Past seasons of “American Idol” have teemed with super soul singers, particularly Season 3 (the year of the Fantasia/LeToya/J-Hud trifecta) and Season 6 (when LaKisha Jones, Melinda Doolittle, and future Chris Brown duet partner Jordin Sparks prevailed). And of course, Season 5 marked the arrival of the infamous Soul Patrol. But Season 9 has been dominated by coffeehouse singer-songwriter types, with only one bona fide R&B singer, the Ruben Studdard-like Michael Lynche, in the top 10.

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