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American Idol S18 Power Rankings (Top 20)

May 3, 2020 by PowerRankings101

American Idol goes remote! And I honestly love it. I think this allows the artists to be creative, in both their compositions of their singing space, and allows us as the audience to hear how they’d sound in a more recorded setting, rather than a larger, live setting. There is some novelty lost, but for this particular state we’re in, I am glad that the show embraced the “show must go on” concept and went along with the top 20 performances. Without further adieu, my top 20 ranking.

20. Aliana Jester- Aliana was the most forgettable going into the night, and probably remained the most forgettable at the end of the night. I didn’t love her song, and felt like she took on a song that is hard for ANY singer to cover, and the fact that her voice just doesn’t have that uniqueness that some of the others’ do…it just didn’t work for me. She seems very nice and sweet, but this wasn’t her best.

19. Faith Becnel- I haven’t been a fan of Faith on the show, but she definitely gave her best performance so far this week. But even her best doesn’t really stack up against most of the others tonight, so I unfortunately keep her this low.

18. Francisco Martin- This is going to be a SHOCK to a lot of you. But I just haven’t ever been on board with Francisco. He just hasn’t stood out to me, and I think the “I’m so nervous” storyline isn’t very compelling, given that everyone gets nervous, and a lot of the other stars are owning it and really giving it their all and confidence each week. As for the vocal, I felt it was fine, but nothing special. He just didn’t give me any sense of artistry, and I feel like the version of Teenage Dream—even being stripped down and acoustic—was still karaoke to me. The judges loved it, social media seems to love it, but he isn’t getting votes from me.

17. Sophia James- Sophia was her own worst enemy this week, and I think she had too much going on in the video. She was always looking down, seemed distracted by the piano, and let the instrumental track almost consume the vocal. She hit one AMAZING note toward the end that keeps her from the bottom three spots on my list…but one note does not win you a grand prize and the title of American Idol. Good name change though.

16. Grace Leer- I wanted Country Lauren to get this spot over Grace, and I was so hoping Grace would prove herself with a better song. It was….fine, but really not memorable given how many standout performances we had. I just can’t help but wish America had voted Lauren through over Grace, because Grace just didn’t give me anything great this week. She sings well, but she needs to amp up the performance and star factor.

15. Franklin Boone- Franklin is a great talent, but I don’t know if this was the right song for him. Without the live audience, singing something soft is a bit of a risk, and I think this didn’t pay off exactly as he wanted to. It was soft, simple, dream-like, which is beautiful to listen to, but does not help stand out, especially in the comforts of a home setting. I liked it, but felt it was one of the more unmemorable tunes of the night.

14. Louis Knight- Louis was probably one of the top three people I had expectations for, so the fact that he underperformed (in my opinion) makes his performance even more disappointing. Louis is probably going very far in the competition, he’s great. But this particular performance just seemed less present than his others, and in the midst of lots of up-beat, fun numbers, his piano ballad just seemed to drag the show down a bit. Again, I love Louis and think he has true star potential, so I hope that next time, he can choose a song that suits him, but also shows a fun side and more upbeat energy that can match well with the other uplifting performances of the night. And I think he may want to go with a less dreary lighting scheme.

13. DeWayne Crocker Jr.- DeWayne didn’t have a spectacular vocal, but I could feel his sense of artistry, and he was just having a blast throughout. The Christmas tree made him memorable. He just brings a party and sense of fun to every single performance and I root for him, even if I think this might be the last time we see him.

12. Olivia Ximines- I actually dig the song choice, and think it fits Olivia’s talents well. I don’t exactly think her voice stands up to a lot of the others in the competition, but she definitely brought it from an entertainment level. I was worried the confinement of remote performances would be the most detrimental for Olivia, as she is “the dancer,” but I think she honestly made the best out of it and did a really great job.

11. Jovin Webb- I absolutely love Jovin’s voice quality, and the rich, rawness of it. I think he’s an incredible performer as well. For this particular song, the first half was definitely stronger than the second, and I think it got a bit more tiresome and hoarse on his voice when he went for the much higher moments of the song. Either way, a really good performance, and one that I think helped kick off the show nicely so early on in the night.

10. Nick Merico- Nick surprised me most of anyone tonight, and his “Hey There Delilah” was the best he’s sounded so far. I don’t think his emotional resonance was there, but he surely provided a simple, clean, beautiful vocal, and really nailed it. He improved from having a remote setting, and if anyone is a dark horse to snag a spot in the top 10 over one of the bigger contenders, it’s Nick.

9. Cynthia Elise- Cynthia sang beautifully. That was a given. But I do agree with the judges that she, along with what I just said about Nick, seemed to be a bit disconnected from an acting/emoting aspect. The vocal was there, the emotional commitment maybe wasn’t. Regardless, she’s a huge contender to snag a spot in the top 10. She did really well.

8. Jonny West- Jonny has a beautiful voice and great talent. He ended the night with a beautiful rendition of “What a Wonderful World” that I think really hit home for a lot of others. It was unique, subtle, but grabbed my attention. Not a true standout, but going last helped him still be memorable enough.

7. Kimmy Gabriela- Kimmy started off the show strong. I never thought Kimmy was the most recognizable or stand-out star on the show, but her voice always reminds me why the judges consider her such a strong contender. She seemed the least bit nervous and really delivered a memorable performance, perhaps her most memorable thus far.

6. Makayla Phillips- Part of me thought Makayla nailed it, part of me felt she was holding back at times. Makayla is just such a good vocalist, and I wish she picked a better song to showcase all her abilities. She’s a vocal gymnast, and can do lots with her voice. Regardless of how I felt, I still think she was one of the stronger girls of the night (fourth only to Sam, Julia, and Lauren). She’ll be around longer, and I can’t wait to see her turn it up a notch even higher.

5. Dillon James- Dillon is certainly standing out as more and more of an artist each week. This song choice was a little more subtle and a bit more boring than his other song choices (I shouldn’t say boring…just less exciting). That being said, his voice and ability is just beautiful, and he finds a way to just reel you in to the soul and natural gift that he brings to everything he sings…he’s going to make it deep in the completion. He’s an artist, he’s got a beautiful talent, and I can’t help but root for someone who has the same name as me (even if I spell it with a Y).

4. Julia Gargano- I have always rooted for Julia. Her voice has just been my favorite flat-out voice from the beginning. She’s someone, like Dillon, who kept it simple and relaxed, but still managed to show off every little amazing thing about her voice. Being from NY, I root for her in that aspect, and because I think she just has raw, natural talent. Maybe a more exciting song choice next time could help, but I really think she did everything she needed to get into the top 10. She is amazing, beautiful, and deserves a spot. Brava.

3. Just Sam- I love this girl, and I think Sam really nailed it picking the Fantasia song. She poured so much heart and soul into her song and really just nailed every single aspect of it. There was not a second I wasn’t engaged, and felt like she could run away with the win this season. She’s definitely the front runner for the girls for a reason.

2. Lauren Spencer-Smith- Lauren is someone I had slightly put on my radar, but never really saw as a frontrunner amongst the Sams, Makaylas, and Julias of the competition. But I think she nailed it. I think she absolutely killed it, and not only gave us the best environment setting (Camp Rock anyone?) but impressed us with vocals, attitude, and surprise. She was the surprise of the night, and was in my opinion, the best female performance as well. She better be in the top 10, and I’m worried that people just aren’t familiar enough with her…but if people are hearing what I’m hearing, I think she’ll make it there.

1. Arthur Gunn- My guy Arthur has been my favorite since his first audition. The guy can sing, and is just so humble and kind. He’s already ready to be a big time artist, and performer. His eyes are distracting? Eh, it makes him unique. His setting was my second favorite next to Lauren (the porch lamps, friendly neighborhood vibe), and he owned every second of the performance. And he did so, without a guitar! This guy is great and I think he’s going all the way.

So, while I have my personal favorite ten, I do think people like Louis and Francisco (who I was a little lower on) will still make it to the top 10. I think I’m gonna go with 5 guys and 5 girls to keep it even. I think next to Louis and Francisco, we’ll see Jonny, Arthur, and Dillon get the other three spots. They’ve gotten the biggest stories of the season, and while I think Jovin and Franklin are both dark horses, and Nick gave a surprisingly excellent vocal, I think that’s how it’s gonna pan out. As for the girls, I have to root for Lauren and Julia, but I think the locks are Sam and Makayla. The next spots are definitely up for grabs with Julia, Lauren, Kimmy, Cynthia, and maybe even Grace (she did go so late in the night, people may have remembered her most when voting, AND she already got voted through once by America, they clearly like her). I’m gonna give the edge to Julia and Grace for going later in the night, and Lauren because I think she’s the surprise breakout of the night. Though it hurts my heart to potentially see Kimmy or Cynthia go. UGH this is tough.

PREDICTIONS:

Making the Top 10- Louis Knight, Makayla Phillips, Lauren Spencer-Smith, Francisco Martin, Dillon James, Arthur Gunn, Julia Gargano, Grace Leer, Just Sam, Jonny West

Just Missing the Top 10- Cynthia Elise, Kimmy Gabriela, Nick Merico, Jovin Webb, Franklin Boone

Outside Shots to Make the Top 10- Olivia Ximines, Aliana Jester, Faith Becnel, DeWayne Crocker Jr., Sophia James

#casting
#americanidol

Comments

Sophia James is my fave, i think she's something different so might do it, i guess we'll see.

Sent by Eoin,May 3, 2020

this is wrong

Sent by Jinxh,May 3, 2020

Kimmy WILL BE MAKING TOP 10 HUN

Sent by deshonBANNEDISBACK,May 3, 2020

ALSO... putting arthur #1... a choice

Sent by deshonBANNEDISBACK,May 3, 2020

Eoin I didn't love her performance, but she is definitely different, and could make it! It's all up to opinion

Jinxh All opinion! I think it's a very talented bunch in general

deshonBANNEDISBACK As you saw with my rankings, I loved Kimmy, so I hope I'm wrong, but thinking about the whole night, I just predicted who I best see making the top 10. Could be wrong. And yes, Arthur has been my favorite from the start and I love the quality his voice possesses. Again, it's all opinion, and I respect hearing everyone's thoughts!!

Sent by PowerRankings101,May 3, 2020

Powerrankings101 You got 10/10 and i got 1/1 iconic

Sent by Eoin,May 3, 2020

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American Idol S18 Power Rankings (Top 20)

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