Caleb Johnson has been crowned as the new American Idol and if I’ll be very honest, I am not sure if his post-Idol career will be as successful as his run on the show. I would prefer if America voted for Jena Irene. Lol.
With that being said, it is a season of artist and singer-song writers where most of the contestants are far from pop artists. Haha. It is a rollercoaster ride this season. Some weeks are really great while some weeks, you just hate watching the contestants. Oh, though talents are impressive this season.. it is so hard to root for any of the contestant unlike the past seasons no? Well this is tad better than Season 12 and 9 still. Haha.
Anyway, here are my chosen 20 performances that I consider the bests of the season.
20. Jessica Meuse
Summertime Sadness
Top 5
– It is liberating to see Jessica in this way. And she pulled it off really well. Her vocals suited the song. It was gorgeously sang and beautifully phrased.
19. Alex Preston
Always On My Mind
Top 6
– His vocals cracked a bit but there is a beautiful quality in his delivery that I adore. The simplistic style and the vocals – front and center – were delicious and lovely.
18. Majesty Rose
Happy
Rush Week
– The colored vocals and cool interpretation created a distinct style for Majesty. That is the beauty with her voice. It sounds so easy and warm. This is a really nice take of the song which I think worked really well for her.
17. Jessica Meuse
You & I
Top 4
– Jessica recovered from the underwhelming two performances she did before this and her vocals soared really beautiful on the track. It was gorgeously phrased. Her transition sounded natural and her grit is simply lovely.
16. Alex Preston
Say Something
Top 4
– The arrangement worked despite some minor flaws. His voice sounded divine and the staging looked really beautiful.
15. Emily Piriz
Glitter In The Air
Top 13
– And then this happened. That night, Emily completely outperformed her competition. The song did her well. Her vocals was tasteful. The liberties she took sounded really nice and her delivery is simply beautiful.
14. Sam Woolf
Time After Time
Top 8 Redux
– The acoustic take is nothing really new with the track but with Sam, his vocals were front and center. You would hear how beautiful his tone is and his pitch is just perfect.
13. Alex Preston
Stay
Top 3
– I am not sure about this performance but watching it back, I knew why it worked. There is something special about this performance that worked. Alex’s vocals were stunning and the arrangement created texture different from the melancholic, R&B ballad of Rihanna. Here it is powerful yet sublime.
12. Caleb Johnson
Dazed & Confused
Top 9
– He rocked the song like no one else can. And that is what’s good with Caleb, when he is in his element, he shines! His vocals were insane. His stage presence is unbelievable. A couple of butchered notes turned scream but I digress.
11. Alex Preston
Fairytales
Top 8
– For an original song, this is infectious, catchy and to be honest a good one. It is radio ready, current and somewhat relatable. The simple arrangement made it easy to embrace.
10. Jessica Meuse
Blue Eyed Lie
Top 8
– For an original song, this is pretty impressive. The vocals were strong. The dark, edgy and yet emotionally attached writing and arrangement made this performance more so a fantastic one.
9. Caleb Johnson
Maybe I’m Amazed
Top 4
– Eventual winner’s best performance in my book. This showed us that Caleb is a singer with a delicate dynamics. It wasn’t just the screaming same old party he did every now and then. There were emotions in here, there’s a proper build up and the whole thing just speaks volumes of great vocal dimension.
8. Alex Preston
A Beautiful Mess
Top 13
– With only the guitar, a spotlight and Alex’s gorgeous tone? This is a knocked out performance that is worth mentioning. It was lovely at its best and everything, especially his vocals, were spot on.
7. Jena Irene
Rolling In The Deep
Top 8
– The first half is fabulous, the second half is golden. The arrangement sounded authentic especially the first half and once the band hits in, everything just came together. Oh, did I mention, she sounded great? Yup she is.
6. Malay Watson
When I Was Your Man
Top 10
– Malaya has probably the best growth arc in the competition. Her performances were gradually getting better each and every week and I love the fact that she is listening from the technical stuff that Keith and Harry are advising her, to the stage presence that Jennifer is reminding her. She peaked beautiful in this performance. It was full of dynamics, her vocals were strong and everything just came together.
5. Jena Irene
Unbreakable Me
Wild Card
– Probably the best out of all the original songs performed in that season. It sounded radio friendly. Her vocals were great and the writing was just relatable and strong.
4. Sam Woolf
It’s Time
Top 6
– I personally think that this is in both critics and the season’s most underrated performance. To be honest, the performance showed us personality and confidence that was missing from Sam since his audition. His vocals were spot on and he delivered a really compelling performance that night.
3. Jena Irene
Decode
Top 11
– The performance was incredible. It was vocally impressive and the dynamics were reallys trong. Her voice sounded nice and the way she navigated her verses is simply spot on.
2. Jena Irene
Creep
Top 7
– Perfect song choice for her! Her vocals were superb. The dynamics were head strong and when she soared, it was magnificently powerful!
1. Jena Irene
Can’t Help Falling In Love
Top 4
– On paper, this is potentially be a mess but something happened and Jena made it work for her strengths. Her vocals were fantastic. The arrangement sounded original and savvy. The emotional connection was there and the dynamics, oh my god! It was an absolute great job!
Of random paper notes; 