Saving the best for last, I guess

I love Chikezie Eze, partly because his name is awesome, but also because he can sing. He tried out last year but says that Randy didn't like him. His voice is smooth, soothing - I think he's great and it's about time we had some talent tonight. Tonight's show was supposed to be the best of the rest and really, it's just been a night of garbage, so this is refreshing for me.

Simon tells him he's interesting but that he's not sure his voice is that interesting. Geez... after all the yuck we've seen so far, I'd think this guy would stand out just for being able to carry at tune. Paula disagrees and says yes. So, it's all up to Randy... They pan out to Ryan who is talking to Chikezie's family, and he's telling him that sometimes deternination and hard work pay off like they did just now, and then they show Chikezie coming out with a golden ticket. Finally.

The last contestant is Danny Noriega, who tried out last year, but didn't make it through. He says he chose a bad song and the nerves got the best of him. This time around, he chooses "Proud Mary" and I think it's pretty good - a bit too dramatic with the performance, but his voice is good - it's strong and clear and has a sultry quality to it. Simon tells him he a good voice, that he's more confident this year. Randy tells him it was one of the best auditions he's seen. Paula says that what makes them go "Oh my God" is that it's not expected to have that voice come out of him. So this year he gets a yes from all three judges and he's through to Hollywood.

I can't wait for next week, because for me, this is where the show really begins. See you in Hollywood...

I'm so over the nonsense

I hate to be a Debbie Downer, but I'm so bored right now - none of these auditions is really that interesting or entertaining. The Dolly Parton girl, who they sent out to learn a Dolly Parton song because they said she sounded like her, was OK, but it all seems like a waste of time - she won't make it past Hollywood if she can't be versatile, so I'm not really sure why they let her through.

Now I'm watching Joshua Moreland of West Palm Beach, Fla., who goes by Jay Smoove, and I think he's kind of a joke, too. He sings a song that consists of maybe three or four notes and sprinkles glitter on the ground. He even gets down on bended knee, but the bottom line is he's not good, and I, for one, have hit my limit on the nonsense.

I watch this show because I love watching people get an opportunity to fulfill a dream they thought was out of reach. I enjoy the finals, when you can really invest in a contestant, watch how they've improved or comment on how last week was better. But the auditions process is just annoying to me and I really just don't enjoy it anymore.

Anyway, back to Jay Smoove, Simon tells him the audition was over-the-top, corny and revolting. Randy seems to think he has a voice, but that he's just not ready. They all say no, and I'm praying the next person they show has some speck of talent.

A girl, her twins and a dog

This year is the first time they've featured a love traingle and it's kind of funny, actually. Apparently, Chris Lane and Ashley Lawing dated a few times, and then Cory Lane, Chris' twin brother starts calling Ashley, explaining to the cameras that Chris didn't seem that interested in her, so he started dating her - that couple combination stuck and they've been together about a year. Anyway, the twins try out together and it starts out really good - totally different - they do this rap thing with a human beat box and everything, but Cory quickly forgets the words. You think they're going to go down in flames, but he recovers and delivers his prepared rap. I liked it, although Chris doesn't do much, so there's no way to really judge him. Simon tells them it was a bit amateurish. Paula says they're charming together, but Randy says it's a no for this.

Ashley's up next and she's already a step ahead of the game because she shows up her with her 6-week-old puppy, which the judges go crazy for. Simon tells her he's going to steal her dog and she says in the cutest Southern drawl, "If you put me through to Hollywood, you can have whatever you want." She sings Kellie Pickler's song, "Red High Heels" or something like that and it's awful. They pan to her boyfriend(s) and one of them says, "I think that she actually thinks that she's good." Ouch...

Back to the audition, Simon tells her it was excruciating. She's in shock and doesn't believe him. They pan back to the guys and one of them says that they told her she was good so that she would audition, but that she's not really good at all. Back to Simon who again tells her she's terrible - she asks him if it's opposite day. I mean, she's really having a hard time accepting that they didn't like it. Back to the guys, one of them says "I think she thinks her looks are going to take her to the top..." If that were my boyfriend talking all kinds of smack behind my back, he certainly wouldn't be my boyfriend much longer. How horribly mean.

The judges finally tell her no and she takes it pretty well. She comes out and yells, "I made it!!" but she fools no one and she quickly says, "I'm just kidding."

Again, I have to say, tonight's auditions really aren't grabbing my attention. They just showed Cardin McKinney, who Simon said was not a contemporary recording artist. They let her through, but there's really nothing to tell about her audition. Now, they're on Jonn Borgella, the 25-year-old plus-sized model from Hoboken, N.J., and I find her fairly unimpressive, too. I mean, she's beautiful, her voice is good, but nothing I would save for the best of the rest. She, too, makes it through. I hope the auditions start getting better, because next week is Hollywood week - they're supposed to be pretty good by then...

Nothing special

Amy Davis, of Lowell, Ind., seems to be a judge favorite even before she sings a note. First, she talks about how she was raised below the lower middle class level and her mom worked two jobs to raise six kids and she hopes to be able to pay her back for all her hard work. She walks into the audition room and the judges tell her she's in a great place right now - not quite sure what they mean, but Randy compliments her shoes, which really are very nice - I'd lve to know where she got them. Paula tells her she's very pretty and asks what her ethnc backround is. It turns out her mother's grandmother was Japanese. She starts singing and it's nice, but in my opinion, she would have no shot of competing against some of the voices we've heard already. Simon says yes, which surprises me, but then Randy says that he likes the possibility of her vocals, to which Simon says, "That's what I was thinking." I suppose they're banking on her growing on the show, but I wonder, do they get vocal training during Hollywood? Because she'd have to make it through one more round still before making the show. Randy says yes, as long she plans to work hard and improve. Paula says yes too and she's through to Hollywood.

I'm wondering why they waited until tonight to showcase Amy. Her audition was really nothing special - I thought tonight was supposed to be the best auditions mixed in with the craziest - this was neither.

I almost feel bad for Tiffany McCambell, from Anderson, Ind., who believes her voice is a agift from God. They show her preparing her voice and it doesn't sound good, but then again, she says her pastor told her her voice is maturing, so perhaps that's why it came out all funky. She sings a gospel song, supposedly, but the truth is, you really couldn't make out a melody at all. It was just kind of yelling about. And when she's done, Simon asks her if God has a returns policy, because if he'd been given that voice, he'd give it back. I thought that was hilarious, but a little mean.

I'm so glad Simon hasn't dropped his signature statement, "I'm not being rude, but you can't sing." It's always nice to preface a rude statement by letting someone know you're not being rude. Oh, and it gets worse for Tiffany, because after the judges say no, they show a clip of her singing in the holding room, and someone actually shooshes her. Talk about kicking a dog when it's down.