Idol Chatter & Voice Views

The remaining eight on American Idol will take on Billboard hits this week.

That’s a nice broad theme that should allow everyone to select a song in their comfort zone.

Meanwhile, Scott Borchetta will have an odd mix of co-mentors this week.

They include country duo Florida Georgia Line and R&B singer Jason Derulo.

And, of course, the instant save will be back for a second week.

Meanwhile, it’s time to rank the final eight.

1. Clark Beckham (1): He’s been here since the finals started and he’s likely to stay here the way he’s been performing. He delivered the best vocal last week — again — covering Kelly Clarkson’s “The Trouble with Love is.”

2. Jax (2): She’s been here since the finals began, too. And she’d have a better chance of moving up if she’d just capture one of those Idol moments that keep eluding her by just a little bit. Maybe this will be the week.

3. Quentin Alexander (3): He needed a judges’ save to make the finals, but seems to be gaining momentum. Last week’s “Dark Side” was one of his best performances yet. Perhaps Idol fans will support a singer with an edge.

4. Joey Cook (4): Is she an artist? Absolutely. Had she better start performing songs that are going to be more crowd pleasing? Absolutely. Idol is a singing competition, but it’s also a popularity contest. Completely changing “Miss Independent” might not have been wise.

5. Nick Fradiani (6): Every week, he comes out and delivers a solid performance. Every week, we hear about how good looking he is. The finals might be a stretch, but that competition should keep him around at least a couple of more weeks.

6. Tyanna Jones (7): So impressive early in the competition, Tyanna has stumbled a bit as of late. She needs a show-stopper this week to re-establish herself as a potential front-runner.

7. Rayvon Owen (9): Last week’s save performance might have been his best since the finals began. And unlike some imaginative versions of Kelly Clarkson songs, his slowed-down cover of “Since You’ve Been Gone” worked marvelously.

8. Qaasim Middleton (6): He drops to the bottom spot because he’s been incapable of doing what Rayvon did last week: simply stand behind a mic stand and deliver a moving vocal. Stage presence and energy are Qaasim’s strengths.

Check back Wednesday night for song by song grades as the Top 8 take the stage.