American Idol Top 5: Danny Gokey

Strengths: Vocal power, ability to infuse emotion

Weaknesses: Lack of subtlety (can get shouty)

Objective: Unseat Adam Lambert for the crown

Biggest Threat: Kris Allen

Battle Plan: Danny Gokey has been a frontrunner from the day of his audition. The judges have pushed him toward the crown with an almost maniacal fervor, but he knows it, and we know it, and there could be backlash, especially as it seems he's begun to get rather lazy. Back when the tragedy of the death of his wife, coupled with his surprisingly strong singing ability, was still fresh in our minds, he had both our sympathy and awe, but now that his vocals are no longer a surprise and have even taken a backseat to the superior stagecraft and sheer talent of Adam Lambert, he has been coasting on left-over goodwill and personality.

So if he thinks his only challenger to win this thing is Adam Lambert, he's got another think coming, because Kris Allen is pulling up to his bumper in the personality department. It has become apparent that Danny is an attention-hog (although that may be engineered by the American Idol producers, he doesn't seem to shrink from it) and he comes over a little cheesy or smarmy at times. Kris, on the other hand, is more genuinely sweet, and even though his voice is not as good as Danny's, Adam Lambert has already won the flat-out-singing contest anyway. Personality counts a great deal in this particular competition, not to mention looks. If Danny Gokey is not careful, this may turn from a Harry Potter (Danny) vs. Twilight (Adam Lambert) finale into a Twilight vs. Gummi Bear (Kris Allen) showdown.

Danny needs to reconnect with his tender, wounded side. Performing a love-lost, yearning song in the way Adam Lambert sang "If I Can't Have You" will not only cancel out the unleavened shoutiness of performances like "September" and the cheese of his lounge-y take on "Stand By Me", but will dredge up the sympathy the audience used to feel and stand him in stark contrast against Kris Allen, whose lovely wife is still very much in evidence. He showed this emotion quite well on country night's "Jesus, Take the Wheel", so he has it in him. But is it in him to win it all?