American Idol Finale - Lee DeWyze & Crystal Bowersox

Well, it had to happen sooner or later - we had to choose. The delectable and highly talented, Casey James, was voted off American Idol this week and the stage is now set for Crystal Bowersox and Lee DeWyze to face off in next week's finale.

I think America consistently got it right this season, evidenced by the fact that the cream of the crop remained standing until we were painfully forced to choose the final two.

All three of these contestants have been equally brilliant and sometimes even lack luster throughout the season. But each of them has shown the artistry, the talent and the singing chops that gave them the right to be there.

With the exception of Lee DeWyze's knock- em'- out- of- the- park- performances this week, one of the most memorable performances of the season, was "Jealous Guy" by Casey James.

Not only did we get see Casey's sensitive, vulnerable side, but we were also able to hear what an excellent vocalist, musician and guitarist he really is. Had Casey been able to deliver those types of performances week after week, it is very likely we would have had a Casey James - Lee DeWyze finale next week instead.

But, the good news for Casey is that many people have seen his outstanding talent. Chances are high he will go on to have a very successful musical career a la Chris Daughtry or Kelly Pickler. At the very least, the blonde, blue-eyed babe can certainly give Halle Berry's hunky ex and baby daddy, Gabriel Aubry, a run for his money in the male model department, so how bad can it be?

See Casey's Performance of "Jealous Guy" Here

None of this, however, takes anything away from the remarkable Crystal Bowersox, whose undeniable talent carried her right to where she belongs - in the finale. Her soulful, bluesy performance of Creedance Clearwater Revival's classic, "Long as I Can See the Light" early in the season, was as good as it gets.

Crystal consistently brought her A-game week after week. In fact, she was so outstanding and so good, that even her less than stellar performances were still heads and shoulders above the best performances of the other contestants. When the judges run out of adjectives to describe how good you are, even the most casual observer can see you're going all the way.

See Crystal's Performance of "Long as I Can See the Light" here

While other contestants garnered attention (and votes) with their good looks, quirky idiosyncrasies and charming personalities, Lee DeWyze stepped quietly into the American Idol spotlight with very little fanfare and an unbelievable punch of raw talent.

In fact, Lee was so quiet and unobtrusive that weeks went by before most of America noticed or the judges themselves actually knew who he was. Which makes Lee's rise to the top of the Idol heap even more intriguing.

It was Lee's rendition of The Cornelius Brothers' "Treat Her like a Lady" during R & B week that set a new bar for the rest of the season or let everybody know, as Randy Jackson would say, "Lee DeWyze was in the house".

Since that week, Lee has consistently delivered knock-out performances and solidified his fan base. By the time the top three rolled around, America had caught on and Lee DeWyze mania had set in. On home town night, Lee was met with thousands of Chicagoans who were proud to call him their own. A very emotional and humble Lee returned to the American Idol stage to solidify his place in the finale with two more power packed performances.

After his soulful version of the gritty Southern rock song, "Simple Man" by Lynyrd Skynyrd, Simon Cowell said his song choice was "on the money" and that he had "crushed" the other contestants. Kara DioGuardi called Lee the "heart and soul" of the competition after his emotional and moving version of "Hallelujah" by Leonard Cohen.

See Lee's performances of "Simple Man" here and "Hallelujah" here.

Chances are Lee DeWyze will take home the prize at next week's finale. The momentum certainly seems to be in his favor. But, after last year's upset finale where popular front runner Adam Lambert ended up taking second place to forgettable Chris Allen, well, anything can happen.

At this point, however, it's probably irrelevant who actually wins the competition. Both Lee DeWzye and Crystal Bowersox are two extraordinarily talented artists who have demonstrated they have the creative chops and moxie to find their way into the music world and do well for themselves.

But, that is not to say I won't be rooting next week with the rest of America and the city of Chicago for Lee DeWyze to take it all. Go get em' buddy.

Sources:

Associated Content
Youtube
American Idol.com