American Idol XIII – Idol Chat with M&M – The Top 7

American Idol 13 Top 7 Power List! MJ and Mac compare their rankings for the week.  How would YOU rank the remaining contestants? Sound off in comments…

MJ: 1) Alex Preston – I didn’t like Alex’s interpretation of “Every Breath You Take” at all. I was in the minority on that one, however. What really matters, is that he’s solidified his position as the contestant with “artistry” and one who is willing to take risks. His trajectory reminds me a bit of Phillip Phillips back in season 11. You’ll recall that the judges were constantly praising his originality. Alex has an excellent chance of winning the crown.

MAC: 1) Alex Preston– See… I actually did like his interpretation of Every Breath You Take. It felt like Alex wrote a new song for himself, rather than simply reinventing a classic. It’s a bold move, but you almost have to be bold or super safe on a song like that. His trajectory is heading for the top spot, for sure.

MJ: 2) Caleb Johnson – And coming up right behind Alex, is Caleb Johnson. We’re quite possibly looking at the finale right here. It would be an interesting match up. The folky guitar flipper, vs the talented performer with the amazing voice–similar to the Adam vs Kris showdown of Season 8.  Caleb has delivered consistently solid performances throughout the competition. He’s a little loungey, but there’s no denying his vocal prowess.

MAC: 3) Caleb Johnson– I gotta say I’m still giving Jena the edge, for being more willing to take actual risks. Caleb stays pretty safe every week, and has only really rearranged a song twice in the competition. I agree that him and Jena are really close for the slot at the finale, but Jena’s getting the edge right now. Can Caleb play an instrument? That could potentially send him to the finale.

MJ:  3) Jena Irene – I could switch out Jenna for Jess in 4th place. I’m putting Jena first only because she been slightly more consistent than Jess, and her good performances more impactful.   When Jenna is on, she connects to the audience better than Jess too.  For my tastes, her song arrangements don’t really land. The judges seem to like them, however, and so do many of you.

MAC: 2) Jena Irene– I love her originality, and I think she’s come a long way from being just “a wild card”. Jena has been on a roll of sorts, challenging herself every week with a new arrangement. Love her or hate her, she’s kept this season fresh and interesting by refusing to just sing the song exactly as written. I admire her for that.

MJ: 4) Jess Meuse – …Yet Jess has never been in the bottom 3! It’s a very curious thing.  Her original song, “Blue Eyed Lie” is a highlight in a very uneven set of performances.  Last week, her “Call Me” was downright uncomfortable to watch. Jess can’t pull off the sexy vixen. At her best she’s an intense singer, and really shines with material that has a dark edge. She’s got people, though. It could be a regional fan base voting for her no matter what that are saving her from the bottom. Her seemingly teflon Idol run means she could sneak into the Top 3 ahead of Jena. We’ll see.

MAC: 5) Jess Meuse– I’m starting to feel like Dexter might edge out Jess. For someone who has never been in the bottom, Jess has been startlingly middle-of-the-road. Arguably, she’s about the same as Dexter, who is pretty middle right now, yet she hasn’t had the shock of sitting in a stool. My prediction is that Jess will go straight home in a shocking elimination, without knowing what it feels like to be saved.

MJ: 5) Dexter Roberts – If Dexter stuck to ballads, he could move past Jessica and Jena. An all male Top 3 isn’t out of the question. Although the generic anthems he favors didn’t hurt him last week, a boring performance did send him to the bottom 3.  If his competitors are smart, for the “Competitors Choice” theme, they’ll pick songs similar to “Achy Breaky Heart” and give the ballads to another contestant.

MAC: 4) Dexter Roberts– Dexter really is the Old Faithful of the competition. He’d be voted most likely to sing almost the exact same song every week. It is building him a fanbase, and I think it could carry Dexter further into the competition than perhaps Dexter truly deserves to go. To top it off, Dexter’s past two weeks have been excellent. That duet with Allison Iraheta was fantastic. He’s got forward momentum while Jess is stalled following her Blue Eyed Lie.

MJ: 6) CJ Harris – I would not be surprised if CJ misses elimination again this week. The judges nail him every week on his pitchy singing, but then negate the criticism by pointing out his ability to bring emotion and passion to his performances. That counts for something, surely. Unless CJ is so off-key it actually makes dogs across the country howl. Either way, it doesn’t seem to matter, CJ always squeaks by, at least.

MAC: 7) CJ Harris– He can’t possibly last another week. Can he? Is it even possible for these contestants to pick a song for CJ that would actually make him shine? CJ’s pitch issues are hindering his growth, and honestly if Malaya hadn’t been awful last week, Free Fallin would have likely sent him home. CJ is now in the zone of “overstaying his welcome”, and I think he’s due to go home (at least before the Top 5)

MJ: 7) Sam Woolf – Sam had his week-after-the-save reprieve.  Now, all bets are off. If he gives another lackluster performance this week, he could be gone for good.

MJ: 6) Sam Woolf– I actually liked him a little last week, and thought he bounced back a bit. He’ll need to continue to focus on growth if he plans on making the top 5, but I think he can outlast at least CJ. Fingers crossed.

About mj santilli 34841 Articles
Founder and editor of mjsbigblog.com, home of the awesomest fan community on the net. I love cheesy singing shows of all kinds, whether reality or scripted. I adore American Idol, but also love The Voice, Glee, X Factor and more!