Our Fave American Idols

Two contestants came out of the gate fast in the early stages of live American Idol competition last month. While countrified Carrie Underwood was a Simon favorite and rocker Bo Bice won props for his rendition of "Drift Away," we dub Nadia Turner and Mario Vazquez ones to watch.

Mario Vazquez
This 27-year-old New Yorker looks like Justin Guarini (all the cuteness sans the hair) and sounds like Justin Timberlake. Mario, who likes soul and electronic music, makes up for his newsboy caps with a charisma even Simon Cowell can't deny. His liquid brown eyes and winsome smile have won over female fans — including Paula Abdul, who gave him two standing ovations and cried "Touchdown!" after he sang Stevie Wonder's "Do I Do." We think someone has a little crush. Who can blame her?

Nadia Turner
If you combined Gladys Knight and Tina Turner (Nadia's favorite female pop artist), you'd get this radiant performer. Nadia is workin' Tina's outsize hairdo and long legs, which no doubt inspired Randy Jackson to declare she looks "rockin' in jeans." Judging from her impressive vocal prowess and hip-gyrating moves on Ashley Cleveland's "Power of Love," it's no wonder Simon called her "the antidote to karaoke hell." Idol's producers were wise to raise the contest's age limit, because the 28-year-old Floridian blows younger, less confident competitors out of the water like a Miami hurricane.

IDOL STATS
Americans viewing the Season 4 premiere: 33.6 million (more than one in nine)

Total number of votes for Season 3, with viewers casting multiple votes: 360 million (67 million more than the population of the United States)

Season 3 finale voting: 65 million

Votes received by President Bush and John Kerry in the 2004 presidential election:
Bush: 62 million
Kerry: 59 million