Crisis Posted May 21, 2020 Share Posted May 21, 2020 (edited) I have no idea how big of a mistake I am about to make; nevertheless, here goes nothing. I just hope this is the right place for this. If not, this thread can be moved to the correct place or even deleted if it’s not allowed... Though I have only been registered since January and only have a few posts to my name, I have been a lurker at IDF for years before the site crashed. My favorite topics to read were the contestant rankings lists, mainly ones about the finalists. I have always enjoyed reading how posters ranked the contestants. Because of this, I have decided to try to create a finalist ranking list of my own. My goal is to have this list done before the beginning of next season. Before I get started, I’ll go over a few things: These are only my opinions, meaning this list will be biased (then again, what list isn’t?). With that said, I will try to be objective as much as possible, though I may throw a few jabs here and there in sad attempts at humor. A majority of this list will be based on what the contestants did on the show, though some post-Idol moments will be mentioned here and there. I have watched every season of Idol; therefore, this list will rank all of the finalists starting with season one. Depending on how everything is, I may rank some of my favorite semi-finalists as well. With everything said, I’m both nervous and excited at taking on this project. I hope whoever follows this will enjoy this crazy ride. Maybe I’ll make a few friends (and some potential enemies) when it’s all said and done. I’ll try to officially begin this ranking some time this weekend, assuming it's OK to do so. Season 18 Rankings 20-16 15-11 10-6 5-1 Honorable Mention: Lauren Mascitti 20. Nick Merico 19. Aliana Jester 18. Louis Knight 17. Faith Becnel 16. Arthur Gunn 15. Sophia Wackerman/James 14. Cyniah Elise 13. Francisco Martin 12. Dillon James 11. DeWayne Crocker, Jr. 10. Kimmy Gabriela 09. Franklin Boone 08. Lauren Spencer-Smith 07. Jonny West 06. Makayla Phillips 05. Olivia Ximines 04. Grace Leer 03. Julia Gargano 02. Samantha "Just Sam" Diaz 01. Jovin Webb Finalist Rankings (Seasons 1-17)198-195 194-191 190-186 185-181 180-176 175-171 170-166 165-161 160-156 155-151 150-146 145-141 140-136 135-131 130-126 125-121 120-116 115-111 110-106 105-101 100-096 095-091 090-086 085-081 080-076 075-071 070-066 065-061 060-056 055-051 050-046 045-041 040-036 035-031 030-026 025-021 020-016 015-011 010 009 008 007 006 005 004 003 002 001 198. Lazaro Arbos 197. Jim Verraros 196. A.J. Gil 195. Daniel Seavey 194. Gianna Isabella 193. Heejun Han 192. Corey Clark 191. Wade Cota 190. Curtis Finch, Jr. 189. Carmen Rasmusen 188. JAX 187. Gabby Barrett 186. Cade Foehner 185. Kevin Covais 184. Lee Jean 183. Andrew Garcia 182. Dexter Roberts 181. Stefano Langone 180. Tim Urban 179. Tristan McIntosh 178. Ace Young 177. Chris Richardson 176. Constantine Maroulis 175. Scott Savol 174. Jon Peter Lewis 173. Chris Sligh 172. EJay Day 171. Danny Gokey 170. Matthew Rogers 169. Ashthon Jones 168. Jermaine Jones 167. MK Nobilette 166. Julia DeMato 165. Scott MacIntyre 164. Karen Rodriguez 163. Jasmine Murray 162. Maddie Walker 161. Leah LaBelle 160. Ada Vox 159. Walker Burroughs 158. Kristen O'Connor 157. Lacey Brown 156. Brandon Rogers 155. Charles Grigsby 154. Shannon Magrane 153. Jorge Nuñez 152. Jeremy Rosado 151. Catie Turner 150. Mikalah Gordon 149. MacKenzie Bourg 148. Lil Rounds 147. Jacob Lusk 146. Sanjaya Malakar 145. Paul Jolley 144. Michael Sarver 143. Camile Velasco 142. Lindsey Cardinale 141. Ramiele Malubay 140. Ben Briley 139. Qaasim Middleton 138. Olivia Rox 137. Amanda Overmyer 136. Michelle Sussett 135. Aaron Kelly 134. Vanessa Olivarez 133. Paul McDonald 132. Paige Miles 131. Nick Fradiani 130. Devin Velez 129. John Stevens 128. Thia Megia 127. Kellie Pickler 126. Colton Dixon 125. Jasmine Trias 124. Bucky Covington 123. Anthony Fedorov 122. Jason Castro 121. Malaya Watson 120. Caleb Lee Hutchinson 119. Casey James 118. Justin Guarini 117. Ryan Starr 116. Alyssa Raghu 115. Lisa Tucker 114. Sam Woolf 113. Dalton Rapattoni 112. Lauren Alaina 111. Amy Adams 110. Josh Gracin 109. CJ Harris 108. Gina Glocksen 107. Scotty McCreery 106. Alejandro Aranda 105. Lee DeWyze 104. Burnell Taylor 103. Adanna Duru 102. Laine Hardy 101. Majesty Rose 100. Emily Piriz 099. DeAndre Brackensick 098. Katie Stevens 097. Madison VanDenburg 096. Dimitrius Graham 095. Chikezie 094. Nikki McKibbin 093. Tyanna Jones 092. James Durbin 091. Jessica Sanchez 090. Kristy Lee Cook 089. Sonika Vaid 088. Melissa McGhee 087. Jessica Sierra 086. Blake Lewis 085. Alexis Grace 084. David Hernandez 083. Christina Christian 082. Stephanie Edwards 081. Taylor Hicks 080. RJ Helton 079. Joey Cook 078. Rickey Smith 077. Rayvon Owen 076. Uché 075. Amber Holcomb 074. Anwar Robinson 073. Siobhan Magnus 072. Matt Giraud 071. Phil Stacey 070. Jena Irene 069. Diana DeGarmo 068. Alex Preston 067. Michael J. Woodard 066. Casey Abrams 065. Michael Lynche 064. Kimberly Caldwell 063. Janelle Arthur 062. Michael Johns 061. Sarina-Joi Crowe 060. Carly Smithson 059. Adam Lambert 058. LaKisha Jones 057. Joshua Ledet 056. Phillip Phillips 055. Anoop Desai 054. Jeremiah Lloyd Harmon 053. Laci Kaye Booth 052. Clay Aiken 051. Kris Allen 050. Skylar Laine 049. Nikko Smith 048. Naima Adedapo 047. Didi Benami 046. Megan Joy 045. David Archuleta 044. Angie Miller 043. Jordin Sparks 042. Avalon Young 041. George Huff 040. Syesha Mercado 039. Trent Harmon 038. Maddie Poppe 037. Mandisa 036. Trenyce 035. Dennis Lorenzo 034. Paris Bennett 033. Kree Harrison 032. Jurnee 031. Clark Beckham 030. Hollie Cavanagh 029. Jennifer Hudson 028. Caleb Johnson 027. Carrie Underwood 026. Nadia Turner 025. Erika Van Pelt 024. Ruben Studdard 023. Vonzell Solomon 022. Haley Reinhart 021. Fantasia 020. Chris Daughtry 019. Bo Bice 018. La'Porsha Renae 017. Allison Iraheta 016. Melinda Doolittle 015. Haley Scarnato 014. Brooke White 013. Pia Toscano 012. Jessica Meuse 011. Candice Glover 010. Quentin Alexander 009. Kimberley Locke 008. Elise Testone 007. Crystal Bowersox 006. David Cook 005. LaToya London 004. Elliott Yamin 003. Tamyra Gray 002. Kelly Clarkson 001. Katharine McPhee Season 1: Kelly Clarkson Justin Guarini Nikki McKibbin Tamyra Gray RJ Helton Christina Christian Ryan Starr AJ Gil Jim Verraros EJay Day Season 2: Ruben Studdard Clay Aiken Kimberley Locke Josh Gracin Trenyce Carmen Rasmusen Kimberly Caldwell Rickey Smith Corey Clark Julia DeMato Charles Grigsby Vanessa Olivarez Season 3: Fantasia Diana DeGarmo Jasmine Trias LaToya London George Huff John Stevens Jennifer Hudson Jon Peter Lewis Camile Velasco Amy Adams Matthew Rogers Leah LaBelle Season 4: Carrie Underwood Bo Bice Vonzell Solomon Anthony Fedorov Scott Savol Constantine Maroulis Anwar Robinson Nadia Turner Nikko Smith Jessica Sierra Mikalah Gordon Lindsey Cardinale Season 5: Taylor Hicks Katharine McPhee Elliott Yamin Chris Daughtry Paris Bennett Kellie Pickler Ace Young Bucky Covington Mandisa Lisa Tucker Kevin Covais Melissa McGhee Season 6: Jordin Sparks Blake Lewis Melinda Doolittle LaKisha Jones Chris Richardson Phil Stacey Sanjaya Malakar Haley Scarnato Gina Glocksen Chris Sligh Stephanie Edwards Brandon Rogers Season 7: David Cook David Archuleta Syesha Mercado Jason Castro Brooke White Carly Smithson Kristy Lee Cook Michael Johns Ramiele Malubay Chikezie Amanda Overmyer David Hernandez Season 8: Kris Allen Adam Lambert Danny Gokey Allison Iraheta Matt Giraud Anoop Desai Lil Rounds Scott MacIntyre Megan Joy Michael Sarver Alexis Grace Jorge Nuñez Jasmine Murray Season 9: Lee DeWyze Crystal Bowersox Casey James Michael Lynche Aaron Kelly Siobhan Magnus Tim Urban Katie Stevens Andrew Garcia Didi Benami Paige Miles Lacey Brown Season 10: Scotty McCreery Lauren Alaina Haley Reinhart James Durbin Jacob Lusk Casey Abrams Stefano Langone Paul McDonald Pia Toscano Naima Adedapo Thia Megia Karen Rodriguez Ashthon Jones Season 11: Phillip Phillips Jessica Sanchez Joshua Ledet Hollie Cavanagh Skylar Laine Elise Testone Colton Dixon DeAndre Brackensick Heejun Han Erika Van Pelt Shannon Magrane Jermaine Jones Jeremy Rosado Season 12: Candice Glover Kree Harrison Angie Miller Amber Holcomb Janelle Arthur Lazaro Arbos Burnell Taylor Devin Velez Paul Jolley Curtis Finch, Jr. Season 13: Caleb Johnson Jena Irene Alex Preston Jessica Meuse Sam Woolf CJ Harris Dexter Roberts Malaya Watson Majesty Rose MK Nobilette Ben Briley Emily Piriz Kristen O'Connor Season 14: Nick Fradiani Clark Beckham JAX Rayvon Owen Tyanna Jones Quentin Alexander Joey Cook Qaasim Middleton Daniel Seavey Adanna Duru Maddie Walker Sarina-Joi Crowe Season 15: Trent Harmon La'Porsha Renae Dalton Rapattoni MacKenzie Bourg Sonika Vaid Tristan McIntosh Avalon Young Lee Jean Olivia Rox Gianna Isabella Season 16: Maddie Poppe Caleb Lee Hutchinson Gabby Barrett Cade Foehner Michael J. Woodard Catie Turner Jurnee Ada Vox Dennis Lorenzo Michelle Sussett Season 17: Laine Hardy Alejandro Aranda Madison VanDenburg Wade Cota Laci Kaye Booth Jeremiah Lloyd Harmon Walker Burroughs Alyssa Raghu Uché Dimitrius Graham Favorite Semifinalists Seasons 1-5 Seasons 6-10 Seasons 11-15 Seasons 16-17 Edited August 12, 2020 by Crisis 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wallowalle Posted May 21, 2020 Share Posted May 21, 2020 Good luck!! Following this 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crisis Posted May 23, 2020 Author Share Posted May 23, 2020 Yay, a follower! Thank you, I have a feeling I'm going to need it I was planning on starting this tonight; however, I'm beat after a long day of work and two grueling finals. I'll definitely get this party started tomorrow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hayden98 Posted May 23, 2020 Share Posted May 23, 2020 I might be really sporadic, but I wouldn't mind following either Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CarmenSandiego Posted May 23, 2020 Share Posted May 23, 2020 I’ll be looking at this as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crisis Posted May 23, 2020 Author Share Posted May 23, 2020 6 hours ago, hayden98 said: I might be really sporadic, but I wouldn't mind following either 4 hours ago, CarmenSandiego said: I’ll be looking at this as well. The more the merrier, no matter how often it's followed! I'm going to go ahead and start with the next post. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crisis Posted May 23, 2020 Author Share Posted May 23, 2020 (edited) Instead of jumping right into the list, I’m going to do something different. As we all know, this past season (Season 18) was unlike any other season. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, everything was produced at the homes of Ryan, the judges, the band, and the American Idol hopefuls. I felt bad for this season’s crop for not being able to experience Idol the way it normally is with performing on a stage in front of an audience and having access to perks such as a wardrobe allowance and make up crew. With all that said, kudos to everyone who made this season possible when it probably would’ve been better to postpone or even cancel the season because there is no idea how long this pandemic will last. With 80,000+ people dead in the U.S. alone (there is no idea how many cases there are worldwide), it shows there are things that are bigger than a source of entertainment such as Idol. Because of the pandemic and how short the season is, I’ve decided not to include the Season 18 finalists in the overall list. Instead, I’m going to rank Season 18 separately, and I’m going to do it before I get to the main list. Based on the finale, the Top 11 were the season’s finalists. However, I’m going to rank the Top 20 because of the short season. AMERICAN IDOL SEASON 18 TOP 20 21 Before I do that, however: Honorable Mention: Lauren Mascitti As we all know, this season had a Top 20 for the voting rounds. However, the producers decided to implement a "new, shocking" twist which had voters choosing between Lauren Mascitti and Grace Leer, two 28-year-old female country singers, for the final spot (except there was nothing new nor shocking about this twist. The same thing happened in Season 13 when voters chose between Ben Briley and Neco Starr). At the end of the day, Grace received more votes and thus got the last spot, which left Lauren on the outside looking in. It’s too bad because Lauren was someone I kept an eye on up to that point and would’ve liked to see and hear more of her. I think she would’ve done well with this season’s format because she had that singer-songwriter vibe that the format tends to favor. Plus, I thought she was really pretty. It’s too bad there wasn’t a way for both of them to be in the Top 20. Seeing that auditions started early, and unless Lauren already turned 29, I wouldn't mind seeing her audition again. The rest of the Top 20 will be coming up later. Edited May 24, 2020 by Crisis Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hayden98 Posted May 23, 2020 Share Posted May 23, 2020 As the season went along, I grew more and more fond of Lauren. Grace might still be my preference between the two country girls, but if we had room for all the singer-songwriter types that we did, surely Idol could've let both girls through over some of the more inexperienced kids. I feel like the fanbase as a whole was a little unkind to Lauren due to her boyfriend being so much older than her, which was really unfair tbh. If Lauren is indeed still eligible, I wouldn't mind seeing her return either; she has a lot of potential. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crisis Posted May 24, 2020 Author Share Posted May 24, 2020 (edited) 5 hours ago, hayden98 said: As the season went along, I grew more and more fond of Lauren. Grace might still be my preference between the two country girls, but if we had room for all the singer-songwriter types that we did, surely Idol could've let both girls through over some of the more inexperienced kids. I feel like the fanbase as a whole was a little unkind to Lauren due to her boyfriend being so much older than her, which was really unfair tbh. If Lauren is indeed still eligible, I wouldn't mind seeing her return either; she has a lot of potential. Agreed 100%, especially about the fiance. As far as I'm concerned, they're both consenting adults and it has no effect on my life, so I saw no reason to dislike Lauren because of that. Also, I think some of the backlash came from him being a prolific songwriter in Nashville, so there was some thought Lauren didn't even need to be on the show. Again, I have no issue with this because the main rule is as long as the wanna be contestants aren't signed, they can audition. I don't think Lauren had a deal at the time, so I saw no issue. I also had no problem with people who had record deals in the past auditioning. I still remember the backlash Joanna Pacitti received, along with some other issues with the way the show handled her, but that's for another day. As for Grace, we'll see where she ends up... Edited May 24, 2020 by Crisis I just realized this post has more issues than a Sports Illustrated Subscription. I need to expand my vocabulary, lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crisis Posted May 24, 2020 Author Share Posted May 24, 2020 (edited) On to the Top 20. I'll do five at a time. 20. Nick Merico Out of the Top 20, Nick was the contestant I was the least impressed with. Apparently he was a child actor on some Nickelodeon and/or Disney Channel shows prior to auditioning for Idol. He auditioned in Season 17 and made to Hollywood but ending up withdrawing during the Hollywood Rounds; I think he said it was for family reasons. He comes back for Season 18, and the most memorable part was Lionel Richie verbally smacking around for his perceived arrogance (maybe I'm blind, but I didn't see anything that warranted that claim). Regardless, I just didn't care for him as a singer. I didn't hear anything impressive from him from what was shown during Hollywood and I didn't care for his Hawaii Showcase performance. With that said, I try to give everyone a clean slate once the voting round starts, so I wanted to see what Nick could do. Unfortunately, I wasn't enamored with his Hey There, Delilah performance, though it was better than anything he did in Hollywood. At the end of the day, he was someone I didn't care for. 19. Aliana Jester Aliana appeared to be a sweet girl; however, I felt she wasn't ready for the competition. In a season with several female teenage powerhouse vocalists, Aliana was the weakest. There was some potential, but there were clearly some vocal things that needed to be ironed out more. This was the most obvious during her Top 20 performance of Run to You. It started off well enough; unfortunately, she went off the rails when it came to the chorus and struggled with the song afterwards. It probably would've been better for her to be cut so she could work on her vocals more before taking another crack at it, but it is what it is. One thing I remember was YZthaSinger (I think that's who it was) having a crush on her and saying he would date her if she didn't have a boyfriend. Them the breaks, kid. 18. Louis Knight Should I get any more viewers, I'm expected to have my head bitten off for this one. I'm going through with it anyway. Louis was a rather popular contestant; he did make it to the Top 7 after all. However, I can't say I was a fan of his. The biggest reason I couldn't get into any of Louis' performances was because they all sounded sad, no matter what the song was. It was as if tears were on the verge of falling whenever he sang. If I had to pick a performance of his I could say I liked, it would be You've Got A Friend, though the song has been done better in the past. His other performances didn't do anything for me. That's all I have to say about him. 17. Faith Becnel Faith is an attractive girl and appears to be someone who would be a blast to hang out with. Nonetheless, she was my least favorite female contestant going into the voting rounds. I was one of those who questioned why she was put through while Grace and Lauren M. had to wait and see who would earn a spot via the voters (which is something I'm not proud of. It wasn't Faith's fault the producers/judges decided to pull that twist). I didn’t care for her singing up to this point. However, she impressed me a bit with River. Watching that made me realize what my problem was with her earlier: she tried to do too much with her singing and performing and therefore, she came off as someone who had no idea what she was doing. With River, however, she pretty much sang the song straight. It wasn’t enough to convert me into a fan, but it showed why the judges/producers put her through. 16. Dibesh Pokharel aka Arthur Gunn Arthur was an interesting contestant. He and his family immigrated to the U.S. from Nepal and apparently, he fell in love with music from the U.S., which inspired him to become a musician. It was a feel-good story. Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough for me to like him as a contestant. The main issue I had with Arthur is no matter how hard he tried to change things up, everything sounded the same. I give him credit for trying to mix things up; it just didn’t work for me. The most glaring example was his reggae over of Take Me Home, Country Roads. Everything about that performance, from the singing to the arrangement, was lackluster. Another problem was his vibrato was out of control at times; this was the most evident in the aforementioned Country Roads and his finale performance of I Don't Want To Be. In spite of this, he was really popular and a front-runner from beginning to end. His family celebrating after the announcement of Sam winning was hilarious; however, I don’t think they meant any harm. I want to think they were proud of him regardless of the outcome. 20. Nick Merico 19. Aliana Jester 18. Louis Knight 17. Faith Becnel 16. Arthur Gunn 15-11 are next. Edited May 29, 2020 by Crisis Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CarmenSandiego Posted May 24, 2020 Share Posted May 24, 2020 51 minutes ago, Crisis said: On to the Top 20. I'll do five at a time. 20. Nick Merico Out of the Top 20, Nick was the contestant I was the least impressed with. Apparently he was a child actor on some Nickelodeon and/or Disney Channel shows prior to auditioning for Idol. He auditioned in Season 17 and made to Hollywood but ending up withdrawing during the Hollywood Rounds; I think he said it was for family reasons. He comes back for Season 18, and the most memorable part was Lionel Richie verbally smacking around for his perceived arrogance (maybe I'm blind, but I didn't see anything that warranted that claim). Regardless, I just didn't care for him as a singer. I didn't hear anything impressive from him from what was shown during Hollywood and I didn't care for his Hawaii Showcase performance. With that said, I try to give everyone a clean slate once the voting round starts, so I wanted to see what Nick could do. Unfortunately, I wasn't enamored with his Hey There, Delilah performance, though it was better than anything he did in Hollywood. At the end of the day, he was someone I didn't care for. 19. Aliana Jester Aliana appeared to be a sweet girl; however, I felt she wasn't ready for the competition. In a season with several female teenage powerhouse vocalists, Aliana was the weakest. There was some potential, but there were clearly some vocal things that needed to be ironed out more. This was the most obvious during her Top 20 performance of Run to You. It started off well enough; unfortunately, she went off the rails when it came to the chorus and struggled with the song afterwards. It probably would've been better for her to be cut so she could work on her vocals more before taking another crack at it, but it is what it is. One thing I remember was YZthaSinger (I think that's who it was) having a crush on her and saying he would date her if she didn't have a boyfriend. Them the breaks, kid. 18. Louis Knight Should I get any more viewers, I'm expected to have my head bitten off for this one. I'm going through with it anyway. Louis was a rather popular contestant; he did make it to the Top 7 after all. However, I can't say I was a fan of his. The biggest reason I couldn't get into any of Louis' performances was because they all sounded sad, no matter what the song was. It was as if tears were on the verge of falling whenever he sang. If I had to pick a performance of his I could say I liked, it would be You've Got A Friend, though the song has been done better in the past. His other performances didn't do anything for me. That's all I have to say about him. 17. Faith Becnel Faith is an attractive girl and appears to be someone who would be a blast to hang out with. Nonetheless, she was my least favorite female contestant going into the voting rounds. I was one of those who questioned why she was put through while Grace and Lauren M. had to wait and see who would earn a spot via the voters (which is something I'm not proud of. It wasn't Faith's fault the producers/judges decided to pull that twist). I didn’t care for her singing up to this point. However, she impressed me a bit with River. Watching that made me realize what my problem was with her earlier: she tried to do too much with her singing and performing and therefore, she came off as someone who had no idea what she was doing. With River, however, she pretty much sang the song straight. It wasn’t enough to convert me into a fan, but it showed why the judges/producers put her through. 16. Dibesh Pokharel aka Arthur Gunn Arthur was an interesting contestant. He and his family immigrated to the U.S. from Nepal and apparently, he fell in love with music from the U.S., which inspired him to become a musician. It was a feel-good story. Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough for me to like him as a contestant. The main issue I had with Arthur is no matter how hard he tried to change things up, everything sounded the same. I give him credit for trying to mix things up; it just didn’t work for me. The most glaring example was his reggae over of Take Me Home, Country Roads. Everything about that performance, from the singing to the arrangement, was lackluster. Another problem was his vibrato was out of control at times; this was the most evident in the aforementioned Country Roads and his finale performance of I Don't Want To Be. In spite of this, he was really popular and a front-runner from beginning to end. His family celebrating after the announcement of Sam winning was hilarious; however, I don’t think they meant any harm. I want to think they were proud of him regardless of the outcome. 20. Nick Merico 19. Aliana Jester 18. Louis Knight 17. Faith Becnel 16. Arthur Gunn 15-11 are next. I know exactly how you feel about Arthur’s performances. I was another person who didn’t like his performances, especially Take Me Home, Country Roads. Making it a reggae song wasn’t such a good idea. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elliott Posted May 24, 2020 Share Posted May 24, 2020 Louis and Nick were two of my favourites so we’re already off to a flying start. I didn’t really remember much about Faith coming into the live shows but I liked her performance of River. Arthur was one of my least favourites. Meh on Aliana. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elliott Posted May 24, 2020 Share Posted May 24, 2020 8 hours ago, CarmenSandiego said: I know exactly how you feel about Arthur’s performances. I was another person who didn’t like his performances, especially Take Me Home, Country Roads. Making it a reggae song wasn’t such a good idea. You know you don’t have to quote the entire post, right? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crisis Posted May 24, 2020 Author Share Posted May 24, 2020 9 hours ago, CarmenSandiego said: I know exactly how you feel about Arthur’s performances. I was another person who didn’t like his performances, especially Take Me Home, Country Roads. Making it a reggae song wasn’t such a good idea. Definitely. I wanted to like Arthur more than I did. I just wasn't feeling it. He was certainly a love or hate contestant, which while I won't say I hated him, I can't say I loved him either. 39 minutes ago, Elliott said: Louis and Nick were two of my favourites so we’re already off to a flying start. I didn’t really remember much about Faith coming into the live shows but I liked her performance of River. Arthur was one of my least favourites. Meh on Aliana. I knew that Louis ranking was going to be controversial (warning: this may not be my first one). As I mentioned in my Nick write-up, when it reaches the voting rounds, I try to see the contestants as if this is the first time I'm seeing them perform. I just wasn't impressed with Nick or Louis. Pretty much agree about the other contestants. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mytake1 Posted May 24, 2020 Share Posted May 24, 2020 16 minutes ago, Crisis said: Definitely. I wanted to like Arthur more than I did. I just wasn't feeling it. He was certainly a love or hate contestant, which while I won't say I hated him, I can't say I loved him either. Arthur isn't liked on IDF. But people here tend to favor the belters, ballad queens. Not the musicians, artists. But Arthur gets tons of views on his videos and has created a following that he can translate in the real world. And that's what labels care about. The show is over. It will be interesting who will be generating buzz a year from now. And who will be forgotten. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crisis Posted May 24, 2020 Author Share Posted May 24, 2020 39 minutes ago, mytake1 said: Arthur isn't liked on IDF. But people here tend to favor the belters, ballad queens. Not the musicians, artists. But Arthur gets tons of views on his videos and has created a following that he can translate in the real world. And that's what labels care about. The show is over. It will be interesting who will be generating buzz a year from now. And who will be forgotten. It'll be interesting to see what happens with him afterwards. Going by the previous two seasons, it wouldn't surprise me if he is the one who Idol promotes next season while Sam gets pushed aside (which I hope doesn't happen). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crisis Posted May 24, 2020 Author Share Posted May 24, 2020 (edited) Time for some new entries. 15. Sophia Wackerman/James This may be a controversial ranking. I didn’t care for her voice; there was something about it that drove me nuts. In addition, I found her to be off-putting. I think I know what it is: she came off too much as a try hard. Nothing about her performance style came off as natural. It’s as if she was going out of her way to show how quirky and unique she was. I may be wrong, but that was the vibe I was getting from her. One thing I did like was the relationship she had with her family, especially her brother. I especially how she took on her brother's name as her last name instead of her late mother's. I think she said something about not being at the level where she use her mother's name, which I totally respect. 14. Cyniah Elise Cyniah was another of the big-voiced female teens. She may have had the strongest voice of them all. The main issue with Cyniah was not her voice, but her personality, at the least the way it came off as. She was perceived to be arrogant and full of herself. Unfortunately, as shown with Nick, that is a potential turn off for voters; this is especially true for female contestants. Aside from this, her performance of Warrior wasn’t anything to get excited over. There was a lack of engagement with the song which prevented a connection to the audience. It was easy to see why she didn’t advance afterwards. 13. Francisco Martin Francisco was a difficult one to rank. At the end of the day, this is probably the best spot for him. More than anyone, Francisco benefited from performing at home. With his nerves and stage fright, the bigger stage may have been too much for him, though there was a possibility he would overcome it. Performance wise, he was steady if not spectacular. My favorites from him were Teenage Dream and River. In spite of not having much to say about him, I do like him more than those below him, so here we are *shrugs*. 12. Dillon James When it comes to Dillon, his backstory about him being a recovering drug addict was more memorable than any of his performances. That was until Yesterday; unfortunately, it was memorable for the wrong reasons. The tempo was too fast, and it dragged on forever; I thought it would never end. However, the next two performances were his strongest in the competition, especially Hang On, Hang On, and it was clear to see why he was a favorite for the crown. He had a solid night in the finale, but it wasn’t enough. I live roughly two hours away from his hometown, and there was a lot of buzz about him around here to the point where I was annoyed with him. However, I did eventually come around on him to rank him this high. 11. DeWayne Crocker Jr. One thing I will say about DeWayne: he wasn’t afraid to try to put his spin on songs. I remember his audition of Don’t Worry Be Happy and his Hawaiian Showcase performance of Old Town Road, so he was someone I was looking forward to seeing what he would do. Unfortunately, he bit off more than he could chew when he sang, I Got You (I Feel Good). For starters, it’s difficult to compare to the Godfather of Soul. Furthermore, that song comes off as nothing but very good karaoke at best. I knew his chances of advancing were slim; they became non-existent after that performance. It's too bad because I liked him a lot. Other than this, the two things he may be remembered for are his Lionel Richie superfan great-grandmother and the Christmas Tree. 15. Sophia Wackerman/James 14. Cyniah Elise 13. Francisco Martin 12. Dillon James 11. DeWayne Crocker, Jr. Edited May 24, 2020 by Crisis Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redwood79 Posted May 24, 2020 Share Posted May 24, 2020 I find these rankings reasonable so far... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CarmenSandiego Posted May 24, 2020 Share Posted May 24, 2020 2 hours ago, mytake1 said: Arthur isn't liked on IDF. But people here tend to favor the belters, ballad queens. Not the musicians, artists. But Arthur gets tons of views on his videos and has created a following that he can translate in the real world. And that's what labels care about. The show is over. It will be interesting who will be generating buzz a year from now. And who will be forgotten. I liked Maddie and she wasn’t a belter or a ballad queen. But she’s also kind of an exception, so you have a point about people like me not favoring musicians or artists in general. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CarmenSandiego Posted May 24, 2020 Share Posted May 24, 2020 1 hour ago, Crisis said: It'll be interesting to see what happens with him afterwards. Going by the previous two seasons, it wouldn't surprise me if he is the one who Idol promotes next season while Sam gets pushed aside (which I hope doesn't happen). I hope not either. I’m currently listening to her single on Apple Music and I can’t say the same for Laine or even Maddie, so there’s some hope for Just Sam. 1 hour ago, redwood79 said: I find these rankings reasonable so far... The rankings also seem reasonable enough for me. While Sophia was someone whom I voted for, that was only when she, Julia, Just Sam, Grace and Makayla were the girls in the Top 11 and I voted for her in part because of her brother being disabled like me (I have Asperger’s Syndrome). And I didn’t vote for her as much as Just Sam. Cyniah is the type of singer I’d vote for but you have a point about her seeming arrogant, whether she intended it or not. And her semifinals song was in the middle of the pack for me. I liked Francisco but this is a good enough spot for him since he did benefit a lot from performing at home. Dillon had a slow start but while he came on stronger towards the end, it was too little, too late. DeWayne really shouldn’t have chosen I Got You (I Feel Good). It doomed him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crisis Posted May 24, 2020 Author Share Posted May 24, 2020 3 hours ago, redwood79 said: I find these rankings reasonable so far... Nice to see this, though this may change in the future. 1 hour ago, CarmenSandiego said: The rankings also seem reasonable enough for me. While Sophia was someone whom I voted for, that was only when she, Julia, Just Sam, Grace and Makayla were the girls in the Top 11 and I voted for her in part because of her brother being disabled like me (I have Asperger’s Syndrome). And I didn’t vote for her as much as Just Sam. Cyniah is the type of singer I’d vote for but you have a point about her seeming arrogant, whether she intended it or not. And her semifinals song was in the middle of the pack for me. I liked Francisco but this is a good enough spot for him since he did benefit a lot from performing at home. Dillon had a slow start but while he came on stronger towards the end, it was too little, too late. DeWayne really shouldn’t have chosen I Got You (I Feel Good). It doomed him. I see your point about Sophia. Interesting about Asperger's Syndrome. I have a cousin who has it and as a child, I was tested to see if I may have had it. It turns out I was just extremely shy. Hopefully it's not impacting your life too much. Agree about Cyniah, though her duet with Makayla was a highlight during Hollywood. Agree about Francisco. Great point about Dillon. In a longer season, he may have had a better shot though he had a good one here. As soon as I heard the first notes, I said to myself, "dude, what are you doing?!". I think DeWayne learned a lesson about how song choice can impact one's chances. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CarmenSandiego Posted May 24, 2020 Share Posted May 24, 2020 17 minutes ago, Crisis said: I see your point about Sophia. Interesting about Asperger's Syndrome. I have a cousin who has it and as a child, I was tested to see if I may have had it. It turns out I was just extremely shy. Hopefully it's not impacting your life too much. Great point about Dillon. In a longer season, he may have had a better shot though he had a good one here. As soon as I heard the first notes, I said to myself, "dude, what are you doing?!". I think DeWayne learned a lesson about how song choice can impact one's chances. No, Asperger’s Syndrome doesn’t impact my life too much. I am more prone to anxiety, however, and must take medication for it. Yeah, in a longer season Dillon might have made the finale or at least gotten past Arthur. Here, he couldn’t do either one. I love listening to I Got You (I Feel Good), but this certainly should be a valuable lesson for DeWayne about how to choose the right song. When a website called Foxes On Idol was running alongside Reality News Online, the creator of both sites noted that song choice was key, and DeWayne is a good example of why this rule still applies. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crisis Posted May 24, 2020 Author Share Posted May 24, 2020 14 minutes ago, CarmenSandiego said: No, Asperger’s Syndrome doesn’t impact my life too much. I am more prone to anxiety, however, and must take medication for it. Good to see Asperger's isn't impacting your life too much. Sorry to hear about anxiety, though; I hear it can be a pain. I'll post the next set in a few minutes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crisis Posted May 24, 2020 Author Share Posted May 24, 2020 Here are the next five. I'll post the remaining five within the next few hours and I'll decide if I want to start the main list tonight or tomorrow. 10. Kimmy Gabriela Kimmy was another of the big voiced teens from this season. The knock on her was that she considered to be forgettable; Katy Perry said as much when Kimmy was waiting to see if she would be in the Top 20 or not. Maybe because she didn't have as big as a personality as some of the others. I can't say I agree because I remember really liking her voice. I disagreed with the judges about her Hawaii Showcase performance of You Don't Do It For Me Anymore. I thought it was solid. I absolutely loved her performance of Leave Me Lonely during Top 20 and was hoping she would advance. Unfortunately, none of the teen singers - with the exception of Makayla, who had to be saved - advanced. It's too bad because I wouldn't have minded hearing more from her. 9. Franklin Boone Franklin doesn't appear to be a popular contestant around these parts, but I liked him. I liked the vibe and maturity that came from him regarding his performances. I liked his Hawaii Showcase performance of Daughters, and I'm probably in the minority, but I also enjoyed his Everybody Wants to Rule the World. I would go as far as saying that was my favorite male performance of the night. Unfortunately, I knew he was pretty much a long shot to advance, but I certainly wouldn't have minded if he did. Oh well. 8. Lauren Spencer-Smith Lauren was certainly an impressive singer. Apparently, she’s had a YouTube video that went viral prior to her being on Idol. Her Momma Knows Best was one of the better performances of the season. Plus, she easily had the best backdrop out of all of the contestants with the mountains and lakes in view. Unfortunately, she was part of the female teenage slaughter that happened after the Top 20 round. I had a feeling it was going to come down between her and Makayla when the judges announced they were going to use the save. I thought she had a great chance of getting it; we know that wasn't the case. 7. Jonny West Jonny was someone who intrigued me going into the season. As we all know, he's Margie Mays boyfriend who I think went to support her but ended up auditioning himself. Of course he advanced further into the competition than she did (which always seems to happen with these scenarios ). However, despite this high ranking, I can’t help but feel let down by his journey. After seeing him change up Amazing Grace and reprising his original from his audition in the finale, I was reminded what made me interested in him in the first place. Then it hit me: he is not a cover artist. He is someone who sounds better on his own material. Though I was underwhelmed by his Idol run, he is someone I wouldn’t mind checking out should he make any music outside of the show. 6. Makayla Phillips Prior to Idol, Makayla was apparently on America's Got Talent. I don't watch the show, so I don't know anything about her from her time there. Idol was the first time I saw her in action. One thing I can say about Makayla: she isn’t afraid to mix things up. From her audition to the end of the run, her song choices were all over the place (I definitely raised an eyebrow when she picked Because I Love You in Hollywood). In spite of this, I felt she didn’t come across as someone who didn’t know she was as an artist despite her age. While I wasn’t too impressed with Greedy, I did enjoy her The House That Built Me. However, seeing that she had to be saved to get to the next round, it was obvious she wasn’t going to be around much longer. Either way, she grew on me enough to make it this high. 10. Kimmy Gabriela 9. Franklin Boone 8. Lauren Spencer-Smith 7. Jonny West 6. Makayla Phillips And then there were five. For anyone keeping track, here are the remaining contestants: Grace Leer Jovin Webb Julia Gargano Olivia Ximines Samantha "Just Sam" Diaz As mentioned, these will be posted in the next few hours, assuming I'm not too busy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
x3 because of u Posted May 24, 2020 Share Posted May 24, 2020 I love these types of lists. Will probably be lurking most of the time but I agree with a majority of your rankings so far. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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