'American Idol' Season 12: Charlie Askew leads Top 20 power rankings

After weeks of grueling preliminary rounds (more for the audience than the contestants), Season 12 of “American Idol” begins in earnest Tuesday, as the Top 20 perform live for audience votes.

Now, there are a few things “Idol” producers clearly want us to know from the preseason: 1) They want a girl to win, y'all; 2) This is a singing competition, but the judges' comments are almost as important as the performances; 3) Mariah Carey and Nicki Minaj don't get along, something easily discernible from the way each of them make faces when the other one is talking.

It's been almost painful to watch the preseason. Maybe that's why the ratings keep dropping. (Last week, “Modern Family” beat “Idol” in the ratings for the first time.) In their quest to remake the show into something that still generates buzz, they have started losing sight of what has kept “Idol” a ratings juggernaut all these years. Most people like to see talented unknowns shine.

This season, it seems more about marketing than talent. Last week, the judges sent home Josh Holiday, a likable singer-songwriter who sang an OK original song. It was quite possible that, if the “Idol” voting pool remained similar to what it has been in past seasons, he could have won the entire show thanks to his Phillip Phillipsy charms and the text-happy tween voters. But “Idol” clearly didn't want to take that chance, putting through the average soul singer Burnell Taylor instead. The show seemed bent on not giving voters anyone that fit into the same mold as Phillips, Lee DeWyze, Kris Allen and Scotty McCreery.

However, the voters still rule this show, don't they?

Well, sorta. Among the rules changes producers have made this season, they want to guarantee that five girls and five guys make it into the Top 10 this year, regardless of the number of votes they get this week, a move to stack the deck for the girls at least until the Top 10. They are also trying to balance out the repeat callers and texters with a new “SuperVote” that allows fans to cast 50 votes at once – for one contestant or several – using their Facebook accounts on AmericanIdol.com, the “Idol” mobile app, or Facebook.

Will that be enough to get the first female “Idol” crowned since Jordin Sparks in 2007?

We'll find out starting tonight with the gals' performances.

Here's how this year's Top 20 stack up:

Here's the possible Season 12 winner doing “Rocket Man.”