Paula Abdul Names Her Top Picks of the Top 24

• Feb 21, 2008 08:37 PM ET
• by The Idol Chatters

Tonight, four wannabe American Idols will be sent home, whittling the top 24 down to a more manageable 20. If a certain chipper judge has anything to say about it, a certain seven singers will be sacred cows, at least for now. "It would crush me, but there's no way it could happen, if David Archuleta or Jason Castro or Michael Johns [got eliminated]. But I just don't believe they could be knocked off," Paula Abdul tells TVGuide.com. Among the dozen ladies, Paula says, "I loved Amanda Overmyer's performance. It was awesome. And Alaina [Whitaker], the little 16-year-old, Ramiele Malubay, Carly Smithson.... I would be crushed if any of them were knocked off."

While the Idol kids sing like there's no tomorrow, Abdul is out promoting the brand-new video for "Dance Like There's No Tomorrow," her first new single in eons. ( Watch and discuss the video here.) Asked how her archenemies wound up contributing a cameo, she reports, "Simon [Cowell] said, 'Unfortunately, I hate you, but I like the song.... I don't do this for my own artists.'" To which Paula, god bless her, retorted, "That's because they probably don't want you in their videos!" - Matt Mitovich