Idol Chatter & Voice Views

OK, so we know the identity of seven of the first 24 semifinalists on American Idol season nine.

Here’s my first impression of those contestants and their chances.

The females:

Didi Benami: Sounded wonderful in the first round of Hollywood, sounded not so wonderful on the final day. Will have to be more consistent to hang around long, because this is a year full of talented females. Meanwhile, Idol better stock up on tissues. Looks like Didi is going to cry more than Brooke White and Ramiele Malubay put together (for those who remember the tear-filled season seven). Learn more about Didi here.

Katelyn Epperly: We didn’t get to hear much of Katelyn during Hollywood Week, but I’ve listened to the music from Katelyn and the Bruises on MySpace. She has a pleasant, tender voice. Her chances are enhanced by the fact that several very good singer-songwriters of the same ilk have already been sent packing. Learn more about Katelyn here.

The guys:

Aaron Kelly: He’ll have appeal to the younger female voters who carry so much weight on Idol. But he’d better start remembering his words. It’s rare, very rare, that a contestant can stumble twice like he did in Hollywood and still make the semifinals. An interesting question: Will he stray from his country roots when the voting begins? Learn more about Aaron here.

Casey James: Hey, even I admit he’s a good looking guy, but if Kara keeps carrying on, I’m going to wind up rooting against the guy on that basis alone. So, please, Kara, keep your composure. Because if we found out one thing during Hollywood Week, it’s that this guy is a pretty darn good singer. Learn more about Casey here.

Lee DeWyze: He and his band have two full CDs worth of music available on iTunes, and he’s sort of in the Kris Allen mold, which means Idol viewers identify with his style of music. Unfortunately, Lee might suffer from a lack of airtime. We’ve seen less of him than we have of the other guys who went through last night. Learn more about Lee here.

Michael Lynche: Big Mike, on the other hand, seems to have gotten more than his fair share of airtime. Of course, how can Idol not take advantage of the fact that his wife was giving birth to the couple’s first child on Hollywood Week. The stuff he’s been signing on Idol is tamer than the stuff he sang pre-Idol. Learn more about Big Mike here.

Todrick Hall: Before the voting starts, Todrick has some explaining to do. About a little show he created, directed and produced called “Oz, the Musical” that canceled several dates, leaving the parents of lots of children feeling cheated. He boasts about the show on his MySpace; not a mention or an apology about the canceled shows. Learn more about Todrick here.

Coming tomorrow night: Impressions of the remaining 17.