Mac & MJ present their Top 7 Power lists for your consideration. Leave your thoughts in comments! American Idol airs Wednesday at 8/7c PM on FOX. The contestants sing two songs this week, for a theme called American Classics.
MAC: 1) Clark Beckham– I enjoyed Clark’s cover of Make It Rain last week. It wasn’t my favorite performance of his this season, but it was a good performance. It’s all about consistency right now for Clark, and he’s nothing if not consistent. American Classics week should be another great week for him to showcase his talents.
MJ: 1) Clark Beckham – It wasn’t my favorite performance from Clark, but I liked Make It Rain last week too. I’ve discovered that Clark is better when I listen to his TV appearances with my eyes closed. Not that it matters whether his stage presence is everything it could be. He remains the front runner.
MAC: 2) Jax – Luckily for Jax, I didn’t actually love Joey’s rendition of Wrecking Ball, so I’m not going to shift Jax out of the 2nd spot. It was her biggest disappointment since covering Taylor Swift. These kinds of slip ups are the reason Clark is so far in front. He hasn’t had a bad week yet, while Jax, Joey, and the rest of the gang have each had a “bad” performance. Jax needs to turn it around this week, because if Joey hits her stride again, Joey might be in the finale instead. Heck, Tyanna could overtake both of them.
MJ: 2) Tyanna Jones – I was beginning to think that Tyanna was too innocent and inexperienced to connect to emotional ballads, but she proved me wrong with Stay. She’s just got to pick the right songs. If she can choose wisely, she’ll at least make the tour, or as you said below, get that hometown visit (if Idol budgets for that this season). I have her at #2 because I think she’s going into the coming week stronger than either Jax or Joey.
MAC:One performance does not a front runner make. If Tyanna can keep up her streak, then perhaps. But you launched her above Quentin, who by your account has been extremely consistent. I feel like Tyanna could immediately go back to being mediocre. I don’t have the faith that you have in her.
MJ: To clarify: I didn’t say she was a front runner. For me, she delivered such an incredibly strong performance last week, it catapulted her beyond the rest–going into this week.
MAC: 3) Joey Cook– I didn’t love Wrecking Ball. I actually wish Joey had changed up Wrecking Ball to suit her, instead of just singing it straight. When people say that you should just sing a song straight, they usually are referring to songs that are already pretty ‘classic’ and shouldn’t be changed up. I recently went to a concert where a band covered Ain’t No Sunshine, but as like an emo/funk up-tempo remix and it was awful. It completely missed the aching heartbreak of the original. That’s when you shouldn’t change up a song. Wrecking Ball just felt like a waste of time.
MJ: 3) Quentin Alexander – I actually LOVED Latch. A lot, in fact. The performance didn’t feel so much “uptempo” to me, as slinky and sexy. If Quentin was pandering, I didn’t mind. Pander to me more, Quentin. Ha. It was a different side to Quentin, and I liked it. I’m putting him in the #3 spot, because he’s been remarkably consistent, especially lately.
MAC: 4) Tyanna Jones– Tyanna is the comeback queen this week. Her performance of Stay was my favorite performance last week, and it seemed to resonate in every poll I saw. I think if she can keep this momentum up, she might be able to dethrone Joey or Jax and get at least a hometown visit. Tyanna has always been a contender, she just lost her way for a little while.
MJ: 4) Nick Fradiani – His fans don’t like his version of Teenage Dream? Did I miss a bulletin or something? I liked Teenage Dream too. I thought the performance had energy, which was lacking in some prior performances. Nick has been pretty consistent too, if not terribly exciting. Oh, and he’s got his old AGT pal, Howard Stern, shilling for him on the radio. That’s gonna bring in a couple of votes.
MAC: TVLine has him in 5th with 7% (a poll where you can actually pick your top 3), and your poll had him in 5th with 8%. So maybe “dislike” is a strong word, and I should have said his performance just didn’t resonate the way he hoped. Though, 11% voted for Nick as “should” go home. He’s the second most popular choice, behind only Rayvon. 5% actually think he’ll go home. He just doesn’t have the body of work that Jax and Joey have to be able to have an iffy performance and escape the bottom two.
MAC: 5) Quentin Alexander– I realize I asked for it, and its my fault, but I didn’t love “happy, uptempo Quentin.” I felt like everything that was making him special was gone. He wasn’t mysterious anymore. He wasn’t dangerous. He was pandering to the audience. I think I might be in the minority here, but it was his worst performance so far (for me). Sorry, not sorry.
MJ: 5) Jax – I liked her cover of “Poker Face” better than…well just about everybody. I thought the vocal was strong and I liked the arrangement. However, it’s tough to radically change around a well known pop hit. I also think some elements of her presentation were off-putting. In any case–nobody seemed to like that. I think she’s losing some good will and has to have another breakout moment if she wants to stay competitive.
MAC: 6) Nick Fradiani– I actually enjoyed Nick’s Teenage Dream, and he’s showing a lot more charisma, and more connection with his performance each week. For some reason, I appeared to be the only person who enjoyed Teenage Dream. I’m a little worried for Nick this week because of that. Look, I’m not actually a Nick fan, and I enjoyed the song. So maybe Nick’s fans didn’t like the song, because it didn’t showcase what they like about Nick? He got some votes from me, but I don’t know if it’ll help keep him out of the bottom 2.
MJ: 6) Joey Cook – I could have easily put Jax in this position. Neither singer has been consistent over the weeks. I thought her cover of Wrecking Ball had it’s moments. But although she didn’t “technically” change it up, it somehow lacked the dramatic flair of the original, mostly because it went nowhere on the chorus. I don’t think it’s unreasonable to predict Joey or Jax in the bottom two this week. Nick is a possibility, but I think he did well enough to stay safe.
MAC: 7) Rayvon Owen– If Rayvon couldn’t get out of the bottom with his Since You’ve Been Gone performance, he won’t leave the bottom this week either. I didn’t hate Set Fire To The Rain, but it just was a good (not great) performance. He’ll stay in the bottom 2, and I don’t think he can win a third singoff against any of the remaining contestants. It was easy to send Daniel home, and he managed to send Qaasim home, but unless someone bombs big time, Rayvon is gone this week.
MJ: 7) Rayvon Owen – Rayvon’s performance last week was mediocre and will surely land him back in the bottom 2 this week. This time, he won’t survive, unless the singer he is up against totally bombs. Even then, Rayvon still might be twitter voted off, because in this particular situation, I DON’T think 3rd time is the charm.
