Season 13 Speculation (Non-Spoiler)

[Rhondinella]

I mean, I realize there really aren't any spoilers from this point on since it's all live, but still.

Post your proposed boot-order lists.  Speculate about who the producers are trying to pimp out as the winner.  Guess what inane thing Randy will say next.  As long as it doesn't involve an actual spoiler, you can do it all here.

Example: I'm worried they're trying to set Malaya up as a possible winner.  They've been pimping her pretty hard all season.  And then giving her the power ballad and pimp spot this week confirmed my fears.  I don't think it will work, but it's still gross to watch.

[Shannon L.]

The song list is up.  You can view it here if you'd like:  http://americanidolnet.com/american-idol-2014-spoilers-song-list-top-8/

My opinion?  Oh dear, God.  I think the only one I'm looking forward to is Caleb.  Dexter might be fun in a "I can't believe I'm hearing this on Idol" way.  And, I predict CJ going next based on his song choice.  I just can't see him pulling it off.  But, who knows....it's been a weird season, imo. 

[Joystickenvy]

Sam's choice should be a major snoozefest. Dexter's choice is just baffling. There's tons of decent 80s country to choose from and he picks a novelty song?

CJ's could work for or against him.....could mask his pitch problems or accentuate them depending on how far off he is.

Jena's is probably going to be somewhere between karaoke and awful. If it goes the way I expect I'd predict both Sam & CJ to hit b3 again.

[BogoGog24]

I think CJ's time is up. He should have gone home last week, to be honest. There are only so many weeks he can sing off key and survive. 

I think elimination order will be:

CJ

Maybe Sam or Malaya, depending on performances

The next week would be whichever one of the 2 didn't go home last week

Top 5: Jessica, Jena, Alex, Caleb, and Dexter

Sam has been in the bottom a total of three times, the most of anyone. CJ and Malaya are tied with 2 times each, and Jena and Dexter with once each. I wish Sam could have outlasted Dexter but we all know he's not coming back from being in the bottom so many times AND having to be saved. Wish Malaya could make Top 5 too but I don't see her outlasting Jena or Jessica.

[ari333]

I don't like JenaNotGina, but Joan Jett was a brill move.

Dexter's choice is also a good choice imo, but I can see the jidges saying it's too "anthem" which, to me, means "good song choice."

Why isn't Randy doing any actual mentoring? It's irritating.

[Song of Roland]

Ugh, these are TERRIBLE song choices- really cliche.

I have to admit, I'm going to get a laugh out of seeing David Cook, king of the stalker songs, coaching doe-eyed Sam how to connect as a creeper. (I love D. Cook).

Never mind! I misread those spoilers. It's Alex doing that song.

Edited April 10, 2014 by Song of Roland

[auntlada]

 

Dexter's choice is just baffling. There's tons of decent 80s country to choose from and he picks a novelty song?

And one that (at least at the time) was not country. I don't know if it's classified that way now, but I wouldn't. I hear it on the classic rock stations. I'm not sure what 80s country he could do, though, based on the kinds of newer country songs he's been doing. And all I can think of now is Randy Travis.

[Joystickenvy]

And one that (at least at the time) was not country. I don't know if it's classified that way now, but I wouldn't. I hear it on the classic rock stations. I'm not sure what 80s country he could do, though, based on the kinds of newer country songs he's been doing. And all I can think of now is Randy Travis.

Garth Brooks, Alan Jackson, Hank Williams Jr had songs in either the ballad or honkey Tonk styles which would fit with what he has done. If he wanted to tackle a different style plenty of classic artists in the later part of their careers....Johnny cash, George Jones, Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard, etc

There was also the top 40 country artists of the era in Ricky Skaggs, Clint Black, Keith Whitley, Travis tritt, Dwight Yokum etc. some of them he might not have the chops for, but there had to be something better he could handle than what he picked, unless the theme was 80s pop and not just 80s music......in which case, there was probably still better choices.

I haven't watched it yet, so if it was the most brilliant, original version of that song ever, then never mind, but somehow I doubt it lol

[auntlada]

Thanks, Joystickenvy. I grew up on country music but for the life of me could not think of any from the 80s right then.

[Song of Roland]

(Mod: hope this is the right place for this)

You know, I've been thinking about Caleb's faux pas (making the old ladies cry), and it certainly seems like something the producers deliberately edited in to the show last night, no? I mean, they could have easily left that out.

Since their big thing vs. The Voice has been that Idol successfully finds 'stars'/singers who can sell records, I wonder if TPTB have decided Caleb will not be the winner (no matter how reliable his good performances have been).

[Joystickenvy]

I don't know why they'd bother really. No one from this group is going to sell a ton of records unless they luck into a hit song like P2 or do it the old fashioned way. Idol hasn't really been able to launch anyone without other intervening factors since Carrie Underwood won.

[BogoGog24]

If anything, they left Caleb's questionable comment in there to get people to talk. And that's exactly what ended up happening. It got people talking about him, one of the most popular contestants this year. (Even if it was not in a positive light) At least they didn't force him to apologize this time. Yuck. I'd rather Caleb say something stupid than do another insincere apology. Either that, or TPTB didn't think anyone would get upset over the comment in the first place. I've seen comments from here, TWOP, and Caleb's Facebook page where a bunch of "old ladies" said they were not offended by it at all. Some people took it way too seriously just like the peanut comment. Guess Caleb just has that kind of humor that doesn't always go over well with some people. 

Idol hasn't had any major breakout stars on the same level as Kelly and Carrie, but Jordin Sparks did pretty well for awhile as has Adam Lambert, Scotty McCreery, and Phillip. Whoever wins could potentially sell a lot IF they don't delay their album until the following year like Candice. If they strike while the iron is hot and get material out there quickly, they might have a shot like Scotty and Phillip. With Caleb, it could be different, since his genre is not all that popular anymore, but Faithfully reached #2 on iTunes Rock, so clearly people dig him. He could always venture into a Rock of Ages type of thing. And if it ends up being Alex who wins, indie is very popular right now. I could see him opening for Jason Mraz since they are coffee buddies now. The key is putting something out quickly for the fans to purchase instead of making them wait a whole year.

[rereader2]

Some of the AI winners who put out something quickly sank like a stone because "quickly" was "anything" instead of something good and appropriate to the singer. 

[BogoGog24]

Well, that all could be subjective. Candice took forever to put out Music Speaks and most of it doesn't seem right for her. Scotty released Clear As Day in October 2011 and it fit him like a glove, went to #1 on Billboard. 

Maybe I should clarify and say the key is releasing good, quality music that is appropriate for the singer in a timely manner. The average timeline of releasing albums for the Idol winners is October/November. And many of them already have original songs, I could picture Jessica, Jena, or Alex especially releasing an album of mostly self-written material (if Interscope was behind it) Of course Interscope also needs to do their part and actually promote the artist. 

[Shannon L.]

So, next week is a new theme: Competitor's Choice.  Each contestant will get a list of 6 songs.  One song chosen from each of that singer's competitors.  This should be interesting.  On TWoP, we used to have fun making our own choices for the contestants.  What would you chose if you could?

I have to preface this with the fact that musically, I still reside in the 70s and 80s, with a few 90s to present day added in. 

Caleb: Either "Born to Run" by Springsteen, or, I'd throw him some disco and suggest either "Love is Alive" by Gary Wright or "Play That Funky Music" by Wild Cherry

Jessica:  "Done" by The Band Perry, "Am I The Only One" by Melissa Etheridge.

Alex:  He needs to pick up the pace, so how about "Solsbury Hill" by Peter Gabriel or something by Paul Simon/Simon and Garfunkel like "Me and Julio".  Something fun.

Sam:  Again, he needs to pick it up a bit.  "Veronica" by Elvis Costello or "Good Riddance" by Green Day.

Jena:  "What's Going On" by 4 Non Blondes, "Raise Your Glass" by Pink or "Black Velvet" by Alannah Myles

CJ and Dexter:  I'm still thinking about it.......

[BogoGog24]

I think this theme will be interesting. I obviously hope the contestants don't try to sabotage each other and pick completely ridiculous songs (like I'm Sexy and I Know It, Barbie Girl, Friday, or Gangnam Style) but I hope they also have some imagination and give each other more challenging songs.

My personal picks if I could choose:

Caleb- "Yellin' From the Rooftop" by Danielle Bradbery (In real life they probably wouldn't clear it because she's from The Voice) or "Spoonman" by Soundgarden

Sam- "I See Fire" by Ed Sheeran (should have done it for Movie Night)

Jena- "Ain't It Fun" by Paramore, "Eet" or "Laughing With" by Regina Spektor

Jessica- "Gunpowder and Lead" by Miranda Lambert

Dexter- "The Dash" by Scotty McCreery or "I'm Alive" by Willie Nelson

Alex- "Say Something" by A Great Big World, "Clocks" by Coldplay, "Let Her Go" by Passenger

 

Yeah pretty unimaginative choices lol

Give CJ something with almost no melody

[ItsHelloPattiagain]

For what it's worth, I'm probably an old lady in Caleb's book and he doesn't bother me at all. First of all, who wants a strong male lead singer to be all emo and watery and "oh, let's hold hands and sing Kumbaya"? If you look at the great male rock-style lead singers (Steven Tyler, Mick Jagger, etc), they are arrogant and "out there". At least Caleb's got some pipes. I hate the delusional singers that say "oh, that was great, I stayed true to myself even though HCJ told me I sounded like bad brakes on a schoolbus". And if you watched the clip from last week, apparently that's Caleb's personality. He probably popped out of his mama yelling and never stopped. 

Malaya was a hot mess during her sing-away last night but she did prove to be interesting during her time on AI. Why the heck is CJ still there? **everybody say it with me*** "He seems like SUCH a nice guy" but bless his heart, he sings so damn out of tune that it's hurting my ears every week. 

I say it every week. JenaNotGina annoys me. She seems right out of the Disney Channel playbook ala Demi/Selena/Mylie (not current Mylie but old Mylie). A little overproduced and too shiny to be singing rock and roll with her bad ass self (hahahah!) There is not one edge to that girl at all no matter what her mama and her want her to portray. 

[Shannon L.]

 

Yeah pretty unimaginative choices lol

Mine aren't very imaginative either.  You know what hit me when I was thinking about this in the car today?  First off, I keep forgetting Alex and Sam ("Wait.  There's 7...who am I missing?") and the only ones who've made enough of a mark on me to remember what their voice is like are Caleb, Jessica and Jena.  Keeping that in mind, I was originally thinking Simon and Garfunkel for Sam (if he could pull off the emotions, which I doubt), Elvis Costello and Van Morrison for Alex and an Eagles song and a Springsteen song for CJ.  Then I listened to a song or two from each of them and wow, was I off!  Sam's voice is deeper than I thought, Alex's is higher and CJ's is different in a way that neither The Eagles or Springsteen would work for him. 

 

For what it's worth, I'm probably an old lady in Caleb's book and he doesn't bother me at all. First of all, who wants a strong male lead singer to be all emo and watery and "oh, let's hold hands and sing Kumbaya"? If you look at the great male rock-style lead singers (Steven Tyler, Mick Jagger, etc), they are arrogant and "out there". At least Caleb's got some pipes.

I agree.  But, I also think that had social media been around back then in the same capacity that it is now, their antics in their early years before they got popular might have caused them a few problems. 

 

Why the heck is CJ still there? **everybody say it with me*** "He seems like SUCH a nice guy"

Exactly.  And he does seem like a nice guy.  However, if I bothered to vote, it wouldn't be for him.

[yourpointis]

I want to get excited for next week's theme, but the contestants probably have a pre-approved song list in which to choose for their competitors. Thus meaning more of the same ole crap that we've heard from seasons past.

Going by an article prior to the start of this season someone related to the show had stated that this season purse strings would be loosened and we (the audience) would be hearing a wider variety of songs. Last week we had eight solos and only two of those solos had not been retreads from seasons past. As a viewer, I would like the show to hold to that promise. Just one full show of songs never performed on the Idol stage would suffice (and I'm not referring to all originals by the contestants because those can be hit or miss). Of course with my luck they will just be retreads from the other singing shows (USXF, The Voice) ugh. I don't have any particular song suggestions, but I would like to only hear songs from the 90s to the present. Yes I'm an old lady but this old lady has had her fill of Motown, Beatles, Leiber and Stoller (?) theme weeks cause I seriously doubt this group is going to produce another Summertime moment. mmv

[Song of Roland]

Yes, the next theme should be 'songs never-and I mean never- done on Idol'. They should all be forced to consult the  'what not to sing' website prior to making their choices.

Really, David Cook should have pointed out that of all the songs he did on Idol, only one (Don't Want to Miss a Thing, which Clive Davis assigned to him) was a retread. And that's pretty much true of all the subsequent winners.

Why give the audience the chance of saying 'oh, I remember (fill in the name) did that song years ago, and better'. 'Make it your own' starts with making it something no one has ever done on Idol before.

Even when a repeat song is turned inside out like Alex did with Every Breath the other night, why wouldn't he have chosen to use a fresh (well, considering they were all 30+years old) song? This seemed like such a missed opportunity.

[BogoGog24]

I have the feeling the '80s catalog was pretty limited this year. Maybe with the exception of Dexter's choice, all or most of the songs were predictable and done to death (Time After Time, Call Me, Faithfully, EBYT, Islands in the Stream, I Knew You Were Waiting, ILRNR….) Either the kids were not given a very wide range of songs to choose from, or they just aren't that familiar enough with '80s music. But the first one sounds a lot more likely since it's been such an issue in past seasons and even though none of them were actually born in the '80s, I'm sure many of them listen to '80s music. I'd expect much better choices from Caleb, Jessica, and Jena, for example. 

[glowlights]

ShannonL, if anyone butchers an Elvis Costello song next week I will blame you personally for giving them the idea. Some things must remain sacred! :)

They may have loosened the purse strings this year and still not been able to get the rights to certain music, although I wouldn't be surprised if it's only 20% catalog limitations and 80% bad choices.

I am probably the only person on the planet who feels this way, but If they get to choose songs for each other then I would actually be interested in seeing them choose songs that are completely out their respective comfort zones. Let's see who has the chops to handle it. And to make it fair, it's off-limits for the judges to make any criticism about stepping out of the box, since it wasn't the contestant's idea. Points for vocals, performance and interpretation. They are allowed to modify arrangements so that it's not totally ridiculous and make key changes to fit their range, but they have to stay true to the song (Alex is not allowed to turn Rage Against The Machine into Sarah McLachlin). Let's separate the wheat from the one-trick-pony-chaff. And no fair making anyone sing Muskrat Love or the theme from Gilligan's Island. It has to be taken seriously.

I wouldn't expect anyone to be as proficient at switching genres as a seasoned pro. But c'mon! Take your hands off your face, don't hide.

Guest performance will be Keith Urban doing "On The Floor". He is allowed to have Randy Jackson as a mentor. :)

[Song of Roland]

I'm hoping (so of course it won't happen) that each contestant chooses songs for each of the others, then they pull from a hat. That would be much more interesting than each singer just getting a list of 6 songs and picking one (which is probably pretty much what they've been doing all season anyway).

I also hope we find out who picked whose song. I wonder what would happen if 5 of them choose Alex's picks for them, or if nobody took Dexter's picks?

Eh, none of them seem to be very musically literate, so it'll probably be nothing startling.

[auntlada]

After listening to the Firefly remixes, I wish they'd all get the same song (one that isn't in any of their styles) and have to rework it into their own styles. I'd like to hear how different they are and how good or bad they can do with that. Except most of them probably aren't capable of that.

[Shannon L.]

Song choices are here:  http://americanidolnet.com/american-idol-2014-spoilers-song-list-top-7/

Not bad, but not too challenging, imo.

[nutty1]

I do not understand this….the downloads are already on iTunes. Are they always out before the show?? Clickable links here:

http://www.mjsbigblog.com/american-idol-13-top-7-song-spoilers.htm

[nutty1]

Guesses for the final 3?

I say Alex, Caleb, Jena…..though Sam may sneak in.

[Joystickenvy]

Guesses for the final 3?

I say Alex, Caleb, Jena…..though Sam may sneak in.

That's my guess as well, though I suppose CJ could be a spoiler in the unlikely event he manages to put a few not incredibly out of tune performances together.

[BogoGog24]

It's either gonna be Caleb, Alex, Jena or Caleb, Alex, Jessica. Both Jena and Jess have now been in the bottom once. Either way, I think it will be a Caleb/Alex finale.

[Kromm]

I hate that I now think Sam is going to win this for Beiber-ish reasons.

[BogoGog24]

I don't think Sam can win at this point. He's been in the bottom 3 times. And he had to be saved. In the past for guys like Scotty and Phillip, they never ended up in the position where they might go home. Sam was an early frontrunner but once he started having connection issues, he gave up the frontrunner status to Caleb and Alex. He might make Top 5 at best.

[Jynnan tonnix]

Yes, I could see where Sam would most probably top out in fifth place, but if he were to outlast CJ and Jess, which is possible if he continues to improve (which, to my perception, anyway, he has been, even though it is admittedly slight), that would put him in 4th, and also give him 3 more performances to continue on the redemption arc that AI viewers love so much. At that point, it would be conceivable that if Caleb continues on his fairly one-dimensional trajectory he might begin to slip in votes enough that Sam's underdog status could put him ahead. I think Jena and Alex would be safe as they always put their personal stamp on things, which, even if it might result in the occasional misstep, still makes one wonder what they might come up with next. I think Caleb comes across as coasting a bit, which can be deadly at this point in the competition.

Sam won't win, but I can see him squeaking into third place, which I would actually like to see.

[ari333]

Maybe I wasn't listening, but how did Alex get to have coffee with whoever it was (a famous person?) If they get to have outside chats with (read: get help from)successful musicians other than assigned coaches, then Jessica should try to get a few minutes of Adam Lambert's time and come back and kill it next week. (Insert Caleb's literally here heh.)

I get a Lauren Alaina vibe from Jena and it's not just the second name issue. And I couldn't stand Alaina either.

If Caleb really snores how is that fair to Alex? If you've ever tried to sleep with, or in the same room as, a snorer it can be brutal and hard to sleep.... "literally." I never understood why they have to share accommodations.  It's not like AI doesn't have a massive budget. Or was all that just BS? IIRC they used to have all the folks in one house and used footage of the drama from that on the show. They're not doing that now, so I don't get the point of roommates.  

I also don't understand how Dexter got dinged for doing the same thing every week, twangy country guy. Isn't that how Scotty won? And how is what Dexter did, how is that different from what Caleb does, loud rocker persona guy? (the same thing, basically, every week)

[BogoGog24]

If the snoring really bothered Alex that badly, he could probably request to room with someone else. 

AI's budget clearly isn't as big this year since they are staying in a hotel this year and not the Idol mansion. Maybe their budget really isn't that big after all.

The person Alex had coffee with was Jason Mraz. I forget how he said they met. But I know, because he's dating Jillian Jensen, that he is buddies with Alex and Sierra from X Factor. Maybe it's some sort of connection like that. Plus his cousin is some semi famous country singer, so it could be through her as well. Alex also once was an opening act for a radio-sponsered concert and he got to meet Gavin DeGraw.

[Joystickenvy]

Looks like they are scaling down the tour this year as well, which makes sense given that they had to cancel quite a few dates last year because they didn't sell enough tickets. Lots of dates at small theaters, outdoor venues, casinos, state fairs etc instead of big sports arenas and such. Kinda similar to the early days.

[ari333]

Well, I'll say it. I enjoy the thread more than the show.

ABJ for the win for me. (Anyone But Jena.)

[Song of Roland]

They've stayed in apartments in the past, as well as hotels and the mansion; even in the mansion, though, they shared rooms.

I don't know that conversing with Jason Mraz or whoever is going to offer any particular insight into winning a singing competition. Most seasons, there are some contestants who are more 'connected' than others, just like there are some who are more experienced (performance-wise) than the rest. It doesn't seem to have much effect on the final outcome (Lambert loses, McCreery wins, etc).

Anyway, we dodged one bullet- Dexter was planning on singing the asteroid song. 

[ari333]

I don't know that conversing with Jason Mraz or whoever is going to offer any particular insight into winning a singing competition.

I didn't mean for it to sound like that really. I just meant that if Alex was permitted to meet with Mraz (for whatever reason they say it is,) then, imo, Jessica could use a "coffee" with the likes of Adam Lambert. Just a thought.

I like Alex, so if Mraz offered a suggestion on arrangement or anything, more power to him.

[auntlada]

Anyway, we dodged one bullet- Dexter was planning on singing the asteroid song. 

The asteroid song?

[yourpointis]

The asteroid song is I Don't Want to Miss a Thing by Aerosmith (movie/Armageddon)..

[auntlada]

Oh, that song. I hate that song. It just makes me think about when Aerosmith did good music.

[Shannon L.]

I've been following the Caleb issue with interest and am now wondering what we'll see on Wednesday. Will they ignore it?  Confront it?  Or will Jessica suddenly have a great night and Caleb become "good, but way too predictable"? 

 

Right now, while I think Alex is pretty good, I just can't get into him, so I'm rooting for Jessica because I think, like others have stated in regards to Carrie Underwood, the stage persona and feeling the songs will come in time. 

 

No matter, though, I think Caleb is toast and we'll probably see Jena win.

[Joystickenvy]

I have the same issue with Alex. I think he has a nice voice, he's usually on pitch, and I admire his musicianship, but I just don't enjoy him much. Probably partly song choice. I don't care for Jason Mraz type stuff.

I don't think she will win, but I like Jessica and with the added bonus that TPTB don't seem to want her to win, she would probably be my first choice. In spite of the blatant over pimping, I'd be OK with Jena. Alex as well. I wouldn't be super pissed or anything if Caleb manages to win, but he has definitely fallen to 4th pick.

I honestly don't know which way they will jump next week. I suspect they will keep pushing Jena and damn Caleb with faint praise, but maybe they'll surprise me.

[BogoGog24]

I think Alex has the best chance of winning at this point. Caleb blew his chances and TPTB have been shoving Jena down the audience's throats for weeks. That usually backfires when they try to pimp a certain contestant and when they are very clearly bussing another. The results usually work out the opposite of how TPTB want them to. I predict Caleb will go this week followed by Jena because the public doesn't seem to like their attitudes. And then we'll have a Jessica/Alex finale and Alex will probably win. 

[Song of Roland]

Well, I'm the one who said way back there that the finale would likely be Caleb/Alex, and I'm sticking with that, unfortunately. I think Caleb/Jena would be far more entertaining a battle.

I'm not sure what Caleb/Alex would be like- kind of a dumbed-down Kris/Adam? While Caleb<Adam, Caleb does have a strong, theatrical voice and stage presence, yet doesn't have the 'gay problem' (which I think had at least something to do with Adam's loss). OTOH, Kris isn't much different than Alex (weakish voice, artistic/creative arranging), except for the 'good looks problem'.

[Joystickenvy]

I think the biggest difference between Adam/Kris and Caleb/Alex.....other than talent, is Adam peaked about mid-season and then leveled off, whereas Kris was a fringey competitor flirting with the bottom for a good part of the season who really came on strong at the end. I think momentum probably had more to do with the win than anything. Plus Adam's rehash of Mad World didn't have the same magic as the first go round making the impact of Kris' best performances being at the end even greater.

Caleb/Alex have been pretty steady all season, so barring a major breakthrough/meltdown at top 3, I think they'll finish about how they started.

However I think Alex & Jena have about an equal shot at the finale.

[Song of Roland]

Well, to your point, Jena (admittedly with a lot of producer assistance) is being presented as coming on strong at this point, while Alex (in reality, IMO) has been coasting along.

Jena's versatility (both in performing different genres and in switching between vocal and piano-driven performances) gives her some advantage over Alex's stand-in-one-place (in every sense of the phrase) style.

Maybe she has a better chance than I assume she does.

[Joystickenvy]

I kinda wonder if Jena wouldn't be better off without the OTT pimping. However, if this show is on 100 seasons, they will still never quit trying to make "fetch" happen.

[Ladyrain]

I'll echo something I read over on TWoP. Maybe this season (and the last several) wouldn't have been so boring if the 'themes' weren't so broad, thus allowing each singer to stay in his/her comfort zone. You could almost guess what songs they would sing before they sang them. It used to be fun to watch, for example, Carrie Underwood attempt a Broadway tune. Or Adam Lambert totally rework a country song. Or Kelly Clarkson sing jazz. Now all the performances are predictable and bland and the contestants aren't required to stretch musically or creatively. Even Jena's 'Can't Help Falling In Love' was an exact copy of a version on the Internet, by some female singer I never heard of. If this season's ratings really are as bad as I've read they are, perhaps TPTB could consider a return to actual THEME nights next year.

[Joystickenvy]

Personally, I hated the theme nights and almost every "reworked" version of a song that was any good was an exact copy of somebody's cover. If the themes weren't so out of date and hokey and/or easily circumvented I might feel differently, but it's good riddance to bad rubbish for me.

The lack of interesting contestants and blandy mcblandersons that the Frau keep voting through in the wgwg era has been what has dulled the show for me....other than last season, which was ruined by the effort to secure a female winner.

Caleb isnt my favorite contestant by any means, but at least he's not another John Mayer/Mraz wannabe or country singer.