"American Idol" vs. "The Voice": Who's the best singer? Vote here.
Chris Barton
Music Writer
This week's song:
'A Change Is Gonna Come'
A voice that can Cooke
After a bit of pandering to "Idol's" past with Fantasia's "I Believe,” Ledet invited comparison to only one of the best singers who ever lived in Sam Cooke. No pressure, at least if you have Ledet's voice, which can shift into a gear the others simply don't have. Listen to what he does with "sometimes" midway through this song and try voting for anybody else. — Chris Barton
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This week's song:
'Against All Odds'
An 'Odds'-on favorite
Paul has been a specialist with up-tempo numbers, but maybe his comfort zone can be amended to encompassing the '80s as a whole. Adding a new layer of quavering soul to Phil Collins' decade-damaged hit made the song sound fresh and vital, no easy task with something that in its day garnered airplay roughly every 10 minutes. — Chris Barton
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Jesse Campbell
"the voice"
This week's song:
'Halo'
Wait, what happened?
Sure, the father-daughter shot at the end of his performance was a bit over the top (and since when has that been a handicap here?), but it's going to take time to process Christina Aguilera's decision to give Campbell the boot after nailing a song that didn't play to his strengths. What kind of world is it where we can't rely on pop singers for their opinions? — Chris Barton
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This week's song:
'Let's Get It On'
Still strong in the '70s
Maybe only Colton Dixon could screw up this Marvin Gaye classic with his maddening gift for turning everything into an emo piano ballad, but Testone had a blast growling and squealing through this song-length seduction. It might not be enough to save her against her more teen-friendly competitors, but we are all sensitive people, aren't we? — Chris Barton
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This week's song:
'Please Don't Go'
Strangely moving
There's something undeniably weird about Pavao's vowel-inflating delivery (to say nothing about her lopsided haircut), but her divisive vocal style shines much more brightly when she ditches the drama club stagecraft and keeps it simple. Removed from her previous turns with clown masks and duotone pants, Pavao captured the song's vulnerability. — Chris Barton
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Todd Martens
Music Writer
This week's song:
'A Change Is Gonna Come'
Doesn't need to change a thing
Ledet invited the listener close by starting things slow and smooth and soon whip-lashed through a series of emotions on this Civil Rights-era classic. Then when he sang the word "sometime," he sounded like a busted car engine struggling to start, bringing the requisite amount of dead-end frustration to the song. — Todd Martens
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This week's song:
'Against All Odds'
Take a look at him now
Paul stood close to the mike for this performance, letting his voice roam the room instead. He showed the art of the slow build, turning an '80s soft rocker into a statement of confidence. — Todd Martens
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This week's song:
'Part of Me'
Keep it like a secret
Pop fashionista Lady Gaga flirts with country on her borderline-sappy "You and I." Testone, dare I say, improved on the original, turning nostalgia for days of tomfoolery on the couch into a mission statement for future encounters. — Todd Martens
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This week's song:
'Let's Get It On'
Got it going on
Rather than trying to amplify the song's soulfulness, Testone opted to focus on its playfulness, a wise move for the clean-cut, rock 'n' roll fan. What impressed, however, was her ability to ride the groove while ad-libbing and tossing in a few "Idol"-like vocal flourishes. — Todd Martens
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This week's song:
'Proud Mary'
In bayou country
A scattershot version of the song that rocketed from swampy soul to Broadway-ready rock 'n' roll, but one that showed the expansiveness of Willet's commanding voice. She brought a little Southern grace to the song's opening verses, then hollered to the cheap seats at its end. — Todd Martens
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Amy Reiter
Television Writer
This week's song:
'U Got It Bad'
I got it bad!
Phillips, my "Idol" favorite, fell off my list last week, but this week he reminded me how bad I have it for him, first strumming and singing sexy on Usher's "U Got It Bad" and then all itchy-twitchy, chicken-dancey with "In the Midnight Hour." Electrifying. — Amy Reiter
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This week's song:
'Let's Get It On'
A bold, sexy song choice
Testone boldly tackled this suggestive Marvin Gaye song, showing off her vocal texture, sensuality and soul. Who knows why the judges didn't like it? Maybe it made them uncomfortable to see a woman growling and grooving and getting her moves on up there. — Amy Reiter
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This week's song:
'A Change Is Gonna Come'
My feelings for him have changed
Ledet is an immensely talented singer, but to me, his performances had begun to feel overwrought. He's gotten his excesses back in control, though, and his restrained "A Change Is Gonna Come" was a pleasure to listen to perhaps because it was less polished and precise than previous performances, though no less passionate. — Amy Reiter
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Jesse Campbell
"the voice"
This week's song:
'Halo'
Sent away way too soon
No, this was not Campbell's best performance, but he was one of the best singers on "The Voice," and if this song didn't suit him, I blame his coach, Christina Aguilera. He's on my list to protest his early ouster and is the only "Voice" contestant included because I'm mad at the show for depriving the audience of a say in the matter. — Amy Reiter
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This week's song:
'Fallin'
Fell for her all over again
Sanchez seemed understandably affected by her shocking near ouster last week. She didn't come back with quite the same power we've seen from her some weeks, but she never lost her grasp on musicality or her vocal maturity. On Alicia Keys' "Fallin'," many of us probably fell for her all over again. — Amy Reiter
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Your Favorites
Poll closed
This week's song:
'Fallin'
She's back
Sanchez received 23.79% of your votes, with over 60,000 votes cast.
"Go go Jessica Sanchez, American knows that you can sing a fantastic voice..." Ruben Cruz via latimes.com.
"she really deserve to win...with beautiful and unbelievable voice..." Salvador Santelices via latimes.com
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This week's song:
'U Got It Bad'
'Phantastic'
Phillips received 23.47% of your votes, with over 60,000 votes cast..
"Phillip Phillips can cover any song, do the song 'his way', and I hear them with new ears," Sheri Kelly via latimes.com
"I said they found the winner the first time Phillip Phillips auditioned and I believe that even more now." Christine Quaini via latimes.com
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This week's song:
'Against All Odds'
'True superstar'
Paul received 10.37% of your votes, with over 60,000 votes cast.
"#jermainePaul Such amazing talent, a true superstar!" Hannah Tighe via Twitter
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Jesse Campbell
"the voice"
This week's song:
'Halo'
'Huge mistake'
Campbell received 7.08% of your votes, with over 60,000 votes cast.
"Christina should have kept Jesse....huge mistake Christina!" Yasmin Sally Daniels via latimes.com
"The Voice has lost it's soul now that Jessie has been eliminated by Coach Christina for no good reason." Christina S. Gerard via latimes.com
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This week's song:
'A Change Is Gonna Come'
'Impressed'
Ledet received 5.46% of your votes, with over 60,000 votes cast.
"Is it just me, or do #JoshuaLedet & #JessicaSanchez make the rest of the #AmericanIdol contestants sound like karaoke singers?" Jason Baca via Twitter
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Photos: "American Idol" contestants / Michael Becker/Fox | Photos: "The Voice" contestants / Mitchell Haaseth/NBC.
Design and interactivity: Lily Mihalik. Interactivity: Armand Emamdjomeh/@emamd
Use the poll below to vote. Make your case in the comments. Poll remains open until Monday. Check back daily for new results.