Why Jordan Lost

[CarmenSandiego]

Last night, we saw two contestants fail to make the Top 12:  Jordan Anthony and Nya, and so I have two analyses about why they lost to write.  I'll begin with Jordan.  I think that everyone on IDF saw his elimination coming, especially since he had to sing for his survival to get into the Top 14.  But why was Jordan's elimination so predictable?  A good look at the rules that American Idol contestants need to follow will explain what Jordan did right, what he did wrong (a lot), and why Jordan lost.

 

The first rule states that contestants should show singing and performing talent, and already Jordan had problems.  By the Top 24, Jordan had been one of the weakest contestants in terms of pure vocal or performing talent, and as the numbers lessened, he was still near the bottom.  If you don't believe me, look at the average scores on IDF in the Top 24 round, the Top 20 reveal and the Top 14 reveal.  Jordan had a 5.96 in the Top 20 round, 4.48 in the Top 20 reveal, and a 6 for the Top 14 reveal, all near the bottom although not strictly at the bottom!  While Jordan did manage to get into the Top 14, it wasn't because of his performing talent, and it certainly wasn't because of his singing talent.

 

So how did his final performance of "I Wanna Dance With Somebody" work out?  While the judges praised it, it went over like a lead balloon on IDF.  So far, the highest rating on IDF is a 6, from Indodol, and I gave him a 5, which was the second-highest score.  The rest gave him scores of 4 and lower.  IdolChatteryd also panned the song, giving it a C and called it "wobbly".  And the kicker is that when I gave Jordan a 5, I simply said "Bye-bye."  Thus it's pretty clear that Jordan struck out on the first rule.

 

Jordan also had problems with the second rule, which states that song choice is key.  While Jordan was at least smart enough to stay away from a Whitney song that demanded powerhouse vocals, he not only went with a Whitney song, he went with "I Wanna Dance With Somebody", which is close to a kiss of death on this show.  Thus Jordan stumbled on this rule as well.

 

Jordan also had problems with the third rule.  It states that contestants need to be either consistently great or consistently improving, and Jordan wasn't even consistently good, let alone consistently great, let alone consistently improving.  Thus Jordan screwed up this rule as well.

 

At least Jordan had no problems with the fourth rule, which states that contestants need to be confident.  This might have saved him in Hawaii, as Blake had notable problems with confidence and was eliminated in large part because of this.  Unfortunately, it couldn't save him for long, but at least he followed this rule, so I'll move on.

 

I don't think that Jordan had many problems with the fifth rule, which states that contestants need to have a strong artistic identity.  He was a cute young male pop singer, and that was his identity.  Any problems he had with this identity lay more with his singing and performance skills and song choice, so I'll move on here as well.

 

Between him, Blake and Mackenzie I think that Jordan did the best job with the fifth rule, which states that contestants need to remember that they are a package.  He was a cute young male pop singer but unlike Blake, he had more confidence and he had a better backstory than Mackenzie, having had weight issues in the past.  This is most likely why he survived over Mackenzie when both had to sing for their survival.  Unfortunately, his package was still a little plain and he didn't have the vocals to keep up, but at least he followed this rule, so I'll move on.

 

I believe that Jordan followed the seventh rule, which states that contestants need to take any advice given and follow it, at least within reason.  While it didn't save him, at least he had no problems with it, so I'll move on here too.

 

Jordan's final problems came in the last rule, which states that contestants must gather and sustain a fan base.  While he was a young and cute male pop singer, that can only take you so far in gathering or sustaiining a fan base.  His mediocre vocals and performance skills prevented him from gaining many new fans, and most of his fans saw him on The Voice Australia and might not have been able to vote for him as much as they would have liked if they lived outside the U.S.  Katy drooled over him, but she could only take him so far.  Thus Jordan also fouled up this rule.

 

Jordan was a little lucky to get into the Top 14.  While he had the young, cute male pop singer going for him (as shown by Katy's drooling over him), he didn't have much else.  He had mediocre performance skills and his vocals were also very mediocre.  His song choices also didn't help him.  Katy's drooling over him and his having a better package than Mackenzie helped get him into the Top 14, but it couldn't help him get any farther unless Jordan had a great performance.  And he didn't.  Jordan just couldn't keep up and that is why Jordan lost.

Edited April 25 by CarmenSandiego

[NGL2008]

I figured Mackenzie wasn't gonna be saved either way because Kayko already has the teenybopper factor...It really must've had to do with Jordan's appeal to Katy.

 

Let's be real, though: Keith Beukelaer still has the best version of "I Wanna Dance With Somebody:"

 

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&opi=89978449&url=https://www.youtube.com/watch%3Fv%3DuRiYtW1KRdo&ved=2ahUKEwiJ_4L7hNuFAxW5rYkEHbpxAIwQr4kDegQIFhAD&usg=AOvVaw39tkI9UvVTehM2pNGGOIWJ

[CarmenSandiego]

2 hours ago, NGL2008 said:

I figured Mackenzie wasn't gonna be saved either way because Kayko already has the teenybopper factor...It really must've had to do with Jordan's appeal to Katy.

 

Let's be real, though: Keith Beukelaer still has the best version of "I Wanna Dance With Somebody:"

 

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&opi=89978449&url=https://www.youtube.com/watch%3Fv%3DuRiYtW1KRdo&ved=2ahUKEwiJ_4L7hNuFAxW5rYkEHbpxAIwQr4kDegQIFhAD&usg=AOvVaw39tkI9UvVTehM2pNGGOIWJ

I remember him.  He was so funny, in a train wreck way!

[NGL2008]

9 hours ago, CarmenSandiego said:

I remember him.  He was so funny, in a train wreck way!

Well he certainly got around:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=PxjU8WVppb4&pp=ygUZS2VpdGggQmV1a2VsYWVyIHggZmFjdG9yIA%3D%3D