Idol Chatter & Voice Views

The American Idol Top 12 of (front row, from right) Slater Nalley, Breanna Nix, Thunderstorm Artis, Mattie Pruitt, Gabby Samone, Canaan James Hill; (back row from left) Jamal Roberts, Che Chesterman, Josh King, Kolbi Jordan, Filo and John Foster (ABC Photo)

The American Idol Top 12 take the stage tonight with former champ Fantasia serving as guest mentor.

They’ll be performing songs based on iconic Idol moments.

Does that mean Kolbi Jordan or Gabby Samone will sit center stage and try to wring passion out of “Summertime” like Fantasia did so splendidly more than 20 years ago?

I hope not. I’d prefer to see this group create their own Idol moments rather than emulating ones from the past. We’ll find out tonight just how this theme will play out.

Meanwhile, what’s up with the Idol coaches. They seemed to want bigger and bigger and louder and louder performances this season.

Could they please spend an episode reminding the cast to sing with more emotion and less volume, more passion and less frills?

Anyway, vote, vote, vote once the show starts at 8 p.m. Two singers will head home at the end of this evening’s show.

I’ll be posting song by song grades. But for the first time this season, I won’t be posting until after the show ends. So please check back for those.

See also …
Song by song grades for the Top 14
Photo gallery of the Top 14
A look back at 2 iconic Idol moments
Ranking the Top 14 on American Idol

Canaan James Hill, 17, Dallas, Tx.:

Thunderstorm Artis, 29, Nashville, Tenn.:

Jamal Roberts, 26, Meridian, Miss.:

Breanna Nix, 25, Denton, Texas:

Slater Nalley, 17, Atlanta, Ga.:

Gabby Samone, 22, Baltimore, Md.:

John Foster, 18, Addis, La.:

Mattie Pruitt, 16, Engleville, Tenn.:

Filo, 23, Dublin, Calif.:

Che Chestermam, 28, Essex, England:

Kolbi Jordan, 26, Tulsa, Okla.:

Josh King, 24, Charlotte, N.C.: