Idol Chatter & Voice Views

As of Thursday evening, American Idol hadn’t released details about Sunday’s Season 16 performance finale.

We know each contestant will sing a hometown dedication. We know each contestant will sing an original, their choice among four songs written just for them.

One would suspect each singer will take the stage three times. That’s how Idol has alwys worked it in the past.

And one suspects Idol will return to overnight voting since the results won’t be announced until Monday night.

But we also know for sure that Sunday marks a final chance for Gabby Barrett, Maddie Poppe and Caleb Lee Hutchinson to show viewers where they deserve to become the Season 16 American Idol.

Here’s how Idol Chatter ranks the Top 3. Last week’s rankings appear in parenthesis.

1. Gabby Barrett, 18, Pittsburgh, Pa. (1): She’s been in this spot since I started ranking Season 16 contestants. If anything, I think she’s put more distance between herself and the remaining contenders. She tackled Prince and prevailed. She tackled Whitney Houston and prevailed. She’s torn up the stage on upbeat tunes, showing stage presence far beyond what we’ve seen from the other members of the Top 3.

If I have a quibble with Gabby, it’s that she’s covered too many singing show standards. But that’s balanced by the fact that she’s released two originals (“Somthin’ Good” and “Jesus and My Momma”) since the show started that sound like potential country radio hits. And her already released winner’s single is the best of the trio.

Oh, and Gabby has clearly heard the “she just wants to be Carrie” jabs. And I love her response. “I’ll take that as a compliment,” she writes on Facebook. “I hope I can someday be a mother, wife, entertainer just like her.” As a start, she should become the Season 16 American Idol.

2. Maddie Poppe, 20, Clarksville, Iowa (2): Maddie has served up her share of magical Idol moments, specifically with her covers of “Homeward Bound,” “Nothing Compares to U” and “I Told You So.”

And while she’d like to expand beyond her singer-songwriter label, fact is she’s most impressive in that mode, not when she goes upbeat on a song like “Walk Like an Egyptian.”

Could she win? Absolutely. On Top 3 Week, most Idol fans aren’t likely to vote for multiple contestants. That means Gabby and Caleb could wind up splitting the country vote. Besides, I expect Maddie’s cover of “Landslide” (her hometown dedication) to be superb.

3. Caleb Lee Hutchinson, 19, Dallas, Ga. (3): Song choice is everything for Caleb. He needs songs well suited to his deep, rich country tone. Last week was a classic example. He sounded fabulous on “Stars in Alabama.” He didn’t sound nearly as fabulous on “So Small,” his Carrie Underwood cover. Instead of pointing that out, Katy Perry criticized his stage presence. True, we haven’t seen a lot of that from Caleb. But the critique was ill-timed. You’re not going to dance all over the stage singing a Carrie ballad.

Could Caleb win? Absolutely. Just check your Idol history. Eight of the last nine Idol champs have been white guys toting guitars. In at least four occasions, they triumphed over more deserving female singers. And while Caleb has been consistently solid and occasionally excellent, that would be the case again if he wins Season 16.

See also …
New singles from the Top 3
Caleb Lee Hutchinson’s Idol performances
Gabby Barrett’s Idol performances
Maddie Poppe’s Idol performances
Pre-show music from the Top 3
Triumphant returns home for the Top 3
Two Idol finalists have a Voice history