My predictions were correct. The country vote took over, with Noah and HunterGirl placing first and second. Let’s rank the final 3’s performances in the finale and see if I thought Noah deserved the win or not.
8. Noah Thompson (1st Song)- I feel like it was a bit unfair to give the three finalists a Bruce round when Noah is there and very much has a similar type of delivery (not nearly as raspy as last year’s winner Chayce, but similar). That being said, this Bruce round did nothing for him. The falsetto moment in particular was a risk that I appreciated, but it REALLY stood out in all the wrong ways. Noah was the most inexperienced going into this season, and his growth was amazing to see, but that falsetto moment shows that he’s still not fully there. America disagrees though!
7. Noah Thompson (2nd Song)- This was a sweet, sincere vocal for Noah. But at the same time, it’s harder and harder to differentiate each performance from one another. If you’ve seen one you’ve seen them all, which is where artists like Leah and even HunterGirl excel more. Country fans will certainly eat this up, because it’s definitely got a sweet melody and the vocal itself is good. Just nothing that blew me away, especially in the finale of all nights.
6. Leah Marlene (1st Song)- Leah’s Bruce song was good. It showed off her slick sense of style more than anything. We saw Leah’s artistry here and she was really working the crowd. In terms of vocal ability, however, I don’t think the Bruce Springsteen catalogue has the big, belty shows topping moments that Leah has excelled with. Probably her most forgettable vocal of the season.
5. Noah Thompson (3rd Song)- Noah was smart to finish with his rendition of Rihanna’s “Stay.” It was definitely his breakout moment and the biggest risk he’s taken this competition. This lacked the same spark and surprise of his first go-round, but it was still well sung. His strongest of the night, but still not even in the top half of tonight’s performances.
4. HunterGirl (1st Song)- We’ll talk more about HunterGirl in a bit, but she REALLY blossomed tonight. Bruce seemed right up her alley, and she picked a song that really worked with her overall showmanship and vocal quality. She’s ready for the real world, and that’s what this performance showed.
3. HunterGirl (2nd Song)- HunterGirl has been so hit or miss for me, so I was shocked when I found myself so impressed with vocals tonight. She really shines most on her original songs. Even if there are pitch issues, the passion in these originals overshadows the minor flaws. Her subtle runs were also lovely.
2. Leah Marlene (2nd Song)- Leah’s first round wasn’t great, but she really showed her pure stardom in the second song. How this girl didn’t even place top 2 is beyond me. But hey, that’s the vote for ya. Hearing Leah still deliver perfect vocals despite getting choked up at times, I had nothing but love and adoration for her. She may not have won, but she’s my winner this season (her and Fritz!).
1. HunterGirl (3rd Song)- How the hell did HunterGirl, who I’ve been VERY tough on this entire season end up giving my favorite performance of the finale??? She killed this. It was a great full circle moment for her. She knows exactly where her sweet spot is, but unlike Noah, I think she’s taking bigger vocal risks in general within those sweet spots. Good for her!
My predictions were correct. The country vote took over, with Noah and HunterGirl placing first and second. Let’s rank the final 3’s performances in the finale and see if I thought Noah deserved the win or not.