Top 16 American Idol Power Rankings
So we’ve moved quickly to the Top 16… Thank God. I think there was a lot of fodder this year and I think there’s very tiered groups this year. At this point I see 6 contenders, 2-3 that need a solid performance or two to make it in that category, 4-5 that a tier below and have a chance to hang around for awhile, and a couple that are sure-fire goners… Unless they pull out a miracle. I still think this group has some talent, but I think this is one of the most wide open seasons in a long time. There’s no huge run away favorite and potential the entire top 12 will have a reasonable chance to be a top 5… and at that point, who knows!
- Lee DeWyze – For the first time in quite awhile, there’s no one running away from the field. But there is a group distancing themselves from the other. I think that song selection is going to be the most important aspect of the year and Lee and Crystal have proved to be the only two that understand what songs to sing and how to make them their own.
- Crystal Bowersox – Over the past two weeks, she has put some distance between her ability and the rest of the girls. But she’s not as mainstream and is going to have to continually pick awesome songs. I think Lee has a better chance to relate to the most people, which is why I have him slightly ahead.
- Casey James – With that being said, I think the easy choice to win this year is Casey. He’s commercial. He’s good-looking. The pretty people are dropping like flies, but Casey has the most potential. Of the top 6, he’s the only one that is going to make anyone weak in the knees, which bodes well as he moves forward.
- Andrew Garcia – He was the front-runner from the beginning, but hasn’t quite lived up to his early promise. That being said, I think he could be one who has a couple knockout performances in the top 8 and jumps to the top of the heap.
- Lilly Scott – I love Lilly. I think she’s unique and talented. Although, she’s a bit quirky and that could hurt her eventually. I think she might luck out in that the other top girls aren’t gorgeous, so she might be the prettiest once they move that way. She has to keep doing her thing and hope America likes it as much as I do.
- Siobhan Magnus – Simon is right… She is a funny little thing. Big voice. Old soul. She can sing. But I just don’t think she can consistently be relevant.
- Katie Stevens – Has the voice to hang with the top. Song choice keeps her just outside looking in at the contenders. Can she figure out how to be relevant?
- Didi Benami – Didi has been struggling. Mightly. But I think she gained a lot of fans and will overcome her problems. Song choice is what is keeping her down. This is the area where I feel like there’s about 6 contestants who if they “get it” could challenge, but are all basically right in this range.
- Katelyn Epperly – A darkhorse. The longer she stays around, the better her chances are going to become. I haven’t seen the huge fangroups, etc. after Hollywood, but if she has a couple great performances, she could quickly become a challenger. She has the look and is the cutest girl left, in my humble opinion.
- Michael Lynche – His last performance jumped him up. I, nor the judges, are convinced that most of the guys understand what to be singing. Big Mike at least showed that he can figure it out.
- Aaron Kelly – Not really my style, but I think he’s got a fanbase.
- Alex Lambert – I thought he was the next to go, but a very solid showing puts him in the running to make the top 12 and the tour!
- Todrick Hall – Fighting for his life at this point.
- Lacey Brown – Unfortunately, Lacey hasn’t figured it out yet. I’m hoping she does!
- Paige Miles – Bleh.
- Tim Urban – Tim should send VFTW a Christmas card if he hangs on till the tour…
