Tone-deaf singers, outlandish gimmicks and witty – and sometimes cruel – remarks by certain judges are just a few things that we have grown accustomed to seeing each year during the audition stages of “American Idol.”

After weeks on end, however, we make it to the semi-final stage, where the talent is significantly improved as only the best singers have made it through to this stage. At least, this is what we’re told year in and year out.

This year, the semi-final group came in the form of a top 24 composed of 12 girls and 12 guys.

Traditionally – as in years past – audiences are treated to a couple amazing performances and a handful of lack-luster or nerve-ridden performances that make you question how certain individuals made it this far in the competition.

This year, it seems to be a bit different. In fact, it’s a lot different. For the first time in a while, I realized something that I seem to forget when viewing American Idol: it’s an amateur singing competition. That’s exactly what these contestants are: amateurs.

This is no excuse for the talent – or lack thereof – showcased in this week’s performances, however.

For the first time in the many years that I have been watching the show, I found myself utterly disappointed by the extreme lack of talent shown in two nights of performances. In fact, I – like many others – find myself questioning whether this could very well be the worst semi-final group the show has ever produced.

At this point in the competition, we are usually picking out our favorites who will go on to become actual contenders for the title of American Idol. Case and point: Fantasia Barrino’s performance that gave the judges and audience “something to talk about” or Kelly Clarkson’s take on Aretha’s classic, “Respect.”

Simply put, the nearly four hours of Idol viewing failed to produce anyone who was worthy of the title of American Idol – at least not yet.

On Feb. 23, the top 12 girls took to the stage to perform some of the most well-known songs of the generation ranging from Alanis Morissette’s “Hand in My Pocket” to Alicia Key’s “Fallin.”

Judging by their Hollywood week performances, I immediately developed a list of a few contestants I thought would blow the competition away.

Then it happened. One by one, the contestants made their way to the circular stage familiar to millions of living rooms across the United States. One by one, they attempted to hit their notes and belt out songs – only to fail tremendously.

In a window of two hours, there may have been 10 minutes of quality entertainment. Sadly, the bulk of the entertainment came from observing the awkward dimension of a new judge and the occasional sly remark from Simon Cowell.

If the idea behind the show was to see who could butcher great songs the best, the producers definitely hit their mark.

A night later, the guys got their turn. Starting the night off was Todrick Hall, who did some kind of New Edition-esque rendition of Kelly Clarkson’s “Since U Been Gone,” For a lack of better words: it was a hot mess.

Casey James and Andrew Garcia did provide a glimmer of hope for Idol hopefuls. Their performances, however, were still subpar to say the least.

Maybe it was nerves. Maybe it was simply lack of talent. I don’t know. What I do know is that it needs to get better, or else the millions of fans who have flocked to their television sets to tune in to the latest episode of Idol will look elsewhere.

At least, that’s what I’ll be doing.