Canadian Idol: Foreseeing the Top Ten
Commentary by Jon Dos
July 9, 2007
Another person I was expecting to see in the bottom 4 was Martha. She's constantly being told time and time again that she needs to show some personality. If personality was her problem, I'd think that after performing towards the beginning for two weeks, she'd be forgotten by the end of the show. It's great to see her get the support she deserves since she's one of the best singers in this competition.

To me, Tara is forgettable but she has the support of Newfoundland. We all know that Newfoundland tends to fare well in this competition, whether or not they have the talent to back themselves up. She has a lot of work to do in terms of strengthening her voice because the similarities to Carrie Underwood are there and she just pales in comparison. I'm hoping that next week she'll sing something that viewers will be more familiar with.

And then there's Montana. As you can tell, I'm not a fan and I just don't get her at all. I really hope she's going to take on Farley's challenge and actually sing something. I want to see if she can prove me wrong and show us that she isn't just style over substance. Did anyone else find it interesting that Jake said that he can Scarlett's performance in any bar when the same can be said about Montana?

Finally, there's Carly. Montana, take notes! This is how it's done! You can be a performer and have the vocal ability to back it up. Though personally her style doesn't suit my personal tastes, I will give credit where it's due in saying that she is the girl to beat at this point. I really hope she whips out the guitar next week. By then, she'll take this competition to a whole new level.

On the guys end, I was surprised to see Brian in the bottom 4. Like Mila, he has been at the top of his game and delivering amazing performances. The only reasoning I see behind the lack of votes is that, it's a battle between fan bases, at least for the guys. Jaydee and Liam have the charming good looks which covers the tweens votes. Greg has already established a fan base from last year and year, and rightfully so. Matt's impressive performance picked up some new fans. Then we have Brian, Dwight, and Tyler representing the rockers, but is there room for all three? All I know is that voters better realize that Brian is in jeopardy, because it would be a shame to see a top 10 without him.

I think Dwight needs to choose better songs and actually show that he can sing, instead of just perform. He, too, needs to bring out the guitar. I actually found it surprising that he didn't bring it out the first chance he got. If you recall, he mentioned that performing without a guitar is similar to skating without a hockey stick.

I was expecting Greg to land in the bottom 4 this week and possibly experience the same fate as last year. Good for the viewers for picking up their phones and making sure it wouldn't happen. So far he has made excellent song choices, obviously learning from "Rocket Man," and is the guy to beat. He is 2 for 2 in terms of choosing my favourite artists. Here's hoping that he'll perform some John Mayer this week.

Jaydee did well this week but there's still that something about him that doesn't appear real. He's doing well so far but I'd prefer more current songs. At least he met halfway by choosing a Ray Charles classic which was covered recently.

Liam, actually for me, didn't stand out this week. He did showcase his range in "She's So High" by demonstrating that he can control the lower notes, and nail the falsetto. Unlike Jaydee, he at least appears to be sincere.

Matt was really impressive this week. He chose the perfect song and probably surprised a couple of people. I'll be honest, I also expected him to land in the bottom 4. I don't know where his sudden support came from, but it was well deserved.

My opinion of Tyler actually changed after his performance of "Have A Little Faith in Me." Pre-top 22 and last week, I really wanted him out. This week, he showed that there was more to him and that he can actually sing. Dwight, take notes! Rock star attitude aside, he is really growing on me.

So who will be in this year's top 10?

If it were up to me, it would consist of Annika, Carly, Khalila, Martha, and Mila for the girls, and for the guys, it would consist of Brian, Greg, Liam, Matt, and Tyler. Of course, it's up to Canada and this just won't be happening.

For the girls, I think it's safe to say Carly and Tara are the only locks for the top 10. Carly deservingly earned her spot and Tara has an entire province supporting her. Khalila probably has a good chance. I'm sure her visit in the bottom will help her learn from her mistake this week. For Annika and Montana, I think their performances will make or break them. Depending on how well they do, will determine how my favourites and hometown girls, Martha and Mila, will fare. For the sake of my optimism, I'm going to predict that Annika and Montana will not make the cut.

For the guys, I think Greg, Jaydee, and Liam are locks for the top 10. As mentioned above, Greg is the guy to beat. The tweens love Jaydee and Liam. With Jaydee's million dollar smile and Liam's "churning the butter", what's there not to love about them? Tyler's chances look good too. He's proved critics wrong and if the Maritimes are to choose between resident rockers Dwight and Tyler to represent them, Tyler will come out on top. Brian and Matt will be competing for that last spot. It's tough to choose between the two but I think in the end, Brian's visit in the bottom 4 is enough to serve as a wake up call for voters. Therefore, I'm going to predict that Dwight and Matt will not make the cut.