Who is really an Idol? A look at our top 12.
Here's what I see if Idol ended today:
No. 1- Jason Castro
Why America will vote for him: My thoughts are if we ended Idol today- Jason Castro would be our idol. Why? He has enough of the requisite elements of an Idol- youth, charm, identity, stylings, not to mention the kid can really pick a song. Jason is the contestant that is most conceivable as an American Idol.
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 will vote for him:- He’s simply in his own class. Archuleta has put together brilliant performances, and is demographically pleasing for the whole family. You might be surprised that I didn’t list him as no.1, as he is the odds-on favorite to win it, but see my comments below.
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 will vote for her: Let’s face it- we love this girl. She’s got youth, consistency, control, and power on her side- and she’s big for ratings. Don’t forget the Filipino factor (I am Filipino...nuff said) Ramiele has many of the same elements that Castro has, yet is backed by a more powerful voice.
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 will vote for her: Smithson is pegged as the woman to beat in the competition. A commensurate professional, with the skill and range to out-sing nearly everyone in the competition, nor does she ever shy away from big notes in bigger songs, and of all contestants is at most home on stage. Overall- she gives the most consistent big performances.
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 will vote for him: Michael Johns has strengths similar to Carly Smithson: professional, at home on stage, and brings a real adult feel to Idol. Audiences find his performances entertaining and he’s currently holding the “Alpha male” mantle that folks like Chris Daughtry were able to maintain throughout the competition. In short- Johns is our grown up man, delivering grown up performances, and entertaining the crowd.
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 will vote for him: Because despite America’s current fling with Johns- I think we all realize that David Cook (baby hair and all), is still the coolest guy in town. We’re in the stages of deciding we know all there is to know about your David Archuletas and Michael Johns, but this David Cook guy is on the surge. I have a feeling he’ll place 4-6 by the time he’s done, and this is the guy who will most likely have the Daughtry-like post Idol experience.
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 will vote for her: Simply put, one of the smartest contestants on Idol. Brooke knows her abilities, she knows her audience, and she is fully aware of what we expect from her as a performer. Now- what separates her from Ramiele in this regard is that she is actually comfortable in knowing this, and more than willing to take calculated risks. Brooke’s artistic factors will carry her a long way in the competition if she continues along the trend she is setting now.
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 will vote for her: Here is our powerhouse vocal, which is always a good thing to keep at this stage in the game. Though she lacks Carly’s polished vocals, or Ramiele’s endearing qualities, Syesha is pleasant in front of the camera, and she strikes the audience as a genuinely sweet but determined girl, earning a lot of respect during Hollywood week. Syesha also demonstrates a lot of what America is looking for in an American Idol, and she among all contestants has the potential to run away with a few of the upcoming weeks provided she can make the right choices and take the right kinds of risks.
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 will vote for her: Boy, I wish I knew why. Sure, Kristy’s easy on the eyes, but she has no sex appeal. Okay, so she can sing that one song really well…but vocally she lacks depth, power, and range. That said- Kristy maintains wholesome with the audience, and not being offensive to anyone is a strength in of itself.
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 will vote for her: Because there is a part of America that can’t let go of her rough, raspy style. Because Jeff Foxworthy still has a career, and people still wear mullets and smoke Chesterfields and drink Coors. This isn’t to say that Amanda isn’t a breath of fresh air compared to our gathering of ballad singers and pop wanna-be’s. Well- maybe not so much fresh air, but different air. And sometimes the one dimension or angle you’re playing is a record that fans never get tired of. Play some Skynyrd, man!!!
Why America won’t vote for her: Play some Skynyrd, man!
No. 11 Chickeze Eze
Why America will vote for him: Because like Amanda, Chickeze has cornered his one little area of demographics. Not only that- he does happen to be a quality vocal, and has managed to not piss off enough people to warrant an earlier exit.
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 will vote for him: David H…now here’s an interesting story despite him being at the rock bottom of my ratings. First week he comes out and no one cares. The next week he blows us away, and we seem to care. Is David H. the real dark horse of the competition?
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.
So, my $0.02. What are your thoughts? Who do you think can really be AI7?
-SoS
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