American Idol 2014 is deep into the competition and normally around this time you can start really predicting who might end up at the end. But this season is different.
Results have been all over the place, and while it looks like Caleb Johnson might be a front-runner at the moment, I’m left asking myself “is he really?” I have my doubts because this is the strangest season of American Idol ever. There are just so many oddities that I can’t shake this uneasy feeling.
Is it that feeling of impending doom or has the show actually done what it set out to do this season and transformed itself? I don’t know. But what I do know is that it’s weird. Here are the reasons why:
1. The country fans aren’t voting. Ben Briley went out early and Dexter Roberts, who I was sure to be a front-runner at one time, is now poised to leave in the next couple of weeks. Where are the country music fans?
2. Jena Irene now has a shot at winning American Idol. This isn’t anything against Jena, but remember how she kept almost going home? She didn’t even make it past the original vote and was put in as a wild card pick. Like I mentioned above, there just doesn’t seem to be a clear front-runner. Caleb is probably the most likely, but since results have been all over the place, anything is possible.
3. Sam Woolf isn’t carrying the younger female vote. By all means, this sweet and cute crooner should not have seen the bottom three until at least Top 5 or 6 (if even then), but he’s been there twice now. Where are those fans?
4. Alex Preston’s popularity. This is probably going to be very rude of me, but how has this guy managed to lead polls and never be in the bottom? He’s as boring as Lee DeWyze and watching paint dry combined. I just don’t get it.
5. Harry Connick Jr. I thought he was going to be a great judge, and he is as far as being technical goes. But there’s something oddly creepy about him. OK, maybe not creepy, but weird. It’s hard to explain, but his critiques are often really passive aggressive and odd. I’ve paid a lot of attention to Twitter’s reaction and younger Idol fans are really anti-Harry.
Have you noticed how weird this season is? It just feels off to me. Is it a sign of the times or am I just being picky? Let us know what you think.
My take:
1. Ben lost the country vote due to the makeover and song choice. Staying true to your roots is canon for country. And Dex is just sooo boring.
2. Jena is hanging in by default.
3, Young girls in my sphere consider Sam to be “a drip”.
4. Alex is getting some of the country vote due to being Jo dee Messina’s cousin and having lived with her in Nashville to learn the music biz.
5. It’s no secret that Harry drinks. His first season on Idol he was trashed on results night. So, expect inconsistency.
IMO Jessica is going to surge after this week’s performance of her original “Blue-eyed Lie” with the band.
The way they treated the guys on the show last year is why a lot of people (Southern Fans) turned off American I dol. For Dexter’s sake I hope they start watching again. He really does have the best voice Imo. He’d make the most money singing.
Jessicas not even “near” a lauren Allana!
Lauren is good! That was the best season.
She doesn’t need to be Lauren Alaina. She just needs to surpass Jena and Malaya.
I didn’t watch last year because of the judges and to protest the unlimited voting.
Btw, I didn’t know Ben had our vote. 🙂
it’s not so much weird as boring. at best the talent is good with caleb, jena, and jessica standing out. the rest are just not that wonderful. caleb’s last performance was terrific with jena and jessica right there with him. but there is no one this season who is blowing me away. i think the show is really on its last legs. kinda sad. but the quality of talent has really diminished the last couple of years. i think all the spectacular singers went to “the voice”.
Lets hope with the good weather and no more power outages out this way, Dexter will start rising in the votes, he has the best voice in the group, Imo. I can see him singing country music for a long time.
I really like Jessica’s voice, but her look and personality are off-putting. If she had time she might overcome her negatives and become more attractive to voters.
I think that the judges are ordered to pick some (before top 10) so as to boost up ratings by areas (Nielson rating), etc.. Also variable ethnics.. Thus a mixture that comes out weird sometimes. Like last year Caleb didn’t make it but you can’t tell me that he wasn’t miles better than the weakest boys ever chosen?
last season was rigged because they wanted a female idol so they selected girls that were much better than the guys. However the girls were great. This year I could not care less because not one of hem has the same level of talent as even last years. The year is a complete dud my whole family are bored to death with the show
Jena is miles ahead of any girl last season. Sorry
could not agree less both angie and candace leave jena for dead
Jena is much like Phillip Phillips (but female). Very distinct sound and much more marketable than the been there, done that, vocals of both Candice and Melanie Amaro (X Factor).who have standing O’s voices but can’t sell recordings. Angie needs to follow Colton Dixon’s foot steps!
I don’t agree, but she is the best of the female vocalists this season.
And that is from someone that initially didn’t take to her at all. She has won me over by being consistently good.
I think it will get even weirder because as talented as Caleb is I don’t think he’s attracting the ears, eyeballs or votes. If you look at any YouTube video of them or consider iTunes Charts, he has been very low in the numbers. Malaya and Alex have been on the top, with Jena gaining a lot of momentum. While Jessica has a fanbase, she’s starting to go the way of Sam and Dexter-too predictable and not shining enough.
Now, I love Alex, and I’m not sure I’d say anything to you that would help you understand why there are so many of us, but his voice is very soothing, and he really is reaching through the TV and touching people with it. I always look forward to what little delicate musical touches is he going to flavor his arrangement with. Having said that, I don’t think he has totally hit it out of the ballpark yet. I just believe he’s capable of it.
I just don’t warm to Malaya… and I don’t think she is good enough to take the title. Alex is the kind of guy you see in a subway with a guitar and a hat – a bit like Phillip Phillips in that regard. Jessica is a bitch, and it shows. Caleb is exactly what-you-see-is-what-you-get. Great voice, even if he’s not in my style of music. If he keeps picking the right songs, he will win his way to the finals – he is by far the best vocalist of the males.
We like AI and The Voice and looking at The Voice, they are just at the second of their battle rounds to cull the contenders to the top 12 and every single singer at this stage of the competition is better than any singer on Idol.
So we have The Voice, where before the battle rounds there were more than 40 singers and every one of them better than the top 10 on Idol.
It comes down to – The Voice is a singers competition, Idol is a reality TV show.
you hit the nail on the head. the talent on “the voice” is far superior to idol. while idol has maybe four outstanding (for them) singers, all the contestants on voice are incredible. love both shows but voice is in the lead
The thing I like about The Voice is that it’s an adults show – I can see myself buying albums from so many of the current team members.
Who’s gonna win? 🙂 (I like Josh, but I’m a jazz guy).
no idea who will win….they’re ALL winners, in my book. and even the youngest competitors are more mature and polished than those on idol. BUT…idol gave us adam, carrie, kelly, chris, and jennifer. gotta love them for that
Just he opposite! Until “VOICE has a break out star-like even non-winners on AI example: jenifer Hudson. Adam. Chris Doughtry. they will be nothing more! Note: AI’s Kelly Clarkson Started AI one for one in hitting!
When was the last time anyone from Idol made it?
Seriously – you are only as good as your last show and there hasn’t been anyone good on Idol for years.
Apart from Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood, who has made it big?
Jordin Sparks started off ok, but her career has dribbled to not much, same for Fantasia Barrino. I think you would be hard pressed to even name half the winners without referring to the net.
Underwood and Clarkson are talents, but that has nothing to do with AI – they would have done well if they had gotten a break anywhere.
The Voice has been going for 6 years and in that time has clawed their way to being the premier singing competition in the face of the juggernaut that was Idol. Not bad for a start-up.
If you think that The Voice hasn’t produced any big singers, you are probably not in the demographic that those singers are targeting.
Voice is better show
You hit the “nail” on the “Head “”SHOW”! But no “REAL” singing stars?
The reason it’s better is because the singers are better.
Why do everyone feels Sam will carry the teen chicks votes. The kid is so boring.
So was every other WGWG winner the show has seen in the past 6 years. He fits that stereotype perfectly so if history repeats itself, he should get the teen chick votes. Plus, he’s a much better technical singer than Phillip Phillips so if PP could win, so can Sam.