This week’s Power list for y’all. It’s not much different from last week. However, the first theme week could shake up things for next week. For instance, Motown could knock Scott McCreary off his perch and Naima Adedapo could gain back some ground.
The theme is tailor made for dark horse and Stevie Wonder worshiper Stefano Langone, so watch out kids! But I’ getting a little ahead of myself. See my list after the jump. What’s yours?
1. Scott McCreery – Scotty’s still on top. While his performances are starting to sound the same, he knows who he is as an artist and sticks with it. I’m still not convinced he’ll win in the end, but for now, he’s #1.
2. Pia Toscano – We know Pia can nail those Whitney Houston tunes, but what kind of record will she make once she leaves the show? Can she be a contemporary artist? To win, Pia needs to figure out who she is in this competition and beyond. She needs to broaden her choices beyond the catalogs of big-voiced divas like Whitney.
3. James Durbin – He didn’t pull off a great performance last week-but then nobody really did, so James Durbin remains safely in the Top 5, where I think he will finish when all is said and done.
4.Casey Abrams – Even if Casey didn’t quite pull off his version of “Smells Like Teen Spirit” last week, he continues to be the guy who gets the headlines (his health struggles also keep his name in the news). I think Casey will make the Top 5 if he continues on with solid, interesting performances.
5. Stefano Langone – Watch out, Top 11, here comes Stefano. This Idol’s soulful vocals make him the dark horse of the group, unfortunate Stevie Wonder arrangement notwithstanding. He’s got a great look and a contemporary sound, records well, the girls like him… If Stefano continues to carve out his niche with good songs and solid performances, he could finish in the Top 5 or higher.
6. Lauren Alaina – Lauren’s performance last week was an improvement over the week before, but she seems to have lost her confidence. At this point, I don’t think she’ll go further than 6th or 7th place.
7. Paul McDonald – I have no idea what the heck is going on with Paul McDonald. His performances on the Idol stage are becoming increasingly disconnected. Pre-Idol, Paul was singing folk and country tinged rock. He hasn’t found a way to showcase his style successfully on the show. Unless he gets it together, he’s a mid-packer. Today he tweeted to followers, “Ok…I’m now thinking about busting out the guitar this week on the show. Thoughts?” I hope that helps.
8.Thia Megia – Thia is like one of those wind up kids who have been singing all their lives. She knows how to act like a singer, but she still hasn’t learned how to embody a song. She also has no clue who she is as an artist. She came in with a fan base from her time as a contestant on AGT, so I think she’ll be safe for a bit.
9. Jacob Lusk – Jacob will be the first male eliminated from Idol. Unlike James Durbin, he hasn’t been taking the advice of the vocal coaches to dial it back. What works when you’re fronting a church choir does not necessarily work on TV.
10. Naima Adedapo – Naima is all over the place, and that’s too bad. She’s an interesting contestant with a current sound. She’s got to get her pitch problems under control. If she comes through with a breakthrough performance on Wednesday, it could save her. But, I’m afraid she’s in danger of going home this week.
11. Haley Reinhart – I like Haley’s vocals. She’s got a throaty growl suited to blues and rock. So why the heck is she singing Whitney Houston? And yodeling? There’s the problem. She hasn’t developed a style. Her uneven vocals aren’t helping her connect to viewers either. Haley or Naima are going home this week, but I think the Motown theme will be easier for for Naima. So…bye bye Haley.
