American Idol 2014 - Top 6 Post-Show Power Rankings
It's the Top 6 on American Idol 2014, and the remaining contestants are now performing two individual songs (and no duets!) for America's vote. So who brought the goods? Overall, I thought it was a surprisingly good show, as at least half of the remaining six contestants delivered in a big way, with two others really only being hampered by one of their song choices.
If you missed the show, Rickey has a recap up, so check it out. As always, these are not predictions on who I think is/isn't going to be safe when the results are read. These are just my own personal, subjective rankings based on my immediate gut reactions at the end of the show. I welcome you all to add your own rankings in the comments below!
So let's get to it...
Credit: FOX
1. Jena Irene: Jena had arguably her best week in the competition, delivering a pair of absolutely stellar performances. If "Barracuda" had been the only thing she'd done this week, she'd still be at the top of the heap. But her rendition of "So Small" was one of the most poignant, powerful vocals of the season, for my money. It's astonishing how much Jena has grown, and how confident and self-assured she is as a performer. It's also encouraging to see how far she's made it, given that America initially didn't vote her through (and I still have no idea how. Did we need Emily Piriz that badly?). Jena is one of the few contestants in the Top 13 who's come across as if she's actually trying to win this show, as too many other contestants seem to just be doing their own thing, and "Meh, if I'm here next week, whatever." There's real fire and passion to what Jena does, and it makes her eminently compelling. She made a serious case for a confetti shower come May with her performance this week. Hopefully, America rewards her with a spot in next week's show, and she avoids becoming the next random, Carly Smithson-style shock boot. (WATCH: "Barracuda" / "So Small")
2. Caleb Johnson: Caleb is another guy who seems like he's genuinely trying to win. Yet he also looks to be having a blast, and it makes him really easy to root for. He adds a sense of fun and lightheartedness to the show that only Dexter was able to deliver. Except Caleb has been able to back it all up with incredible vocals every single week. Seriously, I don't think he's stumbled once so far. "Sting Me" was a personal best, illustrating not only his showmanship, but the effortless quality of his powerhouse rock vocals. "Undo It" was nearly as good, even though I'd have preferred if he'd chosen something farther out of his wheelhouse and deeper into the country theme. Either way, I think he's still a frontrunner, not only because of the strength of his performances tonight, but due to his overall likability, which has made him one of only two performers left never to land in the bottom 3. Caleb always puts on a show, yet it's not only a spectacle, but a well-rounded combination of vocals and showmanship. (WATCH: "Sting Me" / "Undo It")
3. Alex Preston: I've given up harping on Alex for his awkward facial expressions and his "pee dance" since I've come to realize that's not something mentorship or criticism is ever going to beat out of him. That's just his face, and those are just his movements, and while I'd prefer he throw in a smile or a smirk every now and then, it's ultimately a very small piece of the overall Alex Preston package. What really matters are the performances themselves. And I thought he did a solid job this week. It wasn't his best, but I enjoyed "Animal" for how different it was, as Alex actually seemed willing to challenge himself in a big way, and to do something unexpected. "Always On My Mind" was classic Alex, and was gorgeous in its own right. He has such tremendous talent, and he ticks off so many of the Idol Winner boxes, that it's hard not to see him as THE threat to win this whole competition. And I would be 100% okay with that when he's got a catalog of performances that includes a number as strong as "Always On My Mind". (WATCH: "Animal" / "Always On My Mind")
4. Sam Woolf: I seriously went back and forth on whether to put Sam or Jessica here, since they were about even all the way through. But I ultimately went with Sam due to a combination of the questionable arrangement on Jessica's last performance of the night, and Sam's overall consistency across his two performances. There's just something so alluring about Sam's tone, enough that I can overlook the fact that he looks pissed off every single minute he's onstage. In at least one case, that angry look fed into the performance. "It's Time" was like a statement of purpose for Sam, a vocal that felt driven by something deeper, as if he was mad about something and wanted to declare "Now don't you understand/
That I'm never changing who I am". It just worked, for me. I couldn't say the same for "You're Still the One," which just seemed listless and distracted. But it was mostly inoffensive, which is more than I could say about some other performances tonight. (WATCH: "It's Time" / "You're Still the One")
5. Jessica Meuse: I'm conflicted. "Somebody to Love" was one of her best performances, full stop. It was bluesy, but also suffused with a powerful rock element. And it made for an excellent platform for the Grace Slick quality of her voice. It was everything a Jessica Meuse performance should be. And yet, "Jolene" happened. It wasn't exactly bad, per se. But that rock arrangement was inexcusable. It sapped the soul right out of the song, and it was all made worse by Jessica seeming completely detached from the song itself. She just always looks like she's concentrating, and when you're doing a storytellers' classic, you need to find a way to connect with that story. And she just never did. She sounded fine, but functionally indistinguishable from any other time she's done a rock track that skewed toward dark, alt-rock boredom. This could have been a moment, but the arrangement just killed it. And not in the good way. (WATCH: "Somebody to Love" / "Jolene")
6. CJ Harris: I'm running out of reasons to rationalize how CJ is still here. Even with the Alabama connection, you'd think he'd have split enough votes with Jessica and Dexter to find himself in greater peril at some point. And for all we know, he has split votes with them. But he's somehow managed to end up on the winning end of that split, such as last week, when he somehow avoided even landing in the bottom 2 (while Jessica made her first appearance). With two songs, there's no reason he shouldn't have been able to manage something tuneful and resonant. Hell, I thought he did a damn fine job last week with "Gravity". But this week was just a double-miss for him. "American Woman" was woefully out of pitch in key moments (although props on bringing the appropriate feeling to it. If nothing else, CJ at least always seems connected to a song). Meanwhile, "Whatever It Is" was mostly just forgettable. And there are few things worse than being forgettable. Again, I like CJ. He seems like a positively wonderful human being. And he IS talented. When he's singing a cappella, I'm not sure there's anyone left in the competition with a tone I love more. But there's something about a live venue, with the lights, ear monitors, sound equipment and acoustics that all combine to strip away his best qualities. I wonder if pulling a Bo Bice "In A Dream"-style performance might not be the way to go. Then again, depending on how the vote turns out, it might be too late. I'm really not much sure how much longer CJ can last, but if he survives this week, we might as well resign ourselves to final four. (WATCH: "American Woman" / "Whatever It Is")
What did you think of this week's show? How would you rank the Top 6? Sound off in the comments!