American Idol- Top 12

It is now Tuesday evening. I watched Monday's episode about 24 hours ago and will once again attempt to rely on memory. This will likely be the plan for however many Monday night episodes remain,

Ten contestants were eliminated last night as 12 now advance to the official "Finals." There are certainly some that I disagree with, but at least everyone is talented enough this season not to be too upset. In looking at the predictions I made, clearly I underestimated the voting strength that the males as a whole would have. The Idol voting demographic definitely appears to be heavily white, probably a good deal older than ever before, and favorable towards religious contestants.

Here is how I judged the 20 performers on Sunday. It was a strong show and everyone was "good" with 19 out of the 20 being at least "very good."

20. Colin Stough

19. Matt Wilson

18. Warren Peay

17. Marybeth Byrd (predict to make Top 10)

16. Zachariah Smith

15. Paige Anne

14. Mariah Faith

13. Haven Madison (predict to make Top 10)

12. Michael Williams (predict to make Top 10)

11. Tyson Venegas (predict to make Top 10)

10. Iam Tongi (predict to make Top 10)

 9. Hannah Nicolaisen

 8. Nailyah Serenity

 7. Nutsa (predict to make Top 10)

 6. Lucy Love (predict to make Top 10)

 5. Megan Danielle (predict to make Top 10)

 4. Oliver Steele

 3. Kaeyra (predict to make Top 10)

 2. We Ani (predict to  make Top 10)

 1. Olivia Soli

 

The typical format now for this evening is that all the contestants would be called to the stage and told if they made via the Top 10 vote. If so, they could "sing in celebration." If not, they would "sing for survival" and hope the judges would pick them, even though it is far more likely that the producers had already made the decisions on the wildcards.

I will rank all performances, for the heck of it, and because voters would be formulating judgments for next week, even though none were officially voting on this show.

1. We Ani- "This Is Me"

Starting off, a deserving contestant made it through as I predicted. She has consistently been one of the better singers this season. In examining the results at the end of the night, it is clear that she is easily winning the African-American vote. That might make it likely that she is around into the later rounds, but may have a hard time winning the entire show.

Vocally, she sang this power ballad very strongly. The sleeves on her outfit looked like they came from Big Bird. In any event, she has definite star potential.

2. Michael Williams- "Golden Hour"

I had him ranked 12th but thought incorrectly he would get enough voters. In retrospect for him, he probably should have cut his hair. By getting the haircut and growing a beard, he went from looking like a taller Tom Cruise to a thinner Adam Lambert, next week's mentor.

On this song, I do not think he was effective vocally. He was trying to do something more modern sounding than he had done before and relied too much on falsetto. Of course, it is a tough position to have to sing after getting bad news, that might have come as a surprise. Regardless of the song, he was not going to go any further, because literally all the other white males were voted into the Top 10.

3. Hannah Nicolaisen- "Royals"

On the merits of her performance Sunday, she deserved a spot, but I did not think she would get it.

She sang "Royals", perhaps in preparation for next month's Coronation of Charles and Camilla but this song might feel more fitting for Harry and Meghan. I have also always wondered why Americans keep the line about "post code envy." They should just change it to "zip code envy" to make it more American.

Hannah sang it decently of course, but it was nothing special. I am a bit surprised she is trying to sing these big songs and dress so glamorously on stage. I think it might have been a smarter strategy to try to play instruments and present herself as a more casual singer-songwriter type rather than enter the Diva Derby.

4. Warren Peay- "It's Not My Time"

For Warren, this was his time. I had him ranked near the bottom on Sunday and did not think he would be voted in. However, America liked the church going South Carolinian who is sort of a country singer, but not really.

I think this was the best his voice sounded and he seemed very at ease on stage. It felt like a 70s Southern Rock type of thing and Warren definitely looks the part. This was all without his "lucky hat" for the first time. It appeared his fiancee was wearing it in the audience.

 

5. Mariah Faith- If It Hadn't Been For Love"

The fact that Mariah was no longer considered a front-runner is a sign of  just how stacked this season seems to be. I ranked her in 14th place, and thought she might get close to being voted into the Top 10, but would fall short. Whether it was close or not, she did not make it.

Once again, I was impressed with her bluesy sounding vocals, although this particular song seems to have already been overdone on Idol. Ultimately, Mariah may not have looked or sounded country enough as another country female would beat her out as well as another raspy voiced young lady.

6. Haven Madison- "15"

I had the 17 year old ranked 13th but thought she would get voted in. Once she did, she revisited her original audition song about being 15 which was a better idea than doing a song about how America's last amateur Idol blogger ranked her 13th.

 

I have never heard of her father Jason Roy before, but clearly, he has a lot of fans, and is also going to be a very proud and emotional presence for the cameras watching his daughter in the audience. 

Hannah has impressive song-writing ability and thought she came across well, although at times, on the big notes, like some other teenagers this season, she gets a bit carried away and veers a bit off course. She seems like a natural on the microphone though in speaking. She had quite a soundbite prepared about "wanting it now."

7. Nailyah Serenity- "I'm Still Breathing"

Thank goodness she was still breathing as she prepared to sing. Based on Sunday, she deserved a spot in the Top 10, but I correctly surmised she would not get one. 

After maybe a bit of a quiet start, she brought a lot of power to this performance. I do not know this song, but she seemed like she enthused a lot of modern intensity into it and it was definitely a statement.

 

8. Paige Anne- "I Am Here"

Yes, there she was, singing for her Idol life once again.I had her ranked 15th and did not think the 16 year old would make it. Last night, she looked uncannily like a 16 year old Debbie Gibson. She probably has a much better voice than Debbie did back then but is not going to approach the immediate pop stardom.

The vocals were pretty good, but I thought Paige was maybe a bit too yelly at some of the high parts.

 

9. Matt Wilson- "For Tonight"

He is another one I had ranked lowly on Sunday and was sure he would not get enough votes to advance. Matt might just be too nice and low-key of a guy. Plus, it is becoming tougher and tougher for African-Americans on Idol, especially those who may be accused of singing "white music."

For this performance, I was fairly impressed by Matt's smooth R&B type vocals.

 

10. Tyson Venegas- "Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me"

 

While I thought he was really good on Sunday, I had him just off the podium in 11th place, but correctly predicted he would be picked to advance.

All things considered, I think Tyson has the best male voice this season but he also can get a bit pitchy when he goes for big notes. He sounds a good deal like David Archuleta on a ballad like this, which of course was performed by the 2008 runner-up at the Finale. This song used to be done a ton on Idol but I think it has been a while. It was right in Tyson's wheelhouse though.

11. Colin Stough- "Dancing On My Own"

I had him ranked dead last on Sunday and thought after two live performances that he was out of his depth this season. I still thought he had a real chance to make it into the Top 10 for both being very young and for being the one true male country singer. Nonetheless, I predicted he would not, because he had to share the votes of Mississippi with Zachariah.

Lo and behold, Colin was voted in and now I think (and perhaps fear) that he might just win the whole thing. Southern country dudes who play guitar and "love their mom" are just what Idol's southern moms love. He pretty much shares the same tract as last year's winner, with the exception of being a teen father.

Now, let me give respect that Colin was actually pretty good on Monday night. I do not know if this song started out as a country song and then was re-done as electronica or the other way around, but Colin did a country version and was far more emotionally connected and sounded a lot better than he had previously. He is going to get the "growth" narrative, as demonstrated by "country superstar" Luke Bryan running on stage to hug him, as if Luke was Blake Shelton and was a coach on "The Voice." I just have a hunch that it might now be hard to stop Colin.

12. Marybeth Byrd- "Cover Me  Up"

I had her ranked all the way back in 17th place, but correctly predicted she would be voted into the Top 10. Her outfit for the evening was pink feathers, perhaps in homage to a Flamingo byrd/bird.

Marybeth is always very decent vocally but I just do not think she has the impact of some of the other female singers. It is hard for me to remember a lot of details about this performance a day later.

13. Kaeyra- "If I Were Your Woman"

I think Kaeyra is crazy talented and had her ranked as high as second place on Sunday. I predicted she would make it, but I had some doubt.  When some of the males were given good news, I knew it would be bad news for her.

Personally, I think she slayed this "sing for your life" moment. She has an amazing voice and is a great performer. Kaeyra definitely deserves to be at least as famous as Ke$ha. Basically, I think it is jealousy that kept her down this season. American Idol's heavily female electorate just does not want to see a conventionally attractive/thin white female unless maybe she sings country. That is not Kaeyra.

So, the reality tv singing competition may not be right for her, but if she is returning to performing in the Chicago suburbs, I may perhaps want to see what she sounds like in person.

14. Oliver Steele- "You're Still The One"

This was a surprise all around. I really liked what he did on Sunday night and had him as the highest ranked male, but i did not think he would get the votes. However, a white male with a guitar is pretty much a sure thing this season.

 

So, I was happy for Oliver and then proceeded to not really like what he did with this Shania Twain song. He turned it from a sentimental ballad to some sort of weird jam session thing. 

15. Olivia Soli- "God is a woman"

The similarly named Olivia Soli was next. I was beyond impressed by her power ballad vocals on Sunday and had her ranked a close number one. However, I did not think she would get enough votes. She did not. I believe she and Matt were the two contestants that Seacrest I think unintentionally blew it by wording it in a way that would have led them to think they were in. Also, he was not using his right hand for some reason during the show.

I do not know this Arianna Grande song. The judges advised Olivia to keep singing big songs. While she has impressive pipes, I did not like this performance nearly as much. Maybe that is because it is a modern song that I do not know, and I was too distracted by trying to figure out how to rank all 20 of these kid, I lost a bit of focus.

16. Iam Tongi- "Stuck On You"

As great a voice as Iam has, I think it has been more interesting to see surprising performances from the others. I had him ranked 10th meaning he deserved to go through and I had no doubt he would.

This was the Lionel Richie song (with the judge in the front row of course) and not the Elvis diddy. Briefly at the beginning, there was a fly stuck on Iam's forehead. It was the second apperance of the night for the fame thirsty fly who has apparently been looking for a way back into the spotlight after its debut appearance at the 2020 Vice Presidential debate. At the least, the American Idol Fly probably has a blue check mark on Twitter now.

Once Iam swatted the fly away, (which is probably something not too unusual in tropical Hawai'i), he sang the song and played guitar again and as usual sounded really good. I feel like I could write the same thing about him every week, like I once did for Scotty McCreery who rode his level of medium consistency all the way to the title.

17. Zachariah Smith- "Hold The Line"

While I thought he was better Sunday than he had been, I still only ranked him 16th and figured there was no way he would be voted into the Top 10, not with another Mississippi guy splitting the vote and other white guys who played guitar.

Well, clearly enough Americans liked Zachariah and at least for this performance, so did I. For the second night in a row, he picked an '80s banger. He sounded better than ever and worked the stage like someone who could have a show in Las Vega doing covers. Zachariah is never going to sell a lot of records regardless of where he finishes this season, but now I am starting to wonder is he could he have a Taylor Hicks appeal to the viewing audience that will make him go very far. I recall there was already an all-Mississippi Final Two back in 2016.

 

18. Lucy Love- "Radioactive"

 

At this point, there are three ladies left trying to get one final spot. It was a clear giveaway that the person called next would fall not be in the Top 10. I thought Lucy had majorly redeemed herself on Sunday with an original song and ranked her sixth. I thought people would sympathize enough with her story as a struggling single mother to vote her through. That did not happen. It appears that Idol's black fans were more intent on saving We, who frankly is a better singer all around.

I was not expecting her to sing an Imagine Dragons song, but I have to say it kind of suited her voice very well. She is really not an R&B diva. She could probably sing Gospel very well but she had an edge to her voice that allows her to pull off rock. While it is certainly off-putting to some, I actually really like her intense game-face and demeanor when she is about to perform and right after. She is being genuine.

19. Megan Danielle- "Thank God I Do"

So, it was down to Megan and Nutsa for the final spot. I had them both ranked in my Top 10 (with Megan being higher) and had predicted both would make it. Only one would though and Megan was the one.

This was produced for television in a way to almost make Megan the opening act for whatever Nutsa would do in an attempt to survive, but once again Megan sounded pretty stellar.

As I often say, I am not a country music aficionado but Megan seems to fit so effortlessly into that genre while always having a bluesy grit to her voice. They told us this was a Lauren Daigle song, which makes sense with the title, so it would not even be considered country. While she did not belt like many of the others, Megan was pretty flawless technically.

20. Nutsa- "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going"

Would she have done this song if she knew she was staying? Clearly, Nutsa was polarizing enough to not get the votes of enough Americans. She might have also been splitting the European immigrant demographic with Kaeyra (who was born here.)

This song from "Dreamgirls" is perhaps the ultimate diva throwdown. I also do not know if a white girl has ever successfully pulled it off. On this, Nutsa was credible but not spectacular by any means. It just seemed a bit forced and underwhelming.While I knew the decision to save her had already been made, if she wanted to sound better for America, maybe Whitney Houston would have been a better bold choice.

Rankings:

20. Michael Williams

19. Oliver Steele (already safe)

18. Nutsa

17. Hannah Nicolaisen

16. Marybeth Byrd (already safe)

15. Olivia Soli

14. Paige Anne

13. Matt Wilson

12. Haven Madison (already safe)

11. Colin Stough (already safe)

10. Iam Tongi (already safe)

 9.  Warren Peay (already safe)

 8.  Mariah Faith

 7.  Zachariah Smith (already safe)

 6.  Tyson Venegas (already safe)

 5.  Lucy Love

 4.  Nailyah Serenity

 3.  Megan Danielle (already safe)

 2.  We Ani (already safe)

 1.  Kaeyra

Based on this, I was hoping the judges would pick Kaeyra and I also thought Naiyah Serenity deserved the next spot. To my semi-surprise, they were being honest about there only being two wild-cards.

 

Since six guys were voted in, there was no need to pick any of them. Adding two females would bring about a 6-6 gender balance. Since only one out of the four (not counting Mariah) African-Americans were voted in, they were also certain to pick a black singer, to go along with the two Asian-Pacific teenagers (I keep forgetting Iam is only 18) and the eight white people. So, my picks would have worked out just fine.

However, I was certain at the commercial break that the judges would select Lucy Love and Nutsa and of course I was correct.

 
I had Lucy ranked just barely below Nailyah so no real rage to be had there, but Kaeyra sure as hell deserved a spot in the Finals, and based on Monday night, was clearly superior to Nutsa.

Idol had a show to cast though and picked the African-American female and the glamorous Eastern European who would make for better television and more social media interaction.

Let the Finals begin.