Jermaine Jones is a singer who was actually cut before the Top 24. In a surprise twist, Jermaine was brought back as the 13th boy for the Top 24, making it a Top 25. We don’t know at this time whether another girl will be chosen, but such a twist has not been announced.
Jermaine likely would have been an afterthought, but then we found out on the Top 24 boys’ night that he performed last. Together with the surprise twist, I predict that Jones will make it to the Top 12. Idol loyalists have noticed for years that the last person to sing almost always gets through to the next week. In fact, it is even called the “pimp spot” due to its favorable results in public voting. This is likely because one of the prime times for people to watch a TV show is right at the very end (people love their endings, and certainly the voters watch at the end and see the numbers for the contestants).
As far as Jermaine’s “Dance With My Father” performance, it was decent. But that is less important than the singing order, itself. The pimp spot, all by itself, is generally enough to get an American Idol contestant through to the next round.
As far as predictions if Jones does make it to the Top 12, I don’t have high hopes for him. He was not really a standout during the auditions, and people seem to have preferred David Leathers, Jr. or Johnny Keyser as the 13th pick. Keyser would have been an absurd pick for the 13th boy because he never even made it to the final audition. From what we saw of Leathers, it seems like he did enough and deserved a spot in the voting rounds.
In the end, the whole Jermaine Jones thing is just odd. Although Johnny would have had a better chance to go farther (and probably David, as well), the whole twist seems like nothing but a ratings ploy, not a last-minute opportunity to add a worthy contestant. I wish Jermaine Jones luck on American Idol 11, but he is not a favorite even if the pimp spot gets him into the Top 12.