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Season 24 Top 12 Power Ranking

QueenMae16

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MatthewPalermo  

MatthewPalermo

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1. Ruby

2. Huntley

3. Jacquie

4. Nini

5. Mac

6. Mara

7. BIAS

8. Jordan

9. Tanner

10. Lila

11. Kara

12. AZAN

 

I'd be shocked if Ruby/Huntley aren't the top 2. I have Ruby at the top because her momentum right now is better than Huntley (she had a breakout performance) and I feel like TPTB would rather Reba win over a consecutive Niall win so she might get better pimping. Jacquie and Nini round out the top 4 due to being the second strongest in their teams with social media support and somewhat weak competition. Mac's in 5th because he's popular with the audience and probably would get pimped in semis instant save (assuming he needs it) so it isn't a Reba vs Niall finals (I think Mac wins an instant save against anyone but Jacquie or maybe Nini tbh, Ruby and Huntley won't need it and anyone else is likely done).

 

The rest are ranked based on chances of winning the semis instant save, hence why I have Mara at 6th. She'll need a good song, the closing spot, and Mac to flop. BIAS at 7 is a take for sure, but did anyone see his Facebook numbers after playoffs? Because if that keeps up... watch out (They're higher than everyone but Huntley and Ruby by a big margin :giggle:but that's probably from song choice. If he stays with wack uptempo stuff he probably won't last long; that's honestly the biggest wild card). Him being the sole male country singer probably gives him a free pass for at least one round, unless he just falters so hard that the Facebook grandmas don't vote for him. Jordan and Tanner are lower down due to tougher competition, Jordan probably won't need the instant save in top 12 week but I don't see her surviving the top 9 instant save as the competition will be tight. Tanner likely WILL need the instant save in top 12 week unless he pulls something crazy. Or... others flop.

 

If any of Lila, Kara or AZAN survive top 12 week? Good for them! I'd say it's deserved considering they have consistently been the lowest rated with the core audience. I'll be rooting for them, but all three of them have a huge uphill battle, and I can't see any of them surviving an instant save against anyone else.

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QueenMae16

QueenMae16

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I'll try.

 

1. Huntley - Probably the most crossover potential with Minivan accepting him as a country-adjacent artist and casuals liking his voice for being unique with a good amount of appeal. He could win the season.

2. Ruby - Country fans will flock to her and she's a solid singer who had a breakout last round, I just hesitate to put her in #1 since I think Huntley could appeal to a wider crowd, although she could win as well.

3. Jacquie - I think she could get plenty of votes with being a country-rock powerhouse singer, she can grab votes from multiple blocks and I think has yet to even have a breakout moment yet, I'd dare say she could have an outside shot of winning if the above two are rejected by the voters.

4. Nini - She has the rock lane to herself and while that isn't reliable most of the time, this single-vote rule can likely give her a boost to reach the Finale as long as she continues to do well. 

5. Mac - He'll have his own lane as well, because the others who are similar to him will likely be rejected, and he's a solid singer in his own right. He could IS his way into the Finale.

6. Mara - It starts to get tricky here, and while I think Mara is a decent singer, I think the audience is a bit lukewarm to her, even with all the pimping from pre-lives, she seems to not be as much of a frontrunner to get to the end. 

7. Tanner - He's had a lukewarm reception even when he reaches the bigger notes, and if the audience doesn't care much for that then you need to do more or risk getting sent home. I think he can survive a round and is Gwen's best shot, but he needs a breakout fast and he'll likely need to IS his way to the Finale if he can.

8. Lila - I actually think Lila could pocket enough votes to avoid the IS before the Semis, she's a good singer and very relaxed that a few voters could appreciate as there are plenty of powerhouses in the competition left. 

9. Jordan - I think Jordan could be higher, but the single-vote could hurt her position, she doesn't seem to get along with the audience as well as the Top 3 country/country-adjacent singers, so she'll have to garner enough votes from casuals to survive, I think she can get the Top 12 IS though.

10. BIAS - Again, single-vote could hurt him, but honestly I just don't think Minivan cares too much about him. He's an average vocalist with some solid moments, but nothing memorable as the frontrunners. 

11. AZAN - It's hard to pinpoint between the last two, but I think AZAN is the better vocalist with a "comeback" story to help her more, so I'll place her here. Although I don't bet that anyone will care to vote for her, even the block she will rely on will likely go to Mac, I don't think she can survive the round.

12. Kara - She doesn't have the "comeback" story and seems to be the weaker vocalist of the bottom 2 here, again, the block she'll rely on will go to Mac, I think she'll struggle to survive the round.

 

Keeping in mind the one-vote rule is still intact, the rankings will likely be different if it was the normal format(Jordan could be higher, and Nini could be lower)

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Someone648

Someone648

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Finale locks, but keeping in mind that we all had Ryley Tate Wilson as a finale lock last season:

1. Ruby Leigh - Could flipflop with Huntley, but she checks all the boxes for potential winner.

2. Huntley - Also checks several boxes, maybe a bit more divisive than Ruby.

 

Should be in the finale if all goes as planned:

3. Jacquie Roar - She's been on an upward trajectory and is well-received. Definitely higher than I anticipated just a few rounds ago.

4. Mac Royals - A lot of things have been going in his favor and barring some weird song selection, he has a good shot at the finale.

 

Reasonable shot for the finale, but they could easily be derailed.

5. Jordan Rainer - Very likable and likely to go far, but it'll depend on how her performances stand out against the rest.

6. Nini Iris - Probably most capable of giving a strong, consistent powerhouse vocal. It's a matter of whether or not the audience will gravitate towards her. So again... audience.

 

Long shots:

7. BIAS - Country guy. Notably not as strong as previous ones, which is why I ranked him more middle than anything.

8. Tanner Massey - Young guy. As long as he doesn't bomb, he'll make it through at least the top 9.

9. Mara Justine - Likable, but intense competition and more prone to mistakes than others.

10. AZÁN - Well-received and consistent, but... the audience.

 

Not willing to say "pack your bags," but I've got a suspicion that they sadly won't make it past the first round.

11. Lila Forde - Classic and should gather some votes, but with one-vote rules in play, she has to be someone's favorite in order to last past the first round.

12. Kara Tenae - Capable of a great performance and has got surprisingly good spots for her performances, but she's a bit of a mystery. Plus the audience.

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MusicBuff101

MusicBuff101

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1. Ruby

2. Huntley

3. Jacquie

4. Mac

5. Mara

6. BIAS (I’m being so serious, don’t dismiss this as a possibility)

7. Nini

8. Jordan 

9. Tanner

10. Lila

11. Kara

12. AZÁN

 

Jacquie will win any instant save that doesn’t have Ruby or Huntley in it, which is why I think she’s kinda locked.

 

8-10 are interchangeable

Edited by MusicBuff101
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jork  

jork

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Strong season all around, but especially at the very top. Shoutout to the following artists performed on the show this season - Timberlake, Evanescence, Walk The Moon, The BeeGees, Michael Jackson, Norah Jones, The SteelDrivers. Shoutout to previous eliminees who were interesting - Lennon VanderDoes (a combination of Andrew McMahon In The Wilderness/Passenger), Stee,  Claudia B, Rachele Nguyen, Kaylee Shimizu, Noah Spencer.  Edit - changed vote order a bit upon further consideration of voting dynamics:

 

Predicted Vote order - 

 

The first three cut:

12) AZÁN - John (Jill Scott, Miguel, Chloe X Halle, Anita Baker). One of the truisms that has held firm on this show is for R&B females, the younger and hipper you present yourself, the fewer votes you're gonna get. You can ride a beat well, show enthusiasm and channel a SZA vibe, it doesn't matter. NariYella can rep Philly, Shadale Hotlanta and AZÁN can rep H-Town and be all smiles and your best spirit animal friend, but an audience that isn't accustomed to it = won't vote for it. The shame is AZÁN's certainly repping her style with cool song choices, and she's certainly one of the most marketable. There really isn't much else she can do, than cover Rascal Flatts the way Shadale did in a fake plea to secure votes but that isn't true to herself. 

 

11) Kara Tenae - Gwen (SWV, JoJo, Ella Mai, Brandy). Despite the presence of record labels in LA, it's rare to have a LA-adjacent native advance far on these shows, so shoutout to Riverside's Kara for doing just that. Kara's what I call a "nostalgic feels" singer - choosing songs that naturally exude emotion and make you reminisce about the '90s, and she takes it to another level. Ton of brownie points for the JoJo song. The artists she's performed all definitely belong in the same playlist, so she's found an absolute niche that makes sense (and also makes sense for her). She's an older millennial, but for a 34-year old she presents younger - performance wise she feels younger than Huntley, who's actually younger than her. She wears her millennial influences hard, and also has natural swag (although that works against her on this show).  Again, like AZÁN, she'll present herself well, but sadly for this audience, swag=aggressive=no bueno. So is there a base for her ideas - er, I mean, for her song choices?

 

10) Lila Forde - John- (Blind Faith, James Taylor, Roberta Flack, Bonnie Raitt). Seattle's own, Lila certainly embodies the DIY-chilled out, folksy pop attitude of the urban scene. She's not informed by the Savanna Woods grunge of the scene, which we obviously associate with the great state of Washington. She's a pleasant listen; a tad sedate so this will depend on mood. But like Mac (see below), maybe a bit too chilled out and laid back? But Mac has a distinctive voice and on-stage style, while Lila feels interchangeable in those respects. She just feels more like a blend-in rather than a stand-out sort of contestant. Again, pleasant, but we haven't seen an extra gear vocally and/or with nuance/feeling to turn her truly into a Judy Collins, a Karen Carpenter, or whatever. I have a feeling she's more informed by them than truly influenced by them, and the Seattle DIY scene is where she's more at. In a lineup where she's bunched by people who perhaps want it more and are noticeably putting in the effort (ie Jacquie, BIAS etc), she might blend in like wallpaper. I think her style is a tad too sedate, and her presentation is a bit coffeehouse to perhaps really draw in the votes. 

 

From there on:

9) Mara Justine - Niall (Florence and The Machine, Harry Nilsson, Dusty Springfield, Elton John). I suspect the problem with Joisey's Mara Justine is that she's spent a lifetime imitating singing show contestants on these shows (and she's been on the trifecta of AGT-Idol-The Voice to prove it). She hasn't had those lived experiences musically, so while polished for her age, she sometimes comes across as practiced rather than authentic. She has cultivated a dark, jilted, soulful rocky belter identity drawing from oldies influences - like an early aughts singing show contestant. The Florence song is actually kinda ironic - that song was covered a ton in XFUK back in the early 2010s, and it reminded me of XFUK contestants covering that song. The ironic truth is that her style might actually be too British - meaning, she'd fare better with a British voting audience than an American one. And with Niall likely preferring Nini and easily preferring Huntley, and Mara's own history of not advancing far in these shows, it's hard to see a path.

 

[8] Tanner Massey- Gwen (Shawn Mendes/Shontelle/Billy Joel/Lewis Capaldi). He's obviously boxed himself into the sentimental, heartthrob boyband type who will cater to the social media flavor of the day. The hearthrobby thing is kinda weird, because it looks like he could be the baddie in a boyband. He's passionate and puts in the effort - all his songs are pop staples leading to big choruses, but the way he performs them it feels like they all blend together. You feel like you've heard it, and likely better, by isolating just vocals. Of course when you're dealing with boyband types everyone will make excuses. "In My Blood" suit him best, because Shawn Mendes is easily closest to his style of the artists. "Impossible" sounded solid, but watching with the finger pointing and the jazz hands you sense mismatch and get secondhand embarrassment. He's an Okie, but he's clearly more Cali when it comes to mentality; not even sure if that helps him. I can't see him getting that far, or putting a coherent roadmap in the lives; he'd do way better in a pop show like X-Factor, needless to say.

 

[7] Jacquie Roar - Reba - (Maren Morris, Fleetwood Mac, Gretchen Wilson, Jelly Roll). Portlandia's own, Jacquie Roar grew up with pop influences and doing anthems for shoddy Trail Blazers games, but has channeled her mom energy towards the rowdy country rock space with Gretchen Wilson as the north star. It's very interesting there's a lot of rock-influenced country among this crew, and rock in general has repped itself this season. That's gonna be a lot of good energy this season, although Roar can be a bit predictable going for the formulaic big notes and crowd-pleasing moments (but not necessarily vote getting moments). Ruby and Jordan on Reba's team both feel like they live and breathe country more permanently and/or have more of a story to tell, so between that and the early pop influences, when we get to the nitty-gritty that starts to matter.

 

6) BIAS - Gwen - (Larry Fleet, Blake Shelton, Chris Stapleton, Jelly Roll). There's something a bit simultaneously try-hard and amateurish about BIAS' presentation on camera.  He also has a habit of choosing deeper, soulful, rock songs (God's Country/Jelly Roll/Stapleton) while coming off way inferior to the original, and performing them with pop mannerisms and a pop lilt to his voice. That affect leads to a skuzzing over meaningful songs so his versions come off as superficial, and you'd prefer to listen to the original singers. He puts a lot of effort in presentation, and certainly wants to present himself as a chameleon (soul, rock, Christian, country, etc). Southern-friend, Christian pop music is likely his best box, but he's certainly omnivorous and biting off a huge chunk of that cookie. Frankly, that's probably why the coaches/TPTB love him, and as a early/mid 20s guy he's perceived as marketable and has chosen modern songs. Between that perception, there's the audience perception - he's hitting a  strong voting intersection with his Christian/country/southern influences, and in this top 12 for males there's little competition in these lanes (also, team Gwen, he'll easily have the best chance in votes which is why he'll leapfrog people who have firmer identities). He'll bring the energy, keep you cheesin', and stand out on camera, so that works out in-show.

 

TOP FIVE:

5) Jordan Rainer - Reba (Little Big Town, Reba x2, Kelsea Ballerini). The female Eric Church, outspoken, bada88, heart-in-sleeve, stunner shades in dark rooms and all, has repped her upbringing very well through her songs. She rides the beat well, show sass, speed up the lyrics, and it's a good time. But I suspect she might be too outlaw-y for this audience; "outlaw" it's actually quite weird, because she's performed two of the poppiest acts in country in Kelsea and Starland Vocal Ba-er, I mean Little Big Town. She's clearly got some pop lilt in her voice, and some of those sensibilities, so that might hurt in the long run (will easily hurt against Ruby). I do like her kinda hoedown-y style, where she'd be a hit in old-school festivals with lively folk dancing (kinda like in Back to the Future 3). She's definitely good and will keep it lively, but the outlaw image and pop lilt might tamp down the upper range, especially since she's competing two other "country"/country females.

 

4) Mac Royals - John (D'Angelo, John Mayer, Robin Thicke, Bee Gees) - I'd call Mac an R&B slow jam musical creator, equal parts auteur and intellectual in dictating the soundscape, the style. He makes very slick, cool choices when he's in the zone, and just exudes a cool listening experience. His voice has an effortless, natural charisma. Maybe too effortless. Think Babyface, Jon Batiste, Questlove, Jamie Foxx, etc. All his solo songs fit his style, which is kind of this babymaking slow jam style. Deviating from this formula might be a problem (see Bee Gees where he tried to rearrange the original melody), because he's got a my way or the highway approach and won't adjust. But is it too cool for school, is it too detached for an audience not really accustomed to this? The show is going hard to promote him as the R&B candidate within the top five, and John (and the coaches) lurve him; usually if things go awry the show will force feed an R&B'er in the top 5, so he's got a good shot anyway (especially if AZÁN/Kara get eliminated early). He's unique in the flavor of R&B contestant for this show, which is why he's ranked highly, and let's be honest, you feel John would prefer him over Lila Forde personally. If he sticks with the songs in the vein he's already chosen, he's good to go; but his effortless style and "my way/highway approach" might not easily be vote gambits. The show will promote, but it will be interesting to see how this goes.

3) Nini Iris - Niall (Radiohead/Everybody Loves An Outlaw/Blondie/Bishop Briggs). Nini's a polished self-described "dark pop" belter who is a singing show vet, and you can see the "dark pop" percolating in her pre-show sound which screamed Lana Del Rey. On the show, you see a lot more Christina Aguilera, the former Voice judge, and that's quite intriguing. But you hear rock, rasp, synthpop, darkpop, and a lot of intriguing ideas that can fit in today's soundscape. But more than that, I like her desire/ability to go out of the box, such as the Radiohead and "I See Red" picks; that's awesome. Of all the 20-something pop female acts in the Voice pantheon, she's certainly one you'd feel very confident can deliver, wow and surprise at the same time; she's easily one of the better ones on this show. Niall's top horse is Huntley easily, and he has a considerably easier path for votes on this show, as Nini's pop sensibilities, stage affect and Northeastern vibe might not play to the core. But you do want to see her go far.

 

2) Huntley - Niall (David Kushner, Bon Jovi, Hootie, The Black Crowes). If Jacquie is mom energy, Huntley is dad energy. Just kidding - Huntley presents cooler than that, with his metal/band influences that clearly harken to the Vedder-infused '90s. He's also very energetic, feels like "one of the dudes" and presents as a reformed metalhead-turned-family-man.  The gothic-pop tank-top Kushner song was a nice left field choice that really showed him in a very interesting light, and scores a lot of points. My pet theory on why he didn't hit it big is because he's 33 - rock as a genre was rapidly fading by 2009, and by the mid-2010s we saw one-offs by Bastille, Hozier, Gotye and other stuff he might try to mimic. So if he tried to hit it big as a 25-year old in 2015, commercial prospects were already dim. If he was born in 1975, he'd have a lot more commercial chances. But that's why he's on the Voice now. As for the votes - obviously there's a ton of draws, but the metal stylings might be a tad polarizing to an audience favoring their rock to be softer; choosing esoteric song choices like the Kushner one might also reduce votes. But he presents something unique on the show, is very polished (and happy!) doing so, will keep the energy going, and you'll root for him.

 

1) Ruby Leigh - Reba (LeAnn Rimes/Linda Ronstadt/Patsy Montana/Dolly Parton). Ruby has a strong sense of identity -absolutely preternatural - for her age. She has a very old-school country vibe, and clearly is very informed by the hillbilly country/western/yodeling sounds of the early 20th century, as seen in her audition. It's crazy who someone born in 2007 would be informed by stuff by the 1930s. She also excels in half-time, slowed down notes, which will obviously cater to the audience; but she's also very composed, clear as bell, and her voice pierces. And there's the versatility -Linda Ronstadt is one of the best singers in the '70s, and she ate that, embodying the emotion in her veins and being a top notch listening experience. You'd think it was an adult singing that, not a 16-year old. Crazy. The battle where she demolished Al Boogie, someone over double her age, is the equivalent of a top draft pick battling out with an undrafted player. Basically, you could listen to an album of her all day, put it on repeat, get a different experience for each song, and not get tired of it. Yeah, she chooses old songs, but I'd say she's bringing them into the new age, rather than being old fashioned. And the audience loves polished young girls who can do old school country well. She might be one of the best Voice acts of all time, and you'd be hard pressed to see someone like her again.

 

 

 

 

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Winterfan  

Winterfan

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1 hour ago, jork said:

11) Kara Tenae - Gwen (SWV, JoJo, Ella Mai, Brandy). Despite the presence of record labels in LA, it's rare to have a LA-adjacent native advance far on these shows, so shoutout to Riverside's Kara for doing just that. Kara's what I call a "nostalgic feels" singer - choosing songs that naturally exude emotion and make you reminisce about the '90s, and she takes it to another level. Ton of brownie points for the JoJo song. The artists she's performed all definitely belong in the same playlist, so she's found an absolute niche that makes sense (and also makes sense for her). She's an older millennial, but for a 37-year old she presents younger - performance wise she feels younger than Huntley, who's actually younger than her. She wears her millennial influences hard, and also has natural swag (although that works against her on this show).  Again, like AZÁN, she'll present herself well, but sadly for this audience, swag=aggressive=no bueno. So is there a base for her ideas - er, I mean, for her song choices?

 

I just wanted to clarify something about Kara. She is 34, not 37. But, I agree with your power ranking placement of her, unfortunately.

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FloorWax

FloorWax

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To anyone ranking BIAS in the Bottom 4, have you seen the numbers on FB for his PO performance? Literally 3rd behind Huntley and Ruby. I think its still possible that he misses Finale, but I’d say as long as his performance on Monday isn’t a disaster, he’s sailing through.

 

AZÁN and Kara, on the other hand, could both give 10/10 performances and still land in the Bottom.

 

I predict that Lila would land in the bottom next week but she’s got the singer-songwriter lane to herself so maybe if she gives a stellar performance she could get a PV.

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Hamza Tufail

Hamza Tufail

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58 minutes ago, FloorWax said:

To anyone ranking BIAS in the Bottom 4, have you seen the numbers on FB for his PO performance? Literally 3rd behind Huntley and Ruby. I think its still possible that he misses Finale, but I’d say as long as his performance on Monday isn’t a disaster, he’s sailing through.

 

AZÁN and Kara, on the other hand, could both give 10/10 performances and still land in the Bottom.

 

I predict that Lila would land in the bottom next week but she’s got the singer-songwriter lane to herself so maybe if she gives a stellar performance she could get a PV.

I think Bias is safe next week. His only hurdle in Mac in the SF instant save.

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