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American Idol S20 Power Rankings (Top 20)

Apr 18, 2022 by PowerRankings101

With the group losing three (following Kennedi’s withdrawal) and becoming the top twenty, Idol thought it would be a good idea to pack twenty performances into three hours…and somehow, it ended up being one of the most magical nights of music ever on the show. Seriously, this was a killer night for almost every contestant, to where I will simply be predicting the top 14 on the judges’ comments and popularity of these contestants alone. Let’s rank.

20. Katyrah Love- Whenever Katyrah decides to put the vocal first and performance second, she falters. This was full of pitch problems, and just didn’t seem to cater to the strongest of Katyrah’s assets. Yes, she tried to make it more playful as it went on, but I do think this particular song can only do so much in that regard.

19. Cadence Baker- Cadence has been hit or miss this season, and there wasn’t really anything I disliked about this performance, but I do think it ended up being one of the most forgettable by the end of the night. In a night of such stellar performances, Cadence didn’t seem to keep up with the rest of the (very strong) pack.

18. Tristen Gressett- Tristen had a lot of energy, and is quite the showman, to where I could see him getting a second chance from either America or the judges. But I do think Luke’s comments were warranted as this was certainly one of the weakest vocals of the night. Like I said, I think him being such a fan favorite won’t necessarily mean this is the end of the road, but a bad vocal in a sea of such talented performers, especially on a night as successful as this, could certainly put him on thin ice.

17. Dan Marshall- Dan probably knew he just got by with the skin of his teeth, and decided to just let loose and have fun and honestly…I enjoyed it. It was far from the best (in fact, it was one of the worst), but I think it was enough for me to say “Hm, okay I guess this guy can sorta sing.”

16. Noah Thompson- Noah is such a good singer, I wish he just picked way more exciting songs to showcase the voice. I get, he wants to show off the genre and style of the path he wants to take in the music career, but I really do think he picked the most boring performance possible. In a night of such great performances, this definitely faltered, but his popularity seems to be good enough to forgive it.

15. Ava Maybee- Ava is someone who consistently grows week to week and one that really caught me by surprise. Of course, in a night with such stellar vocals, even Ava’s best is lower on this list, but that’s not a reflection of how good she was. Especially in her lower range, she really excels. The higher belt notes weren’t perfect, but definitely showcased some true potential.

14. Mike Parker- Mike is really easing into this country groove nicely, and this time, I really felt his soulfulness come through and merge with the genre so well. There was one run that felt slightly off to me, but everything else seemed to be right on the money. I don’t know if he’s been the most popular of the bunch, but Luke seems to be head over heels for him, so I have no doubt he’ll be in our top 14 one way or another.

13. Emyrson Flora- Emyrson has one of my favorite tones of the competition and kicked the night off on a pretty high note, even if I don’t think the song choice benefitted her as much as another one could’ve. I do think she gives me the most Maddie Poppe vibes of anyone of the bunch, and if history has any indication, that could take her to the end.

12. Sage- Sage needs to keep singing songs like this because they’re absolutely stellar. Like jeez. Even with some missed notes here and there (maybe due to a slightly hoarse voice, though I do think the rasp worked pretty well at times). I know she hasn’t been a big audience favorite, but I do think Katy’s “top 5” comment a few weeks ago makes me think that the judges have her back. There’s no-one else like her in this competition, and I think she brings something truly extraordinary to this season.

11. Lady K- Lady K was a standout in auditions and her showstopper round, and since then, her song choices haven’t truly blown me away. That being said, I think she still showed glimpses of why she has made it here. She can riff and run like no other, and got to do some of that here for sure. I hope she makes it through, and think performing last will definitely help her.

10. Cameron Whitcomb- Hey, it’s the song from “Big Mouth!” Also, vocals? Cameron delivering actual good vocals??? Where has this guy been? This was incredible, and may actually give the audience the incentive to vote him through. Also, Arthur Gunn would’ve murdered this a few seasons back.

9. Jay Copeland- Jay has always been an impressive vocalist, and I think he really found a way to showcase those vocals in a great style and form. This performance had me leaning in, felt clean and slick, and really showed off the best of Jay. Even if the judges seem like bigger fans of Jay than America is, I think this one may get some audience members on the same page with the judges.

8. Jacob Moran- Katy telling Jacob that he has the “best voice” of the season must’ve been a huge ego booster for Jacob. I did notice that he was once again pretty flawless vocally. Now he needs to just find the right styles of song to get the crowd truly pumped up. This song was great, but did seem a bit too low-key earlier on to truly excite and entice. Jacob has the potential to blow people away with the first note, and I think if he does that in the next performance, he’ll surely make it to the top 14.

7. Christian Guardino- Christian’s “Imagine” was once again a solid, soulful rendition of a classic that Christian nailed. I do think this song has just been beaten to death that it doesn’t always warrant the same freshness and surprise every time someone does it, but if ANYONE had to do it, it’s Christian. Nailed it, he’s going the distance in the competition.

6. Elli Rowe- Last week SHOOK me when I heard Elli sing and said “WHY AREN’T THEY SHOWING HER?” and now, I’m continuing to wonder why the editors kept her buried because she has some of the most hauntingly calming vocals of anyone in the competition. This wasn’t better than Hawaii, but this was still better than a lot of others in the competition. Her edit suggests this may be one of her last performances, and that’s a damn shame, but I hope America saw what I saw.

5. Nicolina- Nicolina! What an interesting song choice that really showed off her richer lower notes. She did seem a bit breathy earlier on, but ended up kicking into full gear and hitting her stride, giving what I believe to be her best vocal of the season. If she did this every week, she’d make the finale no doubt.

4. HunterGirl- After a lackluster performance in Hawaii, I think HunterGirl came back with perhaps the most touching moment of hers in this entire season. Her song was terrific on its own, but she also sang it super well, making a true star of herself. She has stage presence like no other, and if she keeps doing this, we may be getting a country winner this season. Awesome.

3. Allegra Miles- Allegra definitely improved on all the diction problems from last week and delivered a stunning “Free Fallin.” Her tone is crazy good, and I love the way she makes songs her own. She reminds me of this season’s Ava August, someone who wasn’t really a contender but ended up having one performance that made her a breakout sensation with both judges and audiences. This was stunning.

2. Fritz Hager- Fritz managed to continue the tear-fest set by Leah and Christian by delivering another flawless performance. This was my favorite of Fritz’ this season, and in any other night, this would’ve been a runaway for the best of the night. Just imagine how epic a Fritz vs. Leah finale would be. Jeeeeeez.

1. Leah Marlene- Leah blew the freakin’ roof off the place, taking a methodical approach in building the song, allowing for it to start small and grow into something show-stopping. This was the performance of the season for me, and it showed why Leah is one of the best vocalists and arrangers of the competition. Wow, I was in tears with this one.

So there we go. Out of all 20 performances, there were 7 excellent ones, 8 great ones, 2 okay ones, and 3 big misfires. That’s a pretty great ratio and one hell of a tough decision for America. I think by their sheer popularity alone, we’ll see Nicolina, Leah, HunterGirl, Christian, Fritz, Noah, and Jay make it through. As for the other 3 that America will vote for, I think they’ll listen to Luke’s “best of the night” claims and pick Allegra, as well as Emyrson who seems to be pretty successful despite performing so early in the night. And then I’ll pick Lady K because going last definitely helps and will be stuck in some viewer’s minds when they vote. As for the 4 judges saves, it’s hard because I think people like Tristen and Katyrah faltered, but the judges seem to love them. Some people like Elli, Sage, Jacob, and Mike have been getting lesser edits, but this is the point where the judges can throw them a bone. I’ll say that Luke gets Mike through, and Katy will vogue for Jacob. For the last two spots, I think it’ll come down to how the “vote outs” perform the night of, and I have most faith in Tristen bouncing back with an entertaining vocal and Sage giving them no choice but to push her through. And yes, I’m predicting an Elli elimination which BREAKS my heart, but I’ve gotta be somewhat realistic and the show really isn’t pushing her at all.

PREDICTIONS:

Going Into Top 14 from America- Nicolina, Leah Marlene, HunterGirl, Christian Guardino, Fritz Hager, Noah Thompson, Jay Copeland, Allegra Miles, Emyrson Flora and Lady K

Saved By Judges- Mike Parker, Jacob Moran, Sage, and Tristen Gressett

Going Home- Ava Maybee, Elli Rowe, Dan Marshall, Cadence Baker, Katyrah Love, and Cameron Whitcomb

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Nicolina 💙

Sent by Rodulph,Apr 18, 2022

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American Idol S20 Power Rankings (Top 20)

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