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Our ‘American Idol’ top 12 cheat sheet looks at Stevens’ strengths and weaknesses. By Jim Cantiello Katie Stevens at the “American Idol” top 12 party Photo: Jason Merritt/ Getty Images On Thursday night, “American Idol” revealed its top 12 finalists for the ninth season of the hit show. MTV News “Idol” expert Jim Cantiello whipped up a handy cheat sheet for each finalist, breaking down each specific “Idol” journey thus far. He also got the “Idol” hopefuls to weigh in when he caught up with them at Thursday night’s top 12 party in Hollywood. Katie Stevens Katie Stevens is the latest in a long line of teenagers with powerful voices on “American Idol.” So far, the Connecticut 17-year-old has struggled balancing her youthful age with her mature voice, but the voting public rewarded her with a spot in the top 12 anyway. Best Performance : During week one, Katie dared to tackle “Feeling Good” even though Adam Lambert had a “wow” moment with the song last season. She almost succeeded. Weakest Performance : Katie took a step in the right age direction by choosing a Kelly Clarkson song this week. Unfortunately, her uneven vocals on “Breakaway” exposed her youthful inexperience. ‘American Idol’ Top 12 Party Tragic Backstory : Katie is very close with her ailing grandmother, who is struggling with Alzheimer’s disease. Why She Will Win : “American Idol” has a long history of successful teenagers with mature voices. David Archuleta and Diana DeGarmo made it to the finale, and Jordin Sparks won the whole enchilada. Why She Will Lose : So far, Katie’s performances have been more Lisa Tucker than Jordin Sparks. What She Should Sing : Katie needs to embrace her youth and sing an uptempo song. “You Belong With Me” by Taylor Swift seems like a good start. On Her “Older” Song Selections : “Jordin Sparks won and she was my age, and she got the same criticism that I’ve gotten, which is, ‘You need to choose a younger song! Why are you choosing such old songs?’ But you know what? I have to stay true to who I am. And I do sing older stuff. I have an older voice, I guess, for my age, so … I’ll young it up, but I gotta stay true to who I am.” What do you think of Katie’s chances on “Idol”? Were you happy to see her make it to the top 12? Let us know! Get your “Idol” fix on MTV News’ “American Idol” page , where you’ll find all the latest news, interviews and opinions. Related Videos ‘American Idol’ In 60 Seconds Meet The ‘American Idol’ Top 12 Related Photos ‘American Idol’ Top 12 Party ‘American Idol’ Season Nine Performances

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Katie Stevens Profile: Teen Promises To ‘Young It Up’ On ‘Idol’