Season 6 vs. Season 7

Last year we heard it over and over again: "This is the worst season of 'American Idol' ever!" Because everybody apparently agreed that Season 6 was terrible, the producers attempted to stack the deck as much as they could in Season 7. Several contestants this year have had past record deals, and others have recorded albums independently before coming on the show. They don't want another boring, amateurish group like last year. The powers that be at "Idol" have gone out of their way to tell us that this year's group is the most talented ever, but is it really? Certainly, if they are the best ever they'll compare favorably to last year's lackluster contestants, won't they?

I thought it would be interesting to look at this year's Top 12 next to last year's and determine which season was better. Obviously, this piece will be based on my subjective opinions, but I'll attempt to support my positions as best I can. It might be unfair to start these comparisons before the season has ended, but I think we've seen enough by now to have an idea of how good each contestant this year is.

I won't compare these contestants on a purely technical level. Rather, I'll try to determine who has the better overall package. I would consider a less technically competent singer "better" than a more technically competent one if he/she was more entertaining or enjoyable in his/her performances. A contestant who picks the right songs, knows how to engage the audience and keeps you interested is certainly what most people are looking for from this show, not just someone with a good voice.

I figured that the best way to compare these contestants would be to match each Finalist from Season 6 up with the one from Season 7 who was most similar. Some of these comparisons work better than others, but I think I came up with the best match for each one.

Brandon Rogers vs. David Hernandez

They both went home in 12th Place and they were both pop singers with a bit of an R&B flavor. To be honest, I was never a big fan of Brandon. While he was an OK singer, I found him boring. David, on the other hand, seemed like a determined underdog from the very beginning. He seemed like he was putting his all into every performance because he wanted it badly. Brandon talked about how much he wanted it, but his performances never warranted much attention. I know some people found David a bit bland, but I thought he was one of the more entertaining contestants during the Semifinals. His rendition of "Papa Was a Rolling Stone" was one of the top three performances from Top 10 Guys night. The only thing most people will remember Brandon for is his ill-fated performance of "You Can't Hurry Love" where he forgot the lyrics and was promptly sent home. David had several good performances before a weak version of "I Saw Her Standing There" (and possibly his past as a stripper) got him booted.

Edge: Season 7

Stephanie Edwards vs. Ramiele Malubay

They were the weakest "divas" from their respective seasons, and they're similar in that their first performances ("How Come You Don't Call Me" for Stephanie and "You Don't Have to Say You Love Me" for Ramiele) were both very good. The problem was that they both became boring pretty quickly. Stephanie was sent home in 11th Place after a weak performance of "You Don't Have to Say You Love Me" (which didn't make the same impact as Ramiele's). Ramiele made mediocre song choices throughout the competition, and she eventually went home in 9th Place after an awful version of "Do I Cross Your Mind". The problem with Ramiele was that she seemed to have the potential to do better, but her poise and performance skills weren't up to par. Stephanie was more confident on stage, but it was hard for her to stand out when competing with the personalities of Melinda Doolittle and Jordin Sparks. While Stephanie didn't have Ramiele's cute charm, there's no doubt in my mind that she had a better grasp of how to maximize her talent.

Edge: Season 6

Chris Sligh vs. David Cook

I put these two together because they both have an alternative rock style. This should be a no-brainer, right? Cook is currently considered the frontrunner by most people and Sligh went home in 10th Place. Actually, it is a no-brainer to me, but not in the way you might expect. Chris Sligh was one of my favorites last year. I thought he had the best voice of all the guys and I loved his distinctive tone. When he was eliminated I was actually still disappointed about it the next day. David Cook is an undeniably talented singer, but his performances are nothing I have any desire to listen to. His post-grunge arrangements are boring, and I don't find his vocal tone that appealing. There's also personality. While some of Chris Sligh's humor got old after a while, I liked that he tried to make the show fun. David does seem to have a sense of humor, but for the most part his personality is kind of dull. If David Cook goes home I'll probably be happy about it the next day, not disappointed.

Edge: Season 6

Gina Glocksen vs. Amanda Overmyer

Rocker chicks! While this was one of the easiest matches to make, Amanda and Gina were very different. Some of Gina's critics thought that her rocker persona seemed more like a role she was playing rather than a true reflection of her personality. Her style was along the lines of today's edgy alt-rock, though she seemed to have an affinity for Céline Dion as well. Amanda, on the other hand, was about as authentic as they come. Her style was a more bluesy, classic rock-influenced one, and she never strayed from it. Personally, I was never a fan of Gina. She only gave one performance I actually liked, and that was "I'll Stand By You" (a song that hardly fit her "rock" style). Amanda, while she took a while to find her groove, gave performances that made me want to pump my fist. She was exciting to watch and listen to, whereas Gina usually bored me. I'd definitely give Gina the edge in terms of technical singing ability. Amanda was more of a shouter, and she didn't handle rangy melodies very well. There's no way Amanda could've pulled off "I'll Stand By You" as well as Gina did, but I also know she never would've attempted it, as her belief was that "ballads are boring!" Still, as far as overall performing ability goes, I prefer Amanda.

Edge: Season 7

Haley Scarnato vs. Kristy Lee Cook

They're both pretty girls who lasted longer than most people expected. While Kristy has established herself as this year's "country singer", Haley revealed after her elimination that she had hoped to go in a country direction too. Vocally, I'd say Haley was better. While Kristy has shown an ability to hit the occasional big note, her vocals are completely devoid of any emotion or personality. Haley could hit those big notes too, but she actually put some feeling into the rest of her singing. Then there's performing ability. Kristy didn't earn my "Mannequin" nickname for nothing; her performances are robotic. Haley actually worked the stage sometimes. While you could easily categorize both of them as mediocre singers who got by on their looks, I would say Haley is clearly superior.

Edge: Season 6

Sanjaya Malakar vs. Jason Castro

Don't get mad at me, Dreadheads. It was the best one I could come up with. Both of them stand out because of their hair, and neither one is an outstanding vocalist. While Jason hasn't had any trainwreck performances like Sanjaya did, I think Sanjaya actually had more singing ability than Jason. Just listen to Sanjaya's "Bésame Mucho". He actually sounds really good on it. I'm pretty sure Sanjaya has taken voice lessons, whereas Jason basically taught himself to sing a few years ago. I think the biggest reason for Sanjaya's weak vocals (especially early on) was that he was a shy teenager whose nerves got the better of him. Jason is older, more laid back and has been on TV before, so he's probably more able to handle the pressure. Another thing in Jason's favor is that he has his own musical style that sets him apart on the show. People know him as the folky guy with the guitar, but Sanjaya didn't really have an artistic persona. Still, I think the biggest area where Sanjaya wins is that he was more entertaining. I'll admit that I hated Sanjaya last year, but after he was off the show I started to appreciate him more. While he was both bad and boring in the beginning, he became more creative and confident over the course of the competition (how's that for alliteration?). Love him or hate him, you couldn't ignore his presence. Jason himself stands out, but many of his peformances are forgettable.

Edge: Season 6

Phil Stacey vs. David Archuleta

This comparison might seem a little awkward, as one was a bald, deep-voiced family man and the other is a shy, Eric Carmen-voiced teen heartthrob, but stylistically I think they're the best match, as they're both big-voiced male singers. I'll admit that I didn't like Phil at first last year. I didn't hate him, as he seemed like a nice guy, but his pitch was usually off and his voice often seemed strained. He got more confident as the competition went on though, and eventually he won me over. I plan on buying his album when it comes out this month. David has a similar story. At first I thought he was a bit overrated, but I never hated him as he seemed like a humble kid. Recently though, he's been growing on me. I even think I could eventually vote for him, but I don't think I'd ever buy his album. While they're both very talented and likable, I'd say David is a little better than Phil as far as pure singing and performing ability goes.

Edge: Season 7

Chris Richardson vs. Michael Johns

I put these two together because they both have rock and soul elements to their styles and they're both considered sexy by many female fans. While neither one has an especially strong voice, Michael may have a slight advantage in that area. Personally though, I liked Chris more. He came across as humble and affable, and he knew how to own the stage. Michael doesn't seem to have much of a personality, and his performances aren't very engaging. All the swooning women may disagree with me on that, but as a straight man I can say that he's one of those contestants whose performance I usually want to get over with. He's just not interesting to me at all. While Chris' style of music wasn't really my thing, I at least thought he was entertaining and likable.

Edge: Season 6

LaKisha Jones vs. Syesha Mercado

These are the two divas whose styles are/were most confined to gospel-ish oversinging. Honestly, I thought LaKisha was boring and only had two memorable performances during the entire season ("And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going" and "This Ain't a Love Song"). It's almost surprising in retrospect that she avoided the Bottom 3 until the Top 7. She was good, but she was too one-dimensional and forgettable. Her backstory about trying to make a better life for her daughter was probably what kept her in it. Syesha is pretty much the same thing to me, except worse. Everything she does seems affected, and her voice is much more screechy and obnoxious than LaKisha's was. While LaKisha didn't have the most inviting personality, Syesha just comes across as self-absorbed. I may not have been a LaKisha fan, but she was much better all around than Syesha.

Edge: Season 6

Melinda Doolittle vs. Carly Smithson

They're the two women with the strongest technical singing voices of their respective seasons. Honestly, this one is too easy. Many people consider Melinda to be the best singer in "American Idol" history. She gave so many great performances it's almost hard to keep track of them all. In addition to her vocal chops, she had an extremely lovable personality. She was genuinely surprised early on by how much the judges liked her, and she never came across as entitled or pretentious. Then there's Carly. While Melinda had only one performance that I didn't think was very good ("I Believe in You and Me") Carly has had several. Part of the problem was that she was sick early on in the competition, but even now that she's supposed to have recovered she still underwhelms. Since we're discussing personalities as well, there's no way Carly can win here. She's tried to portray herself as an unfortunate victim of bad luck, but it just comes off as whiny, as she's already gotten more chances at fame than most people ever get. I loved Melinda. I can't stand Carly.

Edge: Season 6

Blake Lewis vs. Chikezie

This comparison was painful to make, as Chikezie was one of my favorites and I hated Blake. Still, I think they're similar in that they were the contestants who changed things up the most. Other than that there wasn't much they had in common. As far as singing talent goes, there's no question that Chikezie has the advantage. Chikezie's voice was strong and soulful, whereas Blake had little range and used his beatboxing to cover up his mediocre singing. I think Blake was better at consistently picking the right songs and keeping the audience interested, but I don't think he ever knocked one out of the park like Chikezie did with his two Beatles performances and "I Believe to My Soul". Some would argue that Blake's "You Give Love a Bad Name" was incredible, but Simon said that half the people would love it and half would hate it, and I'm personally among the ones who thought it was crap.

Edge: Season 7

Jordin Sparks vs. Brooke White

This is what we're left with, but I think it sort of works. Their sunny, likable personalities were a big part of what made them both successful. While I always liked Jordin, she was never my favorite (until the finale), and Brooke has been my favorite girl since the beginning. Vocally, Jordin wins hands down. Brooke's singing is more about interpretation and feeling than technical skill. Jordin had one of the biggest voices in the competition, and she was no slouch at putting feeling into her performances either. Jordin had several performances that weren't very good or memorable, but when she was at her best she was incredible. Brooke hasn't given a performance yet that I thought was terrible, but she hasn't blown me away yet like Jordin did with "I (Who Have Nothing)" either. Perhaps this wasn't the fairest comparison, but as much as I like Brooke I have to say that last year's winner was better than her.

Edge: Season 6

To sum things up, I'd consider eight of Season 6's Top 12 to be superior to their Season 7 counterparts. We aren't hearing that this group is the most talented ever as much as we used to, perhaps because it clearly isn't. People can hate on Season 6 all they want, but I hope they realize after Season 7 is over that it wasn't any better.