Mac & MJ present their Top 3 Power lists for your consideration. Leave your thoughts in comments! The BIG finale is this week. The final performances, air on Tuesday at 9/8c pm. A winner will be crowned on Wednesday at 8/7c pm on FOX. The contestants are preparing three songs this week, but only TWO will get to sing, after a contestant is eliminated. Here we go with our LAST power list of the season!
MAC: 1) Nick Fradiani- I actually think we’ve been projecting the wrong WGWG the entire season. I think Nick is headed for the victory. I realized I got it wrong when I said Scott wanted Jax to win. I think he wants Nick to win. Nick got a great package, he was shown getting emotional with his dad, he gave props to his mom… and when we cut to his family, Scott was standing there with Nick’s family. It’s an odd place for Scott to be unless he wants to be there. He wasn’t with any of the other families. This whole like “rising at the right time” thing really keeps getting pushed. I think they want a Jax/Nick finale. Something tells me that they started changing course midstream. Maybe Clark isn’t really good to work with. I don’t know what it is, but somewhere along the way they decided that Nick was the golden boy, and Clark…well… he’s had better weeks.
MJ: 1) Nick Fradiani – Support from TPTB for Nick has been building over the past few weeks, including Scott talking him up every chance he gets. There was an item in People over the weekend revealing Nick would duet with Andy Grammer at The finale. He gets effusive praise for each and every performance from the judges, even if it’s not earned. For instance, the judges gave the third round last week to Nick for that karaoke version of “I’ll Be,” when Clark’s “Earned It” clearly won the round. For whatever reason, they don’t want Clark to win–and I expect it has at least something to do with the clashes between him and Scott. I think Scott would be perfectly fine with a Jax or Nick win. He seems to know how he would market both. But he may be pimping Nick harder because he has the best chance to beat Clark and win it all. At any rate, Nick has momentum right now. We could have the first Northeast winner of American Idol.
MAC: 2) Jax- I loved My Immortal last week. It might have been my favorite performance. Yes, the Paramore track didn’t work. I’m torn between Jax and Clark in the finale. I think the fact that we’re no longer voting just by phone works for Clark, because even though Clark and Nick share a fanbase, that fanbase doesn’t have to choose. However, Jax was the last one to get a Top 3 spot, something that has led people to believe she was in the bottom 2. If it got her more votes… honestly Clark wasn’t great last week. Sittin On The Dock Of The Bay was his best song, and lets face it, we definitely didn’t need the 18th Idol version of that. He sang it well, but his other two song choices were a mixed bag. Jax had My Immortal and The Who song, so she had 2 strong performances over Clark’s 1 (and the last few measures of the 50 Shades song). Jax also had pretty strong support when she went home, a little bit closer to what Clark and Nick had. If you’re looking for something a little different this year, Jax is it. Can she send Clark home this week? Maybe. But by a very narrow margin.
MJ 2) Clark Beckham – Just because Scott and the producers are doing everything in their power to derail Clark, including giving him a crap choice like “Beautiful Day” to sing in competition, doesn’t mean it’s going to work. Southern dudes have always had the advantage on Idol. They don’t have to sing as well or work nearly as hard to prevail. I suspect there are fans out there who admire his courage to stick to his guns and also appreciate that he’s a nice, politem God-fearing boy. His performances have not been as good in the latter weeks of the competition. But last week, other than “Beautiful Day,” Clark had a solid night, and his “Earned It” was arguably the best of the night.
MAC: 3) Clark Beckham– Clark hasn’t been up to par in a little while. He’s been fading fast, and I feel the lack of the support in the editing room. He was the weakest of the surviving performers last week. The “blind praise” went to Nick, who seemed to impress the judges with every song choice. Even I’ll Be. I’ll admit that I loved Sittin On The Dock Of The Bay, and I love Clark’s voice, but with a dwindling audience and a “perceived winner”, I wouldn’t be that surprised if somehow Nick and Jax came from behind and took the finale from Clark. A few weeks ago, I would have called you insane. Now, I think there’s a very real possibility. Even if Clark does defeat Jax, I’m no longer certain he can beat Nick. And that’s a big problem for Clark.
MJ 3) Jax – Jax had a solid week last week. “My Immortal” was a stunning performance. She did her thing on “My Generation,” but I’m not convinced this punk princess thing–which is side of her artistry that could be marketed successfully to the general public–is going over with Idol voters. While I liked her Paramore cover, the judges shot it down, which likely influenced viewers (older fans are probably not familiar with the song). I think she’ll be eliminated in 3rd place, and Scott may go right ahead and sign her anyway.
