Miley Cyrus... Who'da Thunk It?

The top eleven will perform on American Idol tomorrow night. The theme of the show was supposed to be Teen Idols, but it's been changed to the safer (and broader) Billboard #1 Hits. You'd think the wide open range of song choices would help everyone pick just the right song, but it always seems to have the opposite effect. It's like going to a restaurant with WAY too many items on the menu... you end up choosing something that sounds good, but isn't all that appetizing once it hits your tongue. Will be interesting who picks what, and how many times we hear the words, "I had fun. I had a good time. That's all that matters."

What's really going to be interesting tomorrow will be watching the contestants interact with their guest mentor... Miley Cyrus. (Can you imagine the reaction from Crystal Bowersox when she got the news? "Miley who?")

Now, I've got nothing against Cyrus personally. She seems like a sweet kid. But when it comes to giving singing advice, I can think of lots of other artists much better suited to the task. But Miley's got a movie to plug, which is obviously very important criteria when it comes to choosing a mentor. (Oh, and the musical guests for Wednesday will be Cyrus, Joe Jonas and Demi Lovato. Get ready for some ear-piercing screams from the audience.)

The good news is that last week, the AI gang finally seemed to pull it all together. The judges were much better behaved now that they're out of that dark corner of the studio and back front and center. And the contestants (for the most part) sang with gusto and a spark of life in their eyes. My favorite of the evening was probably Siobhan Magnus. Her rendition of Paint it Black was all kinds of fun. She and Bowersox are probably the two quirkiest from a personality perspective, but I also think they're the tops vocally. It would be cool if this thing came down to a two girl race.

But for now, we must get through the teen invasion. Bring it on, Miley...