American Idol Leaderboard: Who's Your Fave Heading Into The Vegas Round? Take Our Poll!

21. Johnny Keyser

(Returning This Week)

Hasn't exactly wowed in several brief Season 12 appearances, but got enough facetime on the show last year to score a spot on the countdown over arguably more promising vocalists like David Willis and Vincent Powell.

20. Isabelle

(Returning This Week)

Her Hollywood Week efforts were overshadowed by showier contestants (and those who simply got more airtime), but if the gal who lost her last name can get back to the level of her audition-round "Summertime" for the live shows, she could be a contender.

19. Juliana Chahayed

(New This Week)

We heard all of, like, nine seconds of Juliana's Fleetwood Mac cover during Hollywood Week solos, but her tone was tastier than the Barefoot Contessa's truffled mac and cheese.

18. Paul Jolley

(New This Week)

Got chewed out (with good reason) by Nicki Minaj for letting his insecurities show on stage before his final Hell Week performance, but while his "Blown Away" cover wasn't quite gale force, it did have some strength behind it.

17. Mathenee Treco

(New This Week)

Returning Season 11 vet has been flying under the radar this year, but all of his collected snippets have confirmed he's got a powerful voice and a strong grasp of pitch, particularly in his group-round "Somebody to Love."

16. Lazaro Arbos

(Last Week No. 19)

The most emotional moment of Season 12 thus far came when this Cuban-born cutie wowed the judges with a spotless "Bridge Over Troubled Water" right after revealing the crippling stutter he faces when he's speaking. His Group Round performance and subsequent solo on "Edge of Glory," however, were more like "Edge of Maybe Finishing in Ninth Place — if He's Lucky."

15. Kamaria Ousley

(New This Week)

Got back-burnered a bit by Candice Glover on a sizzling group performance of "Hit 'Em Up Style (Oops!)." But if you rewind and listen to Kamaria's solo snippet, you'll hear an interesting tone and a cool conversational flow to her singing that could make her a Season 12 dark horse. Nifty yellow glasses frames will help her stand out, too.

14. Charlie Askew

(Last Week No. 15)

Adorably awkward teen has major raw talent, but I heard a couple wobbly notes on his "Breakthru"/"Nature Boy" audition. Hollywood Week rendition of "Somebody That I Used to Know" showcased a similar blend of passion and slight imperfections, but his flirty banter with Nicki hinted at the kind of big, likable personality that often appeals to Idol voters.

13. Shubha Vedula

(New This Week)

Audition-round cover of "Something's Got a Hold on Me" showcased Aguilera-esque vocal horsepower, but while she has yet to hit a sour note this season, choice of animated soundtrack ballad "When You Believe" calls her taste level into question.

12. Rachel Hale

(Last Week No. 3)

Fast-talking Arkansas cutie took her sweet time with the classic melody of "People Get Read," but her Hollywood Round rendition of Haley Reinhart's "Undone" — a singoff again Stephanie Schimel — was badly overbaked. Needs to keep it subtle if she wants to return to front-runner status.

11. Burnell Taylor

(Last Week No. 10)

Reticent cutie brought Fantasia-like ferocity to his audition on "I'm Here." Mariah found herself in tears, but Keith chimed in with some valid constructive criticism: Dude needs to ditch the shorts-with-workboots sloppiness and "dress for the occasion" the next time he's on TV. Followed up with the best of several "Jar of Hearts" covers during Hollywood Week, even if he might sound better belting than he does in more tender moments.

10. Cortez Shaw

(Last Week No. 18)

Returning contestant from Season 11 left Nicki "disgusted" with his strained cover of "I Will Always Love You," but followup rendition of "Sunny" was a study in understated gorgeousness. (Oh, and the vocal was pretty great, too!)

9. Cristabel Clack

(New This Week)

Did pretty well in her audition with the overdone-on-Idol "If I Ain't Got You," but it was her deeply felt Group Round rendition of "If I Die Young" that marked her as a vocalist worth watching. Too bad the show chose to focus more on drama from one of Cristabel's emotionally collapsing teammmates.

8. Jimmy Smith

(Last Week No. 13)

Didn't make a particularly strong impression in the audition rounds, but his Hollywood Week cover of "Landslide" was an excellent example of how to play around with a classic melody without disrespecting it. Plus, Jimmy has the rare ability to stretch his upper register without sounding in any way strained.

7. Kree Harrison

(New This Week)

Came practically out of nowhere with a stunning version of Grace Potter's "Stars" in the final round of Hollywood solos. Will she continue to shine bright or will her light flicker out come Vegas week? Given the way she infused her vocal with pain and life experience, we're betting on the former scenario.

6. Devin Velez

(Last Week No. 9)

Made a solid first impression with a brief and beautiful snippet of "Payphone," and his final solo to "What a Wonderful World," while plagued by a few too many runs, solidified the overall positive impression that this kid could be a contender.

5. Melinda Ademi

(New This Week)

Season 10 also-ran who, along with Thia Megia, faced the wrath of "vocal coach from hell" Peggi Blu, roared back onto the Idoloonie radar with a cover of "Price Tag" that was vocally solid and packed with pop-star sass. Her Group Round "Hit 'Em Up Style" was good, too, except for some odd British-esque pronunciations.

4. Janelle Arthur

(Last Week No. 4)

Veteran of Season 11 Hollywood Week delivered a pretty mesmerizing take on "Where the Blacktop Ends" (mashed up with "Walkin the Country" for good measure) in her audition, and followup a capella solo on "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry" was sublime, too. Has quiet charisma and has yet to make a misstep this year.

3. Nick Boddington

(Last Week No. 6)

While he was inexplicably cut during Idol's Season 11 Vegas round, the very blue-eyed soul singer is back for another attempt. Nick displayed a clear, bright tone and emotional depth sitting behind the keys for a rendition of "Stars." Here's hoping he gets to plead his case to Idol voters this time around.

2. Angela Miller

(Last Week No. 12)

Likeable beauty with partial hearing loss was pretty good in her audition to Jessie J's "Mama Knows Best," but turned into a breakout contender when she got behind the piano and sang an original track — "You Set Me Free" — with a combination of power, passion and poise. A rare singer who maintains her appeal despite producer pimpage.

1. Candice Glover

(Last Week No. 1)

Criminally cut from Season 11 after an epic rendition of "It Doesn't Matter Anymore" (with Jessica Sanchez and DeAndre Brackensick), but her Season 12 audition to "Syrup and Honey" almost made the prior outrage worthwhile. Killed it again in the Group Rounds on the usually deadly "Hit 'Em Up Style (Oops!)," and her solo to "Girl on Fire" was pretty stellar, too.

Who are you digging from Season 12 thus far? Did we leave any of your favorites off our countdown? Take our poll below, then sound off in the comments!