On Mariah Carey American Idol Night, David Cook is Simply Sensational

Tuesday night David Cook served notice that this is his competition to lose. Continuing to prove that that he's more than willing to take a risk he performed Mariah's hit "Always Be My Baby". I wondered if he would be able to pull it off, a la "Billie Jean". Well I needn't have worried. Under the ministrations of Mariah "Always Be My Baby" plays as an up-tempo anthem dedicated to love and devotion. However, David's vocal style and reworking of the arrangement took the song in a different direction. His version played as a haunting ballad with an undertone of menace. Perhaps a little stalkerish, if you will indulge me. Whatever the emotion conveyed, the delivery was brilliant. Having been the subject of scrutiny and innuendo concerning his performances throughout this season, one can only hope this will be enough to prove to the naysayers that "Billie Jean", was not a fluke.

In fact all the men stepped up to the plate. The night proved harder for the women; faced with the inevitable comparisons, they were harder pressed to show their range and vocal mastery but did not have or at least did not take the same liberties with the songs that the men did. David Archuleta delivered another standout performance with his take on "When You Believe:, which was originally done as a duet between Whitney Houston and Mariah for the soundtrack of The Prince of Egypt, an animated Dreamworks release. Jason Castro sang "I Don't Wanna Cry", and it too was a winner. His guitar added an acoustic, unplugged feel that really is definitive of his style.

David elicited the first standing ovation of the season from Randy Jackson. He remarked to David that he was the real deal and that he is ready to make records now. Paula, as always, was overflowing with praise. Even Simon, was fairly effusive in his compliments. Remarking on Cooks performance, he said, "It was original, daring and stood out by a mile. This is the sign of a great potential artist, someone who takes risks." No one say what the voters may do, however the expectation is that David Cook is in for the long haul. He's proven that he's willing to take the risks that are going to get him the big returns.