‘American Idol’ season 12 brought about more diversity than any FOX show has ever seen, whether most of the “diverse” contestants made it on the show or not. The top 10 finalists are some of the best vocalists our nation has ever seen, which is probably why the producers gave each of the newly crowned finalists ‘victory’ performances. While the performances below were all great, there are a few distinguishing characteristics that set some standouts apart further than others. This season, TUA will implement a grading scale to select the week’s best (and sometimes worst) performances each week.

---

Kree Harrison – Susan Tedeschi’s “Evidence”
Grade: A+

As the true front-runner for this season of “Idol”, Kree delivers better than FedEx. Taking on a country classic, Kree commanded the stage and made this season of the show one of the most interesting ever.

---

Candice Glover – Rose Royce’s “I’m Goin’ Down”
Grade: A

After her praise dancing to celebrate her spot in the top 10, Candice delivers one of the best performances of the night. Every change to Rose’s original arrangement was #pitchperfect, but the end note was simply earth-shattering.

---

Angie Miller – Beyonce’s “I Was Here”
Grade: A

A slower rendition of Beyonce’s classic, Angie brings true artistry and talent to the forefront each week. The second half of “Here” was so stellar that it went way beyond the original, giving her a #worldwide standing ovation and brought 3/4 of the judges to tears.

---

Burnell Taylor – India.Arie’s “Ready For Love”
Grade: A

There’s no question that Burnell wins the award for #handperformance of the season. His effortless vocals and striking performance factor makes for a great future ‘Idol’.

---

Curtis Finch Jr. – John Legend’s “So High”
Grade: A-

Dubbed ‘Jacob Lusk 2.0’, Curtis’s deep vibrato is sometimes too much to handle. His perceived vocal overload at times makes for a performance that’s overly dramatic, but still somewhat fun to watch.

---

Paul Jolley – Heart’s “Alone”
Grade: B+

Bringing a great vocal and stage presence, Jolley brings a husky male voice to center stage. While his vocals seem #largerthanlife, sometimes it seems that the song was even bigger than his own abilities.

---

Amber Holcomb – Chaka Khan’s “I’m Every Woman”
Grade: B+

A big song for a big voice, Amber’s arrangement of “Woman” was strong but somewhat sleepy. An uptempo performance should be just that, but Amber’s quality singing/underperforming performance factor made for another sleepy (but solid) vocal showing.

---

Devin Velez – Israel Houghton’s “The Power Of One (Change The World)”
Grade: B+

Devin encompasses a strong stage presence paired with a black man’s vocals. His performance this week was filled with pure soulful elements throughout, giving the #spanishnation a proud singing representative.

---

Janelle Arthur – Dierks Bentley’s “Home”
Grade: B

The beginning started strong, but Janelle’s notes throughout Dierks’ chorus fell flatter than a pancake. Fortunately for her, the beautiful #countrystyling plus Janelle’s previously showcased true talents (ballads) will keep her around just a tad longer.

---

Lazaro Arbos – Simon and Garfunkel’s “Bridge Over Troubled Water”
Grade: B-

All stuttering aside, the traditional “Bridge Over Troubled Water” is one of the most difficult songs to sing. Lazaro’s vocals are soft and meaningful to the songwriting, the notes are still not quite there for the competitor to reach #idolstatus.