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American Idol S20 Power Rankings (Top 14)

Apr 25, 2022 by PowerRankings101

Well, this episode was a bit more surprising considering only one of the eliminated contestants was a wild card (Allegra), and the other two were previously voted through by America (Dan and Ava). I did think it was probably both Dan and Ava’s times to go, though I would’ve loved to see Allegra continue on in the competition. And as for who’s remaining, we’re going to get a judge song contest next that will send one OR two home (it’s a bit unclear by the promo, so we’ll predict both outcomes to be safe).

14. Dan Marshall- Dan had been a big surprise, but ultimately, I thought his performances were still adequate enough. This one was, however, full of pitch problems, a boring karaoke-like quality, and had a few misguided riffs and runs. I think America made the right choice. Nice guy, but clearly the weakest of the top 14, despite Lionel thinking he owned it.

13. Emyrson Flora- I love Emyrson’s voice, but this song just didn’t serve it well. The bigger moments were chock full of pitch issues and straining. I also think with such a current, popular, smash hit, you really have to make it your own, and I didn’t necessarily think Emyrson’s take on the song was anything particularly unique or groundbreaking. Still better than Dan’s, but I do think this was the next weakest vocal of the night.

12. Ava Maybee- Ava’s verses keep getting lower and lower, and it’s so cool because there are few people who can really make those notes ring as powerfully as her. That being said, I don’t know if she was able to really elevate the song beyond those pretty impressive verse moments. Her chorus especially later in the song didn’t hit all the perfect notes perfectly. While I do think it was her time to go, I did appreciate having a voice as unique as hers on the show.

11. Christian Guardino- This was probably the first performance of Christian’s I’ve flat out disliked. It wasn’t terrible, as nothing he does ever is, but I don’t know what he was doing in the verse, putting on this deeper voice that didn’t sound like him at all. Once the chorus kicked in, it sounded like good ol’ Christian again, but still didn’t rise above anything he’s done in the past. Luckily, he’s safe for quite some time still.

10. Tristen Gressett- I like how Tristen is really trying to match his energy levels and showmanship with impressive vocals. I don’t think he has the best voice, but he seems to be using it in the right fashion, delivering some of his best performances we’ve seen from him. This song was great in the verse, but then he made some REALLY weird vowel choices on the chorus “jist dan give up” that took me out of it. Luckily, he got me back on board by the end. Tristen proves that showmanship can really go a long way.

9. Lady K- Lady K took on a BIG song this week. I think, for the most part, she delivered. She still has some pitch issues that I just haven’t seen from her earlier on in the competition, but despite some rough notes, I think she brought a great vocal quality and power to the vocals. On a night of several underwhelming performances, that was enough.

8. Jay Copeland- Seeing as how America voted Jay through over Ava and Dan, I think America is back on the Jay train. He still has something that isn’t quite clicking with me with some of his verses, but his bigger notes really do blow the roof off the place and ended the song on a greater note than it started. He has a star quality, and I think song choice will be his biggest strength or weakness going forward.

7. Mike Parker- This was the first time I could tell Mike was REALLY trying to force some of that country twang into his singing, and it was super effective, though I do still want him to try something non-country just to see how much bigger his range and versatility can go. But I also understand that they want to try to showcase the artist they’re going to be in the real world, and this seems to be his desired path. A solid performance, no complaints really.

6. Allegra Miles- Allegra is a transcendent singer and gifted artist. I don’t know if this was the perfect song choice for her, but she still made it her own and showcased what makes her special. It’s a shame to see America send her home, especially given some other more underwhelming performances tonight.

5. Noah Thompson- The great thing about Noah is that he can take any song and make it country. This performance of “Stand By Me” was simple, but his sheer presence and tone helped make it something unique and individual. Noah is getting more and more comfortable. I’d like something maybe a bit more upbeat and fun from him going forward, but in terms of vocal quality, this surely delivered.

4. HunterGirl- I was down on HunterGirl last time, but this time, I was back on the train. She just has such a natural charisma on stage, to where the little giggles throughout and her end banter come across as super genuine and engaging to where it forgave several missed vocal moments. One of her big runs wasn’t too hot, but the others were nailed completely. Singing the last line to her parents really sold this as one of her best performances.

3. Fritz Hager- Fritz continues to nail it. At this point, I don’t think there’s anything stopping him from excelling at everything. He knows his path and sticks to it, fully shaping the artist he wants to be (and already is essentially). This may not be the performance I remember of his this season in the grand scheme of things, but it’s surely one of the best of the night because he’s just so damn good.

2. Nicolina- Nicolina delivered a stunning vocal this week. I think her strongest moments are not necessarily the highest notes, but the ones that sit in that perfect sweet spot where she can really emote and dig into the richness of the lyrics. This performance, however, featured BOTH the beautifully textured verse work and the big belty notes. A stunning performance that would’ve been #1 on any competition without a beast like Leah Marlene in it.

1. Leah Marlene- I’m so glad Leah went this route with her song choice. She absolutely nailed this. 1) She’s an incredible arranger, making everything fit her style. 2) She kicked the vocal’s ass, making every note powerful, resonant, and wholly Leah’s. This was hands down my favorite of the night. Terrific.

So I guess we’re getting either one OR two eliminations next week, so as a safety protocol, I’ll name two names for elimination. Naturally, I want to go for one of the three wild cards: Jay, Mike, and Tristen. Of those three, I think Jay is surely the biggest favorite of the three. I just don’t know if America is losing any steam for any of the rest, and while I think many gave a weak performance (Christian, Lady K, Emyrson), I still think the numbers speak for themselves.

PREDICTIONS:

Going Into Top 9- Leah Marlene, Nicolina, Fritz Hager, HunterGirl, Noah Thompson, Christian Guardino, Lady K, Emyrson Flora, and Jay Copeland

Going Home- Mike Parker and Tristen Gressett

If There’s Only One Elimination- Mike Parker

Comments

Gave all 30 of my votes to Ava and Allegra. Im so mad with top 11 results!

Sent by arskinsky78,Apr 25, 2022

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American Idol S20 Power Rankings (Top 14)

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