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American Idol S20 Power Rankings (Top 5)

May 22, 2022 by PowerRankings101

Well I was WAY off in my predictions, only getting 1 of the 3 correct. I thought Fritz would for sure be in the top 3, and that took me by surprise. I also thought Nicolina had more support than HunterGirl or Leah, but I guess Leah really has been the top vote-getter of all the non-country artists this season and HunterGirl got lots of support from the country fanbase AND because she had some great vocals. Now let’s rank this top 5 in what was a quite surprising shake up of rankings, especially compared to last week.

10. Noah Thompson (1st Song)- Noah’s first performance was definitely the weakest of the night. It seemed like he was trying to step outside his comfort zone, but it did come across super awkward. As the finale approaches, you have to think about which contestant will best be able to not only deliver great radio quality vocals but also work the crowd and put on a great show. Noah has one of those qualities. But he can absolutely not work a crowd like the other 4, and I think for American Idol, the whole package is needed.

9. Nicolina (1st Song)- Nicolina once again picked a big, larger than life song, and for the most part, she succeeded in delivering a good vocal. There were some pitch problems, especially in the last minute of the song, but the tone was all there and she hit a run I really liked. But with a song like “Blown Away” I wasn’t particularly blown away by it. I think it’s because, with vocalists like Leah and Fritz around who have a very unique way of spinning a song, Nicolina’s style and approach to the song just doesn’t stand out and comes across a tad karaoke. Luckily, her 2nd performance was much better, I just wasn’t particularly digging this one amongst most of the other Carrie covers.

8. Leah Marlene (1st Song)- Leah is by all means the best vocalist of the group, and this rendition of “I’ll Stand By You” showcased that fully. I didn’t love all of the liberties she took with the song in that second verse and some of the chorus (in terms of tempo and rhythm) because it seemed to be off the music at times. That being said, she ended it perfectly, leaving a good taste for the audience when reflecting on it.

7. Fritz Hager (1st Song)- This was a great song choice for Fritz in taking something of Carrie’s (and NeedToBreathe’s) and keep it “Fritz.” I don’t think it was his best vocal in terms of pitch or vocal choices, but it was once again another solid performance of complete comfort and ease.

6. Noah Thompson (2nd Song)- Noah’s second vocal was much better than his first. In fact, it was probably the most flawless vocal of the night from a strict musical perspective. But damn, are his performances starting to feel a bit too much of the same. He does “sitting in a chair and singing a soulful country ballad” well, but we saw tonight that the other side (working the crowd, pumped up-tempo numbers, etc) isn’t his strong suit, and I just don’t know if this vocal (as good as it was) was enough to win me over.

5. Fritz Hager (2nd Song)- It was so interesting seeing Fritz step away from the guitar and let loose a bit. It was a tad meandering, but much less awkward than when Noah did it. The vocal was solid, even if it wasn’t the best of his run this season. I think tonight was more of a showcase of Fritz as a well-rounded versatile performer, and the vocals came second. Maybe that hurt his chances when it came to voting, but I much preferred seeing Fritz do something new and expand his skillset, which I think he did tonight. Shame he won’t be one of the finalists because he really has had the best arc of anyone in terms of growth from his starting audition point to here. Damn, I’m upset.

4. HunterGirl (1st Song)- We should have known HunterGirl would really excel with a Carrie Underwood song. This was her best vocal since Disney Night (which would only be topped by her next song). I didn’t get any pitch issues from her performance, and felt like she felt the most comfortable on stage of anyone in this first round. I have been lower on HunterGirl, especially last week, but she really impressed me this week and totally earned that top 3 spot, even if I wanted Fritz to make it to the end.

3. Nicolina (2nd Song)- This was Nicolina’s best vocal in some time. When she’s 100% dialed in, she really soars. I’m usually tough on her when it comes to pitch problems, but I didn’t notice much at all here! She has a real magic when it comes to her lower register, and she gave us some really terrific head voice moments as well that I don’t think I’ve heard from her before. This was a solid vocal and really showed off her best skillset. While I do think her elimination was probably justified, this was the best possible performance to go out on.

2. HunterGirl (2nd Song)- Where has this singer been the whole time? I’ve always enjoyed HunterGirl for her stage presence, but this was the first time I was legitimately blown away by the vocal itself. It was rich, controlled, powerful, and provided such a great quality in sound. Her emotional connection to the song also really shone through. Going into the night, she was probably lowest on my list of people I’d love to see win, but now, she’s someone I wouldn’t mind seeing win this whole thing (especially if it’s gonna be either her or Noah if the country vote prevails). She killed it, and I’ll reiterate….she earned that top 3 spot.

1. Leah Marlene (2nd Song)- JEEZ this was a powerhouse vocal. This song is a beast, a monster, a mountain to climb, and she managed it with ease. This song should’ve sealed the whole competition up. Probably won’t, but man would it be great to see Leah (the most talented vocalist of the season) win this whole damn thing.

I’m actually surprised because according SOLELY to this week’s performances, HunterGirl would’ve been my collective #1 with Leah close behind, and Fritz and Nicolina slightly behind that. Noah was at the bottom, but at the same time, my rankings don’t really matter because this is up to America, and we see two country singers and one pop-rocker. This could go one of two ways: Season 10 or Season 16. In season 10, we had two country singers (Scottie McCreery and Lauren Alaina) and one rocker (Haley Reinhart). The two country singers took first and second place, while the best singer of the three got third. In season 16, we had two country singers (Caleb Lee Hutchinson and Gabby Barrett) and one other, Maddie Poppe, who isn’t exactly a rocker but is definitely a different genre than country. The two country singers actually placed 2nd and 3rd while the other rose to win the season. So this means Leah is either getting first or third, I don’t think there’s a way she falls in the middle. It really comes down to whether or not the country voters will be all in on BOTH Noah and HunterGirl or if they split between the two, thus allowing Leah to win. Personally, I’d love to see Leah win obviously. But I also see the stats and trends through YouTube views and Facebook likes, and it just seems like Noah has the upper hand and those country voters may just not slow down. In their most recent performances, Leah and HunterGirl’s views have been at around 200K while Noah’s is nearly double that at about 400K. That’s kinda crazy. Beyond the country vote itself, I think Noah’s story is the most emotionally heartwarming, which could also have some voters rallying around him. Leah could win if she collects Fritz and Nicolina’s voters, but we also thought Christian and Jay’s voters would rally around Nicolina and Fritz and were proved wrong. I think it’ll be a season 10 repeat, but I’d love to be proven wrong because I want Leah to win.

PREDICTIONS:

Winner- Noah Thompson

Second Place- HunterGirl

Third Place- Leah Marlene

#casting

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you were right

Sent by TDFan99,May 23, 2022

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American Idol S20 Power Rankings (Top 5)

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