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Last night “American Idol” swiftly made its way to the final 24 contestants, whose fate is now in the hands of our nation’s voters. But before that, every one of the 40 remaining semi-finalists had to perform solo with a real band and real backup singers in front of Randy, Paula and Simon. The song choices were limited, which meant we had to hear Bryan Adams’ “When You Love a Woman” about 25 times. Ugh. That song could seriously induce vomiting when heard that many times.

Then, each contestant had to march into a conference room where the judges let them know if they were staying or going. Of course, the judges had to mess with these poor folks by saying things like “we’re sorry to say……that you’re going to be seeing more of us!” I’m waiting for one of these kids to have a heart attack right there….you think that would put a stop to the nonsense? Hey judges: stop playing games, a yes or no would suit everyone just fine.

Some of the kids going home included Anna Kearns, who Simon had once referred to as a “giraffe;” Tammy, the old-school singer who reminded me of a hippie from the sixties; and Matthew Buckstein, the Jewish cowboy.

So now we have 24 finalists, who will begin performing in front of us all next Tuesday.

For you gambling types, I’m going to take a few shots at predicting the future here.

Among the 12 guys, watch for Brandon Rogers, the career backup singer from L.A. This dude has a stellar voice, and tons of charisma. Same with Chris Sligh, the chubby kid with the afro and glasses. He was part of that guy group who sang the Bee Gees the night before….and there is no denying his vocal talent. Plus, he’s hilarious. Other strong dudes are Phil Stacy, beat-box boy Blake, and Chris Richardson (who looks and dresses like Justin Timberlake). Look for an early exit from Sundance Head (I can’t get out of my head Simon’s comment that he looked like he’d been “boiled” after singing); Sanjaya, the Indian kid with the sister who got booted out a day earlier; and Paul Kim, the barefoot dude who claimed to wear the same underwear for each audition…..um, I’m wondering if ol’ Paul crapped his pants when he went in to learn his fate…I bet that would force him to find clean skivvies.

Among the girls, watch for Melinda Doolittle. She is another career backup singer who is finally getting a chance at the big spotlight, and she so deserves it. I mean, wow. She is this year’s Paris Bennett. Also watch for Stephanie, who looks like Fantasia Barrino but, and I know I’m stretching here, has a better voice than the third season champ. Finally, Lakisha, who claimed that she would be just as happy going home to her young daughter, will have to wait a while. And I’m saying a long while, because she can sing her ass off. Other chicks to watch for are Gina Glockson, Jordin Sparks, and Nicole Tranquillo. Look for early exits from Antonella (is it just me, or is everyone else sick of this chick?), Haley (who was cute but not a good enough singer), and Leslie Hunt.

So that’s it, America. The real fun begins now, and we’ll be here to cover it all. I bet that makes you happy, doesn’t it?