Review of Finals Night on "American Idol"

It was certainly an interesting night on American Idol, as Crystal Bowersox and Lee DeWyze faced off for the ultimate contest to take home the Idol crown. Although it was not nearly as exciting nor as aesthetically pleasing as the same episode last year, there were nevertheless some bright spots, as Crystal sang her heart out and, ultimately, showed everyone that she is indeed the ultimate singer in the contest and that she truly deserves to win. Lee, unfortunately, dropped the ball and, for once, the judges were more than willing to point this out to him. Finally, it was, of course, Simon Cowell's last night judging on American Idol, a fact noticed by many.

Fortunately for Mama Sox fans, Crystal showed the audience why it is that she has made it this far in the competition. She started out quite strong with her powerful rendition of "Me and Bobby McGee," which gave her ample opportunity to show off her vocal talent. She then followed it up with a spicy version of "Black Velvet," which was the perfect vehicle for her voice. She then finished up with what was arguably the best performance of the entire season (either from her or from another contestant,) a deeply moving and powerful arrangement of "Up to the Mountain." The judges were suitably impressed by her performance, and praised her for her ability to convey such deep emotion with her voice. This marks a change from their earlier opinions, in which they told Crystal that she was not as consistent as she should have been.

On the flip side of the coin, Lee DeWyze was something of a disappointment. Although his work was solid (as solid as Lee's ever is,) it was not the kind of performance that one would expect from his final performance in the competition itself. As the judges aptly noted, he was a bit off on a few key points. Although this might have been acceptable in the early parts of the competition, it is not what one expects from a finals night performance. Indeed, his performance should have been spotless. To come out with anything else is to effectively surrender your right to the American Idol crown.

If there was one small glitch in the entire night, it was the songs that the contestants are going to have on their album (should they win.) In a change from prior practice, the contestants' albums are now going to contain a song that is a cover of another artist's song. While Crystal's performance was impressive and will make a fine addition to an album, Lee's rendition of U2's "Beautiful Day" was, to be quite honest, a complete disaster, both in terms of the performance itself and the vocals. While some of this is, of course, Lee's fault, a large part of the blame should also be put on the producers' doors, for choosing to cover a song rather than create an original one.

Finally, it was Simon's last night judging on American Idol. He was rather gentle with Lee, but his brief conversation with Crystal, in which she wished him luck, was touching and genuine. His absence, it is likely, will spell the end of American Idol.