American Idol’s “Hollywood Round” began yesterday! All of the contestants converged in Hollywood for the 2nd round of auditions.  With a record 324 contestants, judges Jennifer Lopez, Randy Jackson, and Steven Tyler had a lot of contestants to revisit. By the end of Day 2, however, the judges whittled the contestants down to 168. It was nerve-wracking for the contestants, as well as for the judges. Watch a recap here:

Next week, the contestants will perform together in groups, which is always entertaining!

American Idol’s last audition episode aired last night! In case you missed it, here’s a recap:

In other American Idol news, The New York Times published a very nice review of Jennifer’s stint on Idol. Here’s an excerpt:

A multimedia star with a far higher profile than Mr. Tyler, Ms. Lopez is a radiant presence. But while her hair and wardrobe budget must be 10 times her fellow judges’ — and worth it — thus far, she’s appeared to be purposefully downplaying. With her seated in the center chair, there are echoes of Paula Abdul, but Ms. Lopez is far more centered, and far more insightful.

And measured, too. Often she says little to contestants, largely the ones who don’t deserve a full assessment. But when she commits to a critique, it’s direct and refreshing, a combination of industry savvy and emotional comfort.

You can read the entire article on their website.

The first episode of Hollywood Week airs tonight at 8 PM on Fox, so don’t miss it!