Reviews and Predictions for American Idol #8 Finale

For some reason I am becoming less glued to my t.v. than I used to be throughout the season. The auditions crack me up, and then I get back into it when the competition gets down to the top 5 or so. I just get a little bored somewhere in the middle. I know what it is! It bothers me when the contestants have to sing different themes each week...even when it is clearly not their genre. No fault of Danny Gokey's, but he should've never been forced to sing hard rock. Bad idea on the producer's side to torture us and the performers with songs out of their reach.

As the two lone contestants, Adam Lambert and Kris Allen, sang their hearts out at the Nokia Center in Los Angeles, the Lakers were holding on for dear life just down the street at the Staples Center (Read my next blog for Laker details).

Both Adam and Kris had to sing three songs, and since Kris won the coin toss last week he chose to go second. Out of the three songs, one was chosen by themselves, one by creator Simon Fuller, and one by songwriter/Idol judge Kara DioGuardi). Judging each song individually, here's the breakdown of the three rounds.

1st Round:
Adam sang a Tears for Fears rendition of Mad World. This song pleasantly reminded me of middle school (go 80s!). Adam actually did a fine job as he crept very slowly across the song with a generous amount of emotion, but then he ruined it for me by ending it with his very obvious, signature scream.

Kris sang his version of Bill Withers' Ain't No Sunshine When She's Gone. I have always loved this song! Kris played the piano, and it was all very comforting and bluesy. I thoroughly enjoyed Kris' rendition with his laid-back style and trueness to his voice.
Verdict: TIE

2nd Round:
Adam sang Sam Cooke's Change Is Gonna Come. This song is one of my all-time favorites, but I became disappointed as Adam changed it so much that it suddenly became unrecognizable. He turned it into a rock song doing an R&B song, and it lost something for me. Adam was yelling and screeching until he clearly overpowered the tenderness of the song.

Kris sang Marvin Gaye's What's Going On? He played the acoustic guitar, and several of the house band members joined him on stage. The bongos gave the song a very earthy, funky vibe, modernizing it for the children of the 80s that grew up with hearing that song no less than once a day.
VERDICT: KRIS

3rd Round:
Both Adam and Kris sang an original song written by Kara DioGuardi's writing team. Not sure of the title, but I kept hearing No Boundaries repeated over and over in the chorus, so let's go with that. Adam did his rocker thing, yelling and screeching while Kris played the song very easy and mellow. Kris' version actually allowed me to hear the lyrics and attempt to understand the theme. All in all the song was just as soft and pillowy as the rest of the past winner's finale songs. It's like watching a Disney movie. No offense to Kara, but I didn't love the song and apparently Simon didn't either when he tongue in cheekily mentioned "hurricanes and mountains" or something to that effect. Kara said that the song was too high for Kris, but it was just a bad song. Evidenced by the obvious omission of actual performance critiques. The judges used the time instead to extend well-wishes to the two contestants.
VERDICT: KRIS

Well I guess it's pretty obvious who I would choose to win, but I have to say that I'm quite surprised that Adam got as far as he did in the competition. Apparently, he has more than a decent following. Idol is a primetime family show, but Adam was able to stay alive with his black and blue rocker haircut, black fingernails, guy-liner and mascara. He openly touts on the blogs that he is gay, and a photo has surfaced of him kissing a man in the mouth and another with Adam dressed in full drag.

Obviously, Adam's sexual preference is his business (and he shouldn't be judged for it in a singing contest), but I don't know if the world is quite ready for that. Clay Aiken just announced his homosexuality in 2008 when he won second place at American Idol way back in 2003. Obviously, Adam can sing, but I think he might fare better in Broadway musicals...an appropriate home for his flair for the dramatic (trench coat, smoldering eyes, and head cocked back as he opened his mouth wide enough for us to see his full tongue).

On the way other side of the field is sweet Kris. He stands quietly subdued like the boy next door who can do no harm. He has a charming, boyish smile and his humility seeps out of his pores. When Jamie Foxx visited Idol as the mentor for Rat Pack-themed melodies, he anointed Kris as his #1. He went so far as to say that regardless of the outcome of the finale, Kris can sing a duet with him anytime. Audiences enjoyed Kris' easiness and comfort behind the microphone, ignoring impulses to literally scream for attention. Kris has a commercial, crossover appeal, and he seems genuinely sincere about his delivery and artistic intention as he harmonizes with the music instead of trying to overpower it. He simply lets the music speak for him in soulful, melodic heartfelt performances week after week.

WINNING PREDICTION: KRIS