American Idol 2016 finalist Dalton Rapattoni
Finalist Dalton Rapattoni poses at the party for the finalists of "American Idol XV" in West Hollywood, California February 25, 2016. Reuters/Mario Anzuoni

The “American Idol” 2016 finale has started Tuesday night on Fox, with a farewell tribute to the show that has entertained millions of audience around the world for 15 years. On Wednesday night, Dalton Rappatoni, Trent Harmon and La’Porsha Renae will find out the Final Two. Can Dalton win?

UPDATE: On its Wednesday episode, "American Idol" sent Dalton Rapattoni home. The third finalist said, "It's been amazing." The winner to be announced on Thursday is either Trent or La'Porsha.

AI Season 15 judges Jennifer Lopez, Keith Urban and Harry Connick Jr. are expected to remain neutral in giving out post-performance comments to the Idol hopefuls. Weeks ago, however, JLo couldn’t help herself. She practically predicted a Trent Harmon vs. La’Porsha Renae finale.

The Final Two of “American Idol” Season 15 will be announced this April 6 on Fox. If the voters have chosen Trent and La’Porsha, it would not surprise many. If, however, Dalton outraces one of them, then there are things that could take him to the top.

Here are three of several ways Dalton could bookend the victory of Kelly Clarkson from “American Idol” Season 1:

1. A truly compelling, rousing and goosebump-inducing performance. The judges were not particularly thrilled by Dalton’s song numbers a week ago. Idol YouTube viewers seem to feel the same way, as views for Dalton’s videos on AI 2016 Top 3 Week are significantly lower than views for Trent’s and La’Porsha’s videos. Dalton may not have the range and power of the other two finalists, but he is able to connect to the audience just as much as any promising idol. If he delivers a deeply moving number that would not be eclipsed by Trent or La’Porsha by the end of the episode, Dalton could still win American Idol’s final season.

2. Votes from MacKenzie Bourg’s fan base. Both MacKenzie and Dalton choose music that cater to kids and young adults. They are both heartthrobs to teenage girls, who are a force to reckon with when it comes to the voting game. These voters would still put some weight on the performances, though. La’Porsha and Trent tend to deliver consistently wow-worthy performances, so Dalton still has to nail it on stage.

3. Voter’s Complacence. If the performances of the Top 3 last week would be the basis of predicting the winner of “American Idol” 2016, fans of Trent and La’Porsha might relax a bit. This would be a mistake, though, because Dalton now has the underdog advantage. Here's what Dalton posted on Twitter about the Season 15 finale:

Here are the Idol Top 3’s most watched videos on American Idol’s YouTube channel (view count was noted less than 10 hours before Night 1 of the AI Season 15 finale ):

WATCH: La’Porsha sings Adele’s ‘Hello’ – 465,977 views

WATCH: Trent Harmon sings Parson James’ ‘Waiting Game’ – 215,243 views
WATCH: Dalton Rapattoni sings Blue October’s ‘Calling You’ – 153,784 views


The winner of the final season will be announced on Thursday night, the last broadcast ever of the iconic singing competition. La’Porsha Renae has the life story and power vocals that could easily win the voters’ hearts. Trent Harmon has the voice and charisma that could win anyone from any generation. Dalton Rapattoni is the cool guyliner vocalist dude who is both complicated and easy for fans to relate to. Who will be the last American Idol in the history of the show?

“American” Idol 2016 airs on Fox. Twitter users may find updates (and spoilers) here.