"American Idol": Boys' night as online voting debuts

This story was written by Caitlin Alexander in London.

The top 12 male contestants on "American Idol" gave solo performances Tuesday night to impress Season 10's panel of new judges -- as well as a new crowd of potential online voters.

Fox's reality singing show has partnered with social networking giant Facebook to give fans the chance to vote for their favorites on the web.

According to the "American Idol" website, fans with a valid Facebook account can login and cast as many 50 single votes online. Fans can still also vote via text message or the more traditional phone call.

The top 12 boys came out in full force to snatch up the online votes. Contestant Casey Abrams was the last to hit the stage after a hospital stint this week for severe stomach pain. Bloggers praised his rendition of "Put a Spell on You" but also rated Jacob Lusk and James Durbin near the front of the pack.

"There was something highly entertaining about Casey's passion," said TV Squad blogger, Hilary Rothing. "Randy wants 'more, more, more' of Casey and I suspect America will too."

Meanwhile, USA Today's Idol Chatter blog qualified Lusk's performance of the Burt Bacharach/Hal David hit "A House is Not a Home" as, "one of the finest vocal performances ever given by a male contestant on the show."

The top 12 girls will get their chance to shine in Wednesday night's episode.