Handicapping 'American Idol's' top 13
American Idol finalists gather for an outing to see "Red Riding Hood" at Grauman's Chinese Theater in Hollywood. Credit: Getty Images
Season 10 of "American Idol" kicks into high gear Wednesday night (at 8 on Fox/5) as the 13 finalists compete for the first time. Here's an assessment, from worst to first:
Ashthon Jones
Operative word here is "diva," which tends to be more pejorative than complimentary; tends to call attention to herself more than the song (which is usually a certain Jennifer Holliday/Jennifer Hudson "Dreamgirls" standard).
Haley Reinhart
Camera-ready Haley nearly sank during group rounds due to her Achilles' heel - vocal and mental discipline; has a cool "death growl" that accessorizes her lower notes but also tends to be a bit show-offy.
James Durbin
Mr. Enthusiasm sang "You've Got Another Thing Coming" a full octave higher than Judas Priest's Rob Halford so that he could close with a vocal rocket to the moon; exciting, but what else has he got?
Naima Adedapo
A bit too eccentric for the "AI" electoral body; her soulful wild card performance, "For All We Know," was a winner.
Stefano Langone
Could win the whole thing - or be gone by Friday. Surest pop sound, vocally reminiscent of David Archuleta. Oversang Bruno Mars' "Just the Way You Are," but he's still here.
Thia Megia
Comparisons to Charice are inevitable and unfortunate; has her own polished style, which is not all that distinctive, but has improved since her '09 "America's Got Talent" outing.
Lauren Alaina
Country's been OK to "Idol" - even though country doesn't roll around that often on the show. Covered Faith Hill and Reba McEntire well; there's power in this voice - but uniqueness?
Scotty McCreery
Good ol' Southern 17-year-old, who functions well in his own little rusticated world; every other male on "Idol" is singing high, he's singing lowwww; still, a pure country "AI" victory is inconceivable.
Karen Rodriguez
Smart move to mix Spanish and English in her semifinal performance, and if there's a big Hispanic vote on "AI" - is there? - then a slam dunk. Nice voice, crystal-clear phrasing, bland stage presence.
Paul McDonald
Front man of a (apparently) good regional band called the Grand Magnolias feels like someone who's been around a while and knows his way around a stage (he has and does). A get-out-the-vote charisma.
Jacob Lusk
Glorious voice, but . . . he likes the standards (Billie Holiday, Leon Russell) just a little too much (so did Melinda Doolittle). Time to stretch, Jacob.
Casey Abrams
Jazz and blues specialist, but he'll do fine with other genres. Musically the most talented.
Pia Toscano
Can someone from Howard Beach win "Idol" even if this someone has a) the best overall voice; and b) most commanding stage presence? Who knows . . . but she'll keep us watching.
