Well everybody, it all comes down to this. It's what Idol junkies have been waiting for all season - the pairing of the final two contestants, an even bigger stage, and an atmosphere that's almost as big as an event like the Oscars. You include that with occasional movie stars, a raucous crowd, and stellar performances from the contestants, and it's typically a night to remember. Last night was no exception, except maybe for the coronation song at the end that both contestants had to sing. Honestly, I think it sucked a lot of positive energy away from the people that were watching who've been commenting that last night's show was only mediocre. Now a better song could've produced the best performance finale night yet. Ah well, there's always hope for next year. Let's get started recapping last night's performances from the top two:Adam Lambert - "Mad World" : What incredible stage effects to start the show - dry ice creating moving fog across the stage and then Adam rising up through the stage floor. At least that is how it appeared to me. Truly good stuff and appropriate for a finale. What more is there to say about this performance? Adam sings it just as good as the first time around with the added effects and a larger studio audience. It's just like being at a concert - or a Broadway show for that matter. Adam powers his way through this song with such ease. Honestly, I never tire of hearing this rendition of a Tears for Fears classic. I believe that the contestants couldn't pick a new song for the final round and instead had to perform a song from any week during the top 13. To me, Adam picked the most logical choice. This one really solidified Adam's standing as a front-runner.
Kris Allen - "Ain't No Sunshine" : I think a lot of people were thinking Kris would come out and perform "Heartless" or "Falling Slowly" (in fact, many rumors were pointing in that direction earlier yesterday). But "Ain't No Sunshine" was another song Kris excelled on, so it's not really a big surprise for me that he picked this song. To me, he created a moment just as easily with this song earlier in the competition like he did with the other two. In addition, it's also that much better when he's performing the song on a piano as opposed to a keyboard like he did the first time around. The more I listen to this performance, the more I believe that this truly could be the best Kris has sounded all season. He soars to great heights with this song as his vocals are superb and his artistry is magical. Then you add in his performance skills and musicality and it's truly fitting of a finale performance.
Adam Lambert - "A Change is Gonna Come" : Next up we have song picks from the creator of American Idol, Simon Fuller. And this is really a bold pick considering the message the song emotes. However, it really fits Adam well. He puts so much emotion and vocal intensity into this performance. He starts off with restrained vocals and leaves out the rock wail. Then he gradually builds into his higher range and there we have Adam's rock wail. It's like he's building a story - the way that he's able to sing. It's like we get a taste for just about everything Adam is able to do vocally in this song. At this stage of the game, would be expect anything less for Adam to do his rock wailing? I mean, if he didn't perform in such a way, it would be a let down to many of his fans. So this song really fit Adam well, even though it wasn't technically a rock song. Truly a masterful performance from Adam as his vocals are out of this world.
Kris Allen - "What's Going On?" : When I first heard this performed from Kris last night, I wasn't that impressed. The performance left me feeling kind of empty as I was hoping for more. But the big reason why I probably felt that way last night because I was being distracted at that moment, so I was able to enjoy it like I could've. However, I was able to listen back to his performance and I think Kris' interpretation of the song is amazing. He certainly made it his own and it fits his style perfectly. So what that it didn't have a lot of power and huge notes - that's not Kris' style anyways. He was able to strum on the guitar and the song fit his vocal style like a glove. I loved the part where he stopped the instrument accompaniment during the lyrics "this war is not the answer." He's also standing up for his beliefs! I thought it was a wonderful performance from Kris but at this stage, I wouldn't expect anything less.
Adam Lambert - "No Boundaries" : Ick, what a terrible song these poor contestants are forced to perform tonight. Why do these coronation songs have to suck so badly? And you would think with Kara helping to write the song, it would sound better. But I think it's one of the worst the show has ever had! Kara is supposed to be such a great songwriter, after all. Anywho, Adam made the most of this song. Much of the song was in Adam's falsetto range, particularly once the tempo picked up. I just didn't like Adam's voice with this song as it just didn't suit him that well. I noticed a few pitchy notes, especially in the beginning. And I couldn't quite tell if Adam had the mic up to his face too closely in the beginning where he would bump into it or it was a beat in the song. All in all, it wasn't the greatest performance from Adam, but I blame the song.
Kris Allen - "No Boundaries" : So Kris gets his chance to shine on this retched song next. Again just like Adam, Kris made the most of this song. I thought it might have suited Kris a bit better than Adam, however, the key of the song was definitely much too high for his voice. You could tell he was struggling with the higher notes in the song. All in all, I actually liked Kris' rendition of the song just a bit more than Adam's. Still, there were a few botched lyrics from Kris. I couldn't tell if he brought the mic too far away from his mouth earlier in the song so that we couldn't hear him or if he forgot a word. Personally I thought it was a mic issue more than anything. I am not going to criticize Kris for botching lyrics because from the sounds of it, the contestants didn't get a lot of time to practice the song. Anyways, it's a terrible song. Why would they want to spend a lot of time on it?
Oh brother. This is probably going to be the most difficult performance rankings yet this season. And I thought last week was tough. Anyways, here is how I thought the final two contestants did:
ROUND #1:
Kris Allen - best (THE WINNER! - 5/20/09)
Adam Lambert
ROUND #2:
Adam Lambert - best
Kris Allen (THE WINNER! - 5/20/09)
ROUND #3:
Kris Allen - best (THE WINNER! - 5/20/09)
Adam Lambert
MY PICK TO WIN AMERICAN IDOL: Kris Allen
Yes, you read that correctly. I am picking Kris Allen to win American Idol season eight. I think the fan support for Kris has been growing and growing as the season has progressed. You also consider the fact that Danny Gokey had a tremendous fan following. Some of his votes will be going to Kris more than Adam. For awhile, it was Adam and Danny duking it out for fan support. So you think Danny's fans were going over to support Adam once Danny got voted out? I certainly don't think so. Plus, I believe the backlash has been growing in regards to Adam being gay as more people learn about it from the press (even though he's never confirmed it publicly yet) and that doesn't go over quite as well with conservative America. Those are reasons why I believe Kris will become this season's American Idol by just a slim margin. I really do believe the vote tally will be close, much closer than last season's finale. But Kris will take the crown by just a hair.
So there you have it, folks. The final performance recap of the season from me. I thank those of you who've been coming to the blog to read my thoughts on the show all season long. I know you're out there! I plan on doing a few more American Idol blogs for this season before officially wrapping it up until next year. In the meantime, be sure and enjoy tonight's finale. From what I understand, a lot of awesome singers are expected to perform. It should be a fun show.
KRIS ALLEN IS THE WINNER OF AMERICAN IDOL 2009!
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