The Smartest Group of American Idol Contestants

I must admit that I'm a rabid fan of American Idol, and this season is no exception. In fact, I consider this year to contain the best contestants the show has ever had. From this point on, I will include a weekly recap and ranking of the American Idol Performances each week. This will be my opportunity to rank the idols based on how I feel their position is on the show at this point along with an explanation on how they have made smart choices thus far in the competition.

8. Kristi Lee Cook

Kristi is definitely my least favorite contestant left, but I have to give her props for making some smart decisions in this competition. I think she is smart for taking Simon's advice to become the country artist of the season. This has allowed her to occupy a niche that none of the other contestants fill, making her recieve some votes from fans of American Idol that are big on country. The smartest decision so far, though, from Kristi is choosing to sing the American anthem, "God Bless the U.S.A.". It is hard to find an American that doesn't like this song, and she did sing it well. This allowed her to survive not just one, but two more weeks in the competition since the following week was country week. I think she has to do something really phenomenal in order to stay around much longer, but I do think she is a smart contestant just for the mere fact that she is in the top 8 when everyone predicted her to be gone 12th.

7. Syesha Mercado

I really like Syesha, but she doesn't seem to have connected with the public quite on the same level as the top 6 contestants. That said, there is a lot to be admired for coming on American Idol and just singing your heart out, and I think Syesha has done that. I think she has an amazing set of pipes that has impressed me (usually moreso than the judges) since the beginning of the Top 24. Syesha has made some song choice mistakes- the biggest being filling the tall order of singing a popular Whitney Houston ballad this past week, but I think she is sincere and does a great job. I just don't think it'll be enough to get her beyond a few more weeks in the competition unless she can pull something spectacular.

6. Jason Castro

It pains me to put Jason this low, but I am starting to realize that he is not quite up to par with the heavy hitters this season. Jason has made some smart moves this season. He made quite an impact the first week of the top 24 without getting any face time during auditions and Hollywood week. He also made a very smart choice with giving arguably one of the best performances of the season with "Hallelujah". The problem with that, though, is that he hasn't been able to quite exceed or even match the beauty of that performance. He may be a victim of setting the bar too high too early. But, I do believe that Jason is one of the most unique contestants and definitely has a certain style. I really look forward to what he will do in the future, but I fear he won't be with us long on the American Idol stage without another "Hallelujah" performance.

5. Brooke White

I love Brooke for a lot of the same reason I love Jason Castro. She is a brilliant performer and is refreshingly unique in this competition. I love her sincerity and her ability to connect emotionally with the songs she performs. I think she made quite a smart move in the competition by giving remarkably consistent performances in the top 24, and capping it off with her top 12 performance of "Let It Be". I really am rooting for Brooke, but I feel she'll fall short of the upper tier due to sheer lack of vocal prowess. But, what she lacks in virtuosity she makes up in originality, but I don't know if that can take her all the way in a singing competition. I really hope it can.

4. Carly Smithson

If there is such a thing as a front runner for the girls, Carly is it. She has been lauded since the beginning as one of the contenders for the title of American Idol, Season 7. Unfortunately for her, this is a season for the boys. But, I can't deny that she has one heck of a voice. I was really impressed with her last performance during Country Week (even though the judges weren't as impressed). I think she has made some song choice errors and will need to start picking the right songs to fulfill her potential in the competition. I also think she needs to showcase her personality a bit more because that is the main reason I haven't become a true fan- I just can't connect with her. But, Carly is a great singer and will hopefully raise her game to make this season truly interesting and give the girls a fighting chance this season.

THE BIG THREE: I think the winner of American Idol 7 will be one of these three guys.

3. Michael Johns

Going into the top 24, I was most excited to follow the progress of Michael Johns, but was very dissapointed with him. He seemed to give consistently lack luster performances and never seemed to pick the right song. But, that all changed when he triumphantly sang "We Will Rock You/We Are The Champions". This seemed to be his statement that he is in this competition to win. This position was solidified during Country week when he gave another stellar performance (my personal favorite of the night). He has gone from being one of the next to be voted off to a front runner. If he can consistantly deliver like he has the past two weeks, he honestly has a shot at winning the whole thing.

2. David Archuleta

If you had asked me who the front runner was at the beginning of the top 12, I would have laughed and said it was David Archuleta by far. But, the past few weeks have shown that this golden boy does have weaknesses. He proved this through a very "forgettable" performance of "We Can Work It Out" during the top 12 week. Since then, he has been struggling just to regain his top position. But, I still think his chances of winning are great. He showed the world that he was a true contender with an incredible performance of "Imagine" (one of my favorite American Idol performances ever). David has a lot of young females voting for him and that will truly help him as he makes his way to the finals. He does need to re-prove that he does indeed have vocal skill to pull off amazing performances week to week. Regardless, I would be shocked to not see David Archuleta in the finals.

1. David Cook

Who would have predicted that this messy rocker would become a front-runner? David Cook, for me, is the epitome of what a true idol contestant should be. He is the perfect blend of an incredible singer, a great performer, and a unique artist. He has created a niche for himself as this years rocker, and I only think that will work to his favor (especially in garnering votes from angry fans who still feel that Daughtry should have won it all in season 5). He has made great song choices consistently since the beginning, and has introduced the world to some truly unique versions of some classic songs. His performance of "Billie Jean" will go down in American Idol history as one of the best performances ever. I am truly rooting for David Cook because he has the whole package. David Archuleta has an incredible voice, but doesn't seem to be the artist that David Cook is. Jason Castro and Brooke White are the opposite case: they are unique artists that have good, but not great, voices. I truly hope America gets it right this year and crowns its first "true" rocker.

And there you have it. This is basically the standings of the American Idol contestants as I see it. Keep coming back week to week to see how this changes with each performance week. I must say that this is truly my favorite season of American Idol and I can't wait to see how it all comes down.