.. and here we are again. I know. I know. It seemed like I completely ditched this show because I didn't write any reviews after the fourth episode, but I'm back and there's no turning back. I wouldn't miss this - at least the live shows - for anything.
So, just like
last year where I ranked the Top 24 based on their auditions down to their Sing For Your Life performances, I'll stubbornly do it again this season hoping that I'll get things right this time. Haha. Last year, I was ridiculously off when I ranked Haley Reinhart last for the girls only to find myself rooting for her a couple of weeks later. I guess, you could never really predict anything on this show no?
But while I've learned to wait for the live shows to form a definite opinion of any of the contestants - I somehow
got it right last year - but there are a few who have already piqued my interest and as of this moment, it's all about that proverbial guessing game of who will enter the Top 12/13.
Without further ado, here's how I
personally rank the Top 12 Boys based from whatever we saw from them. (I've decided to separate the post - it's TOO long. Haha)
Let's go to the rankings, shall we?
Remember him? Haha. To be fair, we saw Chase's audition and he has a generically good country voice. Sadly, that's all there is to him. I think he is very likeable, but at the same ridiculously forgettable and in this show it's somehow better to be awful than forgettable.
LONG SHOT On his third attempt, he finally got a spot in the Final 24 and the show even featured him for like, umm, thirty seconds! Yay! Haha. Aaron is a fantastic singer and I actually like his strong soulful voice, but he has also been struggling for airtime since Joshua Ledet broke out in Hollywood. To me, he's an obvious fodder despite the talent.
LONG SHOTIs he a real contender? Hardly. But Jeremy is a solid vocalist with some serious talent. His rendition of
I Know You Won't was actually quite beautiful and touching, which suited his warm and very down to earth persona. One big thing that's working against him though is the fact that singers like him simply have a terrible track record at winning American Idol. Case in point: Ruben Studdard.
LONG SHOTHe has a soulful and powerful voice that commands attention, but somehow he reminds me so much of Danny Gokey - only bigger and slightly less annoying - and that, to me, is not a good thing. Haha. He's a bit dated, his marketability in the real world is questionable and I'm not sure if he'd be able to sell many records. Then again, Danny Gokey came close to winning Season 8, so what do I know right? Haha.
POSSIBLE UPSETNot sure if I'd be able to learn to love his voice or if it will make me want to jump off a cliff. Haha. Yes, Creighton to me is an absolute enigma as I couldn't tell really if his voice is terrible or amazing. Sure, he have a massive range, but he sounded more like a siren than an actual recording artist. I wanted to like his rendition of
What A Wonderful World, but the oversinging and his nasal tone really rubs me the wrong way. He's a bit polarizing so he may have trouble gaining traction with a lot of the audience, but he happens to be one of the judges' favorites, so I'm terrified that the they'll let him through via Wildcard.
POSSIBLE UPSETWatch out for this kid! No, I'm not saying this because he's the strongest vocalist in the competition, but because Eben is going to lock up the legendary "Grandma/Teens/Tweens" vote that managed to put John Stevens, Aaron Kelly, Kevin Covais and David Archuleta into the Final 12. Of course, there's actual talent in Eben - a good voice with an impressive range and decent stage presence - but I'm not sure if he's perfect for this show. Maybe Disney?
MOST LIKELYReed, to me, is more of style than substance. I don't know. He's quirky and entertaining with a good singing voice, but I'm still not convinced of how talented he actually is. I mean, he's been more on playing his instruments and scatting more than the actual vocals. Right? I'm not going to lie though, I thought his version of
Georgia On My Mind on drums was impressive and I saw him sing rather well with an actual melody behind his voice. All Reed needs is to focus to sound very strong. If anything, he reminds me of Casey Abrams and Taylor Hicks, and yes, you may look at it in anyway you want. Haha.
MOST LIKELY He's like the second coming of Constantine Maroulis in terms of locking eyes with the camera! Haha. I've never been a fan of Colton even from last season. That said, I can't deny the fact that he has a certain charisma that makes him relevant in the competition - other than making a certain type of song into something more mellow, which David Cook already did a couple of years ago. Good thing, his
Fix You rendition somehow made me believe - despite the uneven vocals - that he's worthy of a spot in the Finals.
SHOO INWhile I'm getting a little of Jacob Lusk's vibe off of him - his vocals are sometimes way too much for my liking - Joshua is obviously a lot more cooler and modern than Jacob. His take on
Hit 'Em Up With Style during the group rounds proved that he can be a relevant recording artist. He has this certain ability to transcend a material into something memorable. Arguably, Joshua is the strongest male vocalist this season and with his powerful instrument, his chances of going far in the competition is pretty high. I just wish he's smart enough when to reign it in - something Mr. Lusk was unable to do with all the wailing!
MOST LIKELY Truth be told, I like him, but the fact that he reminds me of Lee DeWyze, Kris Allen, David Cook, Taylor Hicks with the accent of Scotty McCreery kind of scares me. Haha. No, Phillip Phillips isn't the best of the bunch, but there's something oddly refreshing about this guy - even if he reminds me of ALL (save for Ruben) male winners of the show. I like that he has a remarkable ability to pick songs to re-arrange from
Thriller to Usher's
Nice And Slow, which was pretty brilliant, and make it sound new. Of course, I figured that not a lot of people would "get" him, but he's charming with a good if a bit polarizing voice. He should look out for Reed Grimm though, as I have a funny feeling that they will cancel each other out one way or another.
MOST LIKELYHeejun. I'm not sure if he's being weird on purpose or if he has an actual touch of mental illness, but the whole shtick works for me! He's hilarious and it's pretty impossible not to love this guy! But aside from the fact that he's extremely likable, Heejun has a beautiful tone, which was further showcased in his Las Vegas performance and his solo New York State Of Mind. He has some diction issues to work on, but that's just a nitpick. If he continues to improve on the singing and make people take him seriously, he could easily be a serious contender for the crown.
SHOO INI was upset when he got cut last year, but this somehow gave him time to figure his own sound and work on his talent even more. So, now that he's back, his vocals are far more superior and he now has a distinct sound that's completely his. DeAndre's impeccable falsetto is his most powerful weapon and it's pretty obvious during Las Vegas round and even in his outstandingly rousing cover of
This Woman's Work. If he manages to mix things up with his voice and not just with his signature falsetto, I don't see him going anywhere. But of course, song choice will be the key for DeAndre's success on this show.
MOST LIKELY
4 comments:
Deandre deserves the top spot. He's an outstanding vocalist. I love Phil and Heejun the most though. I mean, I LOVE THEM. haha
At last, DAM posted something for Idol this season. I miss the straight to the point commentaries on Idol. Regarding the rankings, I also have almost the same ranking but for me Heejun is no. 1 because of the tone and the likeability. Phil and Eben bothers me coz I want a female winner this season.
This is the 1st year since I start watching AI that _absolutely NO ONE_ stands out for me (guys and girls). There's a couple that I thought were pretty good... but not Pia good, or Adam good, etc.
There are one or two that I can't stand though, with Creighton Fraker being at the top of that list.
I think, out of the guys, Reed Grimm and Heejun are probably my favorites. And I think I only like Heejun because he's freaking hilarious, and not because of his voice (which is good, but nothing special).
As for your list, DeAndre on top?? Really? Last year, putting Scotty on top I could understand. Not understanding DeAndre in the top 24 at all. I'm actually hoping he's part of the first cut (along with Creighton, of course).
Honestly, I don't get the choices for the top 24 this year at all. I few of them I get, I a lot of the people that were cut (that were highlighted, anyways) I found to be better than those that made it through.
I'll still be watching AI this year, but I'm really happy the Voice is on also. I find that show a LOT more enjoyable... everything from the talent to the judges.
interesting to see DeAndre on top... i see him as a long shot. then again, it's your choice.
i like Reed and Heejun. Joshua impressed me A LOT tonight. I thought Colton's rendition of "Decode" was all over the place. Phil? he's crazy talented, yes, but I think he's kinda overrated.
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