This bubbly seventeen year old finalist (how could we forget? The judges mention her age every night!) is this season's Diana DeGarmo - bright, young, cheerful and with no idea how crazy it is to go up against the likes of Melinda Doolittle and Lakisha Jones. That innocence is paying off, however, with a steadily increasing command of stage and song.

One of the most fun aspects about American Idol is watching young, inexperienced performers grow. I enjoy watching Jordin Sparks tremendously, and look forward to seeing her in the top five or (dare we hope) the top three. Her March 13th performance, although not my favorite song, was so much better that many of the other contestants that barring any unforseen scandals, she will more than likely remain on the show for quite some time to come.

**Update, 3/23/07**

How things change in only a couple weeks! After two PHENOMENAL performances in a row, Jordin Sparks has proven herself to be a real contender in this year's competition. I forsee her making the final three, and possibly the top two with Melinda Doolittle if we have another 'shocker vote out" this year as we have seen in the past with the hugely talented Chris Daughtry and Jennifer Hudson. This will be the week to watch!

Do you have what it takes to be an American Idol?

LOTS of people do! But not everyone makes it on to the show. If you knew what the judges were looking for - REALLY looking for - you'd have an inside edge to get on American Idol. What would you do for that kind of insider information??

Click here to learn how You Can Make it Past the First Round of the American Idol Auditions with 4 Simple Techniques !