Idol Chatter & Voice Views

The American Idol Top 5 of Emmy Russell, Will Moseley, Triston Harper, Jack Blocker and Abi Carter. (ABC Photo)

For the third straight week, Idol Chatter has a different singer in the top spot in the American Idol rankings.

That’s a sure sign that we’ve got a talented group of singers on Season 22. And a bit of unpredictability in the outcome.

Heck, maybe we won’t have a country showdown for the Idol crown.

Oh, and before we get on with the rankings, I’m gonna take a second to say to American Idol, “I told you so.”

I’m talking about the themes — dance songs and Adele songs — that they foisted on a Top 7 filled with country singers and singer-songwriters Sunday night.

Thankfully, Idol rounded up an incredibly talented cast for Season 22. Because, for the most part, the Top 7 pulled it off. A couple of the performances were outstanding.

But all night long, I got the impression that the Idol Top 7 was surviving rather than thriving. And the episode was sadly missing the emotional, heart-tugging performances that made Top 8 night so very special.

Nice broad themes in the future, please, Idol producers. When you have a cast this talented, they deserve every opportunity the thrive.

Coming up Sunday night: Disney songs, and two performances per contestant.

Now, those rankings …

1. Abi Carter (2), 21, Indio, Calif.: “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road” on Top 14 night. “Bring Me To Life” during the Top 8. Adele’s “Hello” on Sunday. Most singers are lucky to enjoy one of those special Idol moments. Abi’s delivered three. In consecutive weeks. I can see a path to victory for her. Unfortunately, I can also see a scenario where she doesn’t make the finale. The latter would be a damn shame.

2. Triston Harper (3), 15, McIntosh, Alabama: I can understand why Lionel Richie wants to see his birth certificate. The composure, confidence and stage presence Triston displayed during the dance round Sunday on the pressure-packed Idol stage at age 15 is simply mind blowing. The fact that he does it with nary a hint of cockiness, just a young guy having fun, makes him all that much more likeable. If I had to bet right now, my money would be on Triston to win Season 22.

3. Will Moseley (1), 23, of Hazelhurst, Ga.: Will slips a couple of spots on the list this week. But it’s because of superb performances by Abi and Triston, not anything he did wrong. In fact, I thought he navigated dance/Adele week very well. And while folks are amazed by what Triston is doing on the Idol stage at age 15, how about how consistently excellent Will has been despite singing for only four years? Here’s a hunch. Will’s post-Idol shows won’t include dance tunes, Adele covers or, for that matter, Disney songs.

4. Jack Blocker (6), 25, Dallas, Texas: A month ago, when Idol had a Top 24, I would have pointed to a big gap between number three and number four on this list. No more. Not since Jack’s brilliant cover of “Always On My Mind,” followed by two more impressive performances on Sunday. His “Long Tall Sally” cover might have been the best during the dance round. Jack now seems much more confident that his performances are going to be well received by Idol fans.

5. Emmy Russell (7), 24, Nashville, Tenn.: I cringe when I read comments criticizing Emmy’s singing voice. She has a distinct tone and sounds absolutely lovely on the right songs, including her own, which is what counts most. On Sunday, neither of her performances struck me as Idol title worthy, but those were ill-fitting themes. What concerns me more is that nerves prevented Emmy from leaving her piano during the dance round. If anything, she should have been feeling more confident Sunday after the resounding response to her “Coal Miner’s Daughter” cover.

See also …
Song by song grades for the Top 7 (Adele)
Song by song grades for the Top 7 (Dance)
Song by song grades for the Top 8
Song by song grades for the Top 10
Song by song grades for the Top 12
Song by song grades for the Top 14