During every season of American Idol, there are singers who are eliminated way too early, leaving less-talented contestants to stay on in the competition. We recently named our Top 12 finalists, and already a shocking exit occurred the following night.
When I predicted that Daniel Seavey would be the first to depart the Top 12, I knew there was definitely a chance he would stay on just because it’s Daniel Seavey and, again, there are always singers like him who should have been gone long ag
But when his name was called to perform, and then Quentin after him, I couldn’t believe it came down to Nick and Sarina-Joi. How could one of these two be cut? Neither would deserve it. Unfortunately, one of the most talented singers this season, Sarina-Joi Crowe, was the first finalist to leave.
If we’re getting a shocker this early on, anything can happen. Will Daniel stick around for even longer? Will there be another surprise elimination? Will the judges have to use their Save way earlier than they normally do?
Let’s take a look at the 11 remaining contestants who performed Party Songs and predict who’s the next to go.
Definitely Safe
Joey Cook: Joey delivered one of the best performances of the night with “Fancy.” Who knew this Iggy Azalea Top 40 song could successfully be turned into a jazz number? I’m betting she earned some big points with many viewers, which could really help her in the weeks to come. She’s be in the Top 10, no doubt.
Tyanna Jones: Yet again, I had fun watching Tyanna’s performance; “Tightrope” is just the latest example of a singer choosing the absolutely perfect song to suit her musical style. Most of these other contestants don’t always hit it on-point with song choice, but for Tyanna, she’s hits that bullseye every time. I can definitely see her going very far this season.
Nick Fradiani: Even if Nick Fradiani didn’t have the pimp spot, he still would be advancing because his performance of “Wake Me Up” was refreshing. We all know this song, so to have Nick go the acoustic route was a nice move. The only critique I have is that somewhere in the middle he may have lost a little bit of momentum, but fortunately he got back on track by the end.
In the Middle
Clark Beckham: Clark is going to have a very difficult time trying to top “It’s a Man’s Man’s Man’s World” from the Top 12. Considering he’s one of the frontrunners, I’d say he doesn’t necessarily need to best that one anytime soon. Clark sounded great on “Takin’ It to the Street,” so vocally he didn’t really have any issues. And that’s probably all that matters right now.
Jax: Jax is one of the frontrunners, and that should keep her around for a while. But if she delivers another “Blank Space”-like performance, that high status might be yanked out from under her. I don’t think she was terrible by any means, but we expect more from her. And while I love this Taylor Swift tune, “Blank Space” doesn’t lend itself to being a standout in terms of making it far in a competition like this.
Adanna Duru: Adanna is one of the singers I’ve been very tough on, and for good reason. But in the Top 11, she actually performed like she wanted to be here. She sounded great and chose a song that she was able to deliver on. Either this is a fluke for Adanna or she’s about to rise in the ranks and stay that way for a while as she keeps improving.
Quentin Alexander: Because Idol is not doing a Bottom 3 this season because of the new format, it’s tougher to see who’s really in danger. Whether you’re talking about Quentin, Adanna, Qaasim, Daniel, etc., which of them were in the Bottom 3 with Sarina? We don’t know. Because of that, I don’t know what to make of Quentin’s chances right now, so he’s in the middle.
In Danger
Rayvon Owen: Sarina, one of the best this season, sang first during the Top 12, delivered a weak performance, and went home. Similarly, Rayvon is a great singer, he went first in the Top 11 and delivered one of his weakest sets to date. That puts him in a terrible position. The judges loved it, which doesn’t make any sense — I don’t know what they were listening to.
Maddie Walker: Maddie’s in an interesting position right now. While her Top 11 performance of “She’s Country” wasn’t always perfect, there were still some good moments. Afterward, Ryan Seacrest said that she’s been sick, and then over the past week we found out she was in the hospital. She will be performing this week, though. Since she’s the only country singer, that’s definitely helping her, and I’m sure that quick on-air mention of her being sick will also help her with voters.
Qaasim Middleton: We’ve given Qaasim plenty of chances to improve, and he just hasn’t yet. I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s on the chopping block right now, but as I mentioned above, not seeing the Bottom 3 is making it difficult to tell if someone like Qaasim is close to elimination or not.
Daniel Seavey: Daniel, Daniel, Daniel — where do I begin with you? He keeps ruining great songs left and right. Sometimes, it’s obvious the judges try to be nice to a certain singer so that their fans get complacent and not vote. I hope that’s happening here because the judges were a little too nice to Daniel following his (not so) “Happy” performance.
Elimination Prediction
Rayvon Owen: If Daniel goes home, then I’m not going to care that I got this prediction wrong. But if it’s not Daniel, then I’m betting either Rayvon or Qaasim will be eliminated. Of these two, I’d rather see Qaasim leave, but Rayvon performing earlier in the night might be more of a hindrance when coupled with the fact that he had a very weak performance. Following Sarina, if another normally-good singer goes home, it’ll be Rayvon.
Who do you think is heading home? Do you foresee another shocking exit? Or will the right person be cut? Share your predictions in the comments section below.
American Idol airs Wednesdays at 8pm on FOX.
(Image courtesy of FOX)
Staff Writer, BuddyTV
Jeff Dodge, a graduate of Western Washington University, has been a TV news editor for many years and has had the chance to interview multiple reality show stars, including Randy Jackson, Nick Cannon, Heidi Klum, Mel B and John Cena.
