Idol Chatter & Voice Views

American Idol will unveil its Top 12 tonight. And, honestly, I’m not certain how this works.

Were we voting for singers last night as a collective 16, meaning the Top 10 vote-getters automatically advance?

Of were we voting for singers based on the way the results were presented, in two groups of eight, meaning the top five from each group automatically advance?

Or were producers purposely being coy, allowing themselves to decide once they see how the results roll in to better protect their favorites?

Hey, after the stupefying Season 19 twist American Idol unveiled Monday, anything’s possible.

One thing is certain: The six at-risk singers will perform for the judges with hopes of landing one of two wild-card spots.

Bottom line: Four more singers to home tonight, leaving us with a Top 12.

See also …
Song by song grades for the Top 16
American Idol’s stupefying Season 19 twist

Lots going on tonight. Luke Bryan has Covid. Paula Abdul is subbing for him.

Wyatt Pike, for some reason, is no longer in the competition. That means only three singers remaining will head home tonight.

And everyone is going to perform, whether they advance or not. Which means another Idol night filled with music.

Casey Bishop, “House of the Rising Sun”: Casey is part of the Top 10. This song fits nicely into Casey’s rocker vibe. But takes a while before her voice falls into haunting territory. Once it does, this performance takes off. The first minute was so-so. The last 30 seconds show what Casey’s capable of. Which is a lot. Grade: B.

Colin Jamieson, “Waves” by Dean Lewis: Colin has to sing for a save. He starts out on pitch, which is an improvement over last night. This is one of Colin’s better vocals, but he’s still been way to shaky and inconsistent to deserve a spot in the Top 12. Grade: C+

Deshawn Goncalves, “Higher Ground”: Deshawn advances. Good job, fans. I gave him the highest grade last night. Another solid performance from Deshawn. But I think I prefer Deshawn the ballad singer. Though he just showed much more versatility than we’ve seen from … oh, say Willie Spence … so far. Grade: B–

Cassandra Coleman, “Light on” by Maggie Rogers: She advances. You can see Cassandra’s confidence increasing. And she sounds great every time she takes the stage. Tonight, she’s giving us more power and range. Though, like with Deshawn, I think I prefer when her performances are emotion based. Grade: B

Caleb Kennedy, “Nowhere,” an original: He advances. The first pick I disagree with. And Caleb, minus a hat for the first time, has completed the original he auditioned with and is going to sing it now. I double down on my opinion from last night. He does not belong in the Top 12. Lots of potential, but his vocals need more fine tuning before he’s ready for this. Grade: C–

Madison Watkins, “Hotline Bling” by Drake: She has to sing for a save. Madison’s got a really nice voice and is one of the more polished singers on the show. And she’s showing it with this performance. A very nice, very versatile performance and one that makes a strong statement for her belonging in the Top 12. Grade: B+

Ava August, “Love of My Life” by Queen: She advances. Not crazy over the song choice. But I’m crazy over Ava’s talent. I don’t care if she’s the youngest contestant on the show or the oldest, her vocals are incredible. Her on-stage charisma is what’s surprisingly considering she’s so young. Grade: B+

Beane, “”Grow as We Go” by Ben Platt: Beane is sounding better tonight. In fact, very good. That was a really nice performance. I’m not sure he was as relaxed as Lionel seemed to think, but if he goes home tonight, that’s a really nice send-off performance. He’s among the singers singing for a save.Grade: B

Chayce Beckham, “What Brings Life Also Kills”: He advances. This will be his second time performing this song on Idol. Not thrilled about repeat performances. But Chayce’s intense, gritty cover is reminding us why he’s among the front-runners on Season 19. Grade: A

Alyssa Wray, “Greatest Love of All” by Whitney Houston: She advances. Alyssa is looking much more at home these days, isn’t she? Not sure she’s quite ready for Whitney Houston. Her vocals are still a bit too undisciplined. She has the pipes, just not the control yet. Grade: B

Alanis Sophia, “Heart Attack” by Demi Lovato: Alanis is one of my favorite on the show. But Idol tends to reward glory notes, not polished pop performances. So she has to sing for a save. That said, this might be the worst time for Alanis to be stricken by a case of pitch problems. And there were some that time around. Grade:C

Willie Spence, “Diamonds” by Rihanna: He advances. Okay, isn’t this the third time he’s performed “Diamonds” on the show? It’s the song the propelled him into the spotlight when he was taped singing it in high school. It’s still a fine — but far from the best — cover I’ve heard of “Diamonds.” Grade: B

Grace Kinstler, “Dangerous Woman” by Ariana Grande: She advances. Then cuts loose with a strong, powerful vocal. Oh, my, did you hear that glory note? Love her attitude on this too. And she delivers a powerful ending to boot. That was one of my favorite Grace performances so far. Grade: A–

Hunter Metts, “I Can’t Make You Love Me,” by Bonnie Raitt: He advances. And, again, he sounds great from the first note. Folks, I had Hunter, Chayce and Ava locked in the Top 3 spots last week, and their performances this week have only confirmed that they deserve to be the show’s front-runners. Grade: A–

Graham Defranco, “Cover Me Up” by Jason Isbell: He’s singing for a save. Graham seems more emotionally connected tonight. No stray smiles that don’t fit the moment. And he’s delivering one of his better vocals too. This Graham, I wouldn’t mind eeing in the Top 12. Check out the intensity at the end of this song. Very good. Grade: A–

Based on my grades tonight, the save spots should go to Graham Defranco and Madison Watkins. That said, I’ll be pulling for Alanis Sophia based on the strength of her performances to date.

Based on my grades tonight, the save spots should go to Graham Defranco and Madison Watkins. That said, I’ll be pulling for Alanis Sophia based on the strength of her performances to date.

And the two judges saves go to: Madison Watkins and Beane.

Okay, and the judges said the decisions were made on tonight’s performances and tonight’s performances only.

Which is about as silly as that new twist. Why in the hell would you discount the potential those contestants showed in previous Idol performances.

Call me baffled.