Who are in the top 14 on 'American Idol'?

The good news: after last night's mostly ho-hum performances, most of the singers elevated their games, courtesy of who they got to sing with: six "Idol" alums.  They were season 7 winner David Cook, season 6 winner Jordin Sparks, season 5 sixth place finisher Kellie Pickler, season 10 top 3 finisher Haley Reinhart, season 4 sixth place finish Constantine Maroulis and season five top 4 finisher Chris Daughtry.

Who made the cut?  Lee Jean, Manny Torres Tristan McIntosh, Olivia Rox, Dalton Rapattoni, Jenn Blosil and Trent Harmon. I suspect Shelbie Z's disappointing duet with Constantine may have cost her a spot and gave Tristan the opening for the final female spot.

Videos will be up tomorrow if you missed any of the duets or want to re-watch them.

I ultimately got six out of seven correct in my predictions without having even heard the duets. I only got Shelbie wrong and as I noted, her duet clearly hurt her chances. Plus, "Idol" needed an extra guy so they picked Manny Torres. That makes sense although he is not someone who has a realistic shot at winning.

Could any of these seven take home the 15th and final crown? I'd say Dalton and Olivia have the best shot, with Lee on the outside. I don't see the other four having a realistic shot unless something changes once we hit the top 10.

I still don't believe either Thomas Stringfellow or Gianna Isabella deserve to be in the top 7 from last week. Stephany Negrete would have been just fine to take either of their place. The other five last week were Avalon Young, Jeneve Rose Mitchell, Sonika Vaid, La'Porsha Renae and MacKenzie Bourg. They had five women and two guys last week. This week, they had to at least approach gender parity and the top 14 ended up with six guys and eight women.

I'll post my Power 14 next week when Kelly Clarkson is scheduled to perform. Seacrest has not explained how next week will work. Unless they change it, the previously announced deal is that "Idol" judges will pick the top 8 next Wednesday and have the other six perform for the final two slots via America's vote. On Thursday, the top 10 perform. These are expected to be the first live shows.

My rankings of the duets (based on the semifinalist's performance, not the alum's)

Anyway, here are my takes on the 12 duets.

Credit: Rodney Ho

Credit: Rodney Ho

Amelia Eisenhauer with Kellie Pickler ("Suds in the Bucket" Sara Evans)- I remember Kellie singing this a decade ago. (A decade!) She was such a charmer! And she still is tonight in a fun mid-2000s hit. Amelia has the chops and the fiddle skills but putting her next to Kellie makes it clear she isn't quite there in the charisma department. (Then again, who is?) HCJ called it terrific. Keith said the spirit was great. JLo said she felt right at home.  Grade: B+/A-minus

Kory Wheeler with Haley Reinhart ("Bennie and the Jets" Elton John) - Both have performed this song on the show before but not as a duet. I wasn't a huge Haley fan season 10 but she has really refined her jazzy flavors. She brought out the best in Kory and I wanted it to go longer, which is a good sign. Keith said she has such a flow and swagger but felt he matched up well. JLo said it was a nice pairing. HCJ had nothing bad to say. Grade: B-plus

Lee Jean with Chris Daughtry ("Home" Chris Daughtry) - Lee is so overwhelmed by being with Chris. "He needs to come out of that shell," Chris said. I really love Lee's voice and his cool vibe. He isn't as intense as Daughtry but he paired up well. Ultimately, this is Daughtry's song and he wins the contest. But Lee held up. "I wanted him to do him," Chris said. JLo is speechless. HCJ called it really strong and liked how much fun he has on stage. He liked how controlled Lee. Keith marveled his story-teller quality to the song. Grade: B-plus

CJ Johnson with David Cook ("The World I Know" Collective Soul) - He suggested CJ build the song, not go big from the start. This is the first time tonight where the veteran really outshone the semifinalist. David's voice is so much more robust. Even his end note, while clean, did not resonate. HCJ said their voices blended well. He clearly knows how to perform. Keith said he held his own but it's not much of a song they could do much with. (Song choice!) JLo said that was a letdown. She got booed, which HCJ said is rare. "Don't boo Jennifer. It'll mess up her hair," said Ryan Seacrest. Grade: B-minus

Manny Torres with Jordin Sparks ("No Air" Jordin with Chris Brown) - She tries to push him to be vulnerable and tap into the lyrics of her biggest hit. He admits he hasn't done that yet. With her guidance in his mind, he loosens up and they have a good moment during the song. It's better than I would have expected. She clearly elevated him. Keith said he stepped up to the plate. JLo said it was the perfect marriage of the two of you. HCJ noted his charisma. Grade: B-plus/A-minus

Jenn Blosil with Constantine Maroulis ("My Funny Valentine") - He is the ultimate camera flirt on the show. She wanted to channel that. Again, her weird enunciations drive me crazy. But then Constantine arrives and starts humping the camera with his eyes as usual. His theatrical success is evident. And she could certainly join him on Broadway. It worked really really well. Keith even gave them a standing ovation, saying he "freaking loved it." JLo liked how they were singing to each other and were in their own world. HCJ said Constantine is terrific and has turned into a well-rounded performer. He didn't agree that the song needed energy and turned into a "shouting match." Grade: B-plus

Tristan McIntosh with Kellie Pickler ("Best Days of Your Life" Kellie with Taylor Swift) - Tristan is way too young, like Gianna. Great voice but not ready for primetime. Her ability to connect with the lyrics is just not there. Interestingly, her voice is clearly much better than Kellie but Kellie is head over heels more fun to watch on stage. She's genuine. She brings a sense of home, a sense of comfort. Tristan just gives me the feel of an exceptionally good high school student performance but nothing more. HCJ encourages her not to rush and sing "in the pocket" plus be aware of where you are on stage. Keith says it felt tricky to open with the harmony below Kellie and shaky pitchwise. JLo said she has been special from day one but being with a seasoned performer, it's clear she is green. Grade: B/B-minus

Credit: Rodney Ho

Credit: Rodney Ho

Olivia Rox with David Cook ("Light On" David Cook) - She is a big fan. I also didn't realize how tall she was (or how short David is.) She's like a stalk next to him a la Jordin Sparks and Ryan Seacrest. She kept up with David really well. She brings so much youthful exuberance to her performance but she feels more natural than Tristan or Gianna. JLo said if she can find the groove, she'll be around for a long time. HCJ said she sings like someone who knows music. "Idol is lucky to have you."  Grade: A-minus

Adam Lasher with Haley Reinhart ("Can't Help Falling in Love" Elvis Presley) - While Haley is opening the song, Adam just looks nervous. He still looks nervous as he sings. He sounds pretty good but he is all scrunched up even as he holds her hand. He was not in the pocket performance wise. JLo said he "stayed your course and supported it." (Faint praise?) HCJ said it was lovely but he stuck too close to the script. Keith noticed the fact he didn't loosen up. "You were stiff," he said. Grade: B/B-minus

Credit: Rodney Ho

Credit: Rodney Ho

Dalton Rapattoni with Chris Daughtry ("Higher Ground" Stevie Wonder) - He said the first CD he got as a kid was Daughtry. Daughtry felt he didn't do his best season five with this song and wanted to make it up. And he does. This is just a high energy performance. It gives Dalton a chance to really rock. Love this guy! HCJ said it was solid but gives credit to the band. (Go Rickey Minor!) HCJ said even Ryan could sound good. Everyone wants him to sing it. But Ryan freezes for the first time ever. Then he wiggles his butt. (GIF that someone!). JLo loves her, too. Grade: A-minus

Ryan then performs a bit of "Ignition" by R. Kelly, something he had just done on a web-only video with Ruben Studdard.

Trent Harmon with Jordin Sparks ("To Love Somebody" Bee Gees) - Jordin loves his vibrato but he tends to overdo it. Yup. Good advice! He still overdoes the vibrato. I like his voice but yes, he relies on that too much. But I do like his commitment and fervor. HCJ said it was a great match up. She pulled things out of him he hadn't heard before. JLo said that was the Trent she knows and loves. Grade: A-minus/B-plus

Shelbie Z with Constantine Maroulis ("Bohemian Rhapsody" Queen) - Although Shelbie came out as someone who could do country, she's truly a rock chick. And she balances Constantine's cheesiness off well. And he even got to promote his song "Here I Come" too. JLo said she felt Constantine overshadowed her. HCJ said she didn't seem to have a point of view. Keith agreed. Wow. "It didn't pull me in," he said. Rough crowd! Grade: B