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Here they are, your finalists, singing the songs of Stevie Wonder.

Paris Bennett
All I Do

Kevin Covais
Part-Time Lover

Bucky Covington
Superstition

Chris Daughtry
Higher Ground

Taylor Hicks
Living for the City

Mandisa
Don't You Worry 'Bout a Thing

Melissa McGhee
Lately

Katharine McPhee
Until You Come Back to Me

Kellie Pickler
Blame it on the Sun

Lisa Tucker
Signed, Sealed, Delivered

Elliott Yamin
Knocks Me Off My Feet

Ace Young
Do I Do

This year's Top 12 hit the stage and as Simon said, the first half of the show was almost entirely different from the second half. It's really odd, as I was getting ready to say the exact same thing to my wife. That was scary - I was channeling Simon. Regardless, the second half of contestants was much better than the first half.

But it was Chris Daughtry that really rocked the show, and I don't mean that just because he is indeed from the rock mold. I mean he really changed the way the show is done. Up until he came on stage, everyone simply sang Stevie Wonder songs.

You can say that people have made songs their own all you want, but I think that Chris is the first one I've seen who has really done so - even Bo Bice, who I really enjoyed, didn't do so quite as well as Chris' rendition of Higher Ground.

I suspect you'll see a lot more contestants in the future who take hold of a song and truly make it their own, not just add a little here and there as has been done before. I really like Chris, not only because of his style, but because he hails from North Carolina and he's good.

As to this group of finalists? I have to say that I'm impressed. I think this is the best bunch thus far.

Katharine McPhee is my other favorite, though Mandisa is wonderful to watch, so I hope she does well.

The next level of singers seems to me to be made up of Paris Bennett and Taylor Hicks, though Lisa Tucker looked good last night, and the remainder of the contestants, any of whom could easily best my meager skills, are good, but I think they're going to have a tough race ahead of them, unless one of the front-runners should stumble.

Update: Melissa McGhee was voted off after receiving the least votes, presumably for stumbling during her lyrics. Strangely, Ace, the odds-on favorite just two weeks ago, was also in the bottom three.