Mac & MJ present their Top 6 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 the theme is “Arena Anthems”.
MAC: 1) Clark Beckham- I actually struggle to write new things about Clark each week because of his damned consistency. He was really good doing Superstition, a song that is so overdone on Idol that when it was announced that Clark was singing it I actually thought “FINALLY! A bad Clark performance!” I was wrong. But, I actually loved Moon River. His voice is so smooth on that song. He just sat there and sang it, and for me, that was the performance of the night. Sure, he showed his swag in Superstition, but he brought a powerful load of sexy to his Moon River performance. We’re all just waiting for Clark’s confetti to drop at this point.
MJ: 1) Clark Beckham – I tuned out Superstition after the guitar/scatting intro. I just can’t get down with any more covers of that song. But I did appreciate his delicate vocal on Moon River. I’m a sucker for that song anyway! Overall, two solid performances that keep him at the top of the pack.
MAC: 2) Jax– This week was the realization (for me) that Jax won’t beat Clark. She had two performances that, on paper, should have worked. Both ended up being sort of B+ performances. She couldn’t take either Piece Of My Heart or Beat It to the next level. It’s a shame. I enjoyed both, but neither blew me away. Jax is going to follow the trajectory of Jena, but hopefully this time a record deal will land in her lap.
MJ: 2) Jax – I thought Piece of My Heart was VERY good, and Beat It a little less so, but still really solid. The problem with Jax is that her musical explorations come off as dilettantish. She’s really just a talented young singer still figuring out her artistic place in the world. Nothing wrong with that, but strong identities tend to win singing shows. I think Clark, at this point, is unbeatable, though.
MAC: 3) Quentin Alexander– This is a daring move for me. But, Quentin got a lot of attention because of the Harry vs Quentin nonsense from last week. Hopefully those new eyes also heard Sound Of Silence, because that was spectacular. I’m betting that the hoopla from last week worked in Quentin’s favor. He either got more votes, or he got no votes. I wouldn’t be shocked to see Quentin in the bottom 2, but I think people realize that Harry was being an ass, and Ryan egged on the whole situation.
MJ: 3) Nick Fradiani – Our lists are the same, except that Nick and Quentin are flipped! I think Nick is gaining momentum, rather than losing it. American Girl was the perfect kind of song for him and he sang it well. It was smart to rearrange Only The Good Die Young–it earned him “artist” points with the judges. I think America noticed. The judges and Scott Borchetta love him, which doesn’t hurt. I expect him to make the tour.
MAC: 4) Tyanna Jones– Lets be honest. Neither of Tyanna’s performances last week were stellar. Proud Mary has been done better by other Idols in the past, and Why Do Fools Fall In Love was just a waste of a performance slot. I mean, she did it fine, but brought nothing new to the song. It felt old, and it aged her away from being a relevant artist. If Tyanna sings for her life this week (which she might), she needs to really bring it.
MJ: 4) Tyanna Jones – Why Do Fools Fall in Love should have worked, but it didn’t. That slowed up arrangement was dull and all wrong for her. I thought her vocals on Proud Mary were pretty great, but nothing spectacular. I hope she doesn’t have to sing for her life this week, because her song choices (I wrote this after the spoilers came out) won’t lend themselves to being great save me songs. Tyanna’s performances, unfortunately, are hit and miss.
MAC: 5) Nick Fradiani– I’m having a hard time predicting who will sing against Rayvon this week. I’m putting most of the chips on Nick, who I honestly couldn’t remember what he sang without looking it up. I felt both of his covers last week, American Girl and Only The Good Die Young were both good covers. But it’s the kind of thing Nick has been doing a lot, which is coasting. He doesn’t have that one performance that everyone went gaga for. That has to catch up to Nick eventually. And if it doesn’t catch up to Nick this week, that’s bad news for Tyanna (or even Quentin).
MJ: 5) Quentin Alexander – Quentin did get a lot of attention, but unfortunately it wasn’t positive. While the Idol faithful seem to mostly be Team Quentin, comments on articles around the net are critical. It doesn’t help that some of the headlines paint Quentin as an ingrate and a menace. The racial overtones are unfortunate. Honestly, I hope you are right. I didn’t LOVE Quentin’s first performance, Are You Going My Way, but Sound of Silence was spectacular. After losing Joey, I can’t even imagine the tour without Quentin. But unfortunately, standing up to or talking back to the judges usually doesn’t work in a competitor’s favor. I think there’s a good chance Quentin will be singing for his life this week.
MAC: 6) Rayvon Owen – Being in the bottom for the last three weeks earns you a spot at the bottom of any power rankings. His last stellar performance (Since You’ve Been Gone) didn’t pull him out of the bottom two, so neither will Always On My Mind, which was one of my top 3 songs last week. His vocal on his save song was fantastic, and I wasn’t that mad that he got saved over Joey. But four weeks? Can Rayvon seriously knockout Nick, Tyanna, or Quentin? I really doubt it. Joey’s fans will vote for whoever is against him just to spite Rayvon.
MJ: 6) Rayvon Owen – Always on My Mind was such a GOOD performance, it could have finally earned him enough votes to stay safe. A Quentin/Tyanna bottom 2 wouldn’t shock me. Still, Rayvon may be destined to hit bottom every week he’s in the competition. It appears to be a pattern, so I’m sticking with it..
MAC: But can Rayvon win a fourth sing off to slide into the tour? That’s the big question.
