American Idol 2008: The David Versus David Throwdown

And then there were two. Last week's ouster of Syesha Mercado left the last two American Idol competitors standing: 17 year old boy wonder David Archuleta and 25 year old scruffy rocker David Cook. The final two competitors both have a shot at becoming the next American Idol but have wildly divergent styles and very different fan bases. Both of the Davids have previous singing experience: Archuleta as a winner on Star Search at the age of twelve and Cook as an independent recording artist and touring band member. Each David has his own strengths and weaknesses that may impact American Idol fans' final decision.

Singing Talent

Both the Davids have proven themselves to be accomplished singers. Archuleta has more controlled strength in his upper range where as Cook owns the lower Eddie Vedder/Scott Stapp territory. Archuleta has a pure clean voice that would be as comfortable in a church choir as it would be dancing on stage as the fifth Backstreet Boy. The precision of Archuleta's voice makes it difficult for him to convey strong emotion and to make a real connection to the audience. Cook's voice is forged by his experience on the road, and, while rough and not always in perfect pitch, is able to speak to the angst of teens and young adults. Both have the talent but speak to different audiences.

Physical Appeal

Both the Davids are handsome and easy to look at. David Archuleta, being 17, appeals to younger teens and tweens and that is where his fanbase lies. He is the "pretty boy" of the two and his shy, halting interview responses highlight his youth and inexperience. For some contestants, like Jason Castro, this would be the final nail in the coffin, but it only enhances Archuleta's appeal to the Hannah Montana set. David Cook has the rebel just-crawled-out-of-bed, tousled look that draws older teen and early twenties girls but also speaks to the boys-turning-men in the same age range.

Stage Presence

It's clear that neither Archuleta nor Cook is a newbie to the stage. Archuleta's multiple appearances on Star Search and his experience to date on this season of American Idol have allowed him to get to the point where he seems almost comfortable singing in front of a crowd. Although his movements look rather stilted and pre-planned, his face conveys the emotion of the song even if his voice can't quite bring it home. It's when he has to stop singing and talk to the audience that his discomfort is apparent and he frequently looks like he might throw up on his shoes. Cook appears most comfortable behind his white Les Paul and singing with just a microphone is more problematic for him. In the past six weeks, he has worked on his instrument-less stage presence and it is improving. What will benefit Cook is learning the Constantine smoky come-hither look directly into the camera rather than closing his eyes as he often does.

Record-Selling Potential

Both Top 40 and Rock have fantastic record-selling potential, as witnessed by Chris Brown and Daughtry. The ability to sell records has more to do with promotion and positioning than talent, so either contestant will do well with record sales as long as they can take direction from their handlers.

Career Longevity

What will be the question here is who will be able to adapt to changes in music tastes. The smart money has to be on David Cook, who has shown that he can adapt dated songs to appeal to current musical tastes. Archuleta, on the other hand, has performed consistently but has yet to significantly change up an arrangement.

Intangibles

In the final analysis, nothing matters except who picks up the telephone and votes Tuesday night. The two Davids have proven their worth as performers. The only variable is who will vote for them. I predict that David Cook will be the next American Idol as he will attract both male and female votes, whereas David Archuleta has an army of girl fans and not much else on the other side of the gender bench.

In the end, it will come down to whether more American Idol fans want boy band Archuleta or bad boy Cook.