'American Idol 6' - The Top 12 Guys - Part 2

Are you ready for the next six of the most talented male singers in America? Yes, feel free to insert a bit of sarcasm in there. I have the first six performers of the way-too-long show in this article, so here's the rest...

Beatboxer Blake Lewis with his fauxhawk gone awry was next in the competition. I personally think what he does with his human beatbox is amazing. And, yes, he can sing, too. He sang "Somewhere Only We Know" by Keane and did a decent job. He didn't quite rock my world, but if I were in the youth market, he'd certainly have my vote to stay.

Simon declared it the best of the night so far while Randy and Paula missed the beatbox but liked the song. Me? I can't really see him going on to win Grammy Awards, but I think with his talents he should be able to draw a fan base in the entertainment industry.

Sanjaya Malakar was up next trying another Stevie Wonder song, "Knock Me Off My Feet." I felt he did okay, but it wasn't a great song choice. It made him sound a bit like a kid and, since he's perhaps the only teenager in the competition at this point, he has to step up a bit.

Simon was very rough on him, but Sanjaya took the criticism well. His parents should be proud of him. Paula and Randy were more kind, but Sanjaya has his work cut out for him. Oh... Simon is right - the girls will love his hair. I think the teen vote will keep him in the competition at least through this week.

My personal favorite, partly due to his sense of humor and partly due to his bluesy voice, Chris Sligh was next. He sang "Typical" by Mute Math -- showing how untypical he really is. A solid performance according to Randy and Paula, but a confrontation between Simon and Ryan Seacrest overshadowed the whole thing.

Simon called Ryan "sweetheart" and Ryan made a scene. The next thing you know, it was all about snapping at each other and I feel it put Chris in a bad light. If this is a clue what may happen down the road, no one has to worry about Paula's state of mind anymore. They should just anticipate fisticuffs between Ryan and Simon.

Jared Cotter, the sole New York area contestant, was next up on the stage. This guy is smooth, but I'm very iffy about him. He sang "You're Like a Dream Come True" by Brian McKnight. He did it well enough. He'll get the teen vote along with others getting the teen vote. But I'm not seeing a winner of it all here.

Paula and Randy seemed to think along my own lines... okay, nothing really exceptional. Simon called the performance "unadventurous and nasally."

A.J. Tabaldo performed next, giving us a spirited and enthusiastic rendition of "Never Too Much" by Luther Vandross. A.J. is the one who's been trying five years to get on the show. I do like his spirit, but I feel he's not long for the competition. I really think he should be something other than a shipping clerk, but I don't see pop star. Perhaps cruise ship entertainment? I don't know.

Simon thinks theme park. Okay, that would do it, too. Paula danced and Randy claimed "you can blow" (which is good, of course).

Phil Stacy, the one whose wife gave birth to his new daughter early when he was on his first audition, was next. He sang "Could Not Ask For More" by Edwin McCain as his wife beamed from her seat in the audience.

Randy loved it, declaring it the best performance of the night. Simon was decidedly less enthusiastic about it.

Me? I don't know. All I can think of while watching Phil is that some men shouldn't have bald heads because they have lumpy or odd-shaped heads. Some can get away with it, some can't. Phil can't. I know that's shallow of me, but there you go. His voice is okay, but he doesn't rock my socks. That said, I loved watching his proud wife in the audience.

Tonight the top twelve girls will perform. As I also watch and review/recap Lost, my take on them may be a bit more abbreviated than this one. Time (and talent) will tell. I'm feeling a bit let down by the men so far, maybe my favorite women will snag my attention.