‘American Idol XIII’ to let voters choose between Ban Briley, Neco Starr

We all know that “American Idol” likes their twists, so should you really be that surprised at all that they are already lifting the veil on that is going to be its first major twist of the entire season: Letting America vote on a selection for their top 30. That’s pretty early for it, right? It’s even more interesting, given that America is basically voting on things that were edited and then presented rather than something that was given to us live.

Who are the two singers that are going to be forced to trust America to make the right decision? It’s Ben Briley versus Neco Starr. We’ve got a countrified man with a beard, and then a guy who literally has “star” in his last name.

If we were going by performances overall this season, we’d probably say that Neco is a better singer; however, Ben is probably the more natural performer, and we’ve related to him a little bit more when he sings. While this “America votes” thing is totally a cop-out on the judges’ part and an excuse to get America involved in something early, we will actually agree here when we say that this is a pretty apples-and-oranges decision. It really comes down to musical taste, and what sort of performer you want to see make it into the top 30 next week.

In case you haven’t seen the schedule just yet, there are going to be three nights of the show next week, and by the time all of it is over, the roster for the live shows will (thankfully) be set. Get ready to rejoice on that!

What do you think about the voters having a say on this spot? Share your thoughts below, and also click here to take a look at the other artists to make it into the top 30 tonight. Also, sign up now to get some more TV updates via our CarterMatt Newsletter.

Photo: Fox