'American Idol' Top 12 men full recap with videos, photos

The top twelve male contestants for 'American Idol' competed Wednesday night.

AP Photo/Chris Pizzello

The American Idol Season 9 Top 12 men performed for America's vote for the first time on Wednesday night, to mixed reviews.

1. Todrick Hall, 24, was first to take the stage. Hall performed a funk version of American Idol Season 1 winner Kelly Clarkson's 'Since You Been Gone'.

Ellen Degeneres said that she loved that Todrick Hall took a risk with his first performance, but called the chorus of the song "a little rough".

Simon Cowell was decidedly less kind. Cowell told Todrick Hall: "I think you came across as a dancer trying to sing. What you did was completely murder the original song. It was verging on stupid what you just did."

2. Aaron Kelly, 16, took the stage next, performing the Rascal Flatts hit 'Here Comes Goodbye'.

Simon Cowell was impressed with Aaron Kelly's raw talent: "Bearing in mind it's your first live show, it actually was quite a good performance." Cowell said, though, that Kelly's lack of confidence was pretty obvious.

Kara DioGuardi agreed, telling Aaron Kelly: "You have no idea how great your raw natural talent is."

3. Jermaine Sellers, 27, sang Oleta Adams' 'Get Here'.

Ellen Degeneres felt that Sellers was performing more than he was singing, and that he was "trying too hard".

Randy Jackson said that Jermain Sellers was trying to "do too much" with the performance and encouraged him to "pull it back".

Simon Cowell: "It was so over the top. It just didn't work. I think you've totally blown your opportunity with that."

4. Tim Urban, 20, was asked to be part of the American Idol Season 9 Top 12 men after original finalist Chris Golightly was determined to be ineligible. Urban sang 'Apologize' by One Republic on Wednesday night's broadcast

Watch Tim Urban's American Idol peformance here:

Simon Cowell said: "There was just nothing, nothing to take from that. The version was weak. You didn't come over as a natural performance". Cowell said that Urban might make it through if American Idol viewers felt sorry for him.

Kara DioGuardi said that Tim Urban was buried under the beat of the music.

"Dog, it just was really the wrong song for you," said Randy Jackson. "None of it worked. It was just all wrong."

Ellen Degeneres said: "If the sound was down and we're lookin' at you, you're adorable," but admitted that it "didn't sound good".

5. Joe Munoz, 20, sang Jason Mraz's 'You and I Both'.

Randy: Not quite the perfect song choice," but was the first one to be told this season: "You worked it out."

Simon: I think it was an okay, safe, forgettable performance and what younfailed to do was come out here and take your two or three minutes and show us and everybody else that you have the potential to be a star...It was all a bit limp-a bit forgettable."

6. Tyler Grady, 20 sang a version of 'American Woman' that started bluesy and quickly turned electric.

Simon Cowell said that people would remember for the performance, but for the wrong reasons.

"You come over a lot as someone who's gone to 'pretend to be a rock star school'. It's all a bit cliched. It doesn't feel natural."

Kara DioGuardi said that Tyler Grady has a "frontman personality" but wants to see him bring his act into the current decade.

Tyler Grady promised to make a "trip to the mall" to update his look if he made it through the first round of American Idol cuts.

7. Lee Dewyze, 23 sang 'Chasing Cars' by Snow Patrol.

Randy Jackson said that the song was "a little too rangey" for Dewyze's voice, and recommended that he pick harder rock songs.

Simon Cowell said he thought it was "the best performance by far". "This guy is a naturally good singer," said Cowell. "You've just got an authentically good voice and I think you're going to really well in this competition."

8. John Park, 21, who said he'd marry American Idol guest judge Shania Twain, sang the jazz standard 'God Bless the Child'.

Simon said: "It came over as very flat and interestingly, no emotion. I thought it was kind of a pointless performance really. It's kind of like a copycat Michael Buble."

Kara DioGuardi called the performance "loungey," "sleepy" and "indulgent".

9. Michael Lynche, 26, whose wife gave birth to his first child during American Idol Hollwyood Week, sang 'This Love' from Maroon 5.

Randy Jackson called Lynche "gregarious" and that he brought up the energy in the room.

Kara DioGuardi said that the performance "wasn't outrageously great".

Simon Cowell said that he was "like the support act before the main act and I'm being serious with you...It was kind of like a very vague, jazzy version...When you get up there, you've got to nail a song and you've got to make people listen to you as an artist...There was nothing unique about it and you're better than that."

10. Alex Lambert, 19 sang James Morrison's 'What A Wonderful World'. Lambert, who says this is only the third or fourth time he's performed in front of a live audience, elicited pity from the judges.

Simon Cowell launched into an immediately slam of Lambert's performance: "I don't know who was happier for that to end-you or me, because that was the most uncomfortable performance of the night."

Cowell said that he still had an "incredible voice" but that if he didn't get his nerves under control "this isn't going to work".

"You've got to believe in yourself," said Kara DioGuardi.

Ellen Degeneres said: "I like that you're holding on to the mullet and you're not going to let it go," and then compared him to an unripe banana.

11. Casey James, 24, who was ogled by Kara DioGuardi during his original audition, sang Bryan Adams' 'Heaven'.

The panel discussion on Casey James was dominated with discussion of Kara DioGuardi's sexual obsession with the model/musician.

Ellen Degeneres said: "You're going to get votes like crazy".

Kara DioGuardi said: "You may be eye candy, but you're ear candy as well".

Simon Cowell said that Casey James came across as honest and sincere.

12. Andrew Garcia, 24 sang a slow, sultry version Fall Out Boy's 'Sugar We're Going Down'.

Simon Cowell said that he was disappointed with Andrew Garcia's performance. He said: "It was too serious, too indulgent and not original enough."

Both Kara DioGuardi and Randy Jackson both called a strange arrangement of a song that wasn't meant to played acoustically. Ellen Degeneres said that Garcia's 'Straight Up' performance would carry him through at least until next week.

Video: 'American Idol's' Andrew Garcia compared to Adam Lambert for 'Straight Up'

Watch Andrew Garcia's American Idol Top 12 performance here: