Thoughts on 'Idol' top 12

Well, we're down to American Idol's top 12 contestants. This is where the fun really begins.

And what better way to showcase the cream of the crop than with songs from the Lennon/McCartney song book. Though, I believe a few of the contestants massacred the classic tunes. Ruining a Beatles song should really be considered a crime.

I digress. Our Syesha Mercado of Sarasota is still in the mix. On Tuesday night, when she sang "Got To Get You Into My Life," she was a little shaky in the beginning but was able to hold her own in the end. She'll be safe this week, I imagine, but I'm still waiting for her to have another "wow" moment on stage, something that will definitely set her apart from the other talented singers. So far, my favorite performance of hers has been "Tobacco Road."

Who may be out: Kristy Lee Cook with her campy and horrendous country version of "Eight Days a Week" or maybe Ramiel Malubay with her sleepy version of "In My Life." David Hernandez may be on the chopping block too for his over-the-top version of "I Saw Her Standing There," but I think he'll last a while longer because he's nice to look at.

Surprise performances from last night:

Chikezie Eze "She's a Woman" — I've never seen him let loose so much. I was impressed.

David Cook's rock 'n' roll version of "Eleanor Rigby" — I typically haven't liked David in this competition until now. This song is one of my favorite Beatles hits and I think he did an outstanding job with it, which is saying a lot.

Amanda Overmyer's southern rock version of "You Can't Do That" — This is the first time in a while that I've seen Amanda perform with confidence. It was a good fit for her.

Catch FOX at 9 tonight to see who goes home and who's still in the competition. — January Holmes