‘American Idol’ Reveals Final Top 24 Contestants

Andrew Garcia, Katie Stevens, Janell Wheeler, John Park and other early front-runners make the cut. By Katie Byrne Janell Wheeler on “American Idol” Wednesday Photo: Fox In an “American Idol” first, seven contenders for the season-nine top 24 were revealed during Tuesday’s how. On Wednesday (February 17), the 17 remaining semifinalists were unveiled. Now, you can reacquaint yourself with those singers before next week’s live shows kick off: Andrew Garcia While Garcia’s story about his parents’ gangbanger past and trying to make a better life for his kid earned him some audition-round screen time, his Hollywood Week performances are what set him apart from the pack. His acoustic reworkings of female-fronted songs — Paula Abdul’s “Straight Up” and Adele’s “Chasing Pavements” — earned him a ride to the top 24. Katie Stevens The precocious 16-year-old caught our attention with her old-soul vocal chops and compelling backstory. She backed up the positive first impression with Stevie Wonder’s “For Once in My Life” and her group performance of Alicia Keys’ “No One.” Her age begs the question: Will she be the next Jordin Sparks and go all the way or Lisa Tucker and flame out? Janell Wheeler Wheeler’s Hollywood Week was filled with ups and downs, between nailing her acoustic take on Estelle’s “American Boy” and choosing the “wrong song” (according to Simon) with Taylor Swift’s “Love Story.” But the judges must have kept her silky-smooth “House of the Rising Sun” audition into account, keeping her around for the semifinals. John Park Guest judge Shania Twain praised Park’s “bottom end” during his audition performance of Gary Moore’s “I’ll Love You More Than You’ll Ever Know.” The 20-year-old college student was able to show off all the other facets of his voice during Hollywood Week, earning a coveted spot in the top 24. Ashley Rodriguez The Berklee College of Music student proved she knows her way around a diva anthem, tackling Alicia Keys’ “If I Ain’t Got You” in her audition, Beyonc