‘The X Factor’ USA rankings: Tate Stevens, Carly Rose Sonenclar stay close

We’ll start things off in this article with a serious dose of honesty: “The X Factor” USA could not have gotten things more wrong in their results show Thursday. Not only did you unceremoniously kick Lyric 145 to the curb without even giving them a chance to sing for their lives, but you also lost a woman in Jennel Garcia who occasionally had flashes suggesting that she could really end up being the next big superstar.

Now, we are left with an interesting field of ten singers left: some of them come across as possible contenders to win the whole competition and the massive $5 million contract, whereas others are more or less filler to last for just a few more weeks. We are not ranking here based on what happened Thursday, but rather what will happen based largely on what we have seen from the contestants and the voting public thus far.

10. Beatrice Miller (last week: 11) – Her pouty reaction to being low in the public vote is a cold, harsh reminder the perhaps having contestants on here so young is a bad idea. It’s sad enough that this teenager is forced to shoulder the burden for her family, but it’s even worse considering that she has not really even been allowed to dress the way that she wants or perform the songs she wants to sing.

9. Paige Thomas (10) – Paige’s sing-off last week was the first real sign of vocal life we have seen from since she entered the live rounds, and she’s going to need to rediscover that again if she wants to avoid being in the bottom two a second straight week. Less movement around the stage, and more singing!

8. Arin Ray (9) – Like Beatrice, it’s a frustrating situation for Arin to be ranked so low week after week. Unfortunately, he suffers from a pretty simple problem in that Britney Spears seems to have no idea as to what sort of music he should be doing; though then again, we’re also not sure what sort of music he should be doing. Arin needs an identity on this show, and fast, if he wants to be around beyond the first couple of weeks.

7. CeCe Frey (12) – Congratulations to CeCe for ranking in fifth place this week; but after being let down for a couple of weeks, it’s going to take some time for us to be back on her side again. How much of this vote was a result of her going last and all of the buildup about her being in the bottom two the week before? This is the week where we will really see what sort of following she has.

6. Fifth Harmony (6) – The hype surrounding Simon Cowell’s group formerly known as LYLAS and 1432 needs to work on something that is in their actual name at the moment: the harmonies. If they can sort this problem out, then there is a chance that they could make it deep in this competition. Right now, though, it still makes them feel like solo artists forced together compared an actual group.

5. Diamond White (7) – Diamond is almost here by default in that everyone ranked about her on this list is someone who has went through a lion’s share of trouble on the show. We’ve yet to really see a performance that has blown us away from her, but none of them have been particularly awful. (Wouldn’t it be great if she sang “Diamonds” by Rihanna … or something by Neil diamond? Okay, we’re done.)

4. Vino Alan (5) – We don’t understand the “he’s not a pop star” criticism for Vino, mostly because everyone on this show in the Overs category should get this critique then. What we do know is that the guy has a stellar, mature voice, and even if he does not win this competition, he will likely find all-new ways to use it.

3. Emblem3 (4) – By the time the finals roll around, Simon Cowell may changed the name of this show to “The Emblem3 Factor.” The man is desperately trying to make this group into the American version of One Direction, which could be in part difficult because they are a very different sort of band. Nonetheless, the talent here is undeniable, and these guys could end up winning if promoted enough “(or if the top two slide).

2. Carly Rose Sonenclar (2) -Congratulations to Carly Rose first and foremost for nailing “My Heart Will Go On.” If this was strictly a competition about the voice, she would win hands-down. The problem right now is still that she is almost too much like that girl you see in show choir who is almost too good to be true, and you don’t know enough else about her to want to root for her. Meanwhile, the #1 pick is someone that America is clearly behind.

1. Tate Stevens (1) – We’re already fascinated with what Simon would try to do with a country artists if he won this, and that scenario is looking more and more likely. Tate’s not getting the in-show hype of the other two members of the top three, yet he’s still won the voting for the past two weeks. The reason people like him so much is simply because he is the sort of guy who is easy to relate to: you know his story without really having to be told much, and you can also hear it when he sings.

Who do you have at the top of your “X Factor” USA ranking right now?