With the weakest contestant Michael Sarver eliminated during Motown week, the competition is really heating up as there are several diverse artists with a lot of talent vying for a chance to win. Despite consistent quality among the favored contestants, several new contenders are making themselves known as the final rounds approach. Here are this week’s rankings.

The Pretenders

9. Scott MacIntyre His vocals do not compare to the remaining male contestants and several of his performances have felt eerily similar. He should be gone soon.8. Megan Corkrey The resident hot babe of Season 8 sounds a bit like Amy Winehouse but has yet to put it all together during her performances. Last week’s “For Once in My Life” was both awful and awkward. She must work it out soon to avoid elimination.7. Anoop DesaiAnother week and Anoop performed another slow song with “Ooh, Baby, Baby.” Once again the vocals were good but the performance was sleep-inducing. He must do something lively to become a contender as the talent is definitely there.

The Contenders

6. Matt Giraud He sounds like Justin Timberlake and delivered another solid performance with “Let’s Get It On.” His use of the piano is becoming a bit stale. He should pick a song outside his comfort zone and improve his stage presence if he wants to avoid being in the bottom three again.5. Lil RoundsAfter another mediocre performance where she screamed most of “Heatwave,” it has become apparent that she has problems putting together her 90-second performance arrangements. The mega-talented diva needs to hit one out of the park to avoid sliding further.4. Kris AllenEverything about him seems nice and genuine. His performances are always solid and enjoyable. He may not have the amazing range of vocals that the top two guys have, but he will finish no worse than fourth or fifth if he continues what he is doing.3. Allison IrahetaAfter a mini-scare being in the bottom three during country week, Iraheta rebounded with a dazzling performance of “Papa Was a Rolling Stone.” The young rocker chick has all the intangibles to become a huge star in the music industry.

The Favorites

2. Danny GokeyWith charisma oozing from each performance he does on the show, he is a fun artist to watch as his amazing vocals and crowd-pleasing song selections always keep your attention. His version of “Get Back” was another highly entertaining performance in a string of them for this frontrunner.1. Adam Lambert Changing things up, Lambert put on a suit and sang a beautifully restrained version of “Track of My Tears.” The performance showed off the tenderness and power his voice possesses along with why he is the favorite to win the competition.