The men are clearly dominant this year, and it’s a David’s contest to lose. Despite early hype and somewhat recent praise, Carly (right) is in trouble. Will she be the first “shocking” exit?
Hello, Idol fans! Sting is off for a few weeks, so I’m filling in with the rankings. As my wife can attest, it’s hard for me to just sit down and write an article without doing some thorough research and analysis. So I went back to all shows since the top 12 for each remaining contestant and compiled the opinions of my fellow Foxes On Idol writers, Simon, and the American public to determine the order.
Here’s how the scores work: opinions of Foxes On Idol writers were interpreted into a numerical value. (A special thanks to Tyler and Bruce for pre-quantifying their thoughts.) The same holds true with Simon, but Paula’s thoughts transcend reality and Randy’s are too obscure to nail down, so I ignored them in favor of the judge who really matters. Of course, I put in my score as well, to come up with an average episode score for each contestant.
On top of that, I adjusted down if the contestant was in the bottom three, and more so if they were almost eliminated (or basically, named Kristy Lee). The cumulative score takes into account all of the performances since the top 12, adjusting each week so that the more recent scores have a greater impact than ones in the distant past.
So here we go!
David Cook: David has earned his top spot with a string of excellent performances. He and the powers-that-be were smart to address the use of other bands’ song interpretations, and it was even smarter to follow that up with an arrangement of his own that proved he was as talented of an arranger as we perceived him to be. The overdue haircut worked wonders; now all he needs is to give a little more personality in his interviews. Keep it up, Dave! (Episode score: 8.9, Cumulative score: 9.5)
Michael Johns: Michael is consistent and doing very well in the competition. I don’t think he’ll finish better than fourth, due to vote splitting with David Cook, but for now he’s earned his place at number two. Michael is due for a ballad, and if he can perfect his camera smoldering, he might just pull in a few more fans. It will be hard to top last week’s performance, so Michael has his work cut out for him this week. (Episode score: 9.2, Cumulative score: 9.1)
David Archuleta: Don’t get me wrong, I love David. I want to squish his little head off and hang it from my rearview mirror. But I don’t think he’s got what it takes, folks. He has yet to show he can sing an up-tempo song well, without forgetting words or getting winded with his bopping up and down. His aw-shucks blushing and humility is getting a little old (sort of like Melinda last year). I believe it’s genuine, but that’s just not how a star acts. Humility doesn’t need to be self-abasing. I do think the years of vocal problems in the past are still evident. It sounds like he has nodes. His boyish charm will only carry him so far; I don’t think he’ll win, and I don’t think he’ll be an über-star after the tour. He’s a wunderkind, but puberty’s over. (Episode score: 8.4, Cumulative score: 8.3)
Syesha Mercado: Syesha is better than she’s getting credit for. After her bottom-two appearance, she has worked harder than anyone to prove she deserves to stay. I think she’ll be around for a while, because she’s unique in this competition. As the only African-American left, and one of the few women with a shot at staying around long, I suspect we’ll continue to see Syesha improve. Yet last week’s song selection was too predictable. Syesha needs to pull off a star-making performance (like Fantasia’s “Summertime”), and I think she can do it. Take the risk, girl! (Episode score: 7.4, Cumulative score: 7.8)
Brooke White: I heart Brooke. She is consistent, and I really love to listen to her sing. Yet there are a few things she needs to do to take it to the next level. The piano and guitar are great, but she needs to take her ability to connect the emotions in a song where the focus is just her. Brooke, you need to expand the range you’re showing us, and belt one! By all means, don’t try to move around, though… even your arms. (Episode score: 6.4, Cumulative score: 7.8)
Jason Castro: Jason’s due for another bottom-three appearance, and I don’t see any way out. I love his coffee-shop vibe, and I think he was smart to bring his Spanish flair into the mix on the previous week’s show. There has really been no strong Hispanic representation on the show, and that aspect of Jason should really be drawn out to pull in more fans. Jason’s stock is falling, so he needs to do something different. I think others want this more badly than he does; I’m pretty sure Jason doesn’t see himself as a star, but you’ve got to believe it to be it, baby. (Episode score: 6.3, Cumulative score: 7.2)
Carly Smithson: I think Carly’s more Gina Glocksen than Kelly Clarkson, and will leave sooner than expected. Given Kristy’s superpowers, Carly may be on the road home this week. Carly doesn’t know who she is exactly, and I think viewers are moving on soon. My wife and I are always distracted by her eyebrows, and how she curls up in a ball, smushing her face together for “intensity.” Carly’s lower register is great, but when she goes into her high range, she forces it too much. I suspect she has nodes, too, or will get them soon if she doesn’t learn to support herself better instead of collapsing inward to reach the high notes. Take a lesson from Syesha, Carly. Watch how she prepares for and supports the high stuff. (Episode score: 6.8, Cumulative score: 6.7)
Kristy Lee Cook: Yes, Kristy Lee is at the bottom, and yes, she should go. But I’m not sure it’s her time quite yet. Country fans are loyal, and Kristy Lee’s staying true to her adopted genre. She’s also improving… to the point where if last week was the first time we saw her, I think we’d all be a little more impressed. I think Kristy Lee got a boost of confidence in the previous week, but she’s still too fragile. She needs to just get out there, let it loose, and sing as though it’s her last chance at a country record deal, because it very well may be. (Episode score: 5.9, Cumulative score: 4.5)
If you haven’t already, be sure to check out these other recent articles on Foxes On Idol:
Asher Streets is a food engineer and musician who lives in Madison, WI. He has a love for all things Italian, most especially gelato, wine, espresso, and cheese. Asher appreciates your opinions too and can be reached via email: asher.streets@gmail.com.
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