Mac and Mj compare their American Idol XIII Top 12 power lists! Share yours in comments.
MAC: 1) Alex Preston– He nailed that performance last week, after nailing his Rush Week performance. He’s had two strong weeks back-to-back, and he’s got the added benefit of being a WGWG. Sam Woolf, probably his closest competition, stalled last week with an odd version of Unwell. I’m interested to see what he’ll perform next week for “home” week. Three good performances in a row will put more distance between him and Sam.
MJ: 3) I loved Alex’s performance this week! But his “Volcano” may have been too subdued and introverted to allow him to fully connect with America. He’s my #3 this week. He hasn’t had his breakthrough performance yet. I’m confident it could happen. If it does–watch out!
MAC: 2) Majesty Rose- If Alex fumbles, Majesty is hanging out there waiting for him. Majesty has locked in two strong performances, back-to-back also. In fact, I still believe she can win. I’m only giving Alex the edge because he’s a WGWG, which has worked out well for several past winners. Majesty is unique, and because of that there are no past winners to compare her to.
MJ: 1) Majesty tops my list. She’s fearless. She’s consistent. She knows how to win over an audience. She’s also a fantastically unique singer. I want to believe she can win, but you are probably right that the white guys continue to have the edge.
MAC: 3) Jena Irene- I think her being a wild-card is a fluke. Somehow, votes just didn’t go her way, but I think she’s got a solid fanbase, and her performances are generally strong. Her Rush Week performance earned her a lot of goodwill. Hopefully she can really continue to build up steam. It’d be interesting to see if a wild-card can make the finale.
MJ: 6) I LOVE Jena, but I’m not sure America does. She’s #6 on my list. Her vocal is an acquired taste and all of her best performances have been original songs, which could spell trouble for the young singer. Jena needs to choose covers she can connect to emotionally the way she does her own music.Right now, I think Jess Meuse is making more of a splash.
MAC: 4) Caleb Johnson– This is tough for me to admit, but I think Caleb is really etching out a niche for himself in this competition. Rockers have done well in the past, and Caleb could rock himself into the Top 5. He needs to avoid doing the campy rock thing though.
MJ: 4) You and I agree here. I find Caleb a too Las Vegas lounge-y for my taste. He’s a rocker, but I’m not really buying it. Having said that, he has a technically killer voice and knows how to work a stage. Being able to work a crowd counts for a lot on Idol, and old school rockers appeal to the Idol demo. Caleb could go very far indeed, in this competition.
MAC: 5) Sam Woolf- He’s sliding down for me. I’m not sure that he can win if he carries on this current path. I think he’s boring, and the direct comparison to Alex is only going to hurt him if he keeps turning in performances like Unwell. He could be a shock early boot if he doesn’t get his act together.
MJ: 5) Sam has a gorgeous tone with beautiful pitch and phrasing. But he’s really, really boring and one note. He sounds like whatever singer he’s covering and has yet to define himself as an artist. What was so appealing when he sang to the judges in the intimate audition room is completely lost on the big stage. I think he’ll be one of those early front runners who eventually falls behind. It’s possible he’ll go out mid pack. At which point, of course, the judges will save him.
MAC: 6) Jess Meuse- Her strong performance last week (coupled with a good Rush Week performance) is balancing out her bad Hollywood Week edit and getting her some fans.
MJ: 2) I think Jess has all but erased that negative Hollywood edit. Her performance of “The Crow And The Butterfly” was stellar, and dare I say, a bit of a game changer. I have her sitting at #2, just behind Majesty.
MAC: 7) Ben Briley- His ability to change up a song, even though some people didn’t like it, will serve him well as he fights to stay in the competition. Original arrangements offer contestants the ability to have a “moment”, and I think Ben’s going to do that at some point.
MJ: 7) I’d have Ben higher on the list if he hadn’t picked that Johnny Cash song and then proceeded to speed sing through it. He’s got to think more about what’s good in competition rather than what he likes, or what works in his club set. Ben is an interesting, musical performer. I hope he hangs around.
MAC: 8) Dexter Roberts- Country does well on Idol, but if Dexter keeps turning in forgettable performances, he may become the first contestant to prove that statistic wrong.
MJ 9) If Dexterr wasn’t a white guy who sang a popular genre, he WOULD have been in the bottom 3 this week. He DESERVED to be there. His bro country stylings are going to allow him to sail through for a few more weeks. That makes me cranky.
MAC: 9) Emily Piriz- Emily is a strong singer, and she managed to stay safe against MK’s bottom 3 appearance. If she plans on surviving in the competition, Emily will need to make a greater emotional connection going forward.
MJ: 8) See how I switched Emily with Dexter? I think she made an impression on America, overcoming her fumble from the previous week. If she keeps choosing the right songs, Emily could at least be a mid-packer. I don’t think she’ll go farther–I don’t see huge star potential.
MAC: 10) CJ Harris- CJ could be in danger this week if he can’t find a memorable song choice. Like Dexter, if he keeps choosing limited songs, his time in the competition will be limited.
MJ: 10) I expected CJ to be in the bottom 3 this week, to be honest. He needs to stick to country blues, the sound that caught the judges attention. Ironically, he’ll record songs like “Radio” if he ever gets a chance to make a record, but he couldn’t land with that bland song. He’s also got to work out his nerves-induced pitch problems.
MAC: 11) MK Nobilette- Something was off last week with MK. She doesn’t seem comfortable on the stage, and her image makeover didn’t do her favor.
MJ: 11) MK’s performance was one of my favorites of last week. She picked a song that nobody knew, and then delivered a very subtle, internalized performance. This week, she needs to choose a familiar song. And then maybe lose the hat. I hate to say this, but I think America would like MK more if she presented more feminine. It sucks, but I think it’s true.
MAC: 12) Malaya Watson- She’s on the verge of being a joke contestant. That infectious energy, coupled with her awful performance last week doesn’t bode well for her future on the show. There’s a chance she could turn it around, but it’s a slim one.
MJ: 12) Here’s a case of a very talented young girl who is obviously in over her head. She should have waited a few years before auditioning. As it is, she’s a ball of undisciplined raw talent, and I’m not sure she’s going to be able to get it together in time before she’s voted off.
