‘American Idol’ episode 7 performances ranked: All 28 Hollywood Week singers (we saw) from worst to best

“American Idol” continued with the seventh episode of Season 20 on Monday, March 28. This installment of the ABC reality TV competition saw judges Luke Bryan, Katy Perry and Lionel Richie kicking off Hollywood Week. Singers chose which genre they wanted to categorize themselves as before stepping to the mic in the Genre Challenge. Those who survived made it to the Duets round on Sunday, April 3.

So who was the best of the night? And did they step up their game since their initial audition? Below I rank each hopeful from the least impressive (but with room to grow) to a possible Season 20 frontrunner. Of course we didn’t see them all, so not all the singers who advanced are listed below. Come on ABC!

SEE Everything to know about ‘American Idol’ Season 20

Below are my rankings for all 28 Hollywood Week genre challenge singers (we saw) from worst to best:

28. Danielle Clavell: Great voice, but she was flat on the high notes. Outside of that, I would have a difficult time remembering her performance.

27. Jacob Moran: This was not his best performance, but there is no denying that his voice is incredible.

26. Douglas Mills Jr.: He is my favorite contestant this season so it pains me to rank him this low on this particular night of Hollywood Week. Douglas seems like the type of singer that will learn from night one and will only get better from here. Hopefully he will rise in these rankings as the episodes chronicling this week of boot camp proceeds.

25. Sarahbeth Taite: Something about her voice is very intriguing. While this was not a particularly memorable performance, I think the best is yet to come from Sarahbeth.

24. Olivia Faye: Olivia had a solid opening in Hollywood Week and I can just tell that she is going to only get better from here. Saying that, she was overshadowed by bigger personalities and better song choices tonight.

23. Mike Parker: I personally preferred Mike’s audition to this performance, but like Olivia Faye, I can just tell that he is going to only get better from this performance in Hollywood Week. I’m betting on him to make it past the week.

22. Kaylin Roberson: In a trend for this line of contestants, Kaylin seemingly chose a song that did not work for her perfectly, but just enough to get past this round of Hollywood Week. My gut is telling me not to rule her out, but hoping she gets a duet partner that can match her incredible voice.

21. Kelsie Dolin: While she was visibly more nervous than most likely everyone else that made it through to the duets, there is something special about her that just endears her to a lot of viewers. Do I think she will make it past duets? Probably not. If so, at least she had this moment of realizing how much her fellow contestants wanted her to succeed.

20. Leah Marlene: I really like this particular contestant but this performance did not wow me like her audition did. Saying that, I will make a second bold bet that she will not only improve throughout Hollywood Week but make it past the infamous round.

19. Cole Hallman: Cole was the first contestant of the night that gave me chills. Something about that song partnered with his voice was just genius. Saying that, Cole seemed nervous and that did make its way through the vocal for me.  

18. Morgan Gruber: We did not get to see a lot of her performance but from what we saw, I have a good feeling about her going further in the week.

17. Emyrson Flora: Was this a memorable performance? Not for me. Were the vocals impressive? Yes and I cannot wait to hear what she comes up with next.

16. Fritz Hager: Something about Fritz is very endearing and he could be a contender to watch out for if he keeps making great song choices like he did on this particular night. My curiosity is piqued Fritz, keep up the good work.

SEE ‘American Idol’ Winners: Where Are They Now?

15. Tobias: Runs, runs, and more runs. Tobias can do them all but he also needs to dial back on the bells and whistles and let us see what he can do without at least half of them too.

14. Katyrah Love: Katyrah’s vocals are great and more than enough to get her past this particular night but she needs to do one very important thing in order to continue advancing on in the competition. What is that you may ask? She needs to be more memorable.

13. Danielle Finn: While I loved her tone, Katy Perry was even more impressed by this contestant. My only minor critique would be that Danielle was not exactly memorable either. This show has seen amazing singers that have fallen through the cracks with classic voices in its twenty year run and I would hate for her to join their ranks.

12. Ryleigh Madison: Great song choice and vocal that impressed me. Keep up the good work!

11. Noah Thompson: Déjà vu much? With the same song as Mike Parker, he managed to stand out from the crowd due to his diamond in the rough voice matched perfectly with what I can only describe as Chayce Beckham potential to grow in this competition. I am intrigued by this contestant.

10. Sir Blake: Most improved contestant! I had a hard time believing this was the same guy from the audition at first. Keep up the good work because you won me over tonight.

9. Ava Maybee: With an unexpectedly eerie take on a classic, Ava cemented her place in the next round of Hollywood Week. The vocals were great but she might need to work on her stage presence.

8. Kevin Gullage: There is something special about Kevin. I can’t pinpoint exactly what it is but he has that “X Factor” that just makes people excited and happy while delivering great vocals.

7. Cadence Baker: Like Kevin, Cadence has something special that I cannot identify but makes her stand out from the other contestants. Keep up the good work and great vocals and you should sail through the week.

6. Tristen Gressett: I cannot help but love that he took all the notes and came back even better than his audition. I am rooting for you Tristen!

5. Jay Copeland: Alongside his fellow Platinum Ticket recipients, Jay shined vocally and in terms of energy. Keep it up Jay and you will easily excel in this week!

4. Huntergirl: Another Platinum Ticket recipient that showed her fellow contestants what they were up against and was even better vocally than her audition. Something about those tickets can really make a difference because she seemed so much more confident.

3. Kenedi Anderson: The third of the magic ticket recipients genuinely shocked me because I was worried about her and upbeat songs, but she knocked her part of the song out of the park. Do we have another Taylor Swift on our hands?

2. Christian Guardino: As an alum of “AGT,” I expected him to know how to navigate Hollywood Week like a pro. Much to my surprise, he not only knows how, but comes armed with even better song choices that allow his vocals to soar. Absolutely one to watch out for guys!

1. Nicolina: With another amazing vocal, Nicolina is showing that she did not come to play. She came to win. This was a perfect performance that put all the other contestants on notice that Nicolina is not going anywhere anytime soon in this competition.

In conclusion, Hollywood Week started off with a bang and I personally cannot wait to hear some of my other favorite voices this season again next week. Fingers crossed for a duet from Allegra Miles and Kenedi Anderson as well as a duet from Huntergirl and Dakota Hayden.

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