IDOL WATCH: The Top 12 Girls Hit the Stage!

Tonight on AMERICAN IDOL, it was the girls' turn to sing for your votes. Who rose to the occasion and who fell flat? Find out now!

First to hit the stage is Chelsea Sorrell, singing Carrie Underwood's "Cowboy Casanova." Although she looks like she's just one bad step away form a wardrobe malfunction, that's not the worst of her problems: it's not quite in key and the performance receives the first real criticism of the past two days. "To me, this song made your voice sound nasally…but I think that's what we're going to have to work on with you," Jennifer says.

Erika Van Pelt will sing "What About Love" by Heart. She goes the "carbon copy" route, singing the song along the same lines as the original, but has a strong voice and it earns a warm reception from the judges though they add that she could have done more with it. "I really wanted to show my rock side," Erika says.

Next up is Jen Hirsch. She decides on Adele's "One and Only." As with Eben last night, Jen is missing the robust edge to her voice that seems necessary to sing one of Adele's songs, but she delivers a confident performance that the judges praise.

Brielle Von Hugel takes on Otis Redding's "Sittin' On The Dock of the Bay." She seems mostly interested in the performing aspect - slapping hands with the audience more than singing on key - but the judges love it. "You understand what it is to entertain," J-Lo says.

Hallie Day's goal for the night is to "let loose and entertain everybody" with "Feeling Good" (originally performed by Cy Grant, but perhaps more recognizable in recent years by Michael

Skylar Laine; more pictures from tonight's episode can be viewed on page 2.

Buble). She falls apart toward the end, but the judges like her style.

Skylar Laine sings "Stay With Me" by Faces. Though she's wearing what appears to be a figure skating dress, the judges go crazy for her performance, with Jennifer calling Skylar "a natural born performer."

Next to hit the stage is Baylie Brown with Lonestar's "Amazed." She misses some notes entirely, including the crucial last note; "I don't think that was the right song…I've heard you sing better, but you're very pretty," Steven quips.

Hollie Cavanaugh tackles "Reflection" from MULAN. The song is one that doesn't usually bode well for contestants - it has a tendency to cause singers to lose the pitch - but despite some rough patches the judges once again praise the performance, though all three make Hollie promise to let her hair down for her next performance.

Haley Johnsen sings the Eurythmics' "Sweet Dreams." It's a bizarre performance; the frenzy seems about half intentional, with eyes blinking out of all the screens and Haley waving her arms dramatically, but the rest of the song is just lost in translation. "It was a bit of a nightmare for me instead of a dream," Randy says. "I'm just being honest."

Haley Johnsen; more pictures from tonight's episode can be viewed on page 2.

16-year-old Shannon Magrane performs "Go Light Your World" by Chris Rice, admitting that "not lots of people know that song." Still, she brings a performance that she clearly feels passionately about, and the judges love it. "That was beautiful," Steven tells her.

Jennifer Hudson's "Love You I Do" from the film version of DREAMGIRLS is the song of choice for Jessica Sanchez, also 16. She has a big voice, and the judges love her performance. "I hope America feels the same way!" Jessica says.

Elise Testone will close out the performances for the night. She sings the same song (and arrangement) that Jen Hirsch took on earlier - Adele's "One and Only" - but unlike Jen, Elise's voice seems much more suited for what one would expect from the song. It's not perfect, but it's much stronger. "The tone in your voice is so special and so different from everyone else in the competition," Jennifer says.

Lines are open now - and will be open until 12am, so get in your votes in for your favorites now and tune in tomorrow to find out who'll make the top 13!

Photos by Michael Becker / FOX

To post a comment, you must register and login.