Cumulative Power Rankings for the Top 9

[TheTruth]

I’ve noticed that most viewers base their votes strictly on the most recent week’s performance…but I think that what makes more sense is to base votes on cumulative performance with weighted importance on the most recent week. With that in mind, here’s my cumulative power rankings for the Top 9 (last week’s ranking in parentheses):

1. Danielle White (3)- She has been the most consistent from week to week. I just love the tone of her voice- it’s so pure and melodic, seems like she’s from another era. She just has this wonderful vibe about her. I voted for her at least a hundred times this week and I hope she at least makes it into the Top 3.
2. Lucy Hale (2)- She’s evolving into a diva with each performance. Just astonishing power, range, and control for a 13 year old. One criticism that I have is that she is carrying her vocal runs a split second too long…too melismatic for me to really enjoy her performance of “Make it Easy on Yourself.” Less is more, Lucy. But if the group is going to have a “lead singer,” she’s the best candidate.
3. Chantel Kohl (1)- My personal favorite- I think she has the most star quality of anyone in this group. But chinks in the armor started to show when she sang “Stony End.” Her voice seems to thin out in the lower range, but she still has this wonderful richness in her upper register. She has to be careful to select songs that really flatter her voice.
4. Tori Thompson (4)- Tori has this amazing stage presence which gives her an advantage (over some of the better vocalists) being on TV. Not to take anything away from her voice- I love how her voice has a very distinct sound. This past week, she didn’t seem like she was having fun up on stage like in the previous weeks. Seems like the pressure of trying to join her sister in the band got to her. I don’t think she has anything to worry about- I’d be shocked if America didn’t vote her in this week.
5. Chauncey Matthews (10)- Up until this week, I was wondering why he was in the Top 10 instead of Grace Leer or Kristinia DeBarge. Now, armed with his new-found confidence, he’s looking like a contender. I am still a bit skeptical because that song that he chose was so perfect for his voice, it’ll be hard to match that again. I actually hope that he doesn’t get into this group because his voice needs some time to mature and he just seems too innocent (even more innocent than the others) to be a pop star.
6. AJ Melendez (5)- He’s like a mini Justin Guarini- he’s got that look, that stage presence, even similar song choices. “I’ll Be There” was a tough song for him to sing…seems like he’s going through puberty and will have to make some adjustments to his voice, because when he sings in the falsetto, it sounds like a totally different singer, and it just threw off the sound of his natural voice. I do think that he’s the best bet of the guys to make it into the group, but song choice will be very important for him.
7. Morgan Burke (9)- Talent wise, he’d be ranked much higher…but I get the sense that he’s performing for himself, not for the audience. He has a tendency to give “too much” in his performances, and there’s just something about him that doesn’t seem quite so genuine that it’s hard to like him.
8. Katelyn Tarver (8)- She seems like a bit of a wallflower personality-wise. Her voice doesn’t have the power of Lucy’s or Chantel’s, or the grace of Danielle’s. I do like the fact that her rendition of “Close to You” was so sincere. She has more of an easy, subtle voice, but I don’t think she is ready to be a professional singer.
9. Jordan McCoy (6)- Vocally, she’s out of her league here. But she has so much personality, it’s hard not to like her…even though her performance of “ABC” was just too much like a 5th grade talent show. She’ll have to bank on her cuteness to get into the group.

How would the rest of you rank the performers on a cumulative basis? Who has everyone been voting for? I think I’ll be doing overall power rankings each week from now on…if anyone cares.

[mattmetcalf]

I like your idea of looking at the performances overall instead of on a given week. If they're going to be in the band, they need to be consistently good, not just on certain days and with certain songs. The way I'm doing it is I give each performer a score from 1-10 each week. Then I total their scores to give them a ranking. I have only scored their finals performances.

Rank 1st Score 2nd Score Total Name

#10 6 6 12 Katelyn
#9 6 7 13 Chauncey
#8 7 6 13 AJ
#7 9 5 14 Tori
#6 8 6 14 Chantel
#5 7 7 14 Jordan
#4 7 9 16 Danielle
#3 8 8 16 Morgan
#2 9 8 17 Lucy
#1 (Taylor has already been voted in)

#7

[Shaenee]

Overall performance: (I'll take Taylor out since she's already "in" )

Morgan: Consistently fantastic....unfortunately, I still feel he would be best on Broadway and may over-power a group.

Jordan: Always sings well and puts on a high energy show. Very consistent. I honestly think she was made for a junior group.

Tori: She's so at ease on stage and knows how to work the camera. Very good stage presence. Her voice is unique, yet not over-powering. Quite consistent except that I think she is almost SO at ease sometimes that she may not always try her hardest. But that comes from her being quite young too. She would also suit a group situation perfectly.

Danielle: Nice sweet voice. Pretty consistent. But I would like to see her belt out a few strong songs or some upbeat energetic ones. She needs to move and work the camera a bit more. But I still think she would fit well, and blend with a group.

AJ: What a beautiful voice (when he has the "right" song). Very smooth and strong without being overpowering. He is also at ease on stage and has a good presence. I could totally see him in the group.

Lucy: This is a tough one for me. She is an awesome vocalist, but I think she would do better in the adult "American Idol" (and would probably beat many of them). Her voice is just so powerful and mature. Fairly consistent vocally. As far as dancing, she looks odd doing "junior" moves. I truly believe a "group" would hold her back from her true calling as a soloist.

Chantel: Great singer. She hasn't been consistent enough for me though. Her dancing also needs a bit of work, but that may also come from being a bit too mature for a junior group and the moves they expect you to do. I think as a soloist she would rock!

Katelyn: I find her performances...ok. Her looks are a huge asset, but her height is a deficit. She just looks so out-of-place standing next to most of the juniors. Like she's their babysitter. She has a decent voice, but a bit lack-lustre. I'm not sure a "group" is right for her. I still think she will end up singing, acting, modelling...something.

Chauncey: The most inconsistent in my opinion. He also seems quite nervous on stage. Not a bad voice...but a bit weak. I think it will grow. Although he would be my last pick...I could somehow see him in the group based on the overall marketing. He has a soft voice which would blend well and has a cute look and isn't too tall.

If I had to choose the group today, my pick would be:

Taylor
Jordan
Tori
Danielle
Chauncey

They are NOT my favorites. But I just think they would blend well vocally and with their similar heights and "young" looks, they would look and sound great together. Plus, they wouldn't out-grow a group as fast as some of the others and a "group" wouldn't be holding them back from going on to better things.

Let's face it...once you're in this group, you will ALWAYS be associated with that for good or bad. It could really hinder your career if you wanted to move on to be the next Mariah or Britney, ya know.

[YeahYeah]

Rankings & Score For Week 1:

- Morgan (9.5)
- Lucy (9.4; her voice was as good as always, but I think her dancing ability really hurt this song, in particular, more so than anything else she's done)
- Danielle (8.5)
- Chantel (8.2)
- Jordan (7.8)
- AJ (7.6)
- Taylor (7.2)
- Katelyn (7)
- Tori (6.5)
- Chauncey (6)

Rankings For Week 2:

- Lucy (9.8)
- Danielle (9.4)
- Chauncey (9)
- Morgan (8.8)
- Katelyn (7.6)
- Jordan (7.2)
- Chantel (6.5)
- Tori (6.2)
- AJ (6)


Ratings After Two Weeks:

- Lucy (9.6)
- Morgan (9.15)
- Danielle (8.95)
- Jordan (7.5)
- Chauncey (7.5)
- Chantel (7.35)
- Katelyn (7.3)
- Taylor (7.2)
- AJ (6.8)
- Tori (6.35)

[Cassandra]

I like your idea of looking at the performances overall instead of on a given week. If they're going to be in the band, they need to be consistently good, not just on certain days and with certain songs. The way I'm doing it is I give each performer a score from 1-10 each week. Then I total their scores to give them a ranking. I have only scored their finals performances.

I look for consistency too...I think I'm going to rewatch my tapes and rank them like you did.

[zippy]

If I had to choose the group today, my pick would be:

Taylor
Jordan
Tori
Danielle
Chauncey

They are NOT my favorites. But I just think they would blend well vocally and with their similar heights and "young" looks, they would look and sound great together. Plus, they wouldn't out-grow a group as fast as some of the others and a "group" wouldn't be holding them back from going on to better things.

That's pretty interesting. I wouldn't put ANY of those kids together, because they are TOO similar. I would pick one (probably Chauncey or Danielle) to front the group and add in some of the older kids to balance out the sound.

Let's face it...once you're in this group, you will ALWAYS be associated with that for good or bad. It could really hinder your career if you wanted to move on to be the next Mariah or Britney, ya know.

Are you forgetting that Justin Timberlake and Britney were both in The New Mickey Mouse Club?

[Cassandra]

Are you forgetting that Justin Timberlake and Britney were both in The New Mickey Mouse Club?

That's a really good point. It got their careers off well, but no one really thinks about it too much anymore. And since these kids are about the same ages Britney and Justin were on the show, in another 5-10 years, if the group goes nowhere, they could still have a successful career.

[Shaenee]

I dare say that the "Mickey Mouse Club" is completely different than a "Pop Group" like S Club or something. Mickey Mouse Club is not a "group", it is a rotating series of kids that are picked for a 6 month term each year and don't produce CD's and perform like a regular pop group.

Most people DIDN'T even know that Britney and Justin were in MMC until AFTER they were already stars. Why? Because nobody really follows the Mickey Mouse Club.

Unless you went to the web site, probably no one could even name who was in the Mickey Mouse Club today.

Let's look at a group that was actually popular and people bought their CD's. The "Spice Girls". Many of the former members have tried to become solo artists but their CD releases were flops and people generally don't take them seriously on their own. They were a good gimmick as a group.

[CanyonsSis]

#1 Danielle White
#2 AJ Melendez
#3 Lucy Hale
#4 Morgan Burke
#5 Chauncey Matthews
#6 Chantel Kohl
#7 Tori Thompson
#8 Jordan McCoy
#9 Katelyn Tarver

For The Semifinalists
#1 Kristinia DeBarge
#2 Canyon Grove
#3 Tyler Foehr
#4 Quintin Caruthers
#5 Julie Dubela
#6 Mercedes Ruiz
#7 Brennan Hillard
#8 Lauren Klena (she was ok during the group song)
#9 Grace Leer
#10 Kara Lieberman

[zippy]

Let's look at a group that was actually popular and people bought their CD's. The "Spice Girls". Many of the former members have tried to become solo artists but their CD releases were flops and people generally don't take them seriously on their own. They were a good gimmick as a group.

Why should we compare it to Spice Girls? There is no reason to think that this group will be popular or that many people will buy their CDs. American Juniors is not a very popular TV show, and 19E will have a tough time selling any group they put together unless they somehow get the kind of viewership that AI got. Your own quote is probably a better comparison.

"Most people DIDN'T even know that Britney and Justin were in MMC until AFTER they were already stars. Why? Because nobody really follows the Mickey Mouse Club."

I think we will be able to say the same thing about this group.