Hannah Harper is making a habit of this.
Following Monday’s “Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Night” episode of American Idol, Hannah’s performance of Fleetwood Mac’s “Landslide” earned a staggering 41% of the vote, by far her most dominant showing yet and her fourth straight week atop our fan poll.
At this point, calling Hannah the front-runner hardly feels bold. Still, the irony is hard to ignore: on a night she sang “Landslide,” she delivered exactly that.
The gap between Hannah and the rest of the field was massive. Jordan McCullough finished a distant second with 19.7% for his soaring take on Queen’s “Somebody to Love,” while Keyla Richardson rounded out the top three with 11.8% for her lively performance of “Signed, Sealed, Delivered (I’m Yours).”
American Idol 24 Predictions: Top 9
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Brooks came in fourth with 10.3%, followed by Braden Rumfelt in fifth at 6.9%. The bottom half of the poll was led by Lucas Leon (3.7%) and Chris Tungseth (3.3%), while Kyndal (2%) and Daniel Stallworth (1.1%) brought up the rear.
But if the past two weeks have taught us anything, it’s that our poll is far from a perfect predictor.
Last week, Philmon Lee finished second in our “Judges’ Song Contest” poll, trailing only Hannah and well ahead of Chris, Daniel, and Lucas. Yet by the end of Monday’s live show, Philmon was shockingly eliminated alongside Rae, despite both giving solid performances that were well-received by judges Carrie Underwood, Lionel Richie, and Luke Bryan.
Philmon’s exit was especially surprising. After his breakout “Hard to Handle” performance last week, he returned Monday with a fiery take on Foreigner’s “Hot Blooded” that seemed strong enough to keep him in the race. Instead, he became the latest reminder that online fan enthusiasm doesn’t always translate into enough live votes.
Rae’s elimination, meanwhile, felt less shocking. She had already landed in the Bottom 2 during “Judges’ Song Contest” before Lionel used his win to save her over Jesse Findling. Her “Rock Hall” performance of “MacArthur Park” gave her another shot, but the warning signs were already there.
So what does this week’s poll tell us?
Hannah remains the clear one to beat, but Keyla looks like her strongest challenger after finishing near the top of our poll week after week. Jordan’s runner-up finish this time around also keeps him firmly in the mix.
As for the danger zone, Daniel and Kyndal look especially vulnerable based on fan support, while Chris and Lucas continue to hover near the bottom. But if Philmon’s elimination proved anything, it’s that American Idol can still surprise us.
Next week is “Disney Night,” with Jennifer Hudson serving as mentor as the Top 9 return for another live vote. At this stage, every performance matters. For now, though, Hannah isn’t just leading the race, she’s turning it into a landslide.
Do you agree with these rankings? Who’s rising at the right time — and who’s running out of chances? Sound off in the comments and make your predictions in Gold Derby’s predictions center.
‘American Idol’ Season 24 cast: Meet the Top 20 finalists
