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First 4 Semifinalists Ousted from American Idol

American Idol ousted 4 of its 24 semifinalists, leaving 20, Thursday night. Amy Krebs, Nicole Tranquillo, Paul Kim and Rudy Cardenas were sent away by viewers, who got their first chance to vote, in the TV show`s sixth season. The12 men and 12 women, who faced off, this week, had made it through the show`s early auditions and through the opening Hollywood rounds.

Kim, a 25-year-old from Saratoga, California, was the first to leave Thursday after He failed to impress the judges with his version of "Careless Whisper." "It hurts, man," Kim told Ryan Seacrest. "It hurts." 22-year-old Krebs of Federal Way, Washington, who sang Bonnie Raitt`s "I Can`t Make You Love Me," was eliminated as well, proving that it isn`t enough to sing well, one must stand out in the crowd. "She didn`t sing that badly, she just didn`t make an impression," noted Simon Cowell, who said Krebs had "the personality of a candle."

Tranquillo, a 20-year-old from Philadelphia, was also criticized by Cowell, who said her cover of Chaka Khan`s "Stay" was "over-rehearsed." She was forced off the show although Abdul told her she was a "brilliant vocalist." Abdul also thought 28-year-old Cardenas, of Los Angeles, had talent praising his falsetto as "amazing," though Cowell called him an "OK singer." The men and women of the show have been competing for separate "Idol" titles and record contracts, but a cross-gender sing-off featuring the last 12 performers will begin on March 13. The decision-making finale will be held during May.