This week American Idol cuts back to one two hour show a week until finale week, which take place the first week of April. On Thursday’s telecast, two contestants will be eliminated before eight perform for America’s votes. Here’s how MJ & Mac rank the remaining 10 contestants. Leave your list in comments.
MAC: 1. Mackenzie Bourg- My gut instinct right now says he’s headed for the win. A fitting end to Idol, giving the final title away to a Voice castoff. Mackenzie has already performed an original on the show, as well as reworking songs to fit him. He’s a good WGWG, and they usually go deep in the competition. Plus, it can’t hurt that he looks a bit like Harry Potter, can it?
MJ: 2. Trent Harmon – I get why some fans feel that MacKenzie Bourg could win the competition. He could. But last week’s performance was all kinds of dullsville. Trent uses his vibrato too much. He pulls weird faces when he sings and he can be iffy in his upper register, but he sings from the heart. There’s no pretense. He’s a fearless performer without guile, willing to show his soul. These are qualities that inspire fans to pick up the phone.
MAC: 2. Olivia Rox– I think Olivia is a smart girl who is checking off all her boxes right now. She’s had two strong weeks, and even though Jena and Jax couldn’t win their seasons, maybe it’s time a girl like them won the whole thing? Or, maybe she’ll make it to 2nd or 3rd like the other two did. Luckily for Olivia, this is a very short final season, so she doesn’t have to worry about peaking too early as we send contestants home one by one. This season, you need to go hard every week, and Olivia has done that.
MJ: 3. Sonika Vaid – It felt like Sonika had a breakthrough last week. She had never been so free, so bold on stage. It reminded me a little of how Hollie Cavanagh finally got it in season 11 and began delivering impressive performances. Last week could be a fluke, of course, but for now, I’m willing to place her higher on my list.
MAC: 3. LaPorsha Renae– I’m not convinced LaPorscha is the winner either. I think she has to overcome all the slightly racist people who keep saying “but we just had Candice Glover”, which I’ve read in comments on a few different sites. Just the idea that a black girl won a few seasons ago, so we’re covered, could hamper her chances in the competition. Couple that with her perceived front runner status, and people may forget to vote for her at all. However, Diamonds was flawless, and she’s probably the best vocalist in the top 10.
MJ: 4. Dalton Rapattoni – Dalton’s audacious stage presence is growing on me. He can be really fun to watch and I found his transformation of “Hey There Delilah” into a Blink 182 song to be kind of inspired. Punk pop lyrics can be as earnest as any singer songwriter’s (it’s a guilty pleasure, so kill me now!). For me, it worked. The singer came into Idol with a fanbase from his IM5 days that has only grown stronger. He’s going to go deep into this thing.
MAC: 4. Avalon Young– It wasn’t her best week, but until last week, she was really consistent. She needs to come out of the gate swinging next week and remind people why they kept her around. She’s unique. There hasn’t been a contestant like her on the show in years, and her fresh perspective is why people should vote for her. Better song choices though, Avalon. Please.
MJ: 5. MacKenzie Bourg – MacKenzie Bourg remains a fan favorite too. But if he wants to ensure a win, he needs to get out from behind that layer of hipster cool he’s got going on. If he can learn to connect with viewers at home, the way that David Cook finally did, there would be no stopping him.
MAC: 5. Dalton Rapattoni– You can’t always rework a song by changing the tempo. Sometimes you lose the heart of the song, and I think Dalton lost Hey There Delilah a bit. I also wonder if Dalton can win anyway. He feels too edgy for the title, in the same way Colton Dixon fell out early.
MJ: 6. Olivia Rox – I hope performing first didn’t hurt her this week. She’s this year’s rocker girl and has proven herself to be a talented singer with amazing range and performance chops. She’d be a marketable winner too. I’m all for Olivia breaking the boys curse, but cynical me isn’t convinced she can.
MAC: 6. Trent Harmon- I’m going to say that I wasn’t the biggest fan of Trent’s vocal last week. I know that might be shocking, but his vibrato was overused, and the song felt like it would have been better suited for him like a half step down from where it was. There’s nothing wrong with asking the band to transpose a song for you, especially in a competition like this.
MJ: 7. Avalon Young – Avalon has to be careful to choose great songs that give her an opportunity to show off her fresh, funky and unique style. “Stitches” is a hot song right now, but that performance was bland. As a current middle packer, one bad week could send her home, and that would be a shame.
MAC: 7. Sonika Vaid– Let me start by acknowledging that Sonika is on an upswing right now. But, one solid performance does not make a frontrunner. I think Sonika had been coasting on middling song choices and just ended up in the right song at the right time. Maybe it triggered something in her and we’ll continue to see her grow. Maybe she’ll become a frontrunner. Right now, she’s just on the right path, but I’m hesitant to push her further up the list until she proves consistency to me.
MJ: 8. Tristan McIntosh – Tristan showed such promise in the beginning, but like many young competitors before her, she’s crumbling under the pressure and not versatile or experienced enough to command the big stage. She needs to get back to performing piano driven country ballads, in order to stay viable.
MAC: 8. Lee Jean– Another singer who picked the wrong song last week. Though, to be fair, he rarely ever picks the right song. He just ends up defaulting into the Ed Sheeran catalog. As some of the other singers are starting to break away from the pack, it’ll be interesting to see how far Lee Jean can coast. I’m betting not very far.
MJ: 9. Lee Jean – The judges call his vibe “chill” but it comes off as reticent and inexperienced to me. Lee shows flashes of the artist he could eventually become, but he’s not ready yet. Unlike Tristan, who has had standout moments in the competition, Lee has been coasting by on the good graces of the judges, who still believe in him. Advancing young talent thinking they might “grow” in the competition is a mistake the judges continue to make–despite claiming they’ve sworn it off. In this final shortened season, there no time for that anyway.
MAC: 9. Tristan McIntosh– I mean, yeah, she’s the only country girl remaining, but are we grading her on a curve? It was another week of shaky vocals, and this time she had the added unpleasantness of being outplayed by the band. It made her voice seem smaller than it is. My deep fear is that Tristan’s pimping has caused her to amass a ton of fans who just don’t care that she’s not the best singer. They just love her backstory and will keep voting for her.
MJ: 10. Gianna Isabella – Gianna is a sweet kid who seems to love singing beyond her stage mother’s personally-driven aspirations for her. But she’s just a girl playing dress-up at this point. I was seriously disappointed that she advanced and Jenn Blosil didn’t. Sure, Jenn has her issues too, but for better or worse, she is a fully formed artist with a point of view and something substantial to bring to the table. After Jlo turned on her special snowflake last week, it may be the end of the road for the young singer.
MAC: 10. Gianna Isabella-– Yo, girl, I was honestly surprised you made the top 10 in the first place, considering your reprise was “I Put A Spell On You.” Then you get a once in a lifetime opportunity, and then sing Listen like that? I just don’t understand what happened to you. You were very promising, and I was a fan, and now I can’t wait for you to exit the show. I can’t help but think what Shelbie Z might be doing with her Top 10 shot instead of you. I can’t imagine Gianna survives the double elimination this week.
