Will Elliot Yamin become the 27th "American Idol" finalist to join ranks on a Billboard chart? The beloved season five No. 3 runner-up enters the fray—teeth thankfully capped and hair restyled—with a commanding R&B ballad reminiscent of compadre Mario Vazquez's hit "Gallery." Old-soul midtempo, hand-clapping production from Stargate (Nelly Furtado, Ne-Yo, Rihanna) and rapid-fire, R. Kelly-esque verses adeptly mesh with a muscular, emotive vocal. Considering that Yamin cites Stevie Wonder and Donny Hathaway as influences, the template is hands-down convincing. The singer suffered from a lack of overt star quality on the show, but "Wait for You" boasts amplitude of a radio-ready headliner. Look for a full-length debut March 20. The indie release on Hickory already has finer fragrance than major-label milquetoast debut from Taylor Hicks and frigid urban output from Katharine McPhee. Yamin could well be the ultimate victor. —Chuck Taylor