Well, I did this last year, and I believe the year before as well, so I will do it again this year. Last year, I was way off, saying Scotty (Who won) would finish 9th (and no better than 6th) and Haley (who was 3rd) at 12th. But I wasn’t too far off on anyone else. Also I will pick one song I’d like to hear each contestant sing the most just like I did last year, and I will try to give them something current to sing, but no guarantees. This now includes my recap as to how well I predicted (updated May 24, 2012) in RED. Here we go, in alphabetical order (by last name):
DeAndre Brackensick
DeAndre sort of bugs me. He cannot help but hit his falsetto every few seconds in his performances. Just once, I’d like to hear him sing a song with no falsettos. And America didn’t even vote for him, but he could get far based on his youthfulness and marketability.
Predicted finish: 11th-5th
Song he should sing: Ooh Baby Baby by Smokey Robinson & The Miracles (His voice is JUST like Smokey Robinson’s!): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uThnUmWRCCs
Result: 8th - I was right on the money with DeAndre, with 8th being exactly between 11th and 5th place. I was getting a bit worried when he survived the first few eliminations, but he left at 8.
Hollie CavanaghI like Hollie. She’s young, good-looking, and fun to watch. She needs to stay away from Christina Aguilera and Britney Spears songs so she doesn’t get compared to them too much. Perhaps she could sing a sort of pop/rock song, sort of like Kelly Clarkson. She is a wild card—could go early or could go far.
Predicted finish: 9th-3rd
Song she should sing: Because of You by Kelly Clarkson (And pour her heart out into it, otherwise it won’t work): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=biff2Rx5VZw
Result: 4th - Higher than I thought she'd finish, but she did survive some close calls, having been in the bottom 3 or 2 FIVE times prior to her leaving. She was indeed a wild card, and she got lucky.
Colton DixonColton is my favorite this year. I was a fan of his last year, but he got cut. No one is really as happy as Colton to be in the Top 13. He could sing almost anything, and he’s extremely marketable. If he gets star power, he could REALLY be a contender to win. He’s got a fanbase and a lot of people (ahem—girls) love him. He can sing rock songs as evidenced in his performance of “What About Now” by Daughtry.
Predicted finish: 8th-1st
Song he should sing: Light on by David Cook: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DS-movP04Lw
OR
Laid by Matt Nathanson (if it was deemed suitable for TV audiences): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lI_6MMIQgac
Result: 7th - Everyone was surprised by his elimination, but he still fell into that range I had him in. I had a slight inkling that he would be a surprise elimination, seeing as the save was used just before him leaving.
Heejun Han
Heejun is someone I feel made it to the Top 13 based on popularity, and not talent. He’s good, but not great. He will become a Vote for the Worst Pick and get decently far based on his popularity. He has no shot of winning, however.
Predicted finish: 9th-5th
Song he should sing: Invisible by Clay Aiken: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iYaLwoTRDTQ He could make this a funny performance, haha.
Result: 9th - Still in the range, but barely. I said he had no shot of winning, yet I said he could get as high as 5th. My bad. The talent level was too high for a VFTW pick to get that far. He was too inconsistent and it cost him.
Jermaine Jones
I was shocked when he was announced in the Top 10 via America’s votes. He’s got a hugely deep voice, but he really has no shot of winning. However, you look at Melanie Amaro on the X Factor. She was cut, then brought back, and then she won it all. You never know. But my guess is he gets cut somewhat early for a lack of range.
Predicted finish: 12th-7th
Song he should sing: Hard to think of one, but I’ll go with Midnight Train to Georgia by Gladys Knight: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C4Vfxq7Hs_I so he can put his own spin on it.
Result: 12th (Disqualified) - Well, still in my range, but he would have been much closer to the center of the range had he not been DQ'ed. Hard to say how far he would have gone--Joshua, another black singer from the South got to 3rd.
Skylar LaineSkylar is this year’s Lauren Alaina, but perhaps EVEN BETTER. She has the chops, the confidence, the style, and she already knows what genre she is in. She could and should sail far through this competition. If any girl has a shot of ending the string of male winners on this show, it’s her. But I think she’ll fall just short.
Predicted finish: 7th-2nd
Song she should sing: Before He Cheats by Carrie Underwood: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GUO9Hok7wBY
Result: 5th - Right in my range for her, but she really had tough odds going against all that talent in Phillip, Jessica, and Joshua. Had she been on season 10, she might've beaten Lauren Alaina, but we'll never know.
Joshua Ledet
Joshua is a wild-card. He’s someone the judges love more than America does. I see him as the Jacob Lusk of this season, really good, but hampered by the lack of real star power. Perhaps Joshua will emerge with some. We shall see. He’s someone that if he had the fewest votes early on, that the judges would save.
Predicted finish: 8th-3rd
Song he should sing: It’s a Man’s Man’s Man’s World by James Brown: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IwuO2dfqrF4
Result: 3rd - Again in my range but on the very cusp of it. Much better than Jacob Lusk. He did "emerge with some [star power]" like I said he might. And guess what? He sang the song I picked for him, and not only that, but it ended up being one of his BEST PERFORMANCES!!! I nailed that song selection.
Shannon MagraneI honestly was a bit surprised to see her make it, but her tall frame kinda stands out, doesn’t it? She has a really good voice, but it doesn’t stand out to me. And she’s only 16… wow. I see her falling through the cracks and suffering an early elimination, especially if she doesn’t make herself stand out… with her voice. She has a little bit of Kelly Clarkson and Katy Perry in her voice…
Predicted finish: 12th-6th
Song she should sing: Firework by Katy Perry: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fXOfB5m6e28
Result: 11th - She took on WAY too big of songs, especially for only being 16. There was a 16 year old that could handle songs like that, but it wasn't her. She needed to sing more relevant pop songs and not those huge ballads, but she never got the chance to.
Phillip PhillipsAnother one of my favorites is Phillip… Phillips. What a name. He’s got that soulful rocker thing to his voice and, like James Durbin last year, he is one of my picks to make the final two. I think the girls will love him and he will avoid the bottom 3 every week. He has been compared to Dave Matthews.
Predicted finish: 6th-1st
Song he should sing: You and Me by the Dave Matthews Band: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kD9CrZODlNA
Result: Made final two? Yep. Avoid bottom 3 every week? Yep. He did eventually sing a DMB song but it wasn't You and Me. Oh well. He won.
Jeremy RosadoAnother wild-card pick of the judges, Jeremy definitely has the voice and the personality. He is just missing star-power and marketability. Jeremy wasn’t put through by America so I don’t see his fanbase being that strong or supportive. But hard not to like this guy.
Predicted finish: 10th-5th
Song he should sing: Without You by David Guetta (He needs to sing something current): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7lyzEovLOWM
Result: 13th - The FIRST to be outside my range. Not only did he not have starpower or marketability, but his voice wasn't that great, either. Likability only gets you so far.
Jessica SanchezThis is another girl that many people think can win, but I see her as another Thia Megia. Here is what they both have in common: Both young, not white, 16 years old, and both appeared on America’s Got Talent. I think Jessica is slightly better, but we’ll see. She can make it far, but I wouldn’t be shocked if she got a surprise early elimination.
Predicted finish: 8th-3rd
Song she should sing: Circle of Life by Elton John (I hear a lot of Jennifer Hudson in her voice, and if they did a Disney songs week, this would be the song for her): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=erbr3L2NRo4
Result: 2nd - Just BARELY outside my range for her, but had she NOT been saved, she would have been in my range. So I blame the judges. She's definitely better than Thia Megia. I said I wouldn't be surprised if she got a surprise early elimination, and technically she did, but the judges saved her. She did get the farthest out of anyone who has ever gotten the save.
Elise TestoneShe’s sort of a no-name, having not seen much of her in the Hollywood rounds. She could be this year’s Pia Toscano, because last year I didn’t know much about Pia. Elise benefited from having a great Top 25 performance and America put her through. Her age (28 years old) works against her, though.
Predicted finish: 11th-5th
Song she should sing: The First Cut is the Deepest by Rod Stewart (Sheryl Crow’s version): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dK9eLe8EQps
Result: 6th - In my range, but barely. She did much better than I thought she would. She had that bluesy voice that really worked well with certain songs. I hate to say it, but I underestimated her.
Erika Van PeltIn my opinion, she had a very average wild card performance and the judges put her through based on her desire. I don’t see her generating any sort of a fanbase, so she’s my first pick to go in the Top 13. It wouldn’t shock me if she got halfway through the Top 13, though. She has a husky sort of Cher voice, so she should sing a Cher song at some point. That is if she gets the chance to.
Predicted finish: 13th-7th
Song she should sing: It’s in His Kiss (Shoop Shoop Song) by Cher: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VwGGZTZ-3pM
Result: 10th - Right in the middle of my range for her. She should've covered a Cher song somehow... oh well. Not much else to say about her.
Ok, using those predictions, this is the order of the Top 13:
(Actual finishers at that place in red--BOLD for correct picks)
13. Erika (Jeremy)
12. Jermaine (Jermaine--HA!)
11. Shannon (Shannon--HA AGAIN!)
10. DeAndre (Erika)
9. Elise (Heejun)
8. Jeremy (DeAndre)
7. Heejun (Colton)
6. Hollie (Elise)
5. Jessica (Skylar)
4. Joshua (Hollie)
3. Colton (Joshua)
2. Skylar (Jessica)
1. Phillip (Phillip--predicted winner from the start)
Most places off: Jeremy (5 places--finished 13th, predicted 8th)
Fewest places off: Jermaine, Shannon, and Phillip (all correct), Joshua (just 1 spot off)
Well, there you have it. Phillip Phillips beats Skylar Laine in the finals. I instantly have this feeling I did it totally wrong, and I have Hollie and Joshua too high (NOPE, I had them too low!) while having DeAndre, Shannon, and Jermaine too low (only DeAndre was too low of those three). Oh well. Go Colton and Phillip!
DeAndre Brackensick
DeAndre sort of bugs me. He cannot help but hit his falsetto every few seconds in his performances. Just once, I’d like to hear him sing a song with no falsettos. And America didn’t even vote for him, but he could get far based on his youthfulness and marketability.
Predicted finish: 11th-5th
Song he should sing: Ooh Baby Baby by Smokey Robinson & The Miracles (His voice is JUST like Smokey Robinson’s!): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uThnUmWRCCs
Result: 8th - I was right on the money with DeAndre, with 8th being exactly between 11th and 5th place. I was getting a bit worried when he survived the first few eliminations, but he left at 8.
Hollie CavanaghI like Hollie. She’s young, good-looking, and fun to watch. She needs to stay away from Christina Aguilera and Britney Spears songs so she doesn’t get compared to them too much. Perhaps she could sing a sort of pop/rock song, sort of like Kelly Clarkson. She is a wild card—could go early or could go far.
Predicted finish: 9th-3rd
Song she should sing: Because of You by Kelly Clarkson (And pour her heart out into it, otherwise it won’t work): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=biff2Rx5VZw
Result: 4th - Higher than I thought she'd finish, but she did survive some close calls, having been in the bottom 3 or 2 FIVE times prior to her leaving. She was indeed a wild card, and she got lucky.
Colton DixonColton is my favorite this year. I was a fan of his last year, but he got cut. No one is really as happy as Colton to be in the Top 13. He could sing almost anything, and he’s extremely marketable. If he gets star power, he could REALLY be a contender to win. He’s got a fanbase and a lot of people (ahem—girls) love him. He can sing rock songs as evidenced in his performance of “What About Now” by Daughtry.
Predicted finish: 8th-1st
Song he should sing: Light on by David Cook: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DS-movP04Lw
OR
Laid by Matt Nathanson (if it was deemed suitable for TV audiences): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lI_6MMIQgac
Result: 7th - Everyone was surprised by his elimination, but he still fell into that range I had him in. I had a slight inkling that he would be a surprise elimination, seeing as the save was used just before him leaving.
Heejun Han
Heejun is someone I feel made it to the Top 13 based on popularity, and not talent. He’s good, but not great. He will become a Vote for the Worst Pick and get decently far based on his popularity. He has no shot of winning, however.
Predicted finish: 9th-5th
Song he should sing: Invisible by Clay Aiken: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iYaLwoTRDTQ He could make this a funny performance, haha.
Result: 9th - Still in the range, but barely. I said he had no shot of winning, yet I said he could get as high as 5th. My bad. The talent level was too high for a VFTW pick to get that far. He was too inconsistent and it cost him.
Jermaine Jones
I was shocked when he was announced in the Top 10 via America’s votes. He’s got a hugely deep voice, but he really has no shot of winning. However, you look at Melanie Amaro on the X Factor. She was cut, then brought back, and then she won it all. You never know. But my guess is he gets cut somewhat early for a lack of range.
Predicted finish: 12th-7th
Song he should sing: Hard to think of one, but I’ll go with Midnight Train to Georgia by Gladys Knight: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C4Vfxq7Hs_I so he can put his own spin on it.
Result: 12th (Disqualified) - Well, still in my range, but he would have been much closer to the center of the range had he not been DQ'ed. Hard to say how far he would have gone--Joshua, another black singer from the South got to 3rd.
Skylar LaineSkylar is this year’s Lauren Alaina, but perhaps EVEN BETTER. She has the chops, the confidence, the style, and she already knows what genre she is in. She could and should sail far through this competition. If any girl has a shot of ending the string of male winners on this show, it’s her. But I think she’ll fall just short.
Predicted finish: 7th-2nd
Song she should sing: Before He Cheats by Carrie Underwood: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GUO9Hok7wBY
Result: 5th - Right in my range for her, but she really had tough odds going against all that talent in Phillip, Jessica, and Joshua. Had she been on season 10, she might've beaten Lauren Alaina, but we'll never know.
Joshua Ledet
Joshua is a wild-card. He’s someone the judges love more than America does. I see him as the Jacob Lusk of this season, really good, but hampered by the lack of real star power. Perhaps Joshua will emerge with some. We shall see. He’s someone that if he had the fewest votes early on, that the judges would save.
Predicted finish: 8th-3rd
Song he should sing: It’s a Man’s Man’s Man’s World by James Brown: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IwuO2dfqrF4
Result: 3rd - Again in my range but on the very cusp of it. Much better than Jacob Lusk. He did "emerge with some [star power]" like I said he might. And guess what? He sang the song I picked for him, and not only that, but it ended up being one of his BEST PERFORMANCES!!! I nailed that song selection.
Shannon MagraneI honestly was a bit surprised to see her make it, but her tall frame kinda stands out, doesn’t it? She has a really good voice, but it doesn’t stand out to me. And she’s only 16… wow. I see her falling through the cracks and suffering an early elimination, especially if she doesn’t make herself stand out… with her voice. She has a little bit of Kelly Clarkson and Katy Perry in her voice…
Predicted finish: 12th-6th
Song she should sing: Firework by Katy Perry: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fXOfB5m6e28
Result: 11th - She took on WAY too big of songs, especially for only being 16. There was a 16 year old that could handle songs like that, but it wasn't her. She needed to sing more relevant pop songs and not those huge ballads, but she never got the chance to.
Phillip PhillipsAnother one of my favorites is Phillip… Phillips. What a name. He’s got that soulful rocker thing to his voice and, like James Durbin last year, he is one of my picks to make the final two. I think the girls will love him and he will avoid the bottom 3 every week. He has been compared to Dave Matthews.
Predicted finish: 6th-1st
Song he should sing: You and Me by the Dave Matthews Band: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kD9CrZODlNA
Result: Made final two? Yep. Avoid bottom 3 every week? Yep. He did eventually sing a DMB song but it wasn't You and Me. Oh well. He won.
Jeremy RosadoAnother wild-card pick of the judges, Jeremy definitely has the voice and the personality. He is just missing star-power and marketability. Jeremy wasn’t put through by America so I don’t see his fanbase being that strong or supportive. But hard not to like this guy.
Predicted finish: 10th-5th
Song he should sing: Without You by David Guetta (He needs to sing something current): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7lyzEovLOWM
Result: 13th - The FIRST to be outside my range. Not only did he not have starpower or marketability, but his voice wasn't that great, either. Likability only gets you so far.
Jessica SanchezThis is another girl that many people think can win, but I see her as another Thia Megia. Here is what they both have in common: Both young, not white, 16 years old, and both appeared on America’s Got Talent. I think Jessica is slightly better, but we’ll see. She can make it far, but I wouldn’t be shocked if she got a surprise early elimination.
Predicted finish: 8th-3rd
Song she should sing: Circle of Life by Elton John (I hear a lot of Jennifer Hudson in her voice, and if they did a Disney songs week, this would be the song for her): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=erbr3L2NRo4
Result: 2nd - Just BARELY outside my range for her, but had she NOT been saved, she would have been in my range. So I blame the judges. She's definitely better than Thia Megia. I said I wouldn't be surprised if she got a surprise early elimination, and technically she did, but the judges saved her. She did get the farthest out of anyone who has ever gotten the save.
Elise TestoneShe’s sort of a no-name, having not seen much of her in the Hollywood rounds. She could be this year’s Pia Toscano, because last year I didn’t know much about Pia. Elise benefited from having a great Top 25 performance and America put her through. Her age (28 years old) works against her, though.
Predicted finish: 11th-5th
Song she should sing: The First Cut is the Deepest by Rod Stewart (Sheryl Crow’s version): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dK9eLe8EQps
Result: 6th - In my range, but barely. She did much better than I thought she would. She had that bluesy voice that really worked well with certain songs. I hate to say it, but I underestimated her.
Erika Van PeltIn my opinion, she had a very average wild card performance and the judges put her through based on her desire. I don’t see her generating any sort of a fanbase, so she’s my first pick to go in the Top 13. It wouldn’t shock me if she got halfway through the Top 13, though. She has a husky sort of Cher voice, so she should sing a Cher song at some point. That is if she gets the chance to.
Predicted finish: 13th-7th
Song she should sing: It’s in His Kiss (Shoop Shoop Song) by Cher: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VwGGZTZ-3pM
Result: 10th - Right in the middle of my range for her. She should've covered a Cher song somehow... oh well. Not much else to say about her.
Ok, using those predictions, this is the order of the Top 13:
(Actual finishers at that place in red--BOLD for correct picks)
13. Erika (Jeremy)
12. Jermaine (Jermaine--HA!)
11. Shannon (Shannon--HA AGAIN!)
10. DeAndre (Erika)
9. Elise (Heejun)
8. Jeremy (DeAndre)
7. Heejun (Colton)
6. Hollie (Elise)
5. Jessica (Skylar)
4. Joshua (Hollie)
3. Colton (Joshua)
2. Skylar (Jessica)
1. Phillip (Phillip--predicted winner from the start)
Most places off: Jeremy (5 places--finished 13th, predicted 8th)
Fewest places off: Jermaine, Shannon, and Phillip (all correct), Joshua (just 1 spot off)
Well, there you have it. Phillip Phillips beats Skylar Laine in the finals. I instantly have this feeling I did it totally wrong, and I have Hollie and Joshua too high (NOPE, I had them too low!) while having DeAndre, Shannon, and Jermaine too low (only DeAndre was too low of those three). Oh well. Go Colton and Phillip!
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