American Idol finale rankings: Alejandro Aranda, Madison VanDenburg, Laine Hardy

The American Idol finale is right around the corner, and that, of course, means that it’s high time that we got sharing the latest version of American Idol rankings while we’re at it! Within this article, we’re going to share our take on Alejandro Aranda vs. Madison VanDenburg vs. Laine Hardy, arguably one of the most competitive and unpredictable final rounds that we’ve seen in a while. We don’t think that there’s been a finale this close in a while when you think about the totality of talent, coupled with just how different all three performers are.

With all of this in mind, it’s really hard to establish a criteria here other than who we think viewers are gravitating towards the most — really, it’s just going to be about which audience is going to be the most active and passionate at the time in which the series is on the air. To go along with the rankings below, we’ve also got them in video form! If you like this, remember to subscribe to CarterMatt on YouTube for more insight. We also have an official American Idol playlist definitely worth your time.

3. Madison VanDenburg – It’s weird to have arguably the best actual singer of the three here in the top three, but here we are. Winning American Idol is about more than vocal pipes, and while we know that Madison has an incredible talent, we do think that the fan bases for the other two singers left are a little bit larger. Of course, if she comes out in the finale and delivers vocals that are undeniable while Laine and Alejandro slip up, we do think that there is a reasonable path to her surpassing the two of them. It’s not going to be easy, but it certainly could end up proving to be possible.

2. Laine Hardy – What are voters going to choose? The case for Laine is that he does fit the traditional mold for an American Idol winner — he’s a popular young guy with a guitar who sings a lot of familiar covers. He also has something rare in real, multi-generational appeal. He has that sort of teen idol vibe that’s going to get a lot of young people excited for him, but he also performs a lot of older songs that could please viewers who are old enough to be his parents or even grandparents. he’s wild enough with his fashion choices to be interesting, but also still has a decidedly wholesome vibe. He’s also a really strong performer who has an innate ability to make people happy.

1. Alejandro Aranda – Here’s a little bit of irony — Alejandro’s going to be just fine no matter if he wins this show or not, and in some ways, he may be better off being more of an indie artist without the American Idol machine hovering down on him after the show. Even though he doesn’t really need to win at this point, is it wrong that we want him to? We think what Alejandro represents, beyond being a gifted musician who emotes and transports you when he sings, is an original artist who is actually trying to take music in new, exciting directions. We’ve got so many decades of recorded music that at this point, we do find ourselves cheering on the revolutionary.

For some more American Idol coverage…

Check out our take on this past results show now over at the link here.

Who are you rooting for to win American Idol season 17? Be sure to share right now in the comments! (Photo: ABC.)