American Idol Performances Mini Rankdown

[Alex95]

3. Melinda Doolittle "I'm A Woman"

6.6/20

Watch Here

@Alex95 - 2/20

@Crisis - 2/20

@NGM - 2/20

@~Tom~ - 2/20

@FrogLenzen - 2/20

@Steven_ - 4/20

@*Wallace - 7/20

@rdhaley96 - 10/20

@taylorkat - 11/20

@Solaris - 12/20

@Zoey - 19/20

 

Alex

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THE STRUT! I can't stop talking about it every time I watch this performance cause it makes me SHRIEK every time . Melinda's vocals, the song choice, the stage presence, ugh she's a STAR. Beyond obsessed with this performance, one of my favorites ever.

 

Crisis

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An impeccable yet humble vocalist that even a blind person sees

Give her any song in any genre and watch as she sings it with ease

Doubt her talents she’ll give you a look as if to say baby please

Takes off her coat, hit a flawless note that will bring you to your knees

Cause she’s a woman! W-O-M-A-N, and that’s all!

 

A woman she was/is! If Idol was a pure singing competition, Melinda would’ve won S6 in a landslide, especially with performances like this.

 

Nico

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Pitch? On-point. Phrasing? Impeccable. Stage presence? Goes on for days. The other contestants? Dead.

 

Tom

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Not only did Melinda sing this flawlessly (as always), but showed lots of personality and involved the background singers when she sang with them! Love it so much. 

 

Derek

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No matter how many times I watch this I’m waving my arms around and jumping up and down in my seat

 

Steven

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Melinda was fantastic on this song. It suited her so well, and she commanded the stage with her powerful vocals.

 

Wally

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"I'm A Woman" was yet another performance that Melinda slayed in such an effortless way! We all know Melinda does a great job and can nail up tempo performances but I just rte ally loved this performance. I LOVE the attitude, the sass and conviction she brought to this performance. She means BUSINESS with what she’s singing right from the start! I love the fast singing she does too. I love that whole part but I probably love the last line she sings really fast.

 

Throw it in the skillet, go out & do my shopping, be back before it melts in the pan

'Cause I'm a woman! W-O-M-A-N, I'll say it again

 

 

 

Then she slays the second verse again - my favorite part that she sings there is:

 

Feed the baby, grease the car, & powder my face at the same time

Get all dressed up, go out and swing til 4 a.m. and then 

Lay down at 5, jump up at 6, and start all over again 

 

 

 

But Melinda does some more SLAYING after that. I LOVE that part where she sings: I don’t think they heard me that time! 

 

TELL IT MELINDA. We did not hear you! Wow the power she had sining that. But then I also loveh ow she was singing with the backup singers there. And then HOW SHE STRUTS back to the main stage. It always kills me! So much slayage! Then I love how she closes it out singing:

 

You better believe I’m W-O-M-A-N! Yeeaaahhhh!!

 

I just love how Melinda can be so sweet and humble as a person but still deliver such a fierce performance like this. There was no question that Melinda totally slayed it and delivered the best performance that night!

 

Reason for this #7 ranking: I loved and thought this was a fantastic and strong performance from Melinda. This was an easy ranking to figure out as I do love this a little more then the 8-10 performances that were tricky for to rank but I don't love this quite as much as my Top 6.

 

Richard

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Just an all-around solid performance from Melinda. I wasn’t necessarily blown away by her vocal, but her show(wo)manship was great, and I love that she chose to sing something a little more left-field. I can’t complain about anything she did here. 

 

Gigi

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I prefer My Funny Valentine, but this is good. She was very consistent.

 

Sola

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Great performance form Melinda.  Not one of my personal top favs from me but she slayed it.

 

Zoey

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Lol.

 

[Solaris]

fantastic Top 2  

[FrogLenzen]

[Alex95]

Nearly half the rankers ranked it second and it still couldn't make the top two

[*Wallace]

Ahh I'm kinda surprised Melinda's "I'm A Woman" didn't make the Top 2, and with wowww all of those #2 rankings in there. I loovee this but this was my least favorite of the Top 3, so I'm good with this showing up.

 

Whoa, I'm quite shocked that La'Porsha's NMD made it to the Top 20, with likely two #20 rankings in there.  Wow super happy it made it this far. Definitely banking on Jennifer's COL winning.

[Alex95]

2. La'Porsha Renae "No More Drama"

6.5/20

Watch Here

@Alex95 - 1/20

@*Wallace - 1/20

@Solaris - 3/20

@Crisis - 4/20

@~Tom~ - 4/20

@FrogLenzen - 5/20

@Steven_ - 6/20

@NGM - 7/20

@taylorkat - 9/20

@rdhaley96 - 14/20

@Zoey - 18/20

 

Alex

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This performance just goes way beyond Idol. It's a masterpiece. The most emotional moment of Idol history. I am speechless every time I listen to it. I understand the criticism with La'Porsha's character, especially as a gay man. But people are gray, not black and white. For La'Porsha to be so transparent and honest with all of America here. She gets nothing but my admiration here for that.

 

Wally

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La'Porsha's "No More Drama" is my favorite performance of Season 15 of American Idol. Thank you to Alex & Gigi for pushing this through into the Top 20! It would have really been such a devastating loss if this performance didn't make the finals. I always loved this song from Mary J. Blige, but this was such a great song choice for La'Porsha that she could relate to with her personal live. She really lived, breathe and sang this song straight from her heart! Right from the opening verse, with her lower register vocal singing, I get chills from her! I love how she sang the first chorus of the song. I really love that part where she sings: Wanna speak my mind, wanna speak my mind. She reallly starts getting into the powerfulness there but in a subtle way.

She builds the performance up even more and in such a great powerful way when she sings that second verse of the song, where she sings:

Uh, it feel so good
When you let go
Of all the drama in your life
Now you're free from all the pain
Free from all the game
Free from all the stress
So find your happiness

Such great powering in her vocals there! I like how she brings the performance down a few lower levels when she sings the next part of the song. That was a needed moment there before she really starts riffing, tearing and SLAYING this song apart! Then the last part of the performance is complete and absolute brilliance!

Right from where she starts singing: And I choose to win. Then how she sings the rest of the chorus? UM, EPIC  ICONIC BRILLANCE! Then all of those ad-libs she added on her where she sang the "you can't break me" and all of those other lines? Just wow! This is just such a brilliant and iconic performance from La'Porsha. She gave vocals, drama, emotion, heartbreak, passion, tears.... and just everything. She really gave it her all. This is my favorite performance of the season and definitely one of my favorite performance of this series. I am certainly rooting for this performance to win. It may or may not achieve that - but hopefully it at least makes the Top 3, as anything lower would be an injustice.

 

Reason for this #1 ranking: This was truly amazing and more than just an Idol performance.... and even more than an Idol moment. This was such a vulnerable, moving and out of this world performance from La'Porsha where she poured her heart into everything here. This was a huge standout for Season 15 and I still can't believe it only came in 4th in the Season 15 round. It just feels right putting this performance 1st, as it was more than just an Idol performance!

 

Sola

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This was my favorite performance of her season.  Talk about a shutdown.  This should have won her season of the mini.

 

Crisis

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It’s a shame this didn’t make the Top 3 in the S15 Round because of “reasons”. I would’ve loved to rank it in the Top 3 here, but I couldn’t think of any in my Top 3 to bump out. Nonetheless, this is perhaps the most emotionally charged Idol performance outside of Summertime.

 

Tom

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La'Porsha poured her heart and soul into this, I'm sure she related to this song due to her background. 

 

Derek

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For her to deliver even more this late in the competition and keep things fresh and exciting is really incredible

 

Steven

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This was a powerful performance, especially knowing La'Porsha's backstory. This is my favorite La'Porsha performance of the season.

 

Nico

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One of the most emotional performances ever on Idol.

 

Gigi

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This is quite the performance! 

 

Richard

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I didn’t mention this last time, but it’s a bit hard to be unbiased about La’Porsha considering her homophobic views and claims of being an “ex-gay” woman. I feel like any feelings about her performances I have are always going to be tainted by that.
 
All that said, she definitely did well here. She picked a great song for her voice and sang it with conviction and authenticity. Joshua’s version is better, though.

 

Zoey

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Absolutely not.

 

Edited October 17, 2022 by Alex95

[*Lily]

Perfect #1! I’d have been so mad if I sat this one out and it lost

[jarmon]

GREAT WINNER! 

[*Lily]

An all-black female top four is *chef’s kiss* though and any of them would have been amazing winners

[*Lily]

On 2/14/2021 at 1:27 AM, Alex95 said:

Jennifer Hudson "Circle of Life"

2. La'Porsha Renae "No More Drama"

3. Melinda Doolittle "I'm A Woman"

4. Tamyra Gray "Minnie the Moocher"

5. Haley Reinhart "Bennie and the Jets"

6. Joshua Ledet "It's a Man's Man's Man's World"

7. Vonzell Solomon "I Have Nothing"

8. Trenyce "Proud Mary"

 

IDF ate DOWN with this!!

[Alex95]

1. Jennifer Hudson "Circle of Life"

5.6/20

Watch Here

@NGM - 1/20

@Zoey - 1/20

@rdhaley96 - 3/20

@~Tom~ - 3/20

@Solaris - 4/20

@*Wallace - 6/20

@FrogLenzen - 6/20

@Crisis - 7/20

@taylorkat - 8/20

@Alex95 - 9/20

@Steven_ - 14/20

 

Nico

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One of the most show-stopping performances ever on Idol. This showed all the potential Jennifer had and what she would go on to do post-Idol. Hoping it does well!

 

Zoey

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Iconic performance which deserved to place higher than fourth.

 

Richard

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Jennifer made this look so effortless. She picked the perfect song for her voice, and although she didn’t really do anything revolutionary with the arrangement; she slayed the vocal. This definitely deserved its spot in the top four of season 3, and I hope it does well here (as I’m sure it will). 

 

Tom

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Jennifer's best performance and Elton clearly recognized a legend too! This was robbed in AI3 and hopefully it places higher here!

 

Sola

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Stunning performance! I love this one so much

 

Wally

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Jennifer’s "Circle Of Life" is such a legendary performance, and I am glad its in the finals. Before this, I felt that Jennifer gave 3 underwhelming performances in the finals, so i was glad she delivered this showstopper on “Circle Of Life,” and put herself as a contender! I loved George’s and LaToya’s performances that night (ugh “Someone Saved My Life Tonight” got robbed ), but Jennifer was my favorite on the Elton John night episode. I love the huskiness Jennifer has in her lower register when she sings the opening verse but then she quickly powers through into so much greatness once she gets into the chorus. The entire chorus that she sings is my favorite, but I especially love the part where she sings:

 

'Til we find our place

On the path unwinding

In the circle, the circle of life

On the path unwinding

In the circle, the circle of life

 

ALL THOSE BIG POWER NOTES she hits so effortlessly! Excuse my language but freaking INCREDIBLE. I am slayed and blown away by this performance. I also always love the part where she puts her hand forward while sanging her face off. I was addicted to this performance where i would play and listen to this so much for many years. Lastly, we can’t forget about her family member who stood there with her arms crossed looking unimpressed… who became a meme before memes were a thing. Such a funny moment. I initially had this at #5, but was so blown away, I found myself pushing this up to #3. But yeah this is such an incredible performance…… and easily my favorite from Jennifer!

 

Reason for this #6 ranking:  Jennifer's most iconic performance on Idol!  Loved this and thought this was fantastic. Sadly for this, I'm just more attached or was more invested into the performances in my Top 5 more, all of which I also find iconic as well.

 

Derek

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Just epic. It’s just so easy for her

 

Crisis

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Jennifer struggled some before unleashing this beast. This is what made her a viable contender.

 

Gigi

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Robbed! She sure showed them after the show with her success, though!

 

Alex

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Whatevia's impact . This is such an amazing performance, I love my entire top 10 and this is no exception. Queen

 

Steven

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Probably Jennifer's most popular performance from her time on the show. This was superb.

 

[taylorkat]

I didn't write that La'Porsha comment with the kiss wave face, I think Richard did.

[rdhaley96]

1 hour ago, taylorkat said:

I didn't write that La'Porsha comment with the kiss wave face, I think Richard did.

 

Guilty, haha.

 

Anywho, glad the results panned out the way they did. Jennifer is a pretty deserving winner, all things considered.

[~Tom~]

Flawless winner! COL is my favorite JHud performance, even above WINE.

[*Wallace]

This was a really amazing Top 2!  

 

I'm really glad La'Porsha's "No More Drama" made it all the way to 2nd here. I knew it stood no chance of winning (for understandable reasons), but I expected it to come up lower and miss the Top 5. But such an incredible performance and agreed with a good majority of the comments here. 

 

Loved Jennifer's "Circle of Life" and thought this was an incredible performance too. I do technically prefer 5 other performances but this was an amazing and standout performance from Jennifer. I get how it won and am not surprised it did.

 

This group of 4th placers were a really strong group of performances. And like Alex, I absolutely loved all of my Top 10 performances I ranked in my Top 10. So yeah very happy with how this played out.  

[1234567890]

I can’t fathom that this man is now 32.