American Idol

They are probably the two biggest unknowns on American Idol.

Paige Miles and Michelle Delamor have both advanced to the semifinal round and will perform live tomorrow night on Fox, along with 10 other women. But you'd hardly have expected that if you watched the show's early auditions.

Neither of the singers were featured very often, but that means little once the fan voting begins. Remember: A year ago at this time, no one had heard much from Kris Allen or Allison Iraheta, either.

So while it may be difficult to assess at the moment, we're still asking readers to compare Paige and Michelle below and then vote in our poll:

Who will go farther on American Idol?

Once you let your voice be heard above, sound off on Tyler Grady vs. John Park.

Popular, early opinion so far states that a woman will win American Idol.

But we can think of two singers that hope to prove that consensus wrong: Tyler Grady and John Park.

The former stood out during his initial audition in Boston because he performed with casts on both wrists, the result of a fall from a tree. He also impressed with his retro look and rendition of Marvin Gaye's "Let's Get It On."

Park, meanwhile, hasn't received a lot of air time just yet. He's a student at Northwestern University received unanimous approval for Hollywood after his audition in Chicago.

Look closely at the two men below. One of them might be the next American Idol...

Who will advance farther this season?

Earlier this week, we also compared Ashley Rodriguez with Lilly Scott. Cast your vote between those two contestants now!

Earlier this week, Simon Cowell said he hoped a female would come out on top of American Idol this season.

As loyal fans know, the judges often tweak comments and try to manipulate votes in the direction of contestants they're cheering for, so this is a comment worth taking seriously.

Two people that would love to prove Simon correct are Ashley Rodriguez and Lilly Scott. Both stood out after a week in Hollywood, but each for different reasons.

Rodriguez brings energy and a big voice to the stage. Let's face it, she's also gorgeous. Scott, meanwhile, is one of several singers that appears to be following the mold of Taylor Swift, singing beautifully and strumming her guitar.

Contrast the hopefuls below and let your voice be heard...

Which of these contestants will go farther on American Idol?

We've also pitted Crystal Bowersox and Janell Wheeler against one another. Cast your vote between those two hopefuls now!

Simon Cowell would like to get one thing out of the way: He's not engaged to Mezhgan Hussainy.

Personal questions aside, the American Idol spoke to reporters yesterday and addressed reports of who might replace him as a judge next season.

“I think they’ll find somebody who’s got that kind of experience, whether it’s a manager, artist, or like me, an A & R executive,” he said.

What about two of the most prominent names being bantered about: Howard Stern and Perez Hilton?

“I know Howard’s name has been in there for a while, but I’m fairly certain that there hasn’t been an approach at any time for Howard to do the show... He’s played records. He’s a DJ. He obviously wants the job. Good luck to him.”

What about the world's most self-obsessed celebrity gossip blogger? “Perez would be funny. He’s got a good taste in music, he’s a personality — that could work.”

As for Cowell's favorites this season, he won't specify any contestant. But his words make it clear that he's in the corner of female singers such as Crystal Bowersox and Didi Benami.

“There’s definitely a better chance of a girl winning the show. I’d love to find a Taylor Swift, somebody who’s relevant rather than just a contest winner.”

Ouch. Was that a shot at recent winners David Cook and Kris Allen?

Over the last couple years, American Idol has made impressive use of its forum to raise money for important cause with its Idol Gives Back special.

That event will take place again on April 21. But Kris Allen and Fox will help bring attention to the victims of the earthquake in Haiti long before that.

Last season's champion has headed to that ravaged nation and will perform on the February 25 edition of Idol. He'll share live footage from his trip and ask viewers to make donations online or via text message during the episode.

"It is heartbreaking to see the devastation that Haiti is currently facing," Allen said. "I am truly honored to be traveling to Haiti to see the U.N.'s relief efforts firsthand and to help out any way that I can."

Do you sense a theme early on season nine of American Idol?

The show is highlighting young women on guitars, possibly aiming to find the next Taylor Swift. Not exactly a misguided strategy.

Two of the female contestants that have advanced to the semifinals and made a strong impression on viewers are Crystal Bowersox and Janell Wheeler. The former can seriously rock a harmonica, while the latter was admittedly a bundle of nerves in Hollywood, but got the green light from all four judges anyway.

Consider the futures of these aspiring stars and vote below...

Who will advance farther on American Idol?

Earlier today, we also compared semifinalists Andrew Garcia and Todrick Hall. Sound off on these hopefuls chances right now, as well.

Congratulations are in order for Andrew Garcia and Todrick Hall. They have each advanced to the semifinals on season nine of American Idol.

Along with 22 other aspiring stars, these crooners will compete for viewer votes next week on the show, as performances go live and phone lines open up for all contestants.

With such an intense competition set to begin, it's time to prepare Garcia and Hall by pitting them against one another in a showdown of hopeful semifinalists.

Andrew is considered the early favorite by many, following an incredible acoustic version of the Paula Abdul classic "Straight Up." But Todrick possesses an impressive resume for an amateur, having appeared in a Broadway production of The Color Purple.

Two men. One dream. Cast your vote below.

Which singer will advance farther on American Idol?

American Idol rounded out its top 24 last night, which was great news for two dozen aspiring singers - but bad news for Chris Golightly.

One of the first names to get leaked as a season nine semifinalist, Golightly was disqualified at the last minute due to a contract he had signed with a boy band. There's controversy brewing over whether it's still valid, but Ryan Seacrest Tweeted last night:

“Been determined that Chris Golightly is ineligible to continue on IDOL, contestant Tim Urban has replaced Golightly as part of the Top 24″

In addition to the seven singers that advanced through Hollywood on Tuesday night, the following crooners still have their American Idol dreams alive:

• Janell Wheeler
• Tyler Grady
• Lacey Brown
• Ashley Rodriguez
• Alex Lambert
• Joe Munoz
• Tim Urban
• Crystal Bowersox
• Katie Stevens
• Paige Miles
• Siobhan Magnus
• Michelle Delamor
• Jermaine Sellers
• John Park
• Lilly Scott
• Andrew Garcia

WE'VE POSTED PHOTOS OF ALL 24 AMERICAN IDOL SEMIFINALISTS BELOW. CLICK ON EACH AND THEN LET US KNOW YOUR FAVORITE.

Following a two-hour episode of American Idol that dragged on for longer than most installments of The Bachelor, the judges finally selected seven of the season's final 24 contestants.

The rest will be chosen tonight and then all these semifinalists will perform live from Hollywood, starting next week. Can you feel the excitement? The singers that received good news last night were:

Michael Lynche: Ryan loves to refer to him as "Big Mike." We saw snippets of his "I'm Yours" auditions and the nice, laid back guy just became a father for the first time.

Didi Benami: Probably our favorite so far. This 23-year old is full of emotion, as she auditioned for the show in the wake of her best friend's death. Sang "Angel" during one of the Hollywood rounds.

Casey James: Took his shirt of during his original try out, but is better remembered for almost losing the use of his hands in a motorcycle accident. He's 28 years old and a country artist.

Aaron Kelly: Just 16 years old, was adopted by his aunt and uncle. He won the "American Idol Experience" at DisneyWorld a few years ago.

Lee Dewyze: Released an album in 2009, not given a lot of time so far on the show. At 23, Simon Cowell questions his confidence.

Todrick Hall: Appeared in The Color Purple on Broadway. The 24-year old has performed on cruise ships and in theme parks.

Katelyn Epperly: Sings lead vocals in a folk rock band. The 19-year old hails from Iowa.

Which of these contestants do you think has the most potential to be named the next American Idol? Our money would be on Benami or Hall.

Pretty young women with guitars were all the rage this week on American Idol.

From Didi Benami to Janell Wheeler, you seemed to have serious potential in Hollywood if went acoustic and had breasts.

To many, though, Lilly Scott put on the best opening week performance. Don't believe us? Watch how the judges and fellow contestants reacted below:

Lilly Scott Audition

Scott lead singer and guitarist of the band Varlet.

She hails from Littleton, Colorado and sang the National Anthem at Mile High Stadium in Denver when she was five.

What do you think of her chances to go far on season nine?