American Idol Power Rankings

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American Idol Power Rankings: The Top 16, Part Two

Last night on American Idol, the remaining eight men battled it out for a spot in the top twelve and if you were able to stay awake for the entire show without an adrenaline shot to the heart, we applaud you. For the most part, the performances were underwhelming with safe song choices, sleepy arrangements, and less-than-phenomenal vocal showings. At points, we wondered if the judges were watching the same show, as they heaped praise on some of the most mundane performances.
Some of our favorites tanked and some early disasters were able to pull it together. We’re not quite sure how the men’s race will end this week, but, on the whole, the women were a stronger set of competitors this week. Read on for our full American Idol power rankings.

1. Michael Lynche
Risk Level: 7
Payoff: 10
Total: 17

For the second week in a row, Michael Lynche was the obvious winner. This guy is on fire, but we think it could end up being his downfall. Overall, we found his take on Kate Bush’s (via Maxwell) “This Woman’s Work” totally over-the-top – we almost started laughing midway through. It was so dramatic that Michael lost control of his voice, belting and growling like he knows he’s got this thing in the bag. We were unimpressed, but the judges couldn’t stop gushing. Kara broke down in tears while our eyes rolled back in our heads and Simon told Michael that it was the best performance on any of the live shows so far this season. For us, it felt put on, like a calculated move to push his story as the doting new father forward. Maybe that’s Michael’s genius after all.

2. Todrick Hall
Risk Level: 8
Payoff: 7
Total: 15

Todrick had the most to prove last night and, for the most, part he delivered with a gospel-y take on Queen’s “Somebody To Love.” After two straight weeks of being bashed by the judges, Tod finally caught a break this week, with most of the panel praising his performance as a comeback. We’re worried that, when it comes down to it, Todrick is going to get lost in the Michael Lynche machine (his most obvious competition), even though we find him a much more inventive performer. For now, we’re pretty sure he’s safe, but we don’t have much faith we’ll still be talking about his in a few weeks.

3. Aaron Kelly
Risk Level: 3
Payoff: 9
Total: 12

The Aaron Kelly schlock circus continued its weeks-long run with his cheese-ball rendition of Lone Star’s “I’m Already There.” Despite the fact that this kid totally annoys us, he clearly understands who he is in the world of the show and which performances will garner him the most praise from the judges. Our criticisms of Aaron (he’s generic, he’s boring, his voice has no character) haven’t changed, but our estimation of him has. This might be a more calculated performer than we thought. Thankfully, Kara saw through his shtick, criticizing Aaron on choosing a song that clearly has no relevance to his life (it’s about a father calling his children). We thought it was a pretty astute observation, but Simon totally disagreed, calling in a “great song” and a solid performance. Blech.

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