Idol Chatter & Voice Views

American Idol’s Top 7 of Brooks (Rosser), Braden Rumfelt, Hannah Harper, Chris Tungseth, Keyla Richardson, Jordan McCullough and Daniel Stallworth. (ABC Photo)

American Idol is still the best singing show on TV, but something has seemed off-kilter that last three weeks.

The Judges Song Contest found some Season 29 contestants performing songs from the 1990s that they’d never heard before.

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Night barely rocked. And Disney Night came off as a slow-paced, two-hour Disney commercial.

The result has been three nights of uneven performances from a cast that has been billed as one of the best in the show’s history.

I’m putting part of the blame on producers, their themes and their desire to push the contestants out of their comfort zone.

Note to American Idol: I am not tuning in to watch Hannah Harper do choreography. I am not tuning in to see a singer-songwriter type like Chris Tungseth dance.

And I am certainly not tuning in to watch Brooks, who seems nervous on the Idol stage even when playing guitar, look more uncomfortable without it.

We’re at the Top 7. Time to let the singers be themselves, do what they do best and let the chips fall where they may.

Meanwhile, I’m confused heading into this week’s show. We know the Top 7 will be performing a Taylor Swift song.

But promos to the show also mention “a salute to California’s biggest artists.”

Does that mean everyone will be singing two songs, like they did on Top 7 night a year ago?

If not, stretching seven meaningful performances over two hours is going to make for a very sleepy viewing experience.

See also …
Song by song grades for the Top 9 on American Idol
Most popular Disney Night performances on American Idol
Lucas Leon, Kyndal discuss their Idol eliminations

Here are this week’s rankings:

1. Jordan McCullough (1), 27, Murfreesboro, Tenn.: Then there’s the exception. Because I think Idol could push Jordan an entire continent out of his comfort zone and he’d still deliver on show night. He’s best the most consistently excellent performer on Season 24. And it really isn’t close.

2. Hannah Harper (2), 25, Willow Springs, Missouri: Please, Hannah, don’t worry about dance steps. Find a Taylor song that inspires you, grab your guitar and sprinkle some Hannah vocal magic on it, hopefully changing it up at least a bit. You’re finals bound for sure. Now it’s time to prove you should be the Season 24 Idol.

3. Keyla Richardson (3), 29, Pensacola, Fla.: Another week, another solid performance from Keyla. Heck, she wound up holding one of Jennifer Hudson’s shoes after singing ‘Circle of Life” on Disney night. Jordan needs to make the finale; Hannah will make the finale. I’m torn over whether the third spot should go to Keyla or Daniel.

4. Daniel Stallworth, 27, Moss Point, Miss.: One of the reasons I’m torn is because I thought Daniel turned in the best performance on Disney night. His performance of “Whole New World” delivered brilliant vocals, stage presence and charisma without going over the top. It seems like an odd fit, but here’s betting he’ll find a Taylor Swift song he can perform with the same level of professionalism.

5. Braden Rumfelt, 22, Murphy, N.C.: Braden’s enjoyed success flipping songs made famous by female singers on Idol. That was especially true when he covered Rihanna’s “Love on the Brain” back in the Top 20 round. Hopefully, he can do it again, because I’m sensing a big bullseye on his back this week as two more singers head home.

6. Chris Tungseth, 27, Fergus Falls, Minn.: He’s delivered two straight subpar performances at a time when contestants should be peeking. There’s that old saying about ‘three strikes and you’re out.” That said, I’m really interested to see what Chris can do with a Taylor song. It could be a recipe for an Idol moment.

7. Brooks Rosser, 22, Bel Air, Md.: Now that there’s been a “big reveal” and “hard launch” of Brooks’ relationship with fellow contestant Rae (those are her words, by the way), perhaps she can coach him in self-confidence and stage presence, because she’s certainly not shy in front of a camera. Brook’s such a likeable guy, but Monday’s performance of “The Climb” was his weakest to date.

Ryan Seacrest holds a pair of shoes after Jordan McCullough’s performance on Disney Night on American Idol. (ABC Photo)