Pandora's Box: A Random Idol Rankings Thread

[Blirel]

16 hours ago, Bk1234 said:

I figured that this would be the one that we would agree on. This performance is clearly the worst rendition of it on the show. Simply put, the song was just too big for Shannon, so she suffered as a result.  Not to mention, I absolutely hated the outfit she wore... They should have put her in a dress like the one she wore for Go Light Your World. 

 

Ooh, I think this is a pretty underrated one. While it was only the second version done on the show, looking at it compared to all the other versions done will show that it is quite a unique and fresh version. I liked it a little more than you did so I would have put this a little higher.

 

Aah, if only she were ranked at #8 on the finalist rankings.  Ok, now this is a crime right here!  This is my second favorite version of the song! I think that compared to all the others ranked in this set she had the best emotional delivery. I would apply Quentin Tarantino’s critique to other contestants, but I’ll save my comments for when they’re ranked. Anyway, Jessica’s version was so good! The vocals were perfect, and the vocal techniques even helped with the emotional delivery. Not sure what you were feeling, but fair enough.
 

The fact that Sonika’s version is ranked higher than Jessica’s is further insult to her (Jessica’s) version. I thought that Sonika gave one of the worst versions of the song ever. It was just all very shaky throughout the whole thing. The key also seemed too low at times...  

 

I’ll be revealing my ranking throughout the entire thing... 

 

1. 

2. Jessica Sanchez 

3. 

4. 
5. 

6. Leah LaBelle 

7. 
8. 

9. Sonika Vaid

10. Shannon Magrane 

Pretty spot on. In fact I was a big Sonika fan and the version on a technical standpoint was nearly as weak as Shannon’s. Leah was unique but hers vocally was a bit off. I’ll rank these once I see all. But so far out of these 4 I’d go... 

 

4. Shannon

3. sonika 

2. Leah

1. Jessica

[blackfield]

10 hours ago, Bk1234 said:

Sorry, I meant it as a joke! (Well that sure worked out. ) I definitely deserve the boo. (Though I still don’t agree with your points about Kara. ) 

apology accepted. 

[blackfield]

7 hours ago, Crisis said:

 

I will neither confirm nor deny my favorite version until I rank it. Who knows, there may be a surprise or two for the remaining ones...

but you can simply verify if my top 4 versions are correct.. tiny hint.. 

[Blirel]

Update: 

(This is prior to top 3)

7. Shannon

6. Sonika

5: Leah

4. Katherine

3. Jessica

2. Gabby

1. Lakisha

 

Predictions for top 3:

1. Vonzell 

2. Jhud 
3. Trenyce 

Vonzell deserves number one. 

 

 

[Crisis]

28 minutes ago, Blirel said:

Pretty spot on. In fact I was a big Sonika fan and the version on a technical standpoint was nearly as weak as Shannon’s. Leah was unique but hers vocally was a bit off. I’ll rank these once I see all. But so far out of these 4 I’d go... 

 

4. Shannon

3. sonika 

2. Leah

1. Jessica

 

Fair enough on the rankings and the explanations. It looks like the two of you have the same opinions on those four.

 

26 minutes ago, blackfield said:

but you can simply verify if my top 4 versions are correct.. tiny hint.. 

 

Well, I posted the next three, and based on the results, two have been ranked and the other two are in my Top 3; therefore, it's 50/50. My #1 was off, which may or may not surprise some, but I'm ranking them based on the performances themselves and not how I feel about the contestants, which should be obvious with my most recent set. 

[countrynineteen]

I'm a little late in the seasons ranking responses, but here we go:

 

Honorable Mention: Season 18- I too felt bad for the contestants who were looking forward to performing on the big stage. Regardless, the show made the best of the situation. It wouldn't have benefited anyone to wait until next year or outright cancel the season, screwing the contestants over. Still, its sad these contestants didn't get a proper season. I think a lot of them would had shined on the big stage.

 

017. Season 12- The way the show was run this season was atrocious, its no wonder Nigel got fired. I'm guessing a lot of it wasn't his fault, but still. The separating of the boys and girls in Hollywood was a failed experiment. Then we had the Vegas "live" rounds which was kinda bad TV because we had so much fodder to get through. Then of course we have the infamous Nicki/Mariah feud which added fuel to the fire of a struggling season. The boys were very week and the girls were very strong, but even when we were left with the top 5 girls, the season still felt somewhat boring to me. I think it was the over abundance of ballads (there was even a theme where no ballads were allowed, that should tell you something). Still, Candice was a very deserving winner, even though Kree is more of my cuppa.

 

016. Season 9- I think many Idol fans still refer this as the "red headed step child of American Idol." For me, I remember at the time not really hating the season as much as other fans. I liked Crystal and Siobhan. Casey and Lee were fine too. But looking back, most of the cast were boring performers. I remember watching Season 10 and thinking "Damn, maybe 9 wasn't so great after all." Besides the cast being a bore, the judging panel didn't gel together. And I sadly blame Ellen for that. She didn't really interact with her fellow judges. And for as talented as Crystal (arguably the best contestant that season) was, I don't think she connected to a lot of people. Her music was very niche and her personality was off putting to a lot of people (such as back talking to the judges, and not very bubbly). Then we have Casey who was very wooden as a performer and Siobhan/Lee/Mike were inconsistent.

 

015. Season 14- Probably my least invested season. I agree with pretty much everything you said. The cast was pretty diverse as far as genres, but most of them were inconsistent and the format really sucked. I liked Nick better than a lot of people here did, but he wasn't very exciting.

 

014. Season 13- I think there were actually some things they got right this season. The songbook and themes were updated. We didn't see the same old tired songs and themes this season. The panel was also a lot better than Season 12. The addition of instruments to the auditions was a nice change. But I agree that the semi finals format was atrocious. I hated the rush week format. But seeing the top 5 twist blow up in their faces was pretty amazing LOL. We were left with a very talented top 4 and winner, but I found myself bored thoughtout the season.

 

013. Season 17- I agree, the weakest out of the ABC seasons. I remember how much promise it started with but it went away once the live shows started. But something that really bugged me was the elimination order and voting habits. Wade shouldn't have made it as far as he did, let alone the top 10. Him outlasting Jeremiah was a travesty. I was happy to see Laine win in the end, but wish he would had done more of his swampy blues stuff instead of his Elvis impersonations.

 

012. Season 15- It was a fun season for the nostalgia. I loved seeing past alumni coming back throughout the season. The finale was also fun, even though the top 10 from that season were snubbed. Having a face off between two powerhouse vocalists, Trent and La'Porsha was a great way to end the original Idol run. My one complaint is I wish the season wasn't so rushed. Why not send off the show with a proper full season?

 

011. Season 16- I thought this was a great way to kick off the rebooted Idol, even though the live shows were once again way too rushed. We had a deserving winner, along with some other memorable contestants. I wouldn't rank it among the best seasons of all time, but it was still a solid season with a diverse top 10 and a lot of fun personalities.

 

010. Season 2- This was the first season I actually saw. I heard about the show a lot at the end of Season 1, but this is the first season we watched as a family. It wasn't until the later rounds that we started consistently watching, but I still remember the excitement of the Ruben/Clay finale.

 

009. Season 10- My personal favorite season. The show felt fresh again after Season 9. I loved the more positive vibe from the judges, which was a welcome relief after the nastiness of the Season 9 judges, even though the started to feel more useless towards the end of the season. But the top 13 was incredibly diverse in musical styles and genres. R&B, Country, Jazz, Rock, Latin, Indie-Folk, Soul, Reggae, and Gospel were all represented. The cast itself was fun with some big personalities. Each of the top 10/11 I feel gave at least one big standout performance. And of course, it gave me my favorite winner/contestant of all time. I do wonder if I would had enjoyed the season as much without Scotty, but we will never know. I actually enjoyed the final 2 as I was a fan of both. I can see why a lot of fans didn't enjoy it though. But the finale results show itself was probably the best finale results show ever (Besides the S15 one). I don't think we'll ever match the star power of Beyonce, Lady Gaga, TLC, Carrie Underwood, Aerosmith, Jack Black, Judas Priest, U2, and more in any finale of any talent show again.

 

I'll do the 2nd half later so I don't bore you all too much with a tldr.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Bk1234]

11 hours ago, Crisis said:

6. Katharine McPhee

I’m surprised you didn’t rank this one higher, but I’m actually quite happy with this placement since it’s close to where I ranked it. Like you said, the performance wasn’t terrible, there were just some shaky parts. I really liked that this version felt very fresh, like Leah’s. I think Katharine’s mannerisms/theatrical elements really helped make her version stand out to me.

 

11 hours ago, Crisis said:

5. Gabby Barrett

When you announced this ranking, I thought Gabby’s version would be in your bottom 2, but I’m pleasantly surprised to see that it’s not. I was OBSESSED with Gabby’s performance in Season 16, so much so that I think I would say it was my favorite performance of the season. I listened to that YouTube video way too many times!  I even still listen to it now, though definitely not as much! (Thanks for giving me the excuse to watch it again. ) I agree with your points about the emotional connection, and I can see where you’re coming from by saying the arrangement was choppy. I ranked hers a little higher, but I’m more than happy with this ranking for her.

 

11 hours ago, Crisis said:

4. LaKisha Jones

So you know Quentin Tarantino’s comment to Diana? That comment applies here! I felt absolutely nothing from this performance. The vocals were nice, but I felt that LaKisha added nothing new to the song in her performance. I ranked this much lower than you did. 
 

My Ranking (UPDATED): 

 

1. 

2. Jessica Sanchez 

3. Gabby Barrett 

4. 
5. 

6. Leah LaBelle 

7. Katharine McPhee
8. LaKisha Jones

9. Sonika Vaid

10. Shannon Magrane 

Edited August 25, 2020 by Bk1234

[blackfield]

006. Katharine McPhee

005. Gabby Barrett

004. LaKisha Jones

 

I actually agree on both kat and lakisha but i think gabby's was one of the better versions. she totally owned the song. so this means vonzell and jennifer are in your top 3.. vonzell had the best version. period. and it was her second WH song during the season and both were good.

 

[Crisis]

8 hours ago, countrynineteen said:

I'm a little late in the seasons ranking responses, but here we go:

 

Honorable Mention: Season 18- I too felt bad for the contestants who were looking forward to performing on the big stage. Regardless, the show made the best of the situation. It wouldn't have benefited anyone to wait until next year or outright cancel the season, screwing the contestants over. Still, its sad these contestants didn't get a proper season. I think a lot of them would had shined on the big stage.

 

017. Season 12- The way the show was run this season was atrocious, its no wonder Nigel got fired. I'm guessing a lot of it wasn't his fault, but still. The separating of the boys and girls in Hollywood was a failed experiment. Then we had the Vegas "live" rounds which was kinda bad TV because we had so much fodder to get through. Then of course we have the infamous Nicki/Mariah feud which added fuel to the fire of a struggling season. The boys were very week and the girls were very strong, but even when we were left with the top 5 girls, the season still felt somewhat boring to me. I think it was the over abundance of ballads (there was even a theme where no ballads were allowed, that should tell you something). Still, Candice was a very deserving winner, even though Kree is more of my cuppa.

 

016. Season 9- I think many Idol fans still refer this as the "red headed step child of American Idol." For me, I remember at the time not really hating the season as much as other fans. I liked Crystal and Siobhan. Casey and Lee were fine too. But looking back, most of the cast were boring performers. I remember watching Season 10 and thinking "Damn, maybe 9 wasn't so great after all." Besides the cast being a bore, the judging panel didn't gel together. And I sadly blame Ellen for that. She didn't really interact with her fellow judges. And for as talented as Crystal (arguably the best contestant that season) was, I don't think she connected to a lot of people. Her music was very niche and her personality was off putting to a lot of people (such as back talking to the judges, and not very bubbly). Then we have Casey who was very wooden as a performer and Siobhan/Lee/Mike were inconsistent.

 

015. Season 14- Probably my least invested season. I agree with pretty much everything you said. The cast was pretty diverse as far as genres, but most of them were inconsistent and the format really sucked. I liked Nick better than a lot of people here did, but he wasn't very exciting.

 

014. Season 13- I think there were actually some things they got right this season. The songbook and themes were updated. We didn't see the same old tired songs and themes this season. The panel was also a lot better than Season 12. The addition of instruments to the auditions was a nice change. But I agree that the semi finals format was atrocious. I hated the rush week format. But seeing the top 5 twist blow up in their faces was pretty amazing LOL. We were left with a very talented top 4 and winner, but I found myself bored thoughtout the season.

 

013. Season 17- I agree, the weakest out of the ABC seasons. I remember how much promise it started with but it went away once the live shows started. But something that really bugged me was the elimination order and voting habits. Wade shouldn't have made it as far as he did, let alone the top 10. Him outlasting Jeremiah was a travesty. I was happy to see Laine win in the end, but wish he would had done more of his swampy blues stuff instead of his Elvis impersonations.

 

012. Season 15- It was a fun season for the nostalgia. I loved seeing past alumni coming back throughout the season. The finale was also fun, even though the top 10 from that season were snubbed. Having a face off between two powerhouse vocalists, Trent and La'Porsha was a great way to end the original Idol run. My one complaint is I wish the season wasn't so rushed. Why not send off the show with a proper full season?

 

011. Season 16- I thought this was a great way to kick off the rebooted Idol, even though the live shows were once again way too rushed. We had a deserving winner, along with some other memorable contestants. I wouldn't rank it among the best seasons of all time, but it was still a solid season with a diverse top 10 and a lot of fun personalities.

 

010. Season 2- This was the first season I actually saw. I heard about the show a lot at the end of Season 1, but this is the first season we watched as a family. It wasn't until the later rounds that we started consistently watching, but I still remember the excitement of the Ruben/Clay finale.

 

009. Season 10- My personal favorite season. The show felt fresh again after Season 9. I loved the more positive vibe from the judges, which was a welcome relief after the nastiness of the Season 9 judges, even though the started to feel more useless towards the end of the season. But the top 13 was incredibly diverse in musical styles and genres. R&B, Country, Jazz, Rock, Latin, Indie-Folk, Soul, Reggae, and Gospel were all represented. The cast itself was fun with some big personalities. Each of the top 10/11 I feel gave at least one big standout performance. And of course, it gave me my favorite winner/contestant of all time. I do wonder if I would had enjoyed the season as much without Scotty, but we will never know. I actually enjoyed the final 2 as I was a fan of both. I can see why a lot of fans didn't enjoy it though. But the finale results show itself was probably the best finale results show ever (Besides the S15 one). I don't think we'll ever match the star power of Beyonce, Lady Gaga, TLC, Carrie Underwood, Aerosmith, Jack Black, Judas Priest, U2, and more in any finale of any talent show again.

 

I'll do the 2nd half later so I don't bore you all too much with a tldr.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

HM: I pretty much agree with the thoughts about S18. It sucked for the contestants who didn't really get to have the true Idol experience, but the circumstances didn't allow it and everyone did the best they could to ensure there was a season. 

 

017. Pretty much agree with everything here. Oh yeah, there was that theme which was Rock - No Ballads, yet Lazaro still sung a ballad; I'm surprised he didn't called out for it. 

 

016. Again, I pretty much agree here, especially with the judging panel not gelling. Paula's presence was sorely missed because the judges were probably the harshest this season and there was no one to provide the motherly nurturing role she provided.

 

015. Pretty much agree; I don't have anything to add here.

 

014. I definitely agree about the themes and songbook being updated; that was one good thing about Nigel not being around. Agree on everything else, especially the Top 5 twist backfiring (nothing personal against Sam, but it was so fun to watch).

 

013. Agree with mostly everything. I wasn't too fond of the elimination order either, but I don't blame the contestants. Speaking of Wade, I would've cut him in Hollywood, especially since he didn't even appear to try to learn the words to his group performance.

 

012. Agree with everything here. Seeing that it was supposed to be the last season, I would've liked the season be longer as well; however, I guess FOX wanted to get rid of it ASAP.

 

011. Not much disagreement here. It was a nice way to restart the season and while I would've liked to see a longer season, I actually didn't mind the brevity because it was starting anew and I guess the producers wanted to see how well it did before deciding what else to do.

 

010. I don't have much to add here but it was nice to see this was the first season you and your family watched.

 

009. Though I think it's overrated, I can see why this season is popular. It was definitely an improvement over S9, and I pretty much agree about the Top 13 being diverse and the star power of the season finale. It certainly had its moments.

 

2 hours ago, Bk1234 said:

I’m surprised you didn’t rank this one higher, but I’m actually quite happy with this placement since it’s close to where I ranked it. Like you said, the performance wasn’t terrible, there were just some shaky parts. I really liked that this version felt very fresh, like Leah’s. I think Katharine’s mannerisms/theatrical elements really helped make her version stand out to me.

 

When you announced this ranking, I thought Gabby’s version would be in your bottom 2, but I’m pleasantly surprised to see that it’s not. I was OBSESSED with Gabby’s performance in Season 16, so much so that I think I would say it was my favorite performance of the season. I listened to that YouTube video way too many times!  I even still listen to it now, though definitely not as much! (Thanks for giving me the excuse to watch it again. ) I agree with your points about the emotional connection, and I can see where you’re coming from by saying the arrangement was choppy. I ranked hers a little higher, but I’m more than happy with this ranking for her.

 

So you know Quentin Tarantino’s comment to Diana? That comment applies here! I felt absolutely nothing from this performance. The vocals were nice, but I felt that LaKisha added nothing new to the song in her performance. I ranked this much lower than you did. 
 

My Ranking (UPDATED): 

 

1. 

2. Jessica Sanchez 

3. Gabby Barrett 

4. 
5. 

6. Leah LaBelle 

7. Katharine McPhee
8. LaKisha Jones

9. Sonika Vaid

10. Shannon Magrane 

 

I had a feeling there would be some surprise about this ranking considering who the contestant is; as I said, I'm trying to be as objective as possible. Fair enough about the comments.

 

To be honest, I was so tempted to put in the bottom 2 (it still would've been above Shannon's).  However, no matter how I feel about the contestant, I can give credit where credit's due, and despite my complaints Gabby did a great job with it and is worthy of Top 5.

 

Fair enough about LaKisha's performance. We're definitely on the opposite sides of the spectrum when it comes to LaKisha's and Jessica's performances. 

 

As for the rankings, I would've liked to see Katharine and Leah swapped, but that's the beauty of it. We all can see and experience different things from the same performances. 

[Crisis]

4 minutes ago, blackfield said:

006. Katharine McPhee

005. Gabby Barrett

004. LaKisha Jones

 

I actually agree on both kat and lakisha but i think gabby's was one of the better versions. she totally owned the song. so this means vonzell and jennifer are in your top 3.. vonzell had the best version. period. and it was her second WH song during the season and both were good.

 

 

Fair enough about Gabby; I just liked four versions more. Yep, Vonzell and Jennifer are in my Top 3. We'll see where they end up...

[Blirel]

1 hour ago, Crisis said:

 

Fair enough about Gabby; I just liked four versions more. Yep, Vonzell and Jennifer are in my Top 3. We'll see where they end up...

Trenyce is the 3rd right?

[Crisis]

9 hours ago, Blirel said:

Trenyce is the 3rd right?

 

 

We'll find out soon enough. 

[miss denise]

On 8/23/2020 at 8:47 PM, Crisis said:

 

- I didn't realize I typed income instead of outcome. I'm going to leave it there just because. Besides, no one likes having a disappointing income.  

 

- I'm ashamed of myself; I need to turn in my Idol fandom card! 

 

010. I understand about having a lone opinion about something; after all, I have my fair share of unpopular opinions, as you know firsthand.  As for him not applauding after performances, I believe he said something along the lines of not wanting to show favoritism because he felt his role as a judge was to be impartial. I get it, but even Simon applauded after performances; I guess that's not who Harry was.

006. Fair enough about Randy. I wasn't as big a fan of his catchphrases in his later seasons, especially "in it to win it" in S10 and "he/she's gotta have it" in S11. Having said that, I still liked him here and there.

  I love it! 

 

  

 

- Very true.   Ah I see, but it wouldn't show favoritism to applaud for everyone. I can't imagine just applauding for some.   I just think it's a nice thing to do.

- I forgot about that last one, but I read it in his voice.  

 

010. Shannon Magrane: I pretty much agree with all you said.  I was a Shannon fan, but didn't like this performance either.

009. Leah LaBelle: Again pretty much agree.

008. Jessica Sanchez: This is where we'll disagree because this is easily one of my favorite versions.   I know you don't love Jessica as much as me though.

007. Sonika Vaid: I think this was fine, but not a standout for me. It's interesting you mentioned her seeming tentative because I feel like I felt that a lot with her.

 

006. Katharine McPhee: I'm not really surprised by this ranking as you recently said your thoughts on this in your Kat write-up.  I kind of agree and disagree here at the same time, in the sense that I would have this even lower than you. I was not a fan of her on this song at all.

005. Gabby Barrett: Aww I love seeing you give Gabby credit.   I absolutely love her version of this. The arrangement sounds the same to me as the way I'm used to hearing it, so I don't quite get that. But agree that she had so much conviction and sold it so well.   Aww could have done without the diss at the end.  

004. LaKisha Jones: It was good, but I never got much from LaKisha's performances in general. I just connected with others more. 

[miss denise]

14 hours ago, Bk1234 said:

My Ranking (UPDATED): 

 

1. 

2. Jessica Sanchez 

3. Gabby Barrett 

4. 
5. 

6. Leah LaBelle 

7. Katharine McPhee
8. LaKisha Jones

9. Sonika Vaid

10. Shannon Magrane 

Jessica and Gabby in the top 3.   Curious to see your #1 and if we agree there too! 

[Crisis]

Time to finish off this ranking. Let's see how the final three are ranked...

 

3. Jennifer Hudson

For anyone who followed my other thread, this is a curve-ball because there I said Jennifer Hudson's version was my favorite. However, after re-watching all of the performances, I realize I actually like two versions more (hey, I reserve the right to change my mind ). With this said, however, it doesn't mean hers was bad by any means; it's in my Top 3 after all. Jennifer has one of the most powerful voices of anybody, not just Idol contestants, so she is someone who can definitely do this song justice from a vocal standpoint. Here, however, she showcased a nice lower register on the verses and actually restrained herself some, yet she still exhibited some power when necessary. Also, I liked her presentation; she looked like someone who was confident in her abilities and captured the emotion of the song well. This came the week after her breakout performance Circle Of Life, so I believe she figured out who she wanted to be and this performance was the result. While it's no longer my overall favorite, it's still one of my favorites.

 

2. Trenyce

At #2 is the first to sing this great albeit overdone Whitney Houston ballad. At the time, it considered a huge risk for Trenyce to sing this song (though it is still risky to sing now despite it being sung a lot); however, she looked it in the eye, didn't blink, and straight up slayed this monster. Outside of a note here and there, she was pretty much on point vocally. Also, I'm usually in the middle when it comes to runs; sometimes I think they work, others I don't. Here, Trenyce added a few runs which absolutely enhanced the performance; I'm sure Randy happily went through a box of Kleenex during this performance. Furthermore, she had a strong stage presence despite very little, if any, movement; she showed it's absolutely possible to command the stage just by standing there and singing. When it comes to the Idol "divas", I feel Trenyce is one of the more overlooked ones; however, based on this performance, she shouldn't be as I believe she showed she could hang with the best of them.

 

1. Vonzell Solomon

Well, what do you know; Vonzell takes the top spot for my favorite version of I Have Nothing on Idol, beating out contestants such as Jennifer Hudson, Trenyce, LaKisha Jones, etc. Was Vonzell's version perfect? No, she had a few spots where she went sharp. However, she certainly connected to the song well as well as commanded the stage; I certainly was captivated and couldn't take my eyes off of her. A very noticeable difference in her rendition is she opted to sing the second verse whereas the others sang the first. As for the rest of the performance, I felt she absolutely nailed the transition and key change from the pre-chorus to the chorus; obviously the studio audience did as well because they cheered and gave her a standing ovation right at that very moment. From watching Idol all these years, I believe that is something that rarely happens, even on the most celebrated and well known Idol performances of all-time, so for that to happen here says a lot about this performance (or maybe I haven't been paying that much attention; if not true disregard this sentence, LOL). Though it may not be the best version, Vonzell's IHN is now my personal favorite.

 

003. Jennifer Hudson

002. Trenyce

001. Vonzell Solomon

 

A quick recap:

010. Shannon Magrane

009. Leah LaBelle

008. Jessica Sanchez

007. Sonika Vaid

006. Katharine McPhee

005. Gabby Barrett

004. LaKisha Jones

003. Jennifer Hudson

002. Trenyce

001. Vonzell Solomon

 

Well there you have it, my personal rankings and opinions of one of the most overdone songs in AI history. I'm interested in seeing how others would rank them; I know @Bk1234 is giving their personal ranking as I was revealing mine. Otherwise, I have nothing more to say about this topic.

 

I'm still deciding on what to rank next. Maybe I'll take a request this time. 

[Crisis]

12 minutes ago, miss denise said:

 - Very true.   Ah I see, but it wouldn't show favoritism to applaud for everyone. I can't imagine just applauding for some.   I just think it's a nice thing to do.

- I forgot about that last one, but I read it in his voice.  

 

010. Shannon Magrane: I pretty much agree with all you said.  I was a Shannon fan, but didn't like this performance either.

009. Leah LaBelle: Again pretty much agree.

008. Jessica Sanchez: This is where we'll disagree because this is easily one of my favorite versions.   I know you don't love Jessica as much as me though.

007. Sonika Vaid: I think this was fine, but not a standout for me. It's interesting you mentioned her seeming tentative because I feel like I felt that a lot with her.

 

006. Katharine McPhee: I'm not really surprised by this ranking as you recently said your thoughts on this in your Kat write-up.  I kind of agree and disagree here at the same time, in the sense that I would have this even lower than you. I was not a fan of her on this song at all.

005. Gabby Barrett: Aww I love seeing you give Gabby credit.   I absolutely love her version of this. The arrangement sounds the same to me as the way I'm used to hearing it, so I don't quite get that. But agree that she had so much conviction and sold it so well.   Aww could have done without the diss at the end.  

004. LaKisha Jones: It was good, but I never got much from LaKisha's performances in general. I just connected with others more. 

 

- Understandable. I guess Harry didn't see it that way

- As did I 

 

010 - 009. Not much to say here but agree

008. This placement appears to be unpopular, but it wouldn't be a Crisis list without at least one of these!  I just didn't like it as much as others did.

007. Yeah, it appears she was tentative a lot, which is too bad because she certainly had the voice. Agree about the performance not being a standout.

 

006. I guess it was a surprise to others because it was expected for this version to be #1. Completely understandable about not being a fan of her on this song because I was like that at first, but it has grown on me some and I still prefer it to those below it.

005. I can put my personal bias aside and recognize something good when I see it. I just felt the performance didn't flow all that well, but her conviction more than made up for it. The diss was meant to be a joke, obviously one in poor taste; I probably should've add a wink face at the end to show this. 

004. Fair enough about this performance. I completely understand how she can be difficult to connect with.

[blackfield]

003. Jennifer Hudson

002. Trenyce

001. Vonzell Solomon

 

at least we got #1 in common. and yes performance is one of the best. vonzell also got yo close the show with that performance. that what i loved about season 4 that almost everyone on it had a chance to shine and get their best performance to close the show. season 4 wasn't perfect but it got top 3 right. and you still had some of the most memorable performances.

 

hey here is an idea to rank the most memorable or best performances. 

[miss denise]

1 hour ago, Crisis said:

008. This placement appears to be unpopular, but it wouldn't be a Crisis list without at least one of these!  I just didn't like it as much as others did.

 

006. I guess it was a surprise to others because it was expected for this version to be #1. Completely understandable about not being a fan of her on this song because I was like that at first, but it has grown on me some and I still prefer it to those below it.

005. I can put my personal bias aside and recognize something good when I see it. I just felt the performance didn't flow all that well, but her conviction more than made up for it. The diss was meant to be a joke, obviously one in poor taste; I probably should've add a wink face at the end to show this. 

I think we have a "crisis" on our hands.   Just kidding. I know.  

 

- Oooh I did not expect that.  It's nice that you keep things interesting or else it would be like a repeat of the contestants list.   

- I believe that. Okay, but I'm glad you noticed and were impressed with her conviction!   Ah, I see.  

 

003. Jennifer Hudson: Changing your mind? The nerve.  Of course I'm kidding. You are keeping us on our toes! I pretty much agree with all you said.

002. Trenyce: Another good version of this song. I pretty much agree again. Although "however, she looked it in the eye, didn't blink, and straight up slayed this monster." I sure hope she blinked during the performance though.  That'd be pretty scary. And LOL the Randy comment.

001. Vonzell Solomon: Yay! I have always considered this my favorite performance of IHN as well.   I really get annoyed whenever I hear this song now, but I loved Vonzell's version (and a couple others) a lot and always thought it was one of her best. I agree with all you said once again.  

 

"Otherwise, I have nothing more to say about this topic." I don't know why this cracked me up. But great job! Curious to see what comes next.  

[Bk1234]

9 hours ago, Crisis said:

3. Jennifer Hudson

I'm glad you changed your mind, to be honest!  I definitely agree that Jennifer has a strong voice, but the reason why I did not put this and another contestant's version in my Top 3 is because I didn't really feel much of an emotional connection with it.  While I think Jennifer captured the attitude of the song, I don't think she did a good job with the emotional connection. 

 

9 hours ago, Crisis said:

2. Trenyce

Aah, here is the one who started it all!  This is the other contestant that I was referring to in Jennifer's comments. While I thought that Trenyce did a good job, compared to other versions, I felt that the emotional connection was a little lacking, though not as much as in Jennifer's. I have also put Trenyce's version over Jennifer's, but the distance between them is very small. 

 

9 hours ago, Crisis said:

1. Vonzell Solomon

Yay, we agree on another placement!  Vonzell's version is my favorite for a lot of reasons. Her vocals were stellar, she commanded the stage, and most of all, I really felt something from her performance!   Vonzell's performance just seemed to have everything I was looking for, which is why I also have it as my number one! 

 

My Rankings (UPDATED):

 

1. Vonzell Solomon

2. Jessica Sanchez

3. Gabby Barrett

4. Trenyce

5. Jennifer Hudson

6. Leah LaBelle

7. Katharine McPhee

8. LaKisha Jones

9. Sonika Vaid

10. Shannon Magrane

[Bk1234]

9 hours ago, blackfield said:

hey here is an idea to rank the most memorable or best performances.

@Crisis I think this would also be a good idea, but I think you could add more to it to make it more interactive. My idea for it would be to set up a form/poll of sorts where we would fill out our top *insert number of your choice here* Idol performances. Then you could compile a list of everyone’s favorite performances and then rank them.

Edited August 26, 2020 by Bk1234

[Crisis]

10 hours ago, blackfield said:

hey here is an idea to rank the most memorable or best performances. 

 

51 minutes ago, Bk1234 said:

@Crisis I think this would also be a good idea, but I think you could add more to it to make it more interactive. My idea for it would be to set up a form/poll of sorts where we would fill out our top *insert number of your choice here* Idol performances. Then you could compile a list of everyone’s favorite performances and then rank them.

 

When I first saw the request, I thought it would be difficult because it's so subjective due to everyone potentially having different tastes. However, I then thought in order to make it interactive, I'll ask the opinions of other posters as to what they felt are their best/most memorable performances and rank them, so it looks like you and I had the same thought @Bk1234.  What I think I'll do is have anyone who wants to participate PM me their ten favorite performances and once I feel I have enough, I'll go ahead and rank them (I'm aiming for a minimum of ten performances overall). I think a whole day should be enough time for anyone to get their performances in.

 

9 hours ago, miss denise said:

I think we have a "crisis" on our hands.   Just kidding. I know.  

 

- Oooh I did not expect that.  It's nice that you keep things interesting or else it would be like a repeat of the contestants list.   

- I believe that. Okay, but I'm glad you noticed and were impressed with her conviction!   Ah, I see.  

 

003. Jennifer Hudson: Changing your mind? The nerve.  Of course I'm kidding. You are keeping us on our toes! I pretty much agree with all you said.

002. Trenyce: Another good version of this song. I pretty much agree again. Although "however, she looked it in the eye, didn't blink, and straight up slayed this monster." I sure hope she blinked during the performance though.  That'd be pretty scary. And LOL the Randy comment.

001. Vonzell Solomon: Yay! I have always considered this my favorite performance of IHN as well.   I really get annoyed whenever I hear this song now, but I loved Vonzell's version (and a couple others) a lot and always thought it was one of her best. I agree with all you said once again.  

 

"Otherwise, I have nothing more to say about this topic." I don't know why this cracked me up. But great job! Curious to see what comes next.  

 

There is always a "crisis" whenever I'm involved (otherwise this username wouldn't mean anything). 

 

- Yeah, I always try to keep things interesting. 

- Yeah, sorry about the joke. I know you and @Bk1234 are huge Gabby fans, so I can see how it can be hard to take. 

 

003. Yep, I changed my mind. It should be known I have a lot of nerve by now.  I'm happy to see you agree.

002. I want to say she blinked during it; however, I have nothing left in me to re-watch any of these performances to be sure. Though I'll try to be more sensitive towards the contestants, I'd like to think the judges are fair game, so I'll have very little qualms about going after them. 

001. During my re-watch, I realized I underrated her version and have come to enjoy it more than anyone else's. It appears hers being the favorite is popular in this thread. Happy to see you agreed with all I said.

 

I can think of a reason why.  I believe I have my next topic; we'll see what happens.

 

2 hours ago, Bk1234 said:

I'm glad you changed your mind, to be honest!  I definitely agree that Jennifer has a strong voice, but the reason why I did not put this and another contestant's version in my Top 3 is because I didn't really feel much of an emotional connection with it.  While I think Jennifer captured the attitude of the song, I don't think she did a good job with the emotional connection. 

 

Aah, here is the one who started it all!  This is the other contestant that I was referring to in Jennifer's comments. While I thought that Trenyce did a good job, compared to other versions, I felt that the emotional connection was a little lacking, though not as much as in Jennifer's. I have also put Trenyce's version over Jennifer's, but the distance between them is very small. 

 

Yay, we agree on another placement!  Vonzell's version is my favorite for a lot of reasons. Her vocals were stellar, she commanded the stage, and most of all, I really felt something from her performance!   Vonzell's performance just seemed to have everything I was looking for, which is why I also have it as my number one! 

 

My Rankings (UPDATED):

 

1. Vonzell Solomon

2. Jessica Sanchez

3. Gabby Barrett

4. Trenyce

5. Jennifer Hudson

6. Leah LaBelle

7. Katharine McPhee

8. LaKisha Jones

9. Sonika Vaid

10. Shannon Magrane

 

Fair enough about Jennifer's version. I thought she did well with the connection; however, it was lacking behind the two I decided to place ahead of her.

 

Yep, here's the one to blame for this song becoming an Idol staple.  I thought she did a fine job with the emotional connection, but fair enough on the opinion.

 

Pretty much agree with everything here. What do you know, the one's we have in common are our favorite and least favorite versions.  It appears the one we differ on the most is Jessica Sanchez's version. 

[Bk1234]

10 minutes ago, Crisis said:

What do you know, the one's we have in common are our favorite and least favorite versions.  It appears the one we differ on the most is Jessica Sanchez's version. 

I noticed that too!  And yes, Jessica Sanchez is the new Gabby Barrett.

[Bk1234]

5 hours ago, Crisis said:

When I first saw the request, I thought it would be difficult because it's so subjective due to everyone potentially having different tastes. However, I then thought in order to make it interactive, I'll ask the opinions of other posters as to what they felt are their best/most memorable performances and rank them, so it looks like you and I had the same thought @Bk1234.  What I think I'll do is have anyone who wants to participate PM me their ten favorite performances and once I feel I have enough, I'll go ahead and rank them (I'm aiming for a minimum of ten performances overall). I think a whole day should be enough time for anyone to get their performances in.

Just sent my Top 10 favorite performances!

[Crisis]

5 minutes ago, Bk1234 said:

Just sent my Top 10 favorite performances!

 

Just got them! 

[Bk1234]

@Crisis I’m so excited to see how you rank the performances! Knowing you, I’m sure there will be a few surprises in there! 

Edited August 27, 2020 by Bk1234