot Yamin. Ricky could be a dark horse, if only he could somehow make the first step to being in the top 12.

1. Danny Gokey

I thought he nailed "Hero" by Mariah Carey (which, by the way, is a song I usually dislike). I love the soul to his voice and how he transitions from a rock sound to a cleaner sound. There were also some great hard notes that I thought he hit perfectly. It wasn't too great, but it was good enough. I think this is a good strategy because you don't want to hit America with your best performance before you are even in the top 12 (I'm talking about you David Archuleta). He needs to start solidly and build up so that he has a strong fan base and the potential to win.

Predictions: Every week I will give my prediction of who will move on/be voted out. This week, I am going to stick with my ranking and predict that the three moving on are Danny, Alexis, and Ricky. I am most nervous about Ricky because of his lack of screen time before this performance and because he performed so early last night. I think numbers 8-12 on my list (Brent, Jackie, Steven, Stevie, and Casey) have absolutely no shot. Anoop could steal the third spot by being an early favorite. Tatiana could steal the third spot by surprising the public and having Vote for the Worst support. But, I'll stick to my guns and say that the three moving on are Danny, Alexis and Ricky.

The good news is that, depending on who makes it, Anoop and Ricky (and maybe Taitiana?) will probably get another chance during the wildcard round. But, yeah, interesting start to American Idol, and I sincerely hope it gets better from here.