There have been a lot of theme weeks in American Idol's long and prosperous life.  Some are difficult, painting the singers into uncomfortable and unfair corners.  Some are wide-ranging, allowing for a diverse group of contestants to sing a diverse group of songs.  The theme that American Idol's Top 9 will have to adhere to next has (kind of) been leaked onto the internets, and it is somewhere in the middle.  It was initially though that the nine American Idol finalists would have to choose a song from ITunes current Top 100 Song Downloads.  100 seems like a lot of songs to choose from, but when you take a machete to the list and remove all the hip/hop and dance tunes that make no sense for the finalists, you're not left with much.  No one is going to sing any Kanye West or Eminem.  However, Paula Abdul said on a radio show a few days back that it will not be the current list of Top 100 Downloads, but the All-Time Top 100 ITunes downloads.  Now, there is no confirmation on this.  When your only source is Paula Abdul's whiskey-soaked voice, you're going to want to wait for real confirmation from somewhere else.

American Idol 8: Top 9 Power Rankings
American Idol 8: Motown Week Song Choice Predictions


Since we don't really know what the Top 9 will be singing this week, we should probably talk a little about the last results show and what its ramifications will be.  While the assumption is that The Bottom Three during the American Idol results shows is actually comprised of the bottom three vote-getters, they don't have to be.  Ryan Seacrest never verbally made it clear that Matt Giraud was the second lowest vote-getter, only that he wasn't safe.  I'm not one for conspiracy theories, but it just doesn't make sense that both Scott MacIntyre and Megan Joy received a higher vote total than Matt.  So, what was going on?

American Idol is never shy about gaming the system.  Two weeks ago, Allison Iraheta fell into the bottom three.  Idol responded to that unfortunate event by giving Allison the pimp spot last week.  That's the best way to inflate a singer's vote total.  The other best way?  Make it seem like someone is in danger of being voted off prematurely.  Is it possible that the Idol producers saw that Matt's vote total was lower than it logically should be and decided to make it look as if he was in the bottom two in order to help him out in the coming weeks?  Though diabolical, I'd say its likely.  At worst, Dial Idol had Matt Giraud as the third lowest vote-getter, and Dial Idol is typically very accurate.  This is for sure – Matt Giraud will not find himself in the bottom three this week. 

Who, then, will make an appearance in the bottom three?  The two most obvious (and likely) candidates are Scott MacIntyre and Megan Joy.  Scott is more or less a shoe-in.  Even at his best, Scott pales in comparison to the competition.  Megan, if you still believe in her talent (as I, and the judges, do), is due for a solid performance.  Given her built-in fan-base, her support from Vote For The Worst, her looks and the possible judges' support given a good performance, Megan could very well escape danger once again.  If that happens, another surprise elimination could be in the works. 

Adam Lambert is safe for another week.  That's the only thing I'm sure of.  Anoop Desai is probably safe.  So is Allison, and so is Danny Gokey.  It's not out of the realm of possibility that Lil Rounds goes home.  Same goes for Kris Allen.  I think Matt Giraud will be all right after his brush with elimination last week.  If this logic follows, the contenders for elimination are Scott MacIntyre, Megan Joy, Kris Allen, and Lil Rounds.  Scott is the most likely candidate, regardless of what he does.  If Megan gives another disastrous performance, she is probably gonzo.  She, more than anyone, has her fate resting in her own hands. 

What do you think?  What are your early predictions for elimination?  Share your thoughts below.

Stay tuned this week for all sorts of Idol coverage, including the Top 9 Power Rankings (later today), the Song Choice Predictions (tomorrow) and then all the episode coverage beginning tomorrow night.  Should be a fun week.


-Oscar Dahl, BuddyTV Senior Writer
(Image Courtesy of FOX)