There comes a time every year when Americans are able to exercise their right to vote. No, I’m not talking about political elections, but rather American Idol! For the first time this season, viewers were able to make a difference in the competition. Did you vote? Because like with elections, if you didn’t, you can’t complain about the results.
After the judges sent Dalton Rapattoni, Olivia Rox, Trent Harmon and La’Porsha Renae into the Top 10, the remaining 10 singers performed for our votes. Six of them will also join the Top 10, while the other four are heading home.
Here are the six contestants that I predict will make it into the Top 10 — let’s start with the easy ones:
Tristan McIntosh:
When Tristan performed “Good Girl” in the semifinals, I was worried she would be doomed like Emily Brooke. Fortunately, the judges knew she was better than that and kept her around. Her reprise of “What Hurts the Most” was so, so much better. The upbeat country tunes don’t seem to be in her wheelhouse, but a ballad like this is. Regardless of any ups and downs she might have going forward, Tristan deserves to be in the Top 10.
Avalon Young:
We need someone like Avalon Young in the finals. There is no other singer in the competition right now that’s like her. So far, she’s sticking to her own style, with both her music and fashion. Comparing her two solo semifinal performances, I prefer “Love Yourself,” but that’s more to do with the beat of the songs than anything else. For her cover of “Yo (Excuse Me Miss),” Avalon continued to show us who she is as an artist, someone who’s very current — I could see her doing a song like this in the real world.
Sonika Vaid:
I absolutely loved Sonika’s “I Surrender” performance. And even if it was just a coincidence, the timing of her singing a Celine Dion song was poignant since the night before, Celine came back to her Las Vegas show for the first time since her husband passed away. But back to Sonika, I didn’t hear any bad notes and her voice sounded spectacular.
MacKenzie Bourg:
MacKenzie got the pimp spot — and he certainly was one of the best of the night. When you think of the standouts on Idol this season, names that come to mind include Dalton, Olivia and a couple others. For me, MacKenzie is never on that list. However, with “Roses,” he reminded me that he’s better than I give him credit for. There are similarities to him and season 8 winner Kris Allen. I have never been a fan of Kris, and maybe that’s why I don’t usually find MacKenzie to be as memorable as some of the other singers, but that doesn’t mean I can’t enjoy his performances when he does something like this. He’s earned his spot in the Top 10. Those were the easy predictions. Now it starts getting a little harder…
Jenn Blosil:
While it’s hard to tell how far Jenn might go in the live shows, she’s one of the more unique singers this season. Like with Avalon, Jenn will make the live shows very interesting and lively. One wrong move could send her home, as I’ve said before, but going with “True Colors” was genius. Everybody loves this song and since Jenn is a Cyndi Lauper wannabe, I can definitely see many viewers really liking this performance. The final spot is the toughest one to predict. First, I can rule out Manny Torres and Thomas Stringfellow — both of them are most definitely heading home. Between Gianna Isabella, Lee Jean and Jeneve Rose Mitchell, I’d take any of the first two over Jeneve, but because we don’t know yet what most of the viewers think of her, it’s hard to tell if Jeneve will have enough support or if she’s too polarizing. But my final Top 10 prediction is…
Lee Jean:
Lee certainly deserves it more than Jeneve, at least, regardless of what actually happens. And there’s probably a lot of female voters supporting him. His performance of “Make It Rain” was good at times, and the song choice is a crowd-pleaser, but at other times he strained or forced some notes out. Maybe this final prediction is wishful thinking for not wanting an annoying contestant in the Top 10, but we’ll see during the first live show what America thinks. Who do you think is heading to the Top 10? And what do you make of Jeneve’s chances of staying or going? Take the poll below and share your thoughts in the comments section. American Idol airs Thursdays 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.
