CarmenSandiego

Looks like Allegra might have saved herself with her song! Well, at. least I hope she did. Great job!

Lady K. does have a similar backstory to Fantasia, but singing a winner's coronation song is never a good idea. Still, she sang the heck out of it.

Tristen made a horrible song choice. While I hated Adam Lambert's tone, he was a great singer. Tristen isn't one.

Fritz is the best guy in this season. Not a hard hurdle to jump over, unfortunately.

Wow! I really enjoyed Leah's performance! Then again, I love "Happy Together". Still, great job!

Dan was predictable and boring.

Christian sang the heck out of the song, but this wasn't the best song choice.

Jay wasn't as manic, which is a good thing, but it might be forgotten by the end, and that's bad. Huntergirl was enjoyable but was a little forgettable too. Still she'll probably be all right. That might be a bad idea. I agree.

I'm going to watch on TV, but I'll be voting for Allegra, Emyrson and Lady K. vi text as well as via online voting.

That would be good advice! I'll consider it for next season.

Whew! Writing up six analyses on why certain contestants lost was a killer. But I persevered, and now I'm down to just one contestant eliminated from the Top 20: Sage. Sage managed to make it into the Top 20, bu after her Top 20 performance, she had to sing to earn a Judges' Wildcard, and she was eliminated. But why did she fail to earn the coveted Judges' Wildcard? If we look at the rules that American Idol Season 20 contestants need to follow, that can help us learn what she did right, what she did wrong, and why Sage lost. Show Singing and Performing Talent Sage had enough singing and performing talent to make the Top 24, but she needed to show that talent in her three performances. And she didn't always do so. For example, let's take a look at her performance in the Top 20 round. The Too Fab staff ranked that routine in 19th place, above only Katyrah's performance, noting that the performance felt a bit uncomfortable. Crisis said that she should have stayed with the piano arrangement the whole way through the song, and said that the vocals fell apart when the band kicked in. I gave it a 7, but said that it was largely because I liked the song, since after rewatching it on YouTube I wasn't as impressed as I was the first time around. What about her Judges' Wildcard song? That actually went better. The Too Fab staff actually ranked this performance second best of the ones who sang for the Judges' Wildcard slot, behind only Tristen, suggesting that she fought for her spot because she mentally prepared herself for the likelihood that she'd be in trouble. And Crisis also thought that was her best performance. Unfortunately, it seems to have come too little, too late for her. Thus Sage ultimately failed in the first rule, although not as badly as some others did. Song Choice Is Key Sage had a questionable song choice in the Top 24 round with "Jolene". It's been done before on American Idol, and not always very well. That said, she got into the Top 20 despite that iffy song choice (and was helped by Danielle and Scarlet having worse song choices), and her choice of "Rihannon" for her Top 20 performance was panned more for how she performed the song than for it actually being a bad song choice, so she wasn't as bad with this rule as others were. Be Consistently Outstanding or Better Yet, Consistently Improve Every Week However, Sage did have problems with this rule. She wasn't consistently outstanding, and she didn't consistently improve every week. By contrast, Allegra was improving every week once she got into the Top 24. Thus Sage fouled up this rule. Stand Out By Being Unique or By Being Memorable For Positive Reasons I don't think that Sage did too well with this rule either. She might have been the only one really competing in a particular lane, as the Too Fab staff thought. On the other hand, Crisis indicated that he thought that she was toast once Ava got into the Top 14 through public voting, so Sage might have had competition from her. And Ava was more memorable than Sage due to Ava's hair color and having a famous father. Thus Sage messed up on this rule as well. Remember, You Are a Package This is probably one of the biggest reasons why Sage lost. Her package was comparatively plain when compared to a number of the other women -- and men for that matter -- in the Top 24. She was able to outlast three other people (along with Kenedi, who withdrew), but she needed a better package to get into the Top 14, and she didn't have it. Thus, Sage struck out with this rule. Never, Ever Argue With the Judges or Respond to Baiting From Ryan At least Sage had no problems with this rule. Unfortunately, that wasn't nearly enough to save her so we'll move on. Gather a Fan Base -- And Sustain It This was the final rule that Sage failed to follow. Part of it was the fault of the producers, as they aired her audition as almost an afterthought. But she didn't do enough on her own part to get a fan base or to sustain it. Had she done an outstanding performance of "Rhiannon" or "Jolene", then she might have gotten a fan base. But she didn't. Thus, Sage fouled up this rule as well. Sage was screwed somewhat with the producers, since her audition was aired almost as an afterthought, and right after the Oscars were shown too. But she still could have saved herself once she got into the Top 24. She could have made a better song choice in the Top 24. She could have made better performance choices in the Top 20 round. And she could have had a better package and been more memorable. But she did none of the above. And when it was time for her to sing for the Wildcard slot, she finally sang and performed her best, but It was too little, too late. That is why Sage lost.

Incidentally, I'd like Allegra to do a version of the title song from the James Bond film "No Time To Die". That would get people to pay attention to her and vote for her, I think.

Maybe not, but if enough people who could be in danger (like Ava) stumble badly enough, she might just squeak by this round.

Katyrah was one of my personal favorites. Unfortunately, my rooting for her ended all too soon as she failed to get into the Top 14 through public voting, and then failed to get a Judges' Wildcard slot. But how did it happen? What caused Katyrah to end her journey in the Top 20? As with Cadence, Cameron, Elli and Jacob I'll look at my list of rules of what American Idol Season 20 contestants need to follow in order to find out what Katyrah did right, what she did wrong and why she lost. Show Singing and Performing Talent Katyrah had enough singing and performing talent to make the Top 24. She also showed her singing and performing talent in her Top 24 group. But she might not have shown both off as well in her Top 20 performance or her Wildcard song. In her Top 20 performance, the Too Fab staff thought that she didn't nail all the big notes and that she might have gotten into her head a little too much, while Crisis thought that she wasn't able to match the energy that Bishop Briggs had when Katyrah sang "Dream." And while I loved her performance, others on IDF ranked it lower than I did. And what about her Wildcard slot song? Katyrah chose "Through the Fire", and the Too Fab staff put her last amongst those in danger, saying that she didn't nail some of the big notes that she needed to hit. Thus, Katyrah failed this rule. Song Choice Is Key I think this is the main problem that Katyrah had. Crisis hit the nail right on the head: Chaka Khan is a vocal powerhouse. You need to have a tremendously powerful voice in order to take on her songs. While it's commendable that Katyrah wanted to go big, she really should have chosen a different song. Thus Katyrah struck out on this rule. Be Consistently Outstanding or Better Yet, Consistently Improve Every Week This was another rule that Katyrah had problems with. I believe that she hit her peak in the Top 24 round, but then she stalled. You can't afford to hit a plateau, especially in the early rounds. Thus Katyrah messed this rule up as well. Stand Out by Being Unique, or By Being Memorable for Positive Reasons I don't think that Katyrah did as well with this rule as she could have. She was a fine performer and had some memorability in her backstory, but it didn't reach out as much to people as the backstory of say, Lady K., who definitely was more memorable. Thus Katyrah stumbled slightly with this rule as well. Remember, You Are a Package Katyrah had problems with this rule as well. She had a package -- a powerful voice -- and was an entertainer as well but her packaging was comparatively plain compared to that of Lady K., who also had a powerful voice but had a more sympathetic backstory. Thus Katyrah fouled up this rule as well. Never, Ever Argue With the Judges or Respond to Baiting From Ryan At least Katyrah succeeded with this rule. But that didn't help her, so we'll move on. Gather a Fan Base -- And Sustain It This is the final rule Katyrah had problems with. She wasn't a Country singer like Huntergirl. She didn't have as compelling a backstory as Lady K. And while she was a fine entertainer, her song choices weren't always the best. Thus Katyrah missed this rule as well. In the end, Katyrah had too many strikes against her. She could have found a way to make herself more memorable. She could have performed better at certain key moments in the competition. And most important, she could have chosen better songs. But she did none of the above, and that is why Katyrah lost.

I think that voter complacency played a role here. Jacob's fans probably thought that he was safe and didn't bother voting for him as much as they should have. Also, he probably didn't have a real "it factor" like others.

In other words, smart song selection. Maybe Allegra should do the same.

My guess that it's a combination of the two theories offered -- her enunciation is a problem for some people and others can only understand and appreciate the basic stuff.

1. Which 11 singers will advance to the Top 11? (110 points) - Noah (ugh) - Huntergirl - Fritz - Lady K. - Nicolina - Christian - Leah - Dan (double ugh) - Emyrson - Tristen - Allegra (I still have hope) 2. Which 3 singers will not advance to the Top 11? (30 points) - Ava - Jay - Mike 3. Which female singer will be announced first by Ryan Seacrest to move forward to Top 11? (30 points) - Nicolina 4. Which male singer will be announced first by Ryan Seacrest to move forward to Top 11? (30 points) - Fritz 6. Which singer will be announced last by Ryan Seacrest to move forward to Top 11? (30 points) - Allegra 7. What will be the ratio of male and female singers in the Top 20? (20 points) - 6 females and 5 males Bonus Questions 8. How many singers will use any musical instruments in their performance? (50 points) - 5 9. How many singers in Top 14 will receive standing ovations from Katy Perry after their performance? (50 points) - 10.

Why do the Facebook people hate Allegra's voice so much?

I have analyzed the reasons why Cadence Baker, Cameron Whitcomb and Elli Rowe all failed to make the Top 14. Three down and three to go, with one of the remaining three being Jacob Moran. Unlike the first three, Jacob had a very good chance of advancing farther into the competition despite not finishing in the Top 10 public voting but after singing to ensure a Judges' Wildcard slot, he was gone. How did what was probably the best male vocalist in the competition fail to make the Top 14? My list of rules for Season 20 contestants to follow in order to get far into the competition hopefully will explain what Jacob did right, what he did wrong, and why he lost. Show Singing and Performing Talent There is no doubt that Jacob has lots of singing talent, and that he showed it as often as he could. Indeed, when he sang his Top 20 song, Katy called him the best voice in the competition, and with Kenedi gone from the competition, that might well be true. Unfortunately, we have seen far too often that there's more to winning American Idol than just being a great singer. You need to show your performance skills, too. And how did Jacob do with this rule? Not quite as well as with his vocals. The Too Fab staff put him in their Top 14 but noted that his stage presence was a little subdued. Crisis, meanwhile, thought that he didn't have a natural stage presence and when he tried to emphasize it, his vocals suffered as a result. A similar problem occurred when he had to sing for the Judge's Wildcard slot, as the Too Fab staff ranked him fifth of those who were in danger, noting that his Wildcard Slot performance wasn't as good as his audition, and Crisis felt the same way. But the real problem might not have been Jacob's performance skills; it might have been his tone of voice. Like Adam Lambert, Jacob had a tone of voice that tended to get on my nerves, and I don't think that I'm the only one who felt that way. Still, Jacob was mostly successful with this rule. Song Choice Is Key Jacob didn't seem to have any real problems with this rule, unlike Cadence or Elli. I think that reprising "Rise" was a smart choice since it would remind the judges of why they put him in the Top 24 in the first place. Allegra sang a reprise of her original song that she first sang at her audition, and it worked out for her. Thus, I don't believe that Jacob failed this rule. Be Consistent, or Better Yet, Consistently Improve Every Week Unfortunately, Jacob did fail with this rule to some degree. His performance of "In My Blood' was possibly his best performance, but I didn't find his performance of "Don't You Worry About a Thing" as good. And his Wildcard Slot performance of "Rise" doesn't seem to have been as good as DYWAAT. I didn't view those two performances as bad, just not as good. And since he began the competition in a strong position, he needed to keep the momentum going. But like LaKisha from Season 6, he couldn't. Thus, he screwed up on this rule. Stand Out By Being Unique or By Being Memorable For Positive Things Jacob did stand out by being the best male vocalist in the Top 24, and he was memorable for that. Unfortunately, he also was memorable for having a tone that could drive people nuts, me included. Still, he succeeded with this rule more than those who were eliminated before him, so we'll move on. Remember, You Are a Package Jacob did have a package -- his package was being the best male vocalist in the Top 24. Unfortunately, I'm not sure that there was much else to his package, and that might havre hurt his chances when his vocals weren't as good or his performance skills were lacking. Lady K. also has a strong voice, but she also has a sympathetic backstory that probably helped her get into the Top 10 via public voting. Jacob's package was plainer by comparison. Thus Jacob messed up on this rule. Never, Ever Argue With Any Of the Judges or Respond to Baiting From Ryan This was another rule that Jacob followed, so we can move on from there. Gather a Fan Base -- and Sustain It Jacob began well with this rule. His killer vocals enabled him to gather fans. Unfortunately, he wasn't able to gather as many fans as the country singers, and he wasn't able to sustain his fan base. Complacency might also have played a role here, since he was still good enough that his fans might have thought that he would be okay and slacked off a little. Thus Jacob ultimately failed with this rule as well. Jacob began the competition well. He had plenty of singing talent, and this enabled him to gather fans. Unfortunately, he wasn't a natural performer, which hurt him to some degree. Worse, his tone of voice could be grating. His packaging was plain compared to some of the others, and finally, he couldn't remain consistently outstanding, losing steam just enough to lull his fans into complacency. He had one last shot to impress the judges, and he fell short. And that is why Jacob lost.

Yeah, she had more potential than actual ability at this point.

I do think that song choice played an important role in Elli's failure. Allegra was a little better than her in that regard -- while she didn't make the Top 10 in public voting, her rendition of "Free Fallin'" was more memorable, and by choosing to sing one of her original songs for the Wildcard slot, she was able to convince the judges to keep her in. Elli didn't do so, and was cut accordingly.

Last Monday, Elli Rowe was one of ten contestants that had to sing to get a precious Judges' Wildcard slot. However, like Cadence Baker and Cameron Whitcomb, she failed and was eliminated. What could she have done differently in order to get into the Top 14? My list of what rules Season 20 contestants should ideally follow in order to get far into the competition can help explain what Elli did right, what she did wrong and why Elli lost. Show Singing and Performing Talent Elli had enough singing and performing talent in order to make the Top 24 and even the Top 20. But how did she do in the Top 20 round? Not great. The Too Fab staff said that she sang like a shy girl who was convinced to go up and perform at a party to show everyone how great she was. Denton Davidson from GoldDerby liked her more but didn't think that she should have let the band come in so strongly during the second half since it drowned out her delicate voice. On IDF, Crisis also thought that the band drowned her out and that she was better the week before. I gave her an 8 but I thought that she could be forgotten by the end. But Elli had a second chance with her performance of "All I Want". And how did that go? It didn't go well either. The Too Fab staff ranked her in eighth out of those who were in the Bottom 10, thinking that she wasn't fully mature as an artist. Denton Davidson liked her performance more, but was worried because she got a backhanded compliment from Lionel Ritchie. And Crisis thought that she was vocally great but the performance part was lacking. Thus Elli stumbled on this rule, mainly with the performance aspects of it. Song Choice Is Key One of the reasons why Elli might have stumbled with the first rule was because she had problems with the second rule, which states that song choice is a key to winning. Crisis noted that "All I Want" required a certain kind of sadness, and Elli just wasn't able to convey it, while the Too Fab staff noted that when a song demanded a few moments of emphasis, she didn't always have it in her. Elli should have picked a better song for her Wildcard slot performance, and possibly even chosen a better song for her Top 20 performance. Thus Elli failed with this rule. Be Consistently Outstanding or Better Yet, Consistently Improve Every Week An American Idol contestant should either be consistently outstanding or consistently improve every week. This is especially true if you're not focused on much, as Elli was. Unfortunately, she didn't do so well with this rule either. She did well enough to advance into the Top 20 but too many people put her near the bottom of the Top 20 round, and her Wildcard Slot song wasn't good enough. Thus she messed up this rule as well. Stand Out By Being Unique or By Being Memorable For Positive Reasons This was probably the main reason for Elli's loss. She wasn't memorable enough, especially when compared to Allegra Miles, who also sang in a lane similar to Elli and also had to compete for a Wildcard Slot. I compared Elli's Wildcard Slot performance to Allegra's, and found Allegra to be better, and I clearly wasn't the only one. Elli was a pretty blonde girl with an ethereal voice, but she wasn't memorable enough to be really featured in the early rounds. And she wasn't memorable enough for people to vote for her in the Top 20 round or for the judges to keep her. Thus, she struck out with this rule as well. Remember, You Are a Package This was another rule that Elli failed to do well with. As I noted earlier, Elli was a pretty blonde girl with an ethereal voice, but that was pretty much it. She wasn't featured much because she had a vanilla package, and that wasn't going to cut it on this show. Thus Elli screwed up this rule as well. Never, Ever Argue With the Judges or Respond to Baiting From Ryan Well, at least Elli succeeded with this rule, since she never seemed to argue with them. Nor did she ignore the advice from mentors (Jimmie Allen in her case), unlike Cameron, whose decision to ignore Bebe Rexha's advice in the Top 24 round probably came back to haunt him when he needed to get a Wildcard slot. Unfortunately for Elli, that wasn't enough to overcome her other failures, so I'll just move on. Gather a Fan Base -- And Sustain It This was the final rule that Elli failed to follow. Not all of it was her fault, since she was only montaged during the rounds before the Top 24 performed, which also happened to Allegra. But she could have overcome it by being more memorable to be focused on, or by being a country singer. And once she came into the Top 24, she could have done a better job of gathering a fan base. Unfortunately, her performances weren't good enough to overcome her massive disadvantage and she didn't get into the Top 10 via public voting. Thus Elli fouled out on this rule as well. Elli had a major disadvantage going into the Top 24. She wasn't memorable enough to be focused on heavily and thus was behind the 8-ball. But she could have done better in order to survive. She could have been a better performer. And she could have made better song choices. But she did neither. And the final straw was the fact that she was in a lane similar to that of another contestant who also had to sing for a Wildcard Slot -- and was more memorable as well as better. Three strikes, and Elli was out. That is why Elli lost.

Well, I'll take any contestant over Noah or Dan.

I watch the performances live but then I rewatch them on YouTube to get rankings.