Might Jason Castro be a dark horse on season seven of American Ido? It's possible. All three judges loved his rendition of "What a Day for a Daydream."

Still, after the opening performances of the top 12 American Idol males, we see three favorites standing out from among the rest. They are:

- David Archuleta: How is it possible that this former Star Search winner is just 17 years old? He sang "Shop Around" and was told by Simon Cowell: "When you got it, you got it … That was, by a comfortable mile, the best performance of the night so far."

- David Cook (pictured): This wannabe rock star has the look and sound to go far. He turned the 1960s romantic tune, "Happy Together," into a fun, speedy tune.

- Michael Johns: He lit our fire, readers! Singing that classic song by The Doors, this Australian is as polished as any American Idol semifinalist, maybe ever. Former lead singer of a band called The Rising.

Who was your favorite of the night? Who do you think will be voted off? We think it's time for Garrett Haley and Jason Yeager to go home.

Matt Richenthal is the Editor in Chief of TV Fanatic. Follow him on Twitter and on Google+.