Wow. It happened. Bryan Keith exited the competition. I guess he didn’t have quite the following I had thought. I didn’t think he’d win, but I thought he was a legitimate shot at finalist territory. I’m not surprised (based on the performances) that Sylvia went home. I think Trevin got really last night.
8) Cody Belew- I think he lives week-to-week as sort of a “joke” contestant. With Itunes sales factoring in, I don’t think Cody can last much longer, even if he is entertaining. That being said, for a joke contestant, he does sing really well.
7) Dez Duran- He had a pretty good performance this week, but I think Team Christina’s final surviving member is not destined for the finale in any capacity. For that, he remains low in my rankings (despite constantly defying the odds and surviving the eliminations).
6) Melanie Martinez- She definitely deserved to stay last week, but she’s going to need to keep up that momentum if she wants to continue to oust fellow contestants who are considerably better singers than she is. She is probably the weakest vocalist left in the competition.
5) Terry McDermott- Last week, he turned back into a cover band singer. He’s going to need to switch gears this week to regain his “finalist” status.
4) Trevin Hunte- In case you were wondering, Trevin, “Scream” is not among the recommended song list for you. Keep singing songs like that, and you’ll be the most “shocking” elimination of the season.
3) Nicholas David- I finally saw Nicholas as a contender this week with his Lean On Me cover. I don’t think his record deal afterward will yield anything, but he could give some more performances that demand you vote for him.
2) Amanda Brown- Really great song choice last week. I don’t think she was in the “bottom 3” by any means, since Carson never identified that as being the bottom 3. I think she’s still a major contender in this thing.
1) Cassadee Pope- If you thought this “power list” wasn’t going to end with the only person this season with a #1 song on Itunes, then there’s a ticket to crazytown with your name on it. Cassadee emerged as a potential victor this week. The big question is, when you’ve had your moment at the Top 10, how do you keep that momentum up for the next 3 weeks?
Join me after X-Factor on Turkey Day for some power rankings. :) Sound off in the comments below! Do you believe Dez and/or Cody can survive another week? And if so, at what cost?
