The Top Ten Pt 2

Very quickly into the Top 10 announcements!

Tristan is the first to be added to the group.
Sonika too. Wow, only four to go.
Gianna makes it. That must be bad news for the other girls.
McKenzie makes it. Yes.
Avalon is the first surprise for me.
Just one spot left. Yes, has to be Lee.

So the show's run has ended for Jeneve, the girl from nowhere, Jenn, the quirky one, each of whom I thought might make it further. Thomas might have got a place had my guess that there would be 5 + 5 but it's 6 + 4.

We get some performances now from each of the new Top Ten. Olivia is first. Unconditionally she performs with ease, very naturally excellent. Dressed in black and pink she is a good advert for the All American Girl. However, she has depth and seems content on the stage with a big crowd.

Gianna performs next. I don't know the track. It is a meaty, bluesy, strong number that is very demanding and, whilst she throws all she has at it, that is a bit much and I feel she didn't do the song justice. That was not brilliant and she missed a few notes quite badly. Jennifer is spot on. She says she will have to be very careful about what she chooses in future. She will, I think, be one of the first to go. I think there is a vote to eliminate two next week based on tonight's performances.

Lee has been fabulous all the way through so far. He has chosen great tracks, none which have stretched him that much but that has been in his favour as he has just been great. I don't recognise his song but it's good. Quite gentle once more but, with his strumming along too, it works very well for him. I think he will sail through. So likeable too. The panel say the same, recognising that he isn't pushing himself and doing big big numbers like some of the others. He tells a story well and that may go down a lot better than some big performance and key change like some of the girls will do.

Avalon may have been the one I would not have put through. She chooses a nice new track - Stitches - which is still in today's UK Top Ten. She is good, better than Gianna this week. There wasn't a great deal of shade in this, though. To survive, she'll need someone else to dip. I can't imagine who will, looking at who is left. Kelly is on the panel tonight and is very smart, delivering very well-considered analysis. She says that Avalon has some cool quality that several others don't have and Kelly definitely will have helped her votes with that commentary.

Dalton next. My choice as a winner so far. Hey there Delilah is, once again, just right for him, full of life and giving him a chance to move around and get across to the audience. Super job. This guy is a star already. Fabulous. Electric barnyard, says Keith! He is very popular too. I can see him selling well on both sides of The Pond as we haven't got anyone doing what he does here and he has so much youth appeal that the charts would swallow him up too. This is one hell of a good way to end the Season as Dalton winning means that McKenzie doesn't. I had thought it would be a girl for sure but now I am of the mind that, whilst it might be La'Porsha who wins it will be some guys that make the most of this year.

Tristan sings Nothin' Like You. She looks so different with straight hair. She is modern and is becoming one of my favourite girls now. I think she has outperformed Gianna and Avalon this week.

McKenzie has been brilliant all through as well, as good as Ed Sheeran in many ways. A song about fire that I don't know. He is quite unique and very good. This particular track is not, in my view, one of his best and I do hope that he gets the voters voting. I guess that if someone like Phillip Phillips can win then McKenzie can.

La'Porsha has cruised through this Season so far. No-one has come close in terms of stage presence and singing the big numbers. I am not a fan and wouldn't rush to buy her records but I am sure there will be many that are and will so she is likely to be around all the way in this competition and I am pretty sure she will be the one girl that remains standing. She sings Rihanna's Diamonds and just stood and was very very impressive with not a note wrong anywhere. That was the best of the evening so far, even beating Dalton. the audience don't let the panel start giving feedback. Amazing.

Kelly just says 'You're going to win.'

Sonika has a good name for American Idol. Wow, she is doing Evanescence Wake Me Inside and she does this extremely well.  In many ways you can see that she is saying, 'Hey, I can impress as much as La'Porsha can' and that was pretty remarkable. She did well and has now convinced me that she will last longer. Her notes are exact and she is complimented highly. She looked good and worked very well with the audience, possibly matching La'Porsha, unexpectedly. She surprised me and I have to revise my opinions now! Before there was a sort of blank space where the emotion lay but it was there tonight.

Last up is Trent. Now I don't know much about this fellow. He does the Sam Smith number Like I Can Can Can. He is another who is always spot on tune and in time. An excellent job of the track indeed. I just wonder about his appeal, compared to Dalton, Lee and McKenzie. I just feel that he doesn't stand a chance against them, however hard he tries. Such a shame for him as he is very, very good but you can almost see him leaving already.

So, who will survive? La'Porsha, Dalton, Sonika, Lee and McKenzie will sail through, I think. That leaves Olivia, Avalon, Gianna and Tristan battling for the girl vote with Trent struggling against the other boys.

I feel Olivia and Tristan will survive and it will be between Avalon and Gianna as to who leaves with Trent.

Kelly sand Piece by Piece  at the end. A very emotional number and she only just managed to hold back her own emotions as you can see the lyrics held some special meaning for her at this time. Quite impressive. A very good show all the way through.