There was a huge debate last week about whether or not Paul should have gone home. I’m surprised, personally, since it’s really obvious why he went home. He ranked low the previous week, and he’s struggled all season with authenticity. So when he sang a song void of country twang, and then complained that he couldn’t make a Beatles song country (only to be shown up by Janelle), he was promptly sent home. He lost a chunk of his fanbase that was voting for him because he was a country artist. Country fans demand authenticity, and Paul doesn’t have it.
Now, onto our current top 8.
8) Devin Velez- Two consecutive showings in the bottom show that his fanbase is limited, and only able to help him skate by week-after-week. He might skate by again this week, but he’s not long for this world. He also seems to not really have a clear idea of who he is as an artist, and comes across as just a really good karaoke singer. Motown week should be kind to his vocal stylings, but it’s not a guarantee. If Lazaro has a good week, Devin could be going home.
7) Lazaro Arbos- He’s a polarizing contestant. Heejun left in 9th place, Tim Urban left in 7th place, Scott MacIntyre left in 8th place, Kristy Lee Cook left in 7th, Sanjaya left in 7th, Haley Scarnato left in 8th place, Bucky left in 8th place… you get the point. A lot of “polarizing” contestants have left 7th-9th place. Lazaro hasn’t had a strong performance in a while, and has started to blame other people for his bad performances. I think he’s going to find himself in danger this week. It’s unlikely he knows the song he’s singing. I think he might be going home this week, though Devin clearly is a prime candidate also for elimination.
6) Amber Holcomb- The first girl to hit the bottom will have to put her game face on this week. I feel like Motown is a great theme for her to rebound on, she’s probably safe this week. I’m a little more worried about Janelle, but that’s coming up. What Amber needs to do, beyond Motown week, is not choose boring songs. I realize that people found her vocals last week flawless, but that song was a dirge. It was like listening to death slowly approaching. She needs better songs so she can actually entertain her fans.
5) Janelle Arthur- I’m a little worried about Janelle and tonight’s theme. She is also likely to be performing early this week. If her fans don’t rest on their laurels, she should be safe this week. But if they forget to vote, and she turns in a mediocre performance, she might find herself in the bottom. The only reason I ranked her above Amber, is that it’s way more likely that they would save Janelle who has never been in the bottom before, versus Amber who was in the bottom last week. The save is usually used on singers who don’t repeat in the bottom week after week. I struggle to think that the save would be used on anyone who isn’t Angie/Kree/Candice, but I think Janelle has a better shot of being saved than Amber.
4) Burnell Taylor- As the boys continue to underperform, it becomes more and more clear that it’s likely Burnell will be the last boy standing. Plus, Motown week seems like a week where Burnell would excel. It’s entirely possible he’ll be the only guy standing against 5 girls, and while it would be beautiful to have a Top 5 of all girls, does anyone REALLY think that’s going to happen? It’s at least semi-likely that Burnell will finish 4th or 5th.
3) Angie Miller- Had a bit of depimping last week after being told she was too “theatrical” by Jimmy. She’s still consistent, at least since hitting the Top 10. Really, the top 3 girls seems to be interchangeable at this point, and anyone of them could win. Angie’s strength is her “artistry”, and any chance she can take to flip a song into her own cover, she should take it. She hasn’t used the piano in a few weeks, and probably doesn’t need to pull it out this week. But she shouldn’t ignore it forever either.
2) Kree Harrison- I think she’s a strong contender for the crown, but the fact is that Candice has slightly outperformed her the last two weeks. It’s hard not to put Candice in first, but Kree is definitely nipping at her heels. All three of our girls are playing the long game, and playing it well so far. One bad performance from any of them could mean the difference between 3rd place and the finale.
1) Candice Glover- After two strong showings the past two weeks, and heading into Motown week, I have to keep Candice at #1. I’m sure she’ll pick a boring song at some point, and I’ll slip her down to 2nd or 3rd, but she’s having a moment right now. There are still a LOT of weeks to go, and Candice is running the risk of peaking too early, and leaving room for Angie or Kree to pass her later in the season. Another thing working against Candice is that no “returnee” has ever made the finale, let alone won the entire competition. She would be breaking ground just by making the finale, let alone winning.
We shall see how Wednesday’s show pans out, but right now, I think Lazaro and Devin are the most in trouble, with Janelle and Amber as outside possibilities.
