‘American Idol XIV’ rankings: Joey Cook rises, competes with Nick Fradiani, Clark Beckham, more
Let’s face it: Last week was a massive game-changer when it comes to “American Idol XIV.” We lost someone in Sarina-Joi Crowe who we imagined was going to be a favorite to win the season! Not only that, but we know that Quentin Alexander isn’t getting the love he deserves, and Jax is coming off her worst outing of the season. There’s no longer an extremely clear favorite, but there are some people surging towards the top after a few weeks in the middle of the pack.
Momentum has to be a factor in our personal rankings, which also include the likes of performance quality, screen time, and overall fan support so far.
11. Daniel Seavey – No offense to Daniel, who does seem to have a devoted following, but has he really given a stellar performance yet? We don’t think so, and his success so far is as an endearing, likable guy who has support of teenage women and grandparents.
10. Adanna Duru – She’s needed the help of the judges once already, and has been a little all over the map vocally. She’s had some very good performances, but also some questionable ones. The originality factor is something that still has us concerned.
9. Maddie Walker – We feel like we’ve been higher on Maddie than most in the “American Idol” media community. She’s done a solid job in most of her numbers, but for some reason, and even with Scott Borchetta involved, this has not been a season for country.
8. Quentin Alexander – He’s in our personal top 3, but this isn’t the list of “people we want to win.” The wild-card selection is alarming given what we know he is capable of vocally and stylistically. Few are trying to be a star quite like he is at the moment.
7. Qaasim Middleton – A wonderful performer, but the jury’s still out on his actual singing. There is only so far on this show that dancing and moving about the stage will take him. The good news for him is that if he can last at least another few weeks, he’ll have a shot at being signed.
6. Jax – We’ve been huge Jax supporters all season, but in between her last two performances, she’s in a little bit of a rut. Ultimately, she’s having a hard time balancing what she wants versus what the judges want for her. Eventually, our advice for her is to just by original and ignore the outside noise, and that will serve her well in the long run.
5. Tyanna Jones – She hasn’t always had the best song choices, but we feel like her personality and her vocal range make her very appealing to voters right now. While the women have at times felt weaker than the men, she has a very good shot to make it far unless something changes.
4. Rayvon Owen – He’s not the most effervescent contestant in the world, but he can truly sing. He needs a couple of great performances now to match what we saw from him earlier in the season, but the sky is still the limit with him.
3. Clark Beckham – We understand the main critique of him is that he has yet to really make an attempt to sing anything that is even remotely current, but at this point in the show’s run, the average viewer is older! Singing new songs may not be that important anymore.
2. Joey Cook – A big rise for Joey after two excellent performances this past week. She has figured out now more of her lane, and how to make songs her own without pushing them so far they are beyond recognition. We no longer wonder if her quirkiness is a potential liability.
1. Nick Fradiani – Nick has not always received perfect critiques from the judges, but we love his voice. Also, he is exactly the sort of performer who tends to get a ton of votes on this show. He sings familiar music, is a hard-working musician with a guitar, and he’s never been in any real danger.
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