CarmenSandiego

1. Allegra -- my favorite now that Kenedi's gone. 2. Lady K. -- if Allegra doesn't win, I hope that she does. 3. Nicolina -- best vocalist. 4. Emyrson -- my third pick. 5. Huntergirl -- I wouldn't mind if she won. 6. Fritz -- the only guy I wouldn't mind winning. 7. . Christian -- best male vocalist but he over sings a lot. 8. Leah -- she's sometimes just a little much for my taste, that's all. 9. Jay -- his star is fading fast. 10. Ava -- I like her least of the girls. 11. Mike -- I like him most of the male country singers. 12. Tristen -- he can be too much for me. 13. Noah -- . But he has a nice tone. 14. Dan --

Last Monday, the Top 20 was cut to 14, with 10 singers getting through on the public vote and ten having to sing for one of the four Judges' Wildcard Slots. In the end, six were cut from the competition: Cadence, Cameron, Elli, Jacob, Katyrah and Sage. I've already done an article which tried to explain why Cadence lost, and now it's time to look at why Cameron lost. Cameron managed to get to the Top 20, but why wasn't he able to get to the Top 14? Let's look at the rules that American Idol Season 20 ideally should follow in order to understand what Cameron did right and what (a lot) he did wrong. Show Singing and Performing Talent Cameron had enough singing and performing talent in order to make the Top 24. And he showed more than enough performing talent during his short time on the show. But did he show enough singing talent? No way! In fact, when he performed in the second group in the Top 24, his performance could accurately be described as a train wreck. The TooFab staff accurately noted that his voice faltered because he couldn't really sing when he was running around at top speed. Nobody on IdolForums liked it either. He had the lowest overall rating of Group 2, with only Dan Marshall from Group 1 being rated worse overall. However, he managed to get into the Top 20 because as I noted in my analysis of why Sir Blayke lost, the only thing worse than being a train wreck which is entertaining is being boring. So how did he do in his Top 20 performance? Well, he calmed down and actually sounded better. The TooFab staff put him in tenth overall, and in the Top 14, praising him for delivering a better vocal performance and thinking that it might've been his best performance yet. However, the people from IDF still weren't impressed. Crisis thought that he was still all over the place vocally. And I gave him a 6 out of 10, which was better than the 3 I gave him for his Top 24 performance but was still at the bottom along with Dan. When he failed to make the Top 10 in terms of votes, he had one final chance to save himself with "if It Hadn't Been For Life". How did he do with that one? Again, the TooFab Staff thought he did better than in the Top 24, although they did note that his voice faltered when he moved around. The IDF people, on the other hand, were still critical, with most of those rating him anywhere from a 3 o a 5. I gave him a 6, admitting that it was his best vocal but still thinking that he was a goner. IAlso, Denton Davidson from GoldDerby said that he would keep Allegra (who got one of the Wildcard slots) over Cameron, a decision a lot of us would have agreed with. In short, Cameron failed in the first rule. Song Choice Is Key I don't think Cameron did as badly with this rule as others did, like Cadence. While his song choices weren't always my cup of tea (like "Black Sabbath"), they were probably better than doing Whitney Houston or Carrie Underwood. So I'll move on from here. Be Consistently Outstanding or Better Yet, Consistently Improve Every Week Cameron had problems with the first part of the rule, being consistently outstanding. In fact, as I noted before, he was a train wreck in his first performance! He did manage to improve in his next two performances, so he did manage to follow the second part of the rule. The problem is that he didn't do it nearly fast enough to make it into the Top 14. So he didn't really succeed in this rule either. Stand Out By Being Unique or By Being Memorable for Positive Reasons Cameron did manage to be memorable and thus followed the fourth rule to an extent. As I noted when reviewing his Top 24 routine, he was at least entertaining. However, he also was memorable for ignoring mentor Bebe Rexha's advice, which isn't a positive reason to be memorable. If you want to be memorable, ignoring advice isn't the best route to take. And while he did improve his vocal performance in the Top 20, it might also have had the unintended effect of making him more forgettable. Thus, while Cameron wasn't a total strike out, he still had problems with this rule. Remember, You Are a Package Cameron did know that he was a package and proved it with his entertaining back flips. However, his package was that of a performer, not that of a singer. He may not know how to combine his energy with his vocals in such a way that he can be a package that people would vote for, especially people like me, who tend to vote for the better singers. If that's the case, then he struggled with this rule as well. Never, Ever Argue With Any of the Judges or Respond to Baiting From Ryan I'm afraid that I'm going to have to add a related warning to future American Idol contestants: never, ever ignore the advice of mentors. Because that is exactly what Cameron did. Bebe advised him to stand behind a mic and tone down his manic energy, and he ignored it. The result was a disaster, with steam likely coming from Bebe's ears and the judges appropriately speechless. Fortunately for Cameron, he didn't argue with the judges and he did listen to Bebe's advice and tone the manic energy down, but by then it was too little, too late. Thus in the end, Cameron struck out with this rule. Gather a Fan Base -- and Sustain It This was the final rule that Cameron failed to follow. Part of the problem was that like Nicolina, he was from Canada and Canadians aren't able to vote on the show. But Nicolina was able to deliver killer vocals that allowed her to gather a fan base. Cameron had decent vocals, but his manic energy often took away from his vocals and in any case, he wasn't the best male vocalist by a long shot. He had fans, but they were fans mainly because of his manic energy (and after his Top 24 performance, because of the judges giving him thumbs-down), but once he toned down his manic energy, the fans went away. Thus he fouled up this rule as well. Quite frankly, Cameron should have been eliminated a week ago. He was one of the weakest vocalists in the Top 24. He was a natural performer, but it often came at the expense of his vocals. His packaging was focused almost entirely on his performance skills. And he made the fatal mistake of ignoring the advice of Bebe Rexha. And that explains why Cameron lost.

Take a look at my thread on why Sir Blayke lost, and what you said about him being forgettable is probably the biggest reason why he lost.

While I don't mind that you love Gabby (as you said, everyone has a right to their opinions when it comes to rooting for a contestant), you really should be more realistic. Gabby might be a potential star, but a potential superstar? That remains to be seen, since it's too early in her career to tell, and unlikely as well.

Last night, the public vote put 10 contestants of American Idol Season 20 in jeopardy: Allegra, Cadence, Cameron, Elli, Jacob, Jay, Katyrah, Mike, Sage and Tristen. The judges then decided to save Allegra, Jay, Mike and Tristen, thus ending the journey of Cadence, Cameron, Elli, Jacob, Katyrah and Sage. That means that this week, I have to analyze why the dream ended for six people, based on the rules I listed that American Idol Season 20 contestants should ideally follow in order to get far into the show. It's a tough thing, but I have to begin somewhere, and I'll go in alphabetical order, which means that the first person I'll analyze is Cadence. Cadence had the tools to get into the Top 24 and even into the Top 20, but her journey ended there. What happened? Why didn't Cadence get any farther? Show Singing and Performing Talent There is no doubt that Cadence had enough singing talent to get into the Top 24. She also had enough performing talent; unfortunately, it seems that she was more comfortable performing with a family member nearby, especially her father. When she went to Hollywood and had to leave her father behind, her performances began to suffer due to confidence issues and she began falling towards the back of the pack when the Top 24 were chosen. She did make a good enough recovery in the Top 20 round that she was able to get into the Top 20, but how was her performance of "Train Wreck"? Not the best. Denton Davidson from GoldDerby thought that her high belting screeched, while the Too Fab staff put her into the list of those who they didn't think would make the Top 14, although they did think that she invested herself fully into the performance. And few people in the IdolForums Rating thread gave Cadence a very high score either -- I gave her a 7, and that one of the higher scores. And what about her performance of "I'm Your Baby Tonight" when she had to sing for her survival? That wasn't great either. The Too Fab Staff thought it felt like something that you might see at a high-school talent show. And Katy Perry actually complimented Cadence's appearance before commenting on her performance, something that Davidson correctly realized wasn't a good sign. I think it's safe to say that Cadence failed in this rule. Song Choice Is Key Cadence didn't exactly shine in this rule either, especially when she sang for her survival. Singing a Whitney Houston song is very risky, and you need to have the vocal pipes required to tackle her songs. When I heard her perform the song, I didn't think that it was the smartest choice. Still, she wasn't as bad with this rule as some others -- most notably, Katyrah. Be Consistently Outstanding or Better Yet, Consistently Improve Every Week This was one of the biggest problems Cadence had. She was inconsistent, in part due to her confidence issues. She began well, but began losing steam in Hollywood and never regained enough of her former steam to have a shot at going very far. I thought that her best performance since her audition was in the Top 24, when she sang an Etta James song, but then she slid backwards in the Top 20 round. Thus, Cadence stumbled on this rule as well. Stand Out by Being Unique or by Being Memorable for Positive Reasons Another strikeout from Cadence here. She was just one of many young female performers with a very good voice, and her confidence issues led to her being rather forgettable. In fact, my comments on her "Train Wreck" performance was "Lovely but forgettable." I didn't think it would get her the votes she needed, and I was right. Thus Cadence struck out on this rule as well. Remember, You Are a Package This was another rule that Cadence fouled up on. Perhaps due to her confidence issues, she had problems defining who she was and thus packaging herself to appeal to enough people that they would vote for her. And her inconsistent performances certainly didn't help her out there. Thus, she fouled up this rule as well. Never, Ever Argue With Any of the Judges or Respond to Baiting From Ryan At least Cadence had no problems with this rule. Cameron, on the other hand, had some problems here though his problems weren't with the judges, they were with mentor Bebe Rexha! Remind me to add that you should take the advice of mentors in the future. However, I'll get to Cameron later, so I'll just move on. Create a Fan Base -- And Sustain It This was the final rule that Cadence had problems with. Due to her confidence issues and resulting inconsistency, she wasn't really able to create a fan base that would help her out. It didn't help that she wasn't a country singer like Huntergirl, have an entertaining personality like Leah, or have a sad backstory like Lady K. All Cadence had was her voice, and that wasn't enough to get a fan base. Thus Cadence missed this rule as well. Cadence had potential. But she wasn't confident unless she had family nearby and if she didn't have them around, she struggled with consistency. This prevented her from being memorable, and thus affected her ability to create a package and gain a fan base. And finally, she made an iffy song choice when it came time to sing and convince the judges that she deserved to be one of the Wild Cards. And that is why Cadence lost.

Ava Maybee - Cuz I Love You by Lizzo - 8. This may be Ava's best performance. Christian Guardino - Creep by Radiohead - 8. Not my cup of tea but he sang it well. Cameron Whitcomb - If It Hadn’t Been For Life by The SteelDrivers - 6. His best vocal, but still -- bye-bye. Allegra Miles - Tainted by Herself - 8.5. Not quite as good as the night before, but she deserved to be saved. Lady K - Bust Your Windows by Jazmine Sullivan - 9. I loved this performance, in part because I love the song! HunterGirl - Vice by Miranda Lambert - 7.5. She deserved to move on tonight. Katyrah Love - Through the Fire by Chaka Khan - 7.5. Second time I heard her sing, I didn't quite like it as much. Cadence Baker - I’m Your Baby Tonight by Whitney Houston - 7. It's a bad idea to sing Whitney Houston on this show. Dan Marshall - Stuck on You by Lionel Richie - 7. Dan's best performance to date, actually. Leah Marlene - Wisher to the Well by Herself - 8. I liked her more the night before. Nicolina Bozzo - She Used To Be Mine by Sara Barellis - 9. This was as good as the first time she sang it. Sage - Brown Eyed Lover by Allen Stone - 7. This was better than her previous song, but it was too little, too late. Jay Copeland - Believer by Imagine Dragons - 7.5. Not my cup of tea but he sang the heck out of it. Noah Thompson - Cover Me Up by Jason Isbell - 7. He's got a good voice, but he's boring. Jacob Moran - Rise by Katy Perry - 7. He's got a great voice, but his wailing drives me nuts. Sorry. Elli Rowe - All I Want by Kodaline - 8. She was very good but Allegra was better. Emyrson Flora - Love in the Dark by Adele - 8. Very good. She's becoming a dark horse. Mike Parker - Bed on Fire by Teddy Swims - 7.5. He deserved to move on to the Top 14. Fritz Hager - Golden by Harry Styles - 8. I have just one question: why is Fritz the only guy I give 8's to? Tristen Gressett - Are You Gonna Go My Way by Lenny Kravitz - 7. Not my cup of tea, but he is an entertainer!

Indeed, Maddie was the better artist even if Gabby seems to be the bigger star right now.

And Kenedi is the one most likely to break out among the Platinum Ticket holders

1. Allegra 2. Lady K. 3. Nicolina

Well next Sunday we should go all out in voting for Allegra. No slacking off! I sure won't be doing so!

Emyrson's actually behind Allegra and Lady K. but I'm having her as a new person to root for once Allegra is cone (and she'll be gone fairly soon, sadly).

I'm sorry for your sake. At least you and I have Allegra, and I can move on to Lady K. and Emyrson, so I'm not totally out of it.

I got 8 out of 10, missing only Dan (it was close between Mike and him, tbh) and Ava (I didn't see that one coming).

Yeah.

You're probably right about Katyrah. Which will be mentioned in my "Why Katyrah Lost" article, coming sometime during the week.

I was cheering when Allegra got in. Jacob was talented but his voice grated too much on me, and the judges might have agreed with me. The only one I wish wasn't in the Top 14 is Tristen. I wanted Katyrah in there instead of him.

Not surprised that Fritz made it and Tristen didn't. I thought Fritz was very good. Tristen, however, wasn't my cup of tea. I hope that Allegra makes it into the Top 14.

Unlikely, but it would be funny.

Mike could have chosen to go the country lane on his own. Anyway, I think he was kind of expecting to be told he didn't make it. He was good but I'm not sure it was good enough. As for Emyrson, she could be a fine replacement for me to root for once Allegra is gone.

Didn't expect that! I'm happy about that.

Elli was pretty good, but it might not have been enough for her to move on. I think the judges will choose Allegra over her.

Jacob's wailing drove me nuts. He might not get in.

That was actually one of Noah's better performances.

The stats are better for Emyrson, but Jacob is a white male guy. On the other hand, I don't think that he's as cute as Noah or Dan. Two out of three are mediocre. Huntergirl is good.

Oh, the judges are going to save Jay for sure. Unfortunately, the song isn't my cup of tea.