The top 12 Girls make their First Impression

The boys did their best last night to leave a lasting impression and now it's time for the top 12 girls to introduce themselves to us. Here's how they decided to interpret the songs of the 60's:

Kristy Lee Cook is 24 and she chose to put her Barbie Doll persona onto the soulful Fontella Bass smash from 1965, Rescue Me. She's very pretty and has a very sweet voice, but she didn't bring anything special to the song. A bland first impression.

Joanne Borgella is 25 and she chose to tackle a track that both Dionne Warwick and Aretha Franklin had hits with, I Say A Little Prayer. It's a party friendly crowd pleaser, but she lacked the energy to get the party started. A lack-luster first impression.

Alaina Whitaker is 16 and she chose to teach a lesson to one of the boys. Last night Chikezie sucked the life out of More Today Than Yesterday by Spiral Staircase and tonight this pretty young thing completely brought it back to life. She both re-invented and updated a wonderful pop gem. A great first impression.

Amanda Overmyer is 23 and she chose to introduce the American Idol audience to the electric guitar! She exploded onto the stage and urgently pleaded with her raspy vocal passion that we please don't go. She's got nothing to worry about. An electric first impression.

Amy Davis is 25 and she chose to sing the 1961 classic by Connie Francis, Where The Boys Are. She really made a sincere effort, but the vocal strength wasn't there to sustain her to the end. Just another nice looking girl with a nice voice. A shaky first impression.

Brooke White is 24 and she chose to put her sweet Polly pure bred spin on the Turtle's #1 smash from 1967, Happy Together. She provided the polar opposite from David Cook's version last night. She's definitely committed to staying true to her good girl image so far, even if it doesn't make for a very dynamic performance. An innocent first impression.

Alexandrea Lushington is 17 and she chose to put all of her Blood, Sweat and Tears into her performance of their 1969 hit that peaked at #2, Spinning Wheel. She dominated the stage with her confidence and strong vocals. A totally fresh first impression.

Kady Malloy is 18 and she chose to bring the energy level down a notch with the boring Phil Collins version of the Mindbender's #2 hit from 1966, A Groovy Kind Of Love. Such an unfortunate choice because she has a great voice. She belted out some big notes, but it wasn't enough to save the poor song choice. A regrettable first impression.

Asia'h Epperson is 19 and she chose to add her own twist to Janis Joplin's 1968 Piece Of My Heart. It seemed like a kind of clunky arrangement that she struggled through. As a result, the vocal performance came off as strained and forced rather than intense. She has room for improvement. A weird first impression.

Ramiele Malubay is 20 and she chose to sing Dusty Springfield's biggest hit from 1966, You Don't Have To Say You Love Me. She has a really nice voice, but she has to learn how to showcase her talent from the beginning. Thankfully, she delivered at the end. A good first impression.

Syesha Mercado is 21 and she chose to resurrect a minor 1964 hit by the Nashville Teens, Tobacco Road. She completely revitalized the song into a contemporary jam for a new generation. She looked and sounded great as she owned the stage. A smokin' first impression.

Carly Smithson is 24 and she chose to make it look easy. Her vocal interpretation was effortless and the strongest most impressive notes of the evening filled the airwaves. The only way she could be better is to select catchier songs. A great first impression.

Were the girls better than the boys? Only slightly. Are this year's girls better than last year's? No. Most of the girls this year have better personalities off stage than they do on stage. Comparing them on stage they have a tendency to all blur together - Just one pretty girl with a nice voice after another. Amanda and Carly managed to set themselves apart as distinctive, at least. Any of the other girls could be sent home tomorrow. I think Kristy Lee Cook, Joanne Borgella, Amy Davis and Kady Malloy are in the greatest danger. My prediction is that Joanne Borgella and Amy Davis will wind up losing in the end.