The American Idol 2019 Top 14 have officially been announced, and by next week four of them will be gone. Before we get to next week’s performances and America’s decision, we wanted to rank the hopefuls ourselves.
We are basing these rankings on their overall performances so far and how we think America will respond to them. It will be interesting to see if our bottom four are the four America sends home.
American Idol 2019 Top 14 Ranked
1. Jeremiah Lloyd Harmon. Jeremiah takes the top spot because he has it all. He has the talent, he has the presence and he has the appeal. But he’s also very humble, which isn’t something you can say about all the frontrunners.
2. Alejando Aranda. Like Jeremiah, Alejandro is completely humble and that’s what sets him apart from some of the others. Well, that and he’s a musical genius. I do wish he’d change up his look just a little, though.
3. Laine Hardy. OK, I don’t like ranking all males in the Top 3, but I feel like that’s where we are headed this season. I think the producers are even pushing for a male winner. Especially after learning Jeremiah and Laine were both recruited to audition. And the Top 14 has more males than females. So here we are. Anyway, back to Laine. I think Laine has the star power and the voice, but he lacks the humbleness that the other two have. He is marketing himself, which is smart and will pay off, but it’s off-putting to me sometimes. Confidence is one thing, cockiness is another. Regardless, American Idol voters are going to respond to him and I expect him to go all the way to the finale.
4. Ashley Hess. I love Ashley. I’d love for her to go all the way. Will she? I’m not sure. But she has definitely been the most consistent female contestant and that’s why we rank her ant No. 4. She’s so easy to listen to and the sweetness in her voice and her presence is infectious.
5. Madison VanDenberg. Rounding out the Top 5 is Madison. The judges think she could be the next Kelly Clarkson, but I disagree. There are some things she can’t do that Kelly can, like work the stage during an upbeat song. I think she’s great, but Ashley is overall better in my opinion.
6. Laci Kaye Booth. I am most interested to see what America thinks of Laci. She’s the perfect Idol country singer and voters respond to that. Which I think is why Riley is in trouble. But I do find Kaci a bit forgettable. When I’m writing something like this without notes nearby, I always forget about her. That says a lot.
7. Walker Burroughs. I think Walker is great. I love his voice and his stage presence, but there are five other people who are doing a slightly better job than him. I do think America will like him enough to keep him around at least for a little while, though.
8. Uche. I think Uche is a true performer. He might be the best actual performer out of this 14. That isn’t to say he’s the best vocalist, but as we know vocals aren’t always everything. I’m not sure he’ll survivor the Top 10 cut, but I think he should.
9. Wade Cota. I personally would rank Wade 13th. But I know that’s just because I have a personal taste that doesn’t subscribe to his sound. But the judges love him, so I expect others to as well.
10. Riley Thompson. I’m not sure Riley will make the cut next week, especially if country fans vote for Laci. But in my opinion, she’s a Top 10 contestant. She has a great classic country sound and she looks like a star.
11. Eddie Island. So based on these rankings, I’d have Eddie go home next week. Will he? He might. I think his quirkiness isn’t doing him any favors and there are better singers than him. He’s very talented, but like we all know, the talent is extreme this season so it’s all about being very picky to decide who should stay.
12. Dimitrius Graham. I like Dimitris. I think his duet was one of the best duets out of the Top 20. But I don’t see him resonating with enough voters. American Idol didn’t even introduce us to him until after Hollywood Week, so he has had very little screen time and we haven’t seen all of his journey. Which is unfair, but that happens every season.
13. Alyssa Raghu. I could be way off about Alyssa, but I just find her OK in a group of really, really good. But she could very well make it into the Top 10 for the seasons Dimitrius might not. As in she’s had a whole story arc. FOR TWO SEASONS. So she has a built-in fanbase. But will they vote?
14. Evelyn Cormier. Someone has to be ranked last, right? So why not make it my least favorite voice in the competition. I don’t know if others will be as bored with her as me, but I think there are definitely 13 others who are easier to listen to and watch.
How would you rank the American Idol 2019 Top 14?