American Idol: Who will be ‘it’?

People are already guessing who the Top 3 will be in this season of American Idol. Last year, it was Fantasia Barrino, Diana DeGarmo and our very own Jasmine Trias who ruled the Top 3 spots. But things have changed because this season the guys are shining brighter than the girls. Want proof? The first three contestants to be eliminated from the competition were all girls – Lindsey Cardinale, Mikalah Gordon and just last week Jessica Sierra.

Still this season’s lot is the best among the previous ones. All of them (well, except for Scott Savol) deserve to be the next American Idol but only one of them could take the crown.

And so the question remains – who will it be?

Is it Carrie Underwood? Last week, Carrie wowed the judges once more with her rendition of Independence Day. While she’s the strongest country music gal to take the "Idol" stage, that doesn’t mean the 21-year-old crowd favorite can’t handle other musical styles, she’s proven a bit of her versatility and we can’t wait to hear more. She’s the person to beat this season.

Simon says: "You’ve got the IT factor, which is what it is all about."

We say: She’s obviously Simon’s favorite but what the heck she’s one of our bets too. We like her being a country singer and all but it would also be great hearing her sing different genres of music.

Anwar Robinson, perhaps? He’s what a music teacher should be. He’s a very good singer and he seems so nice too. During the elimination weeks, Anwar was consistently on top of his game but his performances have slipped off lately mostly because of an odd few songs that don’t show off his strengths. Last week he was surprisingly at the bottom three but we suspected that the reason behind this was not related to his performance but a rumor about him that has been circulating on the web.

Simon says: "We want to see you take a risk so you’re not seen as boring because you’re not."

We say: We miss the old Anwar we know back from the elimination round where he belted out Moon River, What’s Going On and What a Wonderful World. The guy has real talent; he’s the next Stevie Wonder for crying out loud. But if he continues to do just an average performance he might go home sooner than we think.

Could it be rocker Bo Bice? What can we say, he’s a talented singer and performer. He owns the stage. Bo Bice is always keeping it real, meaning he’s a rocker from the tip of his hair to the cowboy boots he wears.

Simon says: "This stage can either make or break; looks like you’ve been doing it for 20 years."

We say: Yes, it’s good that he’s sticking to his roots but we also want to see his versatility. Unlike Constantine, Bo always chooses rock (or slow rock songs) so we don’t know if he could also pull off a jazzy or country song. We’ll see.

Or maybe the other rocker, Constantine Maroulis is the one. He knows that Bo Bice is better than him in terms of singing skills but Constantine has the ability of using his most powerful weapon – his smile. One smile is all he needs to make the girls go gaga over him. But last week, Constantine surprised us all, including the brutally honest Al judge Simon Cowell with his performance. He sang I Can’t Make You Love Me and Simon thinks he did better than Bo that night. That’s the first time he outshone Bo.

Simon says: "Not the best vocal in the competition but you know how to appeal to your target audience and they will love that."

We say: He’s slowly proving to us that he’s got talent not just looks. After his performance last week, more girls (or gays) will vote for him. We think he’ll stay in competition longer than we expected him to.

How about the sultry diva Vonzell Solomon? Wow, she’s a black belter who can really sing. In fact, she’s a talented singer who’s been coming on especially strong in the last couple weeks. Thanks to Simon who challenged Vonzell during the Top 12 performance show, "the problem with you is what you’ve done is stay absolutely in the middle. At some point one needs to do something great."

Simon says: "I think for the first time since you’ve been in this competition people are going to remember you."

We say: Vonzell is back in the game. She’s a bit forgettable early on but she showed us what she could do. We’re quoting Paula, "good for you."

Does Anthony Fedorov have a chance? We’ll he’s got a pretty limited range and sometimes he tends to be boring on stage.

Simon says: "The only thing I had a problem with you was you trying to do a kind of sexy routine."

We say: "His voice is not enough for a guaranteed slot in the Top 5. What he should do though is to use his charm just like what Constantine is doing to get more votes.

Or Nadia Turner. She wowed the judges with her risky song choices and her confidence is evident whenever she performs on stage.

Simon says: "In a competition full of hamburgers, you are a steak."

We say: The girl has the personality to become a star but his limited vocal range is what makes her likely to be eliminated next. She was placed at the bottom three twice already and if she performs poorly once more, America might not forgive her again.

And Nikko Smith? Nikko is one lucky man, thanks to Mario Vazquez’s departure or he wouldn’t be in the Top 12. While his resurrection has brought his solid performing back into the competition, his low-key personality isn’t likely to make him the next American Idol.

Simon says: "You are a breath of fresh air."

We say: He’s good but there’s nothing special about this guy, there’s no IT factor. He’ll go home soon but not after Scott Savol has been eliminated.

And could somebody explain why Scott Savol is still in the competition. Yes, the guy can sing but so could the other contestants who were eliminated earlier. He’s not an idol material and we’re not sure if people will buy his CD if ever (God forbid) he wins.

Simon says: "I liked your voice but I’m not sure if you’re an idol material."

We say: What he’s getting is just sympathy votes from the same people who voted Ruben Studdard (AI2 winner) before.