Son of Simon’s Take on American Idol 7 Top 12
Son of Simon has a great take on this years top 12 American Idol contestants and I wanted to share some of it with the blogging community. You can find more of Son of Simon’s post in our forum.
I’m only focusing on why American *won’t* vote for each contestant. (yep… fun I know)
No. 1 Jason Castro
Why America won’t vote for him: Despite him having “enough” of everything, the challenge from here on will be to dig for adrenalin performances. Jason’s not a “thrill ride” type performer, the way Chris Daughtry or Blake Lewis are regarded- he’s even keel- and what will make that difficult in the later rounds will be things like Country week, or similar themes to take Castro way out of his comfort zone. An interesting ride ahead.
No. 2 David Archuleta
Why America won’t vote for him:- If my knock on Castro shed any light- consider last year’s winner Jordin Sparks, and her comparison with Archuleta- they have virtually the same demographics. Sure everyone loves this type of performer, but Archuleta loses out to Castro in terms of youth appeal- he’s better off selling records to the 35+ crowd. In order to seal the deal- David will have to prove to us he can actually be…17 years old on stage.
No. 3 Ramiele Mulaby
Why America won’t vote for her: In a word- psychology. Ramiele’s success is taking on cerebral strategies, and she is well aware of the 30+ million viewers trying to figure out what to “do” with her. That can lead to second-judgements and poor decisions, it can lead to trying to fit what she feels her audience wants- a similar situation with the emergence of our first Idol, Kelly Clarkson, but with less edge. And that edge is a critical factor for Ramiele- in order to survive she’ll have to take the risk, scream and move, and drop the control game for a bit.
No. 4 Karly Smithson
Why America won’t vote for her: The main reason why I don’t see her so much as an “Idol” is because if she won I see a niche market, and a predetermined fan-base, and an artist that will struggle with a more generic American pop machine like Idol. Unlike the three contestants listed before her- Karly is already “grown” up on stage, and so I’d expect her to finish top 3 or 4 in a similar light as Melinda Doolittle.
No. 5 Michael Johns
Why America won’t vote for him: Essentially, see Carly’s problem above. Grown up, developed, and professional entertainers can only suffer in the later rounds when we’re starting to see artists in the making (contestants like Brooke White and David Cook can really start to climb as they emerge as artists, often taking vote-shares aware from the more seasoned performers). Let’s not also forget- vocally Johns is adult and entertaining, but he has been awful shy if polished about avoiding those big notes. Sooner or later it’s gonna catch up.
No. 6 David Cook
Why America won’t vote for him: As a developing artist David is gathering steam, but the natural obstacles will be portraying that in an often rigid and corny Idol theme. While Cook is one of those I’d say I’m able to envision as an Idol- I just don’t feel in the end the masses of America would rather see our guitar hero versus the universal appeal of a Castro, Archuleta, or even Mulabay.
No. 7 Brooke White
Why America won’t vote for her: Artistic measures aside, Brooke faces some more serious challenges when we consider what it means to be an American Idol. Brooke has shown some youth, some charm, and definitely has entertainment value, but I do feel her vocals have some limitations, and can’t help but wonder if she can really deliver on a Pop music scale. For Brooke to go all the way- she’ll end up having to destroy a lot of what we love about her right now, and I don’t see how that can be done while still gaining momentum in the voting.
No. 8 Syesha Mercado
Why America won’t vote for her: My one major concern with Syesha will be how she will continue to gain “market share” with what appears to be a fairly stagnant progression for her. Now- I could be totally wrong and Syesha could just decide to slay us in the coming weeks, in which case her ratings here will skyrocket…and maybe Ramiele will falter, I just don’t see her overcoming the resident professional Smithson.
No. 9 Kristy Lee Cook
Why America won’t vote for her: Because she’s horribly outclassed in this grouping…and…well…forgettable. From the top 12 to the top 6- personality is what people want. We’re now invested in our Idol contestants, so now more than ever is a reason to stand out, become an artist, or show some growth. The person who made it here by flying under the radar is going to find herself awfully exposed in the coming weeks.
No. 10 Amanda Overmeyer
Why America won’t vote for her: Play some Skynyrd, man!
No. 11 Chickeze Eze
Why America won’t vote for him: Because he is boring, and we’re running out of people to let go. Chickeze is boring, his style is boring, and no one has really connected with him. Boring.
No. 12 David Hernandez
Why America won’t vote for him: David has only recently impressed us, and we may miss the chance to see if he has anything else up his sleeve. Too little…too late.
more information: http://www.idolme.com/forum/thread9587.html