'American Idol': Q&As With the Top 12!

The Top 12 has arrived. As if they were attending a prom night on steroids, American Idol's remaining contestants smiled for the press Thursday night for what felt about as long as the running time of Avatar before they were finally allowed into the L.A. club Industry to celebrate their success. Practically every one of them handled the photographers and journalists as if they'd been doing it since they first ever picked up a mic, although Aaron Kelly appeared a smidge overwhelmed. (But, hey, the guy's only 16 years old, so we'll cut him a break.) And, as is always the case with television, the Top 12 singers were a bit shorter than anticipated. With the obvious exceptions of Michael Lynche and Casey James, this is a particularly tiny group of contestants. Ryan Seacrest, you can breathe a sigh of relief.

While on the carpet, EW got to speak with each of the finalists about the show's startling eliminations, the addition of Ellen DeGeneres as a judge, whether there's an excess of guitarists this season, what the contestants hoped to sing during the upcoming theme weeks, and, finally, their thoughts on getting a stylish makeover.

Were you shocked or upset about who was eliminated tonight?
Aaron Kelly: I didn't know what to expect tonight. Everybody did such a great job last night, and I didn't really know what to expect. So, I was just shocked to be a part of the top 12.
Andrew Garcia: Alex is one of my best friends on the show. He's like my little brother, man. He was so cool. I was sad to see him go. [EW: How was Alex doing right after the show?] I mean, he didn't want to go, and I don't blame him. This is what we wanted to do. And I'm pretty sure it's not the last time we're going to see him. He has an amazing voice.
Crystal Bowersox: Yeah, Lilly Scott and Katelyn Epperly. We were really close, and I really did not expect them to go home at all. I think they're two really talented girls. They both write original music, and I think that they're going to go far in life. So, I love you guys, if you can hear me.
Didi Benami: I was, actually. I did not think that either Katelyn or Lilly were going home. I didn't at all. And I was trying not to think of who would go home, but I thought that their performances were great, and I think that they're great performers, and I think Alex has a phenomenal voice. And I loved Todrick so much. Honestly, it was tough to see everybody go, but I didn't cry tonight. It was, like, weird, 'cause I actually love all those who left.
Katie Stevens: It's always shocking and it's always sad because we all become so close in this. So to see somebody go home is like saying bye to a family member. So it's really difficult. To wake up the next morning and not see their face is just a weird feeling.
Lacey Brown: You know, every week, I think that we're a little bit shocked. But, honestly, it gets back to your fan base. We can't control the people on the other side of the television screen and whom they're voting for. So, really, it comes down to that. And I think that we know that. The contestants know that every week. So you can't be too shocked.
Lee Dewyze: No, no, no, but I mean, Alex Lambert was like a little brother to me on the show, so seeing him go was really sad. You know, Katelyn, Lilly, Todrick, all those guys were all so supportive of us. And we'll be supportive of them, but, you know, that's kind of the name of the game though. It's hard when you become friends with these people, to be in a competition with them at the same time. But, my thing is I'm just trying to be an individual, stay true to myself, and take all the good and all the bad and find a nice medium in between to really work on what I think is going to help me.
Paige Miles: Oh yeah, there were definitely a lot of surprises tonight. A lot of emotions. You know, we become like each other's family because we rarely see our own families [while competing on the show]. And so, you get really close. And to see anybody go home, it's always hard.
Siobhan Magnus: I was really close with Alex, and that probably hit me the hardest. But it just reminds you that this is so special. Every moment that we get to be here, you have to make the best of it because it may be your last. [EW: How was Alex doing afterwards?] It was hard. It's hard, but I have so much faith in him, that we'll see him around. I'm not worried.
Tim Urban: It's hard watching people go. But, making it to the top 24 and watching half of us get cut, you never know. So, you almost have to go into every week thinking this could be my last week — it could be anybody's last week.

NEXT PAGE: What do the contestants think of Ellen?