Now that it’s Top 10 week, each of this year’s finalists has only nine other singers standing in the way of being crowned the winner on May 16. But that only means they have to step it up or they may find themselves in danger of going home.
Performing songs by American Idol winners or songs they covered when competing on Idol, this week’s performances were a mixed bag. There were some standouts from most of the girls and, as we’ve come to expect, solid to forgettable performances from the guys. Who’s safe? Who will find themselves in the Bottom 3? And ultimately, which finalist will be eliminated?
American Idol Recap: The Top 10 Finalists Perform >>>
DEFINITELY SAFE
Angie Miller, Candice Glover and Kree Harrison were the three standouts last night. Even though Angie performed during the first half of the show and was surrounded by lesser talent, she’s already built up a strong enough fan base and has proven in earlier rounds that she’s one of the more talented singers this year. And Candice completely killed it with “I Have Nothing” — one of the best we’ve heard all season, if not the best. I mentioned last week that I wasn’t completely on board with Kree yet, but covering “Cry” has me changing my mind about her; I now see why people are fans of her.
Unless there’s a big upset in the results this early in the competition, all three are safe and will perform again next week.
IN THE MIDDLE
Lazaro Arbos: Taking on Kelly Clarkson’s “Breakaway” doesn’t tell me anything about who he wants to be as an artist. He gave a very amateurish performance. I still am of the mindset that he’s not Top 10 material. It’s his story driving him forward, which is sad to see that happening. However, he’s the only guy that stands out (though, again, not for the right reasons) and will live to see another day on Idol.
Burnell Taylor: The only reason Burnell will not be eliminated is because he had the second to last spot of the night. If he had performed early on, I’d probably put him in the danger zone.
Amber Holcomb: Yes, Amber had the pimp spot, which will ultimately save her. And yes, she belted out some unbelievable falsettos during “A Moment Like This.” But it seems as if the producers put her in this position to make sure the girls stick around and a guy goes home first.
IN DANGER
Paul Jolley: He wasn’t terrible by any means last night. But once 10pm hit and we could start voting, I bet many viewers forgot about him. And as we’ve seen countless times on American Idol, being forgettable many times can put you in a worse position than being terrible.
BOTTOM 3 PREDICTIONS
Curtis Finch, Jr.: He should not have covered “I Believe.” This song usually does not work for just anybody. The only person that can come close to matching Fantasia on it is season 11’s Joshua Ledet. I think he tried to create a moment with this song choice, but it didn’t pan out. Many viewers already think he’s arrogant, so that’s not helping him any.
Janelle Arthur: To compare country music artists, last year’s Skylar Laine had a very distinct twang to her voice. Janelle’s voice, on the other hand, is still very generic. She has to do something that will make people remember her.
Devin Velez: While Curtis and Janelle are pretty much a lock for the Bottom 3, the third spot could go to a couple different contestants. I feel that Devin and Paul are interchangeable here, in that it wouldn’t surprise me either way. I’m still a fan of Devin. But since he didn’t include any Spanish in the song, I wonder if that will hurt him. The Spanglish performances are what made him stand out.
ELIMINATION PREDICTION
Curtis Finch, Jr.: Chances are Curtis’ journey on American Idol has come to an end. It won’t be a great loss to the show. And in the producers’ eyes, it means the girls will have the upper hand in numbers, which they’ll love.
What are your predictions? Will all of the girls be declared safe by the end of the results show? And who’s going home? Share in the comments below.
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(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.
