We have arrived to the final three. Honestly? This is the best case scenario for the season (sorry, Amber). This season has proved to be largely without controversy (except maybe Lazaro surviving past a bunch of boys who wouldn’t have won anyway). Now, the best three contestants will fight for the right to get into the finale. Someone good is going home this week, and it’ll break a lot of people’s hearts.
3) Kree Harrison- I think she’s the weak link going into this week. She’s been getting panned by the judges/Jimmy for performances that are actually really good. I don’t know why they are worried about her, because I think she’ll do great as a country artist. Being third place hasn’t been kind to most people, and we’ve had some incredibly promising third place finishers fizzle with record sales. I worry about Kree leaving this week, but if she can get to the finale, I don’t see why she can’t post AT LEAST Lauren Alaina numbers. She needs to find a way to bring to the table what Candice and Angie are bringing. Candice seems to bring the “that was so good, we can’t pan it” vocal to the table, while Angie brings a mix of current with a little bit of her own “artistry”. Kree needs to tap into her youthfulness and convince America that she’s a fun girl like Angie, and that she deserves to be in the finale just as much as Candice.
2) Candice Glover- The last time we had a black female in the finale, she won. Jordin Sparks. So the bar is already high for Candice, as she most closely (of the top 3) resembles the last female winner American Idol had. Candice also has a bit of a personality problem, like Kree, and both of them are lacking in the following that Angie has. The difference is that Candice seems to throw down with the vocals, moreso than Kree (who is still an excellent singer). Perception is key here, and the perception is that Candice is the best singer in the competition. The judges typically buy into that too. This week, Candice will need to stay relevant and current in order to lock into the finale.
1) Angie Miller- I think she’s got the finale in the bag. Her twitter following is considerably larger than Candice or Kree, and she’s never hit the bottom. Unless her voting block gets lazy this week, Angie will be facing off against Candice or Kree in the finale. What she needs to do this week, however, is keep the steamroller moving. She’s not singing to get through THIS week, she’s singing to make sure that people vote for her in the finale. She’s trying to lock in the whole shebang this week. Three “good” performances that manage to get her to the finale won’t be nearly as successful as one “great” performance that goes down in idol history. Now’s the time to pull a Heartless. Don’t just show America why you deserve to be in the finale, show them why you should win. Oh, and did I mention, she’s from a town just outside of Boston? Yeah… THAT Boston. Normally, being a northerner on Idol hasn’t helped anyone, but being from Boston right now is a very powerful thing. And we’re about to all be reminded of it again as we see her hometown visit. If Boston presents a groundswell of support for her, she might be completely unstoppable.
Join me tomorrow night when I switch gears and liveblog the Top 12 announcement of The Voice.