Idol Chatter & Voice Views

Rae Boyd of Frederick, Md., has been among the standouts on American Idol (ABC Photo)

Now we know voting will run from the start of the show through 6 a.m. the next morning.

What hasn’t been explained, is how the Top 14 will be selected.

I’d remind everyone again that a year ago, the top five vote-getters from each night advanced.

Then the judges hand-picked four singers to join the Top 14.

Ranking this group was more difficult than the first for one simple reasons.

Idol aired only partial performances for Abayomi, Madison Moon, Chris Tungseth and Ruby Rae on Top 30 night.

But here are my rankings for the second group of the Top 20.

1. Rae Boyd, 24, Frederick, Md.: Combine the performances from Hollywood and the Top 30 and Rae has been the best singer / performer on the show through the last two rounds. The Top 14 would feel absolutely empty without her.

2. Jordan McCullough, 27, Murfreesboro, Tenn.: He might be the best male singer on the show. And his rousing performance of “Grandma’s Hands” on Top 30 night showed he can bring fire to the stage as well. He’s another cast member who needs to be in the Top 14.

3. Julian Kalel, 19, El Paso, Texas: Between his Idol performances and his original music, Julian is my favorite among a deep cast of male singer-songwriters. Most of them performed on the first Top 20 show, giving Julian a better chance of standing out.

4. Abayomi Lewis, 15, San Francisco, Calif.: Yep, I’m very high on this young woman, the most talented minor among the Season 24 cast members. She’s got a great voice and she’s fearless on stage, in spite of her youth. It’s about time the judges raved over her the way they do over other singers who haven’t been as impressive.

5. Keyla Richardson, 29, Pensacola, Fla.: Judging from what we’ve seen so far, I think it’s clear Keyla is a show favorite. For the most part, her performances have backed up the judges’ confidence in her. Now, a suggestion for Idol. Show a performance without cutting away to Keyla’s son. Or else cut away to Hannah Harper’s children every time she performs. Same with every other father / mother in the cast if there are any.

6. Chris Tungseth, 27, Fergus Falls, Minn.: He was the very last contestant we met during the auditions, but he’s disappeared a bit over the course of the last two rounds. I still think he’s one stellar heartbreak performance away from becoming a fan favorite.

7. Madison Moon, 21, Orlando, Fla.: She has Carrie Underwood in her corner. And she must have people. Her Top 30 performance was one of the four most popular on Idol’s Facebook page even though the show aired just a tiny snippet. For those who don’t remember, she sang “Faithfully” by Journey.

8 Lucas Leon, 18, Gallatin, Tenn.: He’s another of those talented singer-songwriters on Idol. His goal Monday: Outperform and outshine Chris Tungseth and Julian Kalel. Because the Idol judges are going to pick the final members of the Top 14, and they’ll likely be looking to add diversity to the cast, not pack it with the same type of artists.

9. Philmon Lee, 25, LeGrange, Ga.: If I was rating Philmon at this point, it’d go something like this. Vocals: Superb. Charisma and stage presence: Below average. This round, he needs to show improvement on the latter.

10. Rudy Rae, 16, Pacific Palisades, Calif.: She was brilliant in the auditions, not quite as good in Hollywood, and didn’t get much screen time on Top 30 night. With Hannah Harper, Kyndal, Rae Boyd and Keyla Richardson almost certain to make the Top 14 — and Genevieve Heyward deserving of doing so — the competition among the ladies is fierce.

Jordan McCullough is one of the talented guys who will perform on American Idol’s second Top 20 show. (ABC Photo)