Now that we’re down to the Top Ten, it’s time to start ranking them:
1. Emo Boy – I didn’t think Adam could do ballads. I was wrong. He switched things up, took the risk by going acoustic, and it paid off in spades. Now people know that he’s not just a wailer, but he can really, truly sing. Yet, I will continue to call him Emo Boy, just because. 9/10
2. Allison Iraheta – Putting Allison in the bottom three was a damn shame. Yeah, she’s not some cute weird chick or a guy, but the girl has pipes and knows how to use them. My only real complaint right now is that she’s singing songs she can sing with power, and like Adam did she needs to change it up. Still, one of the four people the judges are likely to employ the save on. 8/10
3. Danny Gokey – Another unique personality that is occupies that third level with Lil. He was in his element this week but right now he’s performing more than he is singing. I don’t feel that he’s really hit his stride yet, and if he does then he’s probably a clear cut #3. 7/10
4. Lil Rounds – As the judges noted, she needed to knock her song out of the park this week, because Motown is right in her wheelhouse. And she just didn’t do that. However overall she’s still a strong contender, and is likely to recover once Idol goes back to themes outside of her element. 6/10
5. Kris Allen – Kris is a strange one for me. He often seems both comfortable and uncomfortable with whatever song he’s singing, and this probably ties in to Simon’s comment about his not finding his sweet spot. I guess this is what makes him consistently good, but not great. Once again, I see him as Idol‘s version of Josh Logan – a good singer who can’t quite get over the hump. 6.5/10
6. Matt Giraud – Matt and Anoop, in my mind, are somewhat interchangeable in sixth and seventh. I don’t see either guy winning, but Matt has shown a lot of improvement since the semifinals. He actually did well this week leading off, but the problem was that after everyone else performed, it wasn’t all that memorable. 6.5/10
7. Anoop Desai – Anoop bounced back after the first week, and this week showed off his singing skills. It was a good sign because he was starting to drift into Sanjaya territory, and we really didn’t need to see that. Still, the problem here is that he really wasn’t that strong, and that’s gonna prevent him from cracking the top five. 6/10
8. Michael Sarver – In the words of Dennis Green, Michael is exactly what we thought he was – a nice guy, decent singer, but limited compared to the front runners. As he noted, he gives it his all every time, but that’s only gonna carry you so far. He’s pretty much gonna be Bottom Three every time out until he’s eliminated. 5.5/10
9. Scott McIntyre – Similar to Alexis Grace, Scott peaked in the Semis. Like Sarver, he’s a decent singer, but at this point his limitations are apparent to anyone with ears. This week, his weak version of the Phil Collins version of “You Can’t Hurry Love” forced the judges hand in saying that he wasn’t that good. Well, except for Paula, who avoided the question of ranking Scott among the guys by giving Simon crayons. And somehow, the crowd ate it up. Would he still be here if he wasn’t blind? Well, yeah – it’s not like Jasmine, Jorge and Alexis were any better. But Scott should not be around by the time we hit the final seven. If he is, there’s only one reason why, and it’s not his singing or piano playing. 4/10
10. Hippychick – Meanwhile, Megan should’ve never even made it to the Wild Card. But I’m not telling you anything you don’t already know. 3/10
Predictions
Bottom 3:
Scott
Hippychick
Michael
Eliminated:
Michael
See you next week.
Kevin Wong is also amazed that Brian Kendrick is still in the WWE, and Shawn O’Haire is not.
