American Idol 7, Ranking the Idols: The Top 7

I know, I’m such a tease. If you scroll down, you’ll see the Davids are rightfully on top, and Kristy Lee is still in the dregs. But there’s something to be said for building momentum. In what seems to be a close race, how do our Idols stack up now that Michael Johns is gone? (The previous week’s rankings are in parentheses.)

1. David Cook (1): David holds his top position despite faltering a bit last week. Message songs are not his forte. David needs to figure out a way to stand out from the background singers, when there’s a whole chorus of them. I think the sound tech is partly to blame, but David needs to break away from the unison notes without sounding screamy. On the plus side, unlike Michael, David was able to bite his tongue when the judges criticized him, and he looked better for it. David is still a force in this competition, but has he peaked too soon? (Episode score: 6.5, Cumulative score: 8.2)

2. David Archuleta (3): David A. and the rest of the troupe benefit by one ranking point because of Michael’s ouster. David did well, but he still sounds raspy to me most of the time. I think David’s piano playing came off as too amateur; simple chords on quarter notes without any changes are not that interesting. Still, he’s a likeable guy, and it’s hard to imagine a finale without him. The winners’ song will be just the blend of processed cheese that David has become expert at delivering. But David needs to find a way to embrace his youth and sing something up-tempo. That’s doubtful with Celine, so we’ll likely need to wait another week at least. (Episode score: 7.6, Cumulative score: 7.6)

3. Syesha Mercado (4): I know many will disagree with this position, and I don’t dispute that Syesha’s in danger every week, but she’s an excellent singer. Every song draws comparison to the singer who made it famous, and I’m a bit weary of aspersions cast her way for picking songs by the big guns. Syesha’s take on Fantasia’s coronation song was indeed inspiring. The girl hit and held a high E with precision, intensity, and aplomb. Now what she needs to do is define herself as an artist. Mariah Carey should be a good week for her. I expect her to do well and last another week, but she needs to figure out who she is before she runs out of chances. (Episode score: 6.5, Cumulative score: 7.2)

4. Brooke White (5): Brooke is consistently good, but never really great. I love Brooke and vote for her regularly, but my support will wane unless she can step it up to the next level. Brooke needs to tap more into her ability to connect with emotions and also take a risk to belt one. Since I’m not convinced she can belt, she needs to really let out the emotions. Tears = votes, Brooke... don’t be afraid of ‘em. (Episode score: 6.8, Cumulative score: 6.8)

5. Jason Castro (6): Jason is polarizing, which will lead to his downfall sooner than later. The ukulele was an odd choice, especially in skinny jeans. I didn’t really get it. He’s a very likeable guy, but vote splitting with Brooke may come into play soon. I still think his best approach is to move more into aggressive acoustic. Bring in the hand drums and fully embrace the hippie culture. Jason’s lack of power will never allow him to reach the finale, but I expect to see his CD at Starbucks in a few years. (Episode score: 7.0, Cumulative score: 6.5)

6. Kristy Lee Cook (8): Kristy Lee received the top score of the evening on performance night, but she still hovers near the bottom of the list based on her cumulative score. I have to say, I was extremely impressed with Kristy Lee and voted furiously to keep her. Last week, I noted she needed 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.” I think she’s secured that record deal, and may last much longer than anyone imagined.

When she sang the verse about the futility of singing when people don’t care, she mixed the perfect amount of vulnerability and determination to overcome. Kristy Lee’s song choices have been excellent lately, and now that she’s proven she can sing, I really look forward to seeing what she can do in the coming weeks. I can see her possibly outlasting everyone but the Davids. What a comeback! In my opinion, she deserves a permanent moratorium on the Sanjaya comparisons… there just is no comparison. (Episode score: 8.2, Cumulative score: 6.2)

7. Carly Smithson (7): Carly should have gone home last week and she knew it. I agree that she sounded angry and oversang a lot of the song. But that’s how I’ve always felt about Carly. Carly needs some voice lessons. Also, I find it odd how she spoke of never wasting one moment of your life… by working in a bar and a tattoo parlor? OK. Nothing wrong with that, but those are not exactly the professions of an activist or humanitarian. Like it or not, I’m not sure America’s ready for a tattooed American Idol. (Episode score: 4.9, Cumulative score: 6.1)

Eliminated: Michael Johns: This certainly was a surprise! It shows the perils of going first and arguing with the judges on top of it. Michael shouldn’t have listened to the gay man who convinced him the ascot was a smart fashion choice. I doubt we’ll see him in one ever again. But I don’t doubt he’ll make a great album. The problem is, he’s probably best suited as a band front-man. Let’s hope he can find his Daughtry. (Episode score: 9.2, Cumulative score: 9.1)

If you haven’t already, be sure to check out these other recent American Idol 7 articles on FoxesOnIdol:

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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