I was on the fence over whether or not to blog about American Idol again this season. Believe it or not, it's a fair amount of work to tackle on Tuesday and Wednesday nights week after week. I didn't know if I had it in me (especially with the final season of Lost airing on Tuesday nights as well). Then I got a call from Tina Lushington.

Tina is the mother of Alexandrea Lushington - a Top 24 contestant from Season 7. Tina called from Georgia to offer a sincere thanks for my review of her daughter's performance of "Spinning Wheel" before letting me know that Alexandrea is doing well, going to college and still pursuing a singing career.

Needless to say, these kind of calls with updates on former contestants don't come along very often. I was shocked and pleasantly surprised to hear from her.

Tina's call came in the same week that Monica Potter, mom to Casey Carlson (Season 8 Top 24 contestant from Eden Prairie) emailed to let me know that Casey is hitting a couple of Twin Cities stages to perform next week.

I took those two contacts as a sign that I can't be done blogging about Idol, not yet at least. And so, here we go again. New season, new contestants, new songs, new blog.

DUDES

Aaron Kelly - While I didn't like his audition outfit, I loved this kid's take on "The Climb" by Miley Cyrus. I'm not a huge country music fan, but I like what he's doing. He certainly made Sarah McLachlan's overplayed "Angel" seem fresh and new. I've got high hopes for him.

Alex Lambert - An interesting voice - contemporary and clean. Will having the same last name as Season 8 standout (and runner-up) Adam Lambert work for or against him though?

Andrew Garcia - Loved his acoustic version of Paula Abdul's "Straight Up." Hope this Latino Danny Gokey has more intriguing arrangements in his bag of tricks.

Casey James - While it pains me to be on the same page as Kara, it's hard to deny that Casey James is pleasing to look at. Combine that with a buttery voice that makes my feel all warm and fuzzy and I think I've found my Season 9 Jason Castro (don't tell my husband!).

Jermaine Sellers - Smooth, sweet audition with Joan Osbourne's "What If God Was One Of Us." Liked his version of Michael Jackson's iconic "Man in the Mirror" much better than the next contestants:

Joe Munoz - Joe hasn't sold me yet. He could easily be outshined by the other men he's up against.

John Park - John has an uphill battle ahead of him. He's got a decent voice, but I'm struggling to recall any Asian pop stars who have broke through on American soil as yet. Any help???

Lee Dewyze - Liked his gravely rendition of The Fray's "You Found Me" and Bill Withers "Ain't No Sunshine." Still looking for that spark of personality though.

Michael Lynche - Michael is a big guy with a big voice. As I've said in years past, if you're going to leave your poor wife (!Phil Stacey!) to birth your child while you pursue American Idol, you better be pretty confident about your chances.

Tim Urban - One of the many guys who I'd like to see get a haircut before next week (I know, I sound like an old lady). It's just hard for me to see past his Jonas Bros. facade at this point...

Todrick Hall - Hoping he brings a fun hip-hop vibe to the show. Maybe Fantasia gave him some valuable pointers.

Tyler Grady - We'll see where this guy takes us. I'm counting on clever song choices from him.

DUDETTES

Ashley Rodriguez - Liked her audition of Alicia Keys' "If I Ain't Got You" but wasn't as sold on her cover of Jordin Sparks "Battlefield."

Crystal Bowersox - One of the front runners for me in Season 9. This girl oozes good music. When your competitors start to sing along as you perform for the judges, you know you're good.

Didi Benami - Her voice reminds me of Ingrid Michaelson (who had that huge hit with "The Way I Am" of the Old Navy commercial fame).

Haeley Vaughn - Aside from having a name that screams "star power!" Haeley has a great voice. I think she could easily be one of the last ones standing this year.

Janell Wheeler - I don't know if she's the most interesting of the women by far, but she can sing and play guitar and with the right song choices, she could outlast some of them.

Katelyn Epperly - With so many strong female singers this year, she'll need more than those lovely blonde curls to help her stand out.

Katie Stevens - Good voice, but odd clothing choices and pretty uninventive song selections. She reminds me of Diana Degarmo from Season 3 - a little pageanty. I'm curious to see how her age affects her song choices and performances as the contest heats up.

Lacey Brown - I would hope she would make it through after they use her "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" during a contestant montage. Great voice. Love her throwback style.

Lilly Scott - Big fan already. She needs to dump the peacock earrings and do something else with her hair, but she's got star potential for sure.

Michelle Delamor - Haven't caught much more than group week for Michelle - not enough to form an opinion yet.

Paige Miles - Same case here.

Siobhan Magnus - If nothing else, Siobhan should help give some recognition to how to pronounce her very Irish name during her run on Idol.

JOIN THE DISCUSSION: Which contestants have stood out to you so far? Who are you rooting for? Is it time for a female singer to reclaim the Idol crown?