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This year, the people who bring us American Idol decided to give the "Hollywood Round" two hours over two nights, while increasing the number of two hour audition episodes.  Apparently the focus groups preferred an endless parade of poor singers to the first part of the legitimate competition.  Here's one of many bold predictions that I will make during this season of Idol:  They will spend more time on the Hollywood round for season seven.

Once the dust settled on tonight's episode, we were left with the final twenty-four finalists:

Final twelve men:

1. Sanjaya Malakar
2. Brandon Rogers
3. Phil Stacy
4. Chris Sligh*
5. Blake Lewis
6. Rudy Cardenas
7. Paul Kim
8. A.J. Tabaldo
9. Nick Pedro*
10. Chris Richardson
11. Jared Cotter
12. Sundance Head

Final Twelve Women

1. Alaina Alexander
2. Sabrina Sloan
3. Lakisha Jones
4. Nicole Tranquilla
5. Amy Krebs
6. Antonella Barba*
7. Melinda Doolittle
8. Gina Glockson
9. Haley Scarnato
10. Jordin Sparks
11. Stephanie Edwards
12. Leslie Hunt

Notice the asterisks by Chris Sligh, Antonella Barba, and Nick Pedro?  They're there because these are the three who I see as being the strongest contestants at this point of the competition.  Granted the information that I am basing this on is very limited, but it is fun to handicap early.

Speaking of Nick Pedro: I figured out who he looks like.  Nick looks like the character Agent Alex Krycek from the X-Files.  I do -by the way- like Nick's chances a lot.  Good singer, and handsome young man.

Well, let's see what happens next week!