4. Marcus Canty
Many viewers and critics didn't think Marcus Canty deserved to move forward at the expense of Rachel Crow when Canty had been in the bottom two vote-getters for three weeks in a row. He escaped elimination because judge Nicole Scherzinger refused to cast a vote--leaving a tie that was broken by viewer votes. But it's unlikely Canty will be able to hang on to the finale, especially if Crow supporters take their anger out on the twenty-year-old.
3. Chris Rene
Twenty-eight-year-old Chris Rene hasn't always gotten the recognition he deserves in the competition, but he stole the show with his original song "Where Do We Go From Here," which showcased his acoustic guitar playing and reminded viewers of the other original he sang at his audition, "Young Homie" (which drew praise from Stevie Wonders). Rene also showed his range with his song choice, prompting judge Simon Cowell to call Rene's night “a stroke of genius.”
Still, Rene is unlikely to win at this point, but that doesn't mean the R&B-hip-hop artist will have to return to his former job as a garbage man in Santa Cruz, California. He will undoubtedly get a recording contract, it just might not be worth $5 million dollars.
2. Melanie Amaro
Melanie Amaro has the best chance of giving Josh Krajcik a run for his money. The 18-year-old has been consistently impressive throughout the competition by giving her own spin to such iconic songs as Whitney Houston's "I Have Nothing," R.E.M.'s "Everybody Hurts," and Adele's "Someone Like You."
Still, as many girls on American Idol have learned, it's hard to beat a guy when many of the voters are tween girls (hmmm, maybe Marcus Canty has a chance after all). Of course anything can happen during the finale and Amaro still could come out on top.
1. Josh Krajcik
Singer-songwriter guitar player Josh Krajcik blew judges away during "rock week," when L.A. Reid raved, "You have the authenticity, you have the stage presence, and you're the only person who's really rocked the house tonight." The gravely-voiced singer also impressed with his performances of the Beatle's "Sometimes," and Foo Fighters’ “The Pretender” and Roberta Flack’s “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face.”
Judge Nicole Scherzinger has called Krajcik "the male Adele" and coined the term "Krajcik Magic." Meanwhile, Paula Abdul gushed, "Adjectives just don't describe your brilliance anymore, they just don't measure up."
All in all, the thirty-year-old Midwestern father has the talent and the nice guy personality to make history as the first winner of America's X Factor.