With Somewhere Over the Rainbow Jason Castro Proves He's the Man to Beat

I absolutely adore Jason Castro. He appears to love what he is doing and it comes out in his singing. I am old enough to be his Grandmother, but I look forward to watching him every week. He makes me want to give him a hug and adopt him!!

He sang a unique rendition of Somewhere Over the Rainbow last night on American Idol. He has a quiet demeanor and a joy for singing. He performs effortlessly and knows who he is and what is the best song for him. He has not shown any rock style since the beginning of the show, but he does not need to because his quiet singing lifts one up. He takes one to another level of thought.

The men are strong this year. Michael Johns has the maturity and stage presence to win this year. He has been able to do well with ballads and rock music. David Archuleta has a pure, accomplished voice and appeals to the teenagers. Even though he has been the one favored in the news, I still think his inability to show much personality might hurt him. He just lacks in maturity what Jason and Johns project with their performances.

I believe David Cook is the man to beat this year. The rock community will come out for him. He has a strong powerful voice and the ability to make a song his own. He has done well almost every week since the show started. I look forward to seeing what he will do next week.

The girls are all okay. They just don't seem to give me anything that I remember after they are done. I don't think they are a threat at all.

Jason Castro is a quiet, serene performer. I really have liked him every week and would certainly not count him out.