American Idol 8 - Season Wrap-Up

It's been a little over a week in a half now since our newest American Idol was crowed, that being 23-year old Arkansas native Kris Allen. Going into the finale, I was happy with either he or Adam Lambert at this season's champion. And I'll admit, even though I picked Kris Allen to win, I was still rather shocked he won. And he was genuinely shocked as well. Well who can blame him, really? All season long, he's flown under the radar and truly fit the mold of being a dark horse. The judges and producers had pimped Danny Gokey and Adam Lambert right from the start of the competition and they both had peaked at different points. In my opinion, I never thought Danny Gokey lived up to the hype. He had a few decent performances during his run to the top three, but nothing that I would define as being memorable. As for Adam, he probably peaked earlier in the top 13 and was consistently good week upon week. As for Kris, he kept bringing it week after week and really created some memorable performances in the end. What vaulted him into becoming the newest Idol was his rendition of Kanye West's "Heartless."

I like to think that this was this season's revenge for David Archuleta losing in season seven. For anyone out there reading and who's into American Idol, wouldn't you say Kris Allen and Archie have similar personalities and singing styles? Archuleta wasn't nearly as outgoing when he was on the show like he is now - and that might have turned some people off. Meanwhile, Kris Allen definitely is more reserved and quiet, and he even says he's a chill guy. However, I think he was more vocal on stage than Archueta. Whatever the case, it still came down to being a singing competition. Archuleta delivered solid performances week after week and even included some pretty memorable moments towards the end of the competition with "Stand by Me" and "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me." Kris Allen did the same with "Heartless" and "Ain't no Sunshine." Archie played on the piano - but only a couple of times in the Idol stage compared to Allen's multiple instrument-infused performances throughout the entire season. So Kris is much more instrument-trained than Archie is at this point. However, whatever the case may be, they both had similar singing styles and delivered solid performances week in and week out. However, as Archuleta rose to front-runner status early on, Kris built a small amount of momentum early on and it kept building more and more each week. David peaked early on, much like Adam and Danny did, which may have cost him the competition in the end. Kris' building fanbase, the elimination of Danny Gokey in top three week, and his version of "Heartless" creating one of those all-time moments on Idol really vaulted him into winning the Idol crown. And the more I think of it, you know what would be an awesome duet? David Archuleta and Kris Allen. That is really something I would look forward to.

So where does this leave Adam Lambert and will he suffer from losing the title? In my opinion, this has the potential of helping him more than hurting him. If Adam had won the Idol crown, he may have been more restricted as to what he could make in an album. 19 might've forced him to go the pop music route. And he still might do some of that, however, I don't believe the entirety of his album will be composed of pop-sounding music. I guess the big question is - will his music be radio-friendly and will he achieve success like that of a Chris Daughtry who proved winning Idol isn't necessarily important? I definitely believe Adam has some challenges in becoming a music star. Now as he's proven even before his stint on Idol, he could become a major star on broadway. He's commented that he's never performed in New York - well with the right offer, he just might get that chance. I guess all that will depend on whether his music career takes off right away after the show has commenced.

Overall, I would say season eight ended up being much more enjoyable than I originally thought going into the top 13. A lot of talented singers emerged and much of them have potential to become successful in the entertainment industry. Obviously with his win, Kris Allen could become a big star. The music he created on Idol is radio-friendly and he is likely to incorporate the same sound into his debut album. Having him be the newest American Idol makes sense because the Idol-image fits him the most versus Adam Lambert. I already discussed Adam Lambert so I won't talk too much more about him other than to say he needs to hit the ground running right out of the gate in order for him to have a successful music career. Otherwise broadway might be calling or he'll become a reality show star other than for American Idol. As for Danny Gokey, I don't see him having a very successful musical career, other than singing gospel music. He came into Idol not knowing much mainstream music and even after Idol, he seems lost and hasn't defined himself musically. I'd be surprised to hear one tune from Gokey on the radio. Allison Iraheta definitely has some potential to be a radio success. She needs to be placed with the right people in order for her music to shine, however. Otherwise she'll just be another Idol alumni forgotten. For those individuals beyond the top four, it gets even trickier as to whether they'll experience success. Lil Rounds and Scott MacIntyre absolutely won't. Matt Giraud and Anoop Desai have a small chance. Megan Joy and Michael Sarver have very small chances to experience music success in my opinion. Megan may have a unique sound but she floundered towards the end of her Idol run. And Michael may have written a ton of songs during the course of his life, but that might be all he's good for. Maybe he'll become the next great songwriter. Only time will tell.

So that about does it for my wrap-up of the American Idol season that was. I can't wait to see who releases an album and who doesn't. If I'd have to predict, Kris (duh), Adam, and Allison will be signed to record deals. It's a crapshoot whether the rest will get signed or not. And for those lucky enough to see the Idols live in concert this summer - I am seriously envious. I think it would be worth a ticket just to see Adam Lambert perform. I just can't imagine what it would be like to see him sing Mad World or Black and White in person - two of my personal favorites from him. And then there's Kris, who flies under the radio and is totally laid back in his demeanor. But he performs killer song arrangements and does a wonderful job making a song his own. I'd definitely buy his first album. All in all, season eight ended up being great and and creating some pretty powerful moments on-stage. Despite the producer pimping, the show becoming more about the judges than the contestants, and the tabloid news headlines, this show is as good as ever and it remains the most-watched one for me. January can't come soon enough when it comes to Idol!