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American Idol S19 Power Rankings (Top 16)

Apr 12, 2021 by PowerRankings101

They made some TOUGH cuts this week. The most notable one was my personal favorite of the season Anilee List. She didn’t get much screen time in Hollywood week, and I think that hurt her. Her voice is incredible and I wish America saw what I saw (also, editors, what the hell???). Other shocking cuts were Mary Jo Young and Jason Warrior who I was CONVINCED were locks to advance. Warrior went first in the night, so that might’ve hurt his chances, but there is no feasible reason why Mary Jo could’ve gone home this early. Truly a shocking night.

16. Alanis Sophia- This was the first dud of the night. Similarly to her last solo, she saved some great belty stuff for the end, but in her last solo, the belt stuff was perfectly pitched. This time, it wasn’t. The higher stuff sounded shakier and pitchier than usual, with one particular note feeling overly strained. Even in the non-belt sections, the verse was just FAR too low for her. “The Story” is a tough song because it shows so much range, and there’s really no way to change the key without it being either too high or too low at times. She has potential, but this vocal just wasn’t very strong.

15. Colin Jamieson- Colin won me over with his duet with Tori Kelly, but I’m worried this was another step back for him. I think his voice gets a bit breathy, and in a song that is already softer and less belty, the breathiness dragged it down for me. I do think when he hits those huge belt notes, it’s really strong, but he didn’t give us any of that until the VERY end of the song. When he got there, it was REAL good, but he only gave us literally two or three belt notes, while the rest was too breathy and unfulfilling. This was probably the lowest point of the second half of the night.

14. Hunter Metts- Hunter was much better this time around, but I still think he may be slipping a bit in the grand scheme. As other people emerge as breakout talents (like Ava last episode, and Madison this episode), I think Hunter is staying along the same path, and it’s making him stand out less and less.

13. Caleb Kennedy- I haven’t been the biggest Caleb fan, but he does know how to do country really well. This was a tad pitchy throughout, but he really got the grit and mood of the song spot on. He’s only 16 years old too, which I always forget. That’s really impressive. Good for him! Not my favorite, but good for him.

12. Graham DeFranco- Graham was the first surprise of the night to make it through to the top 16, because I truly thought he could’ve easily been cut based on his solo last week. I thought this song was fun and groovy, but in the grand retrospect of the whole night, I do worry that it wasn’t enough of a standout performance to garner enough votes. This would be great in Graham’s overall set list, but as his ONE performance to get him into the top 12, I don’t know if it was enough.

11. Ava August- Ava has such a unique quality to her voice. I don’t think this vocal was nearly as impressive as her last two vocals (both solo and duet). This is the case where the song choice was wrong, but her talent is good enough to compensate for it. She may go through based on her strong showing in the top 24, but this was a step back surely.

10. Alyssa Wray- Alyssa got through as the first member of the top 16, to nobody’s surprise. I think this was a step back for her, contrary to what the judges believe. I think she almost got a tad overdramatic in her vocal this time, especially when the band came in and she was trying to find the balance with the band. While she’s still one of the better vocalists of the bunch, I just don’t think this was her best, and I wouldn’t be surprised if she’s less of a lock to make the top 12 now.

9. Cassandra Coleman- Cassandra was much better tonight than she was on her last solo. She really excels in those quieter more sincere moments. That’s where the true magic is. When she got to the chorus, I feel like the band consumed her a bit and that’s where a bit of the shakiness came in. I think she has to really control the nerves and she could be a real superstar. But I agree with Luke, those verses were SO good, and that alone may be enough to get her through to the next round.

8. Chayce Beckham- Chayce hasn’t been my favorite, as I’ve felt like he’s kinda done the same thing each and every week. This is a bit more of the same, but he at least took a tad more command with his vocal, and I think he ended the show on a pretty solid note. With some contestants somewhat slipping from last week, Chayce slightly improved, and I think that’s why he’s higher up on this ranking than even I expected.

7. Madison Watkins- Madison has never been the best vocalist, but I think she has finally found out how to stand out despite not being the best singer. And that’s in the storytelling. She is one of the best storytellers. I felt 100% connected to her vocal the whole way through. There were missed notes every here and there, which is inevitable, but even in those missteps, her passion and storytelling was there one thousand percent. I thought she’d be going home last week, but she really earned it with this performance. When she almost broke down into tears at the end….wow. Did she just emerge as a possible contender?

6. Willie Spence- Willie is in the top 16, no surprise. I thought the judges overhyped this performance JUST a tad. It was backed with so much phenomenal power and control, which impressed me. He just has to make sure he doesn’t let the power of the song overshadow the lyrics themselves. When he got into the bigger moments, I couldn’t understand a word he was singing, and I think he just needs to keep in mind that the notes are only half the battle. That being said, he has the star power, he has the stage presence, and his pitch is absolutely spot on. Still a highlight of the night.

5. Grace Kinstler- Grace is such a talent, whatever she sings will be amazing. I love how she’s still taking Joss’ note about holding back on the big guns until the end of the songs. Even when she holds back, her notes are still really big and powerful, only proving just how talented she is. The biggest challenge for her now is going to be making the right bridge from the softer stuff to the bigger show-stopping notes, rather than just flicking on a switch. She’ll sail through for at least a few more rounds completely unscathed.

4. Wyatt Pike- I love Wyatt. There’s something about him that is so genuine and sincere. The thing with Wyatt is, he knows he’s not the best singer of the group. But he uses that to his advantage, taking a spin on a song and making it completely his own to fit his personal voice and style best. This arrangement was SO goddamn cool, and if America heard what I heard, he should sail through with no hesitation or Wild card needed. He’s so good at what he does.

3. Deshawn Goncalves- Deshawn absolutely rocked it tonight, and happened to give my favorite performance from the first half of singers. His vocal control is spot on, and he really knows when to hold back and when to really go head on with those power moments. This arrangement was so cool, and really showcased a true unique artistry that I think very few singers tonight truly showed. I hope he gets through, because he is one of the most unique talents this season.

2. Beane- Beane (and my number one pick) are my two favorites now that Anilee is gone, and I cannot wait to see Beane continue to grow in this competition. This was the most vulnerable Beane has been on stage, but also the most commanding he’s been as well. The vocal was so strong, but it’s really in Beane’s performance and delivery that he truly shines. Winning this competition is not going to come down to sheer talent, but rather how you USE your talent. Beane used his talent to almost perfection.

1. Casey Bishop- My GOD this was good. Casey knows how to be a true artist. Her verses were pure magic, with such a beautiful simplicity with a dark edge. Then she cranked it up to 11 on her bigger closing moments, showing just how capable her talent and voice is at her age. This was how to do rock and roll on this show, and even if the judges are taken aback by it, I am TOTALLY here for it. She’s radio ready more than anyone else.

This is so tough to predict since a lot of guaranteed advances (Jason Warrior, Mary Jo Young) didn’t advance. Luckily, the wild card will save two people from elimination. The guaranteed people (in my opinion) to advance are Willie, Grace, Casey, Deshawn, Chayce, Beane, and Alyssa based on their overall season performances. As for the remaining three America votes, I think they’re really digging Hunter so I’ll reluctantly put him through. I think Cassandra has been a popular favorite from the beginning too, and anyone who liked her will be EXTRA inclined to vote for her since she was last to be called safe in the first half. And I truly believe Madison did enough to secure that 10th slot. Now between Wyatt, Caleb, Alanis, Colin, Graham, and Ava, it’ll be up to the judges. I’m gonna stick with one guy and one girl. Wyatt is my one guy, I really think he has a shot. As for the girl, I think they’ll go with Ava. Despite a bad song choice, she really emerged as a strong contender with her Groban duet, and I think they’ll keep the youngest contestant around as a good dark horse contender.

PREDICTIONS:

Going Into the Top 10- Willie Spence, Grace Kinstler, Casey Bishop, Deshawn Goncalves, Chayce Beckham, Beane, Alyssa Wray, Hunter Metts, Cassandra Coleman, and Madison Watkins

Getting One of the Two Wildcard Spots- Wyatt Pike and Ava August

Going Home- Caleb Kennedy, Graham DeFranco, Alanis Sophia, and Colin Jamieson

#casting

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grace ftw

Sent by ILoveLarry,Apr 12, 2021

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American Idol S19 Power Rankings (Top 16)

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