American Idol Top 20: First Impressions with Rankings

Hello! As you can see….American Idol has been on since January…and I do not have a single entry on the show. This is because I wanted to sit back and observe this new format. It’s kinda strange because the girls and guys are basically not competing against each other…not until the top 10. Well, this may work in favor of the girls this year…..anyway, so let’s get started.

So, I’m going to jumpstart my American Idol blog entries with my first impressions of the top 20 finalists. I’m also going to be revealing my faves and ultimate faves in the process.

Girls.

1.  Kree Harrison- Probably my ultimate favorite of the season. There’s just something special about her voice…pierces the soul..her voice is sooo reminiscent of Carrie Underwood’s, which is probably what captured my attention in the first place.
2. Angela Miller- Angela is the first contestant that gave me goosebumps in the competition with her Hollywood solo performance of original song, Set Me Free. I can see her going really far in the competition. Her voice has this quality that reminds me of Kelly Clarkson..very effortless. I’m kinda hoping for a Kree-Angela finale. :))
3. Amber Holcomb- Goodness!! Vocal Control!!!! This girl is an excellent technical singer. I’m really feeling this dark horse vibe from her…she can probably take the whooole competition if she continues picking the right songs…she can earn more fans in the process….
4. Candice Glover- Coming off of last year…I really expected Candice to do pretty well and I think that so far she’s been delivering. My only problem is that I really need a goosebump moment from her…she needs to take liberties with that big ol’ voice she possesses… I’m a bit worried that people will eventually get bored of her.
5. Adriana Latonio- Yay for a Filipina contestant this year!! :) She gave a solid performance during the Sudden Death round, which resulted in standing ovations from Keith Urban and Randy Jackson. I’m a bit worried because she had noooo airtime before the Sudden Death round….but I'm confident that the Filipinos will back her up… I have no idea how consistent she is though…she might pull a Jasmine Trias who was stellar in one performance and mediocre in the next..or she might be a Jessica Sanchez who was stellar throughout ..well, let’s just watch and see!
6.  Breanna Steer- This girl really surprised me because I didn’t really know how she would sound. I honestly thought she was just cannon fodder…However, she has this gorgeous tone. I’m not sure about the likability factor..but I think she’s very marketable.
7.   Zoanette Johnson- I’m starting to really like Zoanette!! I think it was the Circle of Life performance, which gave me goosebumps!! :)) Lion King has a very special place in my heart! If she continues delivering these performances, she might be a threat to the crown!! My only concern is that she has the tendency to go all over the place…a Hot Mess!! Hahah
8. Aubrey Cleland- Now, I like Aubrey… I think she has a great image and a very current sounding voice. My only problem is that I think the judges overrated her performance of sweet dreams. I think that it was totally the wrong song for her voice.. :( she has a sweet sounding voice, which could go really well with folk-motown type songs…she was struggling with the Beyonce song especially with the high notes…the lower notes on the other hand were gorgeous. :) I waaaaant Aubrey to do good in the semi finals..because I actually want her in my top 10.
9. Janelle Arthur- Janelle is a sweet country singer with a pretty face…but that’s just it.. her voice is not so impressive. I mean..she’s no Carrie Underwood…I don’t think she’s a Lauren Alaina either. She has the potential to get into the top 10, but I don’t think she’ll be going very far. What she has going for her is that likability factor.
10.  Tenna Torres- I don’t think that Tenna should’ve made the top 20 in the first place….she picked a really really good song, which I think tricked the judges into thinking she had a good performance…her high notes were irritating and she was struggling a lot..but this is not to say that she has such a gorgeous tone…very Mariah-esque.

Guys.

1. Vincent Powell- I’m in the mood for a gospel singer! :) Love Vincent’s voice and tone!!!
2.  Burnell Taylor- I didn’t like Burnell at first but he’s starting to grow on me. He’s got a lot of stage presence..and I think his voice is really solid.
3. Curtis Finch Jr.- Now, I prefer Vincent to Curtis..and it’s totally a personality thing.. I think that Curtis is as strong a singer (if not stronger) as Vincent…but his personality just rubs me off the wrong way.
4. Devin Velez- Another great voice here. What worries me is that he might lose his stride and start picking the wrong songs…He might get eaten up by the big gospel singers.
5. Charlie Askew- Not the greatest singer on the show, but he’s very entertaining to watch. He has a very unique voice as well. He may be the novelty act among the guys this year. :))
6. Nick Boddington- Honestly, Nick would’ve been in my top 3 after his performance of Stars back in Hollywood. His performance during the Sudden Death rounds however was very disappointing :( I honestly thought that he didn’t deserve to make it to the top 20 (would’ve preferred David Willis, Josh Holiday, Bryant Tadeo to him). But I’m hoping that he makes a come back.. (maybe he could sing Stars again..heheh)
7. Elijah Liu- I know there’s been a lot of Elijah hate. I honestly think that it was just the song choice last week… I watched some of his youtube vids and I think that he’s worthy of his place in the top 20.. I think he has to prove his worth on the show though.
8. Cortez Shaw- Ridiculous range….great image…He has the tendency to over-sing. I think he has to pull back a little and pick better songs. If he has these small issues fixed I think that he could sail through.
9. Paul Jolley- I know a lot of people like Paul…I mean..i think his voice is powerful…it’s just that I think that he thinks he’s a country singer…he’s not…and his cover of Tonight I Wanna Cry was incredibly awkward..the phrasing was not good..he should stick to Clay Aiken stuff..He’s a balladeer and not a country singer.
10. Lazaro Arbos- :((( I think his performance was terrible….and I totally feel for Lazaro and his story..but I think at this point being objective is very important…I tried watching the performance back to see if there were any redeeming factors… :( the only redeeming factor I found was his story..but this is not Oprah..it’s American Idol, a singing competition. 

American Idol Season 9 Review #5: Top 8 Girls

The night can be all summed up in Alex Lambert's face. Lol.

Individual performance critiques and ratings:

Katie Stevens (Breakaway - Kelly Clarkson) First of all, I thought Katie looked beautiful tonight. The performance, however, wasn't very good. I thought the song was too big for her. Her voice was a bit shaky at parts. :( I just don't think she knows who she is as an artist. She has a great voice, and was praised earlier in the competition by Kara, as the potential winner...However, this might be the end of the road for Katie :(((..and I'm very sad as well...I'm still keepin' my fingers crossed that she makes it. Save Katie, she has so much potential, she just needs time to grow!! Rating: 7/10


Siobhan Magnus (House of the Rising Sun - The Animals) This was another solid performance by Siobhan. Nevertheless, I think she's starting to be a bit old-fashioned. I think she needs to show her edgier side more often. Siobhan, please do something like "Living for the City"! :D She's sailing through to the Top 12! :D Rating: 8.5/10


Lacey Brown (The Story - Brandi Carlile) I absolutely LOOOOVE Brandi Carlile and this song!! :D I thought this was a great song choice for Lacey! And I agree with the judges, I could totally hear her voice in the radio right now. I'm not sure though if peaking this late in the competition will grant her a spot in the top 12. Let's just wait and see. Rating: 8/10


Katelyn Epperly (I Feel the Earth Move - Carole King) When I heard that she was doing Carole King, I was hoping that she was going to do the song "So Far Away." However, she ended up doing Carole's uptempo track. I thought she did OK, but this performance paled in comparison to her earlier performances. The judges are right, she did seem nonchalant. I couldn't see the determination in her, during the performance, that she wanted to make it into the Top 12. Nevertheless, I don't think the performance was as bad as the judges made it seem. It seemed that the judges were doing everything in their power to give her bad comments..Personally, she may also be in danger...I hope America sees beyond the judges' views, and realize that she is worthy of a spot in the Top 12! Not her best performance. Save Katelyn! Rating: 7.5/10


Didi Benami (Rhiannon- Fleetwood Mac) Didi finally gets praised by the judges. I thought this was indeed her element. However, I'm starting not to like her. I don't like how she tends to cry and everything.....and seem vulnerable. This was a good performance. I just hope that she faces criticisms with more strength. Rating: 8/10


Paige Miles (Smile- Charlie Chaplin) What happened to Paige?! She finally sings a ballad, but her voice sounded soooo bad. I didn't get it? Where's the "best voice" that Simon was always referring to? I thought she was going to be an underdog. She has officially sealed her fate. Bye Paige. Rating: 5.5/10


Crystal Bowersox (Give Me One More Reason- Tracy Chapman) I really liked this performance! I commend Crystal for her consistency...and her voice is just increadible! This was another solid and effortless performance from Crystal! She is obviously going to make it! However, I do wish starts coming out of her comfort zone..and perform without the guitar once in a while. Rating: 9.5/10


Lilly Scott (I Fall to Pieces - Patsy Cline) She indeed made another song current. However, to me, she's starting to sound the same every week??? It's like she's singing the same song. This was a good performance, but, like Crystal, she needs to step out of her comfort zone. Rating: 7.7/10

Ranking based on ratings:

1. Crystal Bowersox
2. Siobhan Magnus
3. Lacey Brown
4. Didi Benami
5. Lilly Scott (eliminated)
6. Katelyn Epperly (eliminated)
7. Katie Stevens
8. Paige Miles

Performance-wise, Katie and Paige are going home. I also think that Katelyn, Lilly and Lacey (despite her good performance) are in danger. Please save Katie and Katelyn!! :(