Three of the top 10 finalists from Season 20 of american idol are budding country music singers, but which one has the best shot at winning?
Perhaps more importantly, who american idol finalist has the best chance of having a long career at the end of the show? Taste of Country’s Billy Dukes and Adison Haager discuss Noah Thompson, HunterGirl and Mike Parker during a Idol breakdown which also explains why Ava Maybee was sent home.
Watch the full video to find out why Maybee was fired despite being one of the most talented finalists in years. The explanation can be applied to Monday Night’s cut, Tristan Gressett.
Noah Thompson
Oh: Noah Thompson must be the country favorite, right? His version of “Stand by Me“(Sunday) was extraordinary.
comics: I agree on one point. I think he could win it all. It’s the first time I’ve seen a country artist put their stamp on an iconic song this season. Vocally, he’s great.
Oh: I feel a “but” coming.
comics: Look, I don’t care as much about who wins as I do about what the contestants do after. Noah is young, I think he’s only 19 or 20. He has a life to live and mistakes to make. It’s a bad bet for me. And he didn’t show me that he had a ton of stage experience.
Oh: I could see that. People come out of this show struggling to connect with fans at festivals. Then we never hear about it again.
comics: Think about Trent Harmon. Noah can win because you can hide that on TV when there are crowd cues of when and how to clap. But to me, that’s why so many reality TV stars don’t get recording deals anymore.
Mike Parker
Oh: I thought Mike Parker looked like a finished product.
comics: I didn’t like the song for him (“Hurricane” by Luke Combs on Sunday), but I thought it ended strong. I love his confidence, and while he struggles with fan voting, he already has some love from the national media. Parade did a big piece about him that focused on his search for success as a black country singer. The judges had to save him once already, so I’m not sure he’ll be able to take the votes from HunterGirl and Noah Thompson at this point, but if he can finish in the Top 6, he might do well after the show. I need to see him put a stamp on a song, though. I haven’t seen much of it yet.
HunterGirl
Oh: On Sunday, HunterGirl performed “Baby Girl” by Sugarland. We criticized his song choice specifically after a pair of Rascal Flatts songs. This one was better.
comics: It was better. If she slowly progresses to her best level, she will win this thing. Our review was mostly based on its stage name, which sounds like an AOL Instant Messenger handle. She clearly has more stage experience and a wider repertoire. So more songs sound comfortable from her. At the moment, I can’t fault it for saving its big guns, because frankly, it can hang around for a few more weeks with nothing but high-quality and mid-range performance.
Oh: Is that a compliment? I can not tell.
comics: It is and it is not. She is aiming at the fat part of the target audience right now and hitting it. Later, she will have to target a smaller section and win over fans with bold song choices. So no, I don’t think she’s been the best country singer so far, but I don’t think she needed to be. I also really like his composure and his experience to go far at the end of this show.
american idol resumes on ABC on Sunday, May 1 at 8 p.m. ET.
American Idol stars who have disappeared
We applauded them. We voted for them. We followed them. Then these seven american idol the stars have disappeared. Or, at least, it looks like it.
What Happened to Some of Country Music’s Finest american idol competitors over the past 20 years? This list of countries american idol the stars who have disappeared include a winner, a runner-up and a third, as well as several early cuts that enjoyed radio success before losing touch with fans.
