American Idol 2025 Top 14 RANKED. How would you rate the contestants?
American Idol 2025 goes LIVE COAST TO COAST starting Sunday April 27 with a Rock & Roll Hall of Fame theme! Iconic singer-songwriter James Taylor will mentor the singers. Plus, the Rock Hall nominees will be announced on the American Idol stage LIVE! Viewers vote in real time. Host Ryan Seacrest will reveal a Top 12 at the end of the broadcast.
Lionel Richie is the only Rock & Roll Hall of Fame member on the panel, by the way. James Taylor is of course also a member. The artists likely dream of becoming a member some day! The theme will be songs from Rock Hall members. Blake Busch picked a few song suggestions for the contestants
American Idol 2025 Top 14 R&R Hall of Fame Contestant Song Suggestions
In the meantime, I attempted to rank the contestants. Fourteen is a lot to rank. But I gave it a shot. I also took a peak at social media numbers. And on Facebook, the numbers were surprising. Jamal Roberts and John Foster were the only singers to garner more than a million views of their Top 14 Reveal performances. Thunderstorm Artis (193K) and Slater Nalley (144K) views were lower than I expected (I have a theory about Slater).
American Idol also airs on Monday April 28 featuring an Iconic Idol Moments theme. Season 3 winner Fantasia Barrino performs as the Top 12 take the stage. Check out the details here.
American Idol 2025 Top 14 Rankings
The rankings are based on the strength the singers bring into the next round of competition and will likely change week to week. How would you rank the Top 14?
14. CHÉ Chesterman
CHÉ was a surprise save by the judges last week. He’s a talented singer, but hasn’t created much buzz so far. Also, he’s from the UK and is without a homegrown fan base that can vote for him. If he survives another week, he’ll qualify as an Idol miracle.
13. Desmond Roberts
I would personally love if the musically gifted Desmond survived the night. His arrangements and creative performances never disappoint. But as another controversial judges save, it’s not clear if he has the ability to excite voters.
12. Josh King
No doubt there are still fans mad that the panel saved Josh, CHÉ and Desmond instead of Baylee Littrell or Olivier Bergeron. Josh is musically talented—he is an accomplished pianist—but he tends to be a cornball on stage. Still, the entertainment factor can get a singer pretty far in the competition! He could squeak by for awhile.
11. Amanda Barise
Amanda is the only wildcard who fans are mostly not mad about. She’s an old fashioned belter who knows how to deliver a show stopper. She could be sticking around for awhile.
10. Filo
Filo is a Platinum Ticket holder but I’m not sure he has what it takes to go the distance. The remaining contestants include singers who exhibit more creativity and originality. Also, Filo has a tendency to over-sing.
9. Kolbi Jordan
A Platinum Ticket holder, Kolbi, like Amanda, is a big voiced Diva prime for the pimp spot. At some point the competition won’t be big enough for both singers.
8. Mattie Pruitt
Mattie recently turned 16 and is the youngest singer in the competition. It’s a fact that the judges won’t allow viewers to forget! Nevertheless, her poise and maturity are impressive, as is her rich contralto. Only this season’s deep bench keeps her from ranking higher.
7. Gabby Samone
Gabby has been on the rise since the panel plucked her in Hollywood to skip the Head-to-Head round and advance straight into the Top 24. The soulful singer performs in an exciting theatrical style that sets her apart from the other contenders.
6. Thunderstorm Artis
Thunderstorm’s views on Facebook after his last performance were surprisingly low. Did putting his guitar aside to sing a Billie Eilish song hurt him?
5. Breanna Nix
Breanna took a risk last week covering “The Show Must Go On” by Queen. She didn’t seem as confident as she has in the past belting gospel and Christian contemporary tunes. And talk about a complete 180 in terms of song choice! Were some fans who love her faith based song choices disappointed that she chose to cover the unapologetic hedonist Freddie Mercury?
4. Canaan James Hill
Like Mattie, Canaan is mature beyond his years. He’s an old man living in a 17 year old body. He takes the stage like a man sure of what he wants, and that is to spread the word of the Lord. Canaan never fails to deliver an exciting performance. His reliability and Platinum Ticket status could help propel him to the very end.
3. Slater Nalley
I have Slater on my could-win-the-whole-damn-thing list along with Breanna, Canaan and now John Foster. But his video views were low after his last performance where he not only covered Americana singer Jason Isbell, but declared the outspoken left-wing singer an inspiration. Did he turn off some conservative country music fans? In any case, he’s still a contender.
2. Jamal Roberts
Jamal may be the most exciting and mesmerizing entertainer left on the show. His performance of “Try a Little Tenderness” from last week garnered over a million views! Could he win? Maybe.
1. John Foster
John has the purest and most radio-ready voice of all the remaining singers. However he’s young and so far his performances mostly lacked personality. But his Easter Sunday performance of his original song “Tell That Angel I Love Her” served as a window into the singer’s world as he dedicated it to a friend who passed away suddenly. And the momentum keeps going as John’s cover of “Neon Moon” by Brooks & Dunn posted over 1 million views on Facebook. The singer is rising in the ranks.
American Idol airs Sunday and Monday on ABC at 8 pm, streaming next day on HULU
