Idol Chatter & Voice Views

The American Idol Top 3 of Jordan McCullough, Hannah Harper and Keyla Richardson pose with the Idol judges and Ryan Seacrest (ABC Photo)

Hannah Harper, Keyla Richardson and Jordan McCullough will battle it out for the American Idol title during a three-hour season finale tonight.

Longtime Idol fans know how this will work. We’ll see two rounds of competition between all three finalists.

And we’ll see footage from those emotional trips home and the hometown concerts that took place on Wednesday in Murfreesboro, Tenn. (Jordan), Pensacola, Fla. (Keyla) and Willow Springs, Missouri (Hannah).

Then Ryan Seacrest will announce the elimination of one singer, setting the stage for a final round of competition.

Of course, there will be lots of guest performances too, most pairing an Idol standout from Season 24 with one of those guests. Head here for a look at who will be singing together.

I’ll be providing song by song grades throughout, so feel free to follow along.

See also …
Ranking the Top 3
Hannah Harper’s American Idol performances
Jordan McCullough’s Idol performances
Keyla Richardson’s Idol performances

ROUND ONE

Hannah Harper, 25, Willow Springs, Missouri, “No One” by Alicia Keys: Yep, Hannah’s putting her own spin on an Alicia Keys song. And she’s singing the song as a thank you to her husband for taking care of their three sons while she pursues her Idol dream. This is a smart choice for Hannah, relying on emotion and the lovely tender tone in her voice. She seemed nervous during the interview with Ryan, but completely in control during the performances. Grade: B+

Keyla Richardson, 29, Pensacola, Fla., “Unthinkable” by Alicia Keys: Yikes, what is going on. This doesn’t even sound like Keyla. The opening seemed flat and lifeless and her pitch seemed to waver when the song swelled. Don’t judge Keyla by that performance. Maybe nerves got to her. That was not indicative of what a good singer and performer she is. But is was a shaky way to start off tonight. Grade: C

Hold it, they’re making everyone sing Alicia Keys’ songs this round. Pure Idol folly.

This is the friggin’ finals. Let the singers sing anyone they damn well please that can get cleared.

What stupidity on Idol’s part. Single artist themes suck. They have no friggin’ place in the Idol finals!

Jordan McCullough, 27, Murfreesboro, Tenn., “If I Ain’t Got You” by Alicia Keys: Bet Keyla would have loved to sing this song. Jordan slays it. That’s not surprising. He’s the best singer and performer among the final three and he got the most showy of the three Alicia songs that were performed. Luke loved the swagger and confidence Jordan showed during the performance. Jordan takes round one. Grade: A–

ROUND TWO

Hannah Harper, “Married Into This Town” by Hannah Harper: Huge kudos to Hannah for singing an original she wrote in round two. These are the type of performances that made Hannah a fan favorite. These are the type of performances we should have gotten from Hannah every week if it weren’t for Idol’s silly themes. This is why fans love Hannah and why she’s the favorite to win tonight. The song reduced Carrie to tears. The fact that’s she’s a songwriter in addition to a great singer is no small deal. Grade: A–

Keyla Richardson, “I Love the Lord” by Whitney Houston: This is much, much more like the Keyla we’ve seen over the course of Season 24. Fierce, emotionally and vocally. I wasn’t crazy about the song choice. But the ending was fabulous and a reminder of why Keyla deserved this spot in the Top 3. Grade: B+

Jordan McCullough, “Dear God” by Smokie Norful: A vocal masterclass. Though for a guy whose choices are normally so on point, I could have used a bit more emotional and a few fewer vocal frills. That said, I don’t think there’s any doubt Jordan is the most talented vocalist among the Top 3. And I’m wondering if Hannah is a local considering the way fans are chanting for Jordan after every one of his performances. Grade: A–

And we have a Top 2. Hannah Harper and Jordan McCullough. Keyla Richardson finishes in third place.

ROUND THREE:

Hannah Harper, “String Cheese”: The finalists are concluding the night with their audition songs. Somehow, this is even more powerful the second time around. Without doubt one of the most touching originals we’ve heard performed on Idol. And it’s likely the song that’s going to bring her the Idol crown. Grade: A

Jordan McCullough, “Goodness of God”: Luke called him one the best singers Idol has ever had. He delivers another example of that with this performance. A great vocal. A call to the audience to join in with him. Powerful stuff. Grade: A–

Time for results.

Hannah Harper wins American Idol Season 24!