American Idol 12: Top 3

This is a first. For the first time in twelve seasons, I seriously don’t care who wins American Idol. I would be perfectly happy with seeing any of these three contestants taking the title next week. They’ve all got strengths and weaknesses, but also possess the possibility of being an actual star. We’ll see, but it feels nice not to worry constantly about my favorite! They are all my favorite!

Now, after saying that, what was tonight’s verdict? Let me just say that it was a VERY close night with a different contestant winning each round. I would say that Round 1 went to Angie Miller, Round 2 went to Kree Harrison, and Round 3 went to Candice Glover. But, of course, more goes into my ratings so please read below to see who I believed did the most for themselves after three performances. It isn’t so much about having ONE great performance as it is having three very solid ones.

Oh, and those homecoming videos were so emotional, I cried. Twice. It's like watching Extreme Home Makeover. Haha. #sissy

Anyway, stay with me here as I go through what was a fairly good evening of music. So, here we go!

ROUND 1: JIMMY IOVINE'S CHOICE

03. Candice Glover

One

I knew Jimmy Iovine was going for Candice to give off that Mary J Blige vibe with his song choice, but something just didn't sit right with the whole performance. No, it wasn't bad by any means, but there were a couple of moments wherein Candice hit a few rare sharp notes and it felt like she was trying to force runs in places that she didn't need to. Not sure if this was due to the fact that she had never heard this song before, but this was still a little lackluster. Oh, and what can you say about the song choice Candice? *in her monotone voice* "I'm ecstatic!" Haha. 7/10

02. Kree Harrison

Perfect

Umm, why the hell did Jimmy give Kree a pop song when the others got more of their suited songs in their respective genres? I thought the first verse was stunning - I was hoping she stayed in that direction - but when she started moving and the whole band kicked in, the whole impact of the song wavered. It just didn't fit her style despite slightly reworking the arrangement to suit her. This was pretty standard, but not my favorite Kree performance. 7/10

01. Angie Miller

Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word

Who knew? On paper, this would've been awful and boring, but Angie pulled this performance incredibly well. There's an exceptional clarity to her delivery that's pretty impressive and I liked that she didn't add a lot of runs especially during the verses. It was pure, straightforward and quite lovely. 8.5/10

ROUND 2: JUDGES' CHOICE

03. Angie Miller

Try

While this song required a certain amount of grit and power to one's voice - and Angie obviously doesn't have that - she found a way to work with the song to her advantage. Her vocals were on point, she looked comfortable on stage and she's Miley Cyrus! Haha. It's silly I know, but kidding aside, I really enjoyed this. 8/10

02. Candice Glover

Next To Me

I was hoping that she had stuck closer to the original version, but I must say that the added tempo and rhythm especially towards the middle section of the song was quite riveting. Her vocals were strong and convincing and some of her vocal choices were spot on. This also proves that she can really be a current artist given the right materials. 8.5/10

01. Kree Harrison

Here Comes Goodbye

Before anything else, let me just say that I was an emotional wreck after watching Kree's homecoming! She has the saddest story - the odds of losing your mom in a car crash and your dad in a plane crash - and yet she's so positive and happy. So yes, that helped her dig deep into the emotions of the song and delivered probably one of the most emotional performances this season. Sure, her vocals weren't flawless and she seemed a little behind the beat in parts, but this was incredibly heartfelt. Kree stole my heart. 9/10

ROUND 3: PRODUCER'S CHOICE

03. Kree Harrison

Better Dig Two

It's a shame that Kree ended the night with her weakest performance. I don't understand why the producers gave her this song. I mean, Better Dig Two is a good song, but it requires a good amount of attitude and energy to pull off, which Kree doesn't have. She's obviously more of a soulful country singer with a voice suited for a quieter melody. She sounded good for the most part, but it was pretty obvious that she was struggling with the song. Can you add more, Nicki? "whoever picked that should be stoned." Haha. Revelatory. 6/10

02. Angie Miller 

Maybe

Like Kree, Angie's version of Emeli Sande's Maybe was her weakest of the night. She took the song and made it her own, but there's something a little manic with her during the performance. I thought her vocals were also a little uneven and she was not connecting well with the song. She was emoting, but it didn't seem real to me. This wasn't anywhere near as good as her two other performances. 6.5/10

01. Candice Glover

Somewhere

You just can't go wrong with The West Side Story no? Based purely on her singing, Candice is just playing with the competition. Her vocals were outstanding! That being said, I didn't think that was as superb as the judges made it out to be. It's technically good and it's probably one of the strongest tonight, but there was something missing for it to surpass the vocal masterclass of Lovesong or even You've Changed. 8.5/10

PREDICTION

Who should go?

Kree Harrison

Who will go?

No idea.

At this point, it's almost impossible to predict. I mean, each one of them gave at least one solid performance. 

Angie Miller had a solid night and since she has never been in the Bottom 3/2, there's a strong likelihood that she's a lock for the Finale. That said, the dismissive remarks of the judges in her last performance may hurt her and she performed first in the last round. I know she has people, but will they not assume that she's safe?

Candice Glover also gave a good set of performances tonight. It's not her finest week, but the perception - based on the judges' reaction of Somewhere - was that she won the night and she got the coveted pimp spot. However, we know that Melinda Doolittle got eliminated the same week and just when she performed the heck out of all of her songs. So, will Candice have the same fate?

Kree Harrison, on the hand, was a little uneven, but to me, she had the best performance of the week with Here Comes Goodbye. Moreover, she had one of the most emotional homecoming video packages on this show EVER. You're not human if you didn't feel anything during that video. So yes, this could work for her advantage and I'm not entirely mad at the possibility.

So yes, I'm stuck. Haha.