The Idol Finale: The War Of The Worlds May Be Too Close To Call . . . But I'll Give it a Shot

I’m just getting here so I’ll just get to it.

Each of the guys has three songs . . . there favorite performance of the season, the producer’s choice, and the Idol song – co-written for Kara DioGuardi. The competition starts here live right after the break.

Here we go . . .

1. Adam Lambert – His parents are talking about how much he likes to yell . . . not much different than he is now . . . His song choice is “Mad World”. Here we go . . . HE sounds GREAT . . . I feel like the music is too loud, but that has NOTHING to do with this wonderful vocal. These kinds of performances are where I think Adam shines because they are understated and show just what a wonderful vocalist he is. That was GREAT . . . simply great. Randy says this is it, and it was an A+. Kara is happy he chose that performance, and that it proves he is an artist. Paula is unbelievably proud of him, and thinks it was a great performance for him. Simon thought the prior version was his best performance, but he thought it was over theatrical.

2. Kris Allen – When he was a kid he was shy about singing, and his parents paid him to sing at family functions. His song choice is “Ain’t No Sunshine” and he’s on the piano . . . here we go . . . Wow, man, smooth vocals that I expect from Mr. Allen . . . as I said before, that was GREAT . . . simply great. Randy loves that he can tell exactly what kind of artist he’s gonna be and that was one of his best performances on the Idol stage. Kara thinks he moves people, and that he creates an intimate bond with the audience. Paula thinks he awakens the spirit in all of us, and that he is a great artist. Simon wants us to remember that this is a competition, and he wasn’t sure last week if America had made the right choice. He takes it back after that performance.

3. Adam Lambert – Producer’s choice . . . “Change is Gonna Come” – The opening part is amazing . . . and he is wonderfully restrained . . . scream at the right time . . . but pull it in boy . . . that was WONDERFUL . . . simply wonderful. Wow, what a competition we have going here. Randy thinks that the real reason he’s here is because he can sing anything. Kara thinks it was his best performance on the Idol stage. Paula thinks it was the best she has ever heard him sing EVER. Simon thinks he is 100% back in the game.

4. Kris Allen – Producer’s choice . . . “What’s Going On” . . . he’s on the guitar . . . sounds good . . . sounds smooth . . . WONDERFUL . . . simply wonderful . . . just love it. Randy thinks it’s a great competition, but the song is a little light for him. Kara loves that he has not wavered throughout the competition. Paula thinks he tore that song up and made Marvin Gaye proud. Simon thinks it was like three friends in their bedroom strumming along to Marvin Gaye.

5. Adam Lambert – “No Boundaries” – This is the Idol theme song . . . I’m having trouble hearing him . . . Whoa, not anymore . . . this is very Idol single sounding . . . better than most, but still with the ultimate cheese factor . . . in some ways it fits his voice, and in others not so much . . . not his fault, his vocals are good as per usual. It’ll be interesting to hear what the judges say about Kara’s song . . . Randy thinks he can sing anything, but that wasn’t one of his favorite Adam performances. Kara thinks she speaks on behalf of her co-writers. She’s moved and she’s proud. Paula thinks that adjectives can’t express what he has brought to the Idol stage. Simon’s not going to judge the song. Over the entire season, he has been one of the best and most original contestants . . . he believes they have found a worldwide performance.

6. Kris Allen – here he comes with “No Boundaries” . . . I’m curious to see if he re-arranged it. Again, I will say, I don’t love this song. I think that it fits Kris’ voice a little bit better, and he did re-arrange the song a bit better than Adam . . . Randy thinks he should be very proud of himself in this competition, and he thinks it fits his voice better than Adam’s. Kara wants him to be judged on the fact that he is an incredible artist. Paula thinks he should take it in, and thinks that this has been one of the most compelling finales. Simon thinks the highlight was the best song, but he thinks that watching him has been incredible, and that he has thoroughly deserved to be standing on this stage tonight.

After all is said and done, this is how I break it down.

Round 1: Kris by a hair – I think that both performances were damn near flawless, but I think Kris gave a more heartfelt performance . . . just by a bit.

Round 2 – Adam by a hair – Again, I think that both performances were damn near flawless, but this time I think Adam’s arrangement was a wee bit better . . . just a bit.

Round 3 – Kris by a dreadful hair – This was one of, if not THE WORST Idol finale song EVER . . . that obvious statement being made, I think that both guys did with it what they could. The key was too high. . . strangely enough, for both of them. Kris just seemed to make a wee bit more of an effort to have that “Idol Moment” than Adam . . . again, just a bit . . . this one was hard to judge because of the basic hideousness of what they were forced to sing.

Overall Rankings: Kris 1, Adam 2, Kris 2, Adam 2, Kris 3, Adam 3

So, what does it all mean? We know that these two guys were within a million votes of each other last week – after 88 million votes were cast. We know that The Gokey’s votes are hanging out there waiting to be assigned – if they re-vote at all. We know that the Idol Machine REALLY REALLY wants Adam Lambert to win. We know that we have two VERY DESERVING guys vying for the title. What we really know folks is that we will have a VERY CLOSE vote. So, again, what does all of this mean? Well, in my very humble opinion, I believe all of this will result in Kris Allen eeeeeeeeeeeeking out a second consecutive upset and taking the Idol crown.

Last statement: Regardless of who wins, it was my favorite Idol finale to date. I believe we witnessed the birth of two very talented artists.

A Couple of Finale Spoilers

Mjsbigblog has posted a wee bit of a spoiler and a clip from a press conference given by Adam Lambert and Kris Allen. It looks like for the "Contestant's Choice", Adam Lambert will be singing "Mad World" (remember stunning performance and blue light shooting from Adam's crotch) . . . while Kris is mulling reprising "Heartless" or "Falling Slowly" . . . the blog futher spoils that he is leaning towards "Falling Slowly" . . .

I hope that these spoilers are accurate because I think that "Mad World" and "Heartless"/"Falling Slowly" were three of the best performances of the season. We'll see what happens.

Click the link to read the story!

A Final of Polar Opposites Could Be Too Close to Call

USA Today published a story today outlining tonight's much anticipated Idol Finale between Adam Lambert and Kris Allen. The article plays on the differences of the contestants to demonstrate the possibilities of how the final could play out. Click the link to read the very informative story.

Top Three: The Results . . . AMERICA FINALLY GOT IT RIGHT . . . HELLZ YEAH!

Weird opening Ben Stiller movie prop . . . The Idol Desk is in the Smithsonian? Seriously?

Over 88 Million Votes Were Cast and less than one million seperated the Top 2. Seacrest tells us that we think we know the results but WE DON'T.

Alicia Keys pimping an Idol Gives Back type fundraiser . . . and yes Dr.L/K, I totally thought the Carrie Underwood stuff was leftovers . . .

We're back to take some trips back to the hometowns of our Final Three . . . The Gokey is up first . . . Has he done enough to make it next week? Let's hope not . . . But first, let's go visit with Jamar and the rest of Milwaukee, WI . . . Screaming tweens, Local TV, and being reunited with Jamar

Here comes Kris Allen . . . Let's go back to Conway, AK. He went back to his favorite restaurant and got free cheese dip for life . . . they should have given that to The Gokey . . . 20,ooo screaming, yelling, folks.

Next up, is Jordin Sparks and our results . . . LIVE.

Here comes JS performing her new song, "Battlefield". Song is very catchy . . . and you better go and get your armor!

We're back . . . and here comes Adam Lambert . . . with suspenders hanging from his ass . . . hmmm . . . I would swear that Ryan said, "How ya doin, honey?" . . . maybe I misheard that . . . Let's go back to San Diego, CA . . . Um, where are the screaming gay boys . . . no, really, I'm serious. Dim the lights . . . here we go . . .

Katie Perry singing first . . . UGH . . . I was really hoping we would get some drama here, but I'm not sure we're gonna. . . . It's 854 and we're still on commercial. UGH!

Here we go . . . here are our results . . . The first person competing in next week's finale is KRIS! AMERICA GOT IT FUCKING RIGHT!!!!!!!!!! Who will it be Danny or Adam . . . C'MON AMERICA!!!!!! YEEEEEEEEEEEEEES! ADAM VS KRIS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'M STUNNED AND I'M THRILLED! That makes me so very happy.

Nothing more to say!!!

Top 3 Results: A "Heartless" Move Could Upset The Idol AppleCart.

Alright, I'm ready to make some predictions. I went back and watched the show again with Ttown Idol Fan . . . I've read the reviews . . . I've talked to my peeps . . . and it all backs up what SHOULD happen tonight. What SHOULD happen tonight is that The Gokey SHOULD be shown the door and we SHOULD get an Adam vs. Kris finale. That's what SHOULD happen. And . . . I'm slightly inclined to think that it very well MIGHT happen. I kind of think that Kris Allen's version of "Heartless" was just ballsy and brilliant enough to upset the Idol applecart. That being said, I understand that the percentage prediction here is a Danny vs. Adam finale. However, let it not be said that I'm afraid of the ballsy prediction.

Eliminated: The Gokey

Finale: Adam vs. Kris

The Top Three: Will America Get It Right?

They have become heroes in their hometowns but who will garner the support of a nation.

These are you Top 3 . . . and THIS is AMERICAN Idol.

It looks like the order tonight will be as spoiled

Gokey
Kris
Adam

I'm surprised they didn't put Kris first, but am not surprised that they put Adam last.

Say hello to the judges!

Cue the tapes of the screaming fans from the hometown visits . . .

Tonight they are performing 2 songs each . . . a judge's choice and a personal choice . . .

First up, Paula's choice for Danny Gokey . . . Paula has chosen "Dance Little Sister" by Terrance Trent D'Arby . . . Gokey didn't know it. It's a little obscure . . . let's see how it goes . . . we're going all screech all the time with this one . . . I'm having a difficult time with this one because he's screeching so much that it's hard to figure out whether he's actually in tune. He's definitely dynamic on the stage. I'm just not sure about the vocals . . Here come the judges to pimp him out . . . Randy thought it was dope. Kara thought the vocals were good, but the dancing was too much. Paula reminds us that she is a choreographer and thinks he did "real good". Simon thought the dancing was a bit desperate, and thought that vocally it was good.

Next up, Kris Allen with a song from Kara/Randy . . . Let's go south to Arkansas to see what they picked for him. . . they chose "Apologize" by One Republic . . . I'm quite hopeful for this song choice . . . He's playing the piano . . . with a little orchestral accompaniment . . . his voice sounds clear and clean as per usual . . . He stuck to the melody and made a few vocal adjustments . . . I'm quite pleased with Kris . . . Randy thinks that this is the kind of artist that he is. Kara thought it was a competent performance, but wishes he had interpreted it. Paula is used to him taking artistic license and thinks he had a bum note. Simon thinks its a cop out to blame him for doing the song that they chose. Simon thinks that Kara/Randy didn't follow through with their end of the deal.

Next up, Simon Cowell's choice for Adam Lambert . . . let's go to San Diego to see what his song choice is . . . He's chosen "One" by U2. Simon got permission from Bono for Adam to sing this song. Blue light special is back . . . He's slowed it down and toned his look down completely . . . my opinion is going to be unpopular here . . . the first half of this song was brilliant, but the second half was unnecessary . . . why did he feel the need to scream . . . and then the end was brilliant again . . . Randy thought he was in the zone, but that he went off the melody a bit. Kara thinks he is a strategist, and she thinks he changed everything (I'm not sure what she was listening to) Paula thought it was one brilliant song, one brilliant performance from one American Idol. Simon thought it was a brilliant song choice, and if he's not in the final it will be one of the biggest upsets.

After round one, I have them 1. Adam, 2. Kris, 3. Danny . . . I think that we still haven't seen one of them be spectacular yet . . . that being said, I think none of them were awful either . . . I think that Kris is gonna have to blow it away in round two to have a shot at knocking out the douchebaggery that is The Gokey . . .

Here comes an update from Carrie Underwood about Idol Gives Back . . .

Here comes the douchebaggery . . . I mean, The Gokey . . . He's singing, "You Are So Beautiful". . by Joe Cocker . . . I like the onstage arragnement of instrumentalists. . . I like the restrained tone of his voice, but I still don't love his tone. Oh and there is the SCREEEECH . . . The judges will eat this up and try and cement his spot in the final, and it was MUCH better than his first song . . . I just don't LOVE it. Randy thought he showed that he could really, really, really sing. Kara thought he did everything he didn't do in the first performance. Paula was left breathless. Simon loves the song, but wouldn't have done the arrangement, but thinks it was a vocal master class. Seriously, a vocal masterclass. PIMPAGE! PIMPAGE! PIMPAGE!

Ugh, this season of Idol has left me so jaded. I just can't take it anymore.

Here comes who should be in the finals, IMO, Kris Allen . . . he's singing "Heartless" by Kanye West. He thinks it's fun. Here's hoping . . . Now THAT'S HOW YOU REARRANGE A SONG . . . nice, nice, nice . . . I'm loving that re-do. LOVE IT. Randy thinks this is going to be a tough voting night. He likes his version better than the original. Kara thought it was bold, brave, and fearless. Paula thinks this is what keeps him relevant. Simon had written him out of the competition, that has all changed after that performance.

Here comes Adam to round out the night . . . again . . . He's doing "Cryin" by Aerosmith. There's already a problem . . . the girl doing the harmony is TOOOOO loud and is trying to outshout Adam. . . his vocals are solid as per usual. Adam is GREAT as he always is . . . but, this has not been his best night. The end note was verrrrrrrrrrrry good. Randy says he is one of the best we have ever had on this stage. He liked it better than the first. Kara wonders how he hits those notes and talks the next day. Paula thinks he has set the bar so high that he hopes he is collecting frequent flyer miles. Simon's not going to suck up as much as the other three. He thinks he deserves to be there, and that everyone should vote for him.

Here we go . . . in my humble opinion, the final should be Adam vs. Kris . . . but, I'm not ready to make America's choice just quite yet . . .

See you in a bit . . .

Here were my initial rankings

Kris Two
Adam One
Adam Two
Kris One
Danny Two
Danny One

EW's Idolatry: A Review, A Preview, and a Kara Beatdown

EW's idolatry team has produced yet another insightful and truth-filled video post this week. Click the link to see their opinions on the endless pimping of the Gokey, the short-changing of Allison and Kris and the many gaffs of Kara D. P.S. Pay attention and you will hear a lovely and accurate descriptor of The Gokey. :)

This one is definitely worth watching!

Top Four: The Results . . . The Good, The Bad, and The Very Very Gokey!

Here comes our Top 4 . . . and THIS is AMERICAN Idol!

Tonight we reveal the Top 3 of Season 8 . . . over 64 million votes were registered. How are the votes divided up and who is headed home?

Did Ryan just call Randy, "The bomb.com"

No Doubt, Daughtry, and Paula Abdul are performing tonight!

Here's our Ford Music Video . . . not loving that one . . . Here's our Top 4 with Slash doing "Schools Our For Summer" . . . This performance is kind of all over the place . . . I like that they are actually singing live and I like the band . . . but the vocals are kind of all over the place. Hmmmm . . . anyway let's go on to the results and Paula Abdul next . . .

Let's check in with our Top 4. . . . Danny thinks Wednesday night is the most tiring. Kris thinks that being in the Top 4 is surreal. This was Adam's favorite theme week, and he liked his outfit. Danny thinks it was "funny" when he listened to his last note. Allison thinks Simon was asking for it last night when she got "feisty".

Here comes Paula Abdul . . . let's see how it goes . . . interesting, on the positive side, I REALLY like the song . . . very Gaga . . . on the negative side, there was no pretense of singing on a show that is all about singing. Hmmmm . . . anyway, we should get some kind of results type thing after the break.

Let's talk to Paula! More music . . . here comes No Doubt with "Just a Girl" . . . which was released approximately eleventy years ago . . . Tutu boy reminds me of Flea from the Red Hot Chilli Peppers. . .

Here we go with some results . . . our Top 4 are backstage awaiting their fate . . . if they get through to the Top 3, they get to go on a hometown visit. Here's how it's gonna work . . . the seats are for the Top 3 . . . the finalists will be announced in random order . . . wtf? Here they come . . . for the first time, I'm actually a little nervous. Dim the lights, yo . . . Allison is up first . . . Danny is next . . . after the nationwide vote . . . we move on to Adam . . . and we'll wind up with humble Kris. He's going to send one person to safety . . . the first person in the Top 3 is . . . Kris! Well, now, isn't this interesting. . . America, IMO, got it RIGHT! But now, the upset factor appears to be rearing its pretty little head.

We're back to hear Chris Daughtry perform . . . they did a nice retrospective . . . and tonight we're gonna hear the first song off the new record called, "No Surprise" . . . Ok, kind of love this song . . . it is lovely pop rock goodness. :) Btw, my friend Michele says that CD was playing a Finder Strattocaster . . . forgive me if I spelled it wrong. :) Next up, Danny, Adam, Allison which one will go . . .

Here we go . . . The second person in the Top 3 and headed to their hometown is . . . ADAM! We're down to Allison and Danny . . . after the record setting vote of 64 million. . . . Danny is safe . . . UGH! Allison is going home. UGH! UGH! UGH! That's some bullshizz . . .

Allison's problem always has been that she hasn't had the voting base. She's been in the bottom two or three way too many times . . . but UGH! THE GOKEY NEEDS TO GO! UGH!

So, we're down to our Top 3 . . . for the very first time, it's an all male Top 3 . . . Kris, Adam, and Danny. Thoughts?

A Few Idol Ramblings

Sooooo, I felt the need to post before the results show. I've been scanning the web and it seems that the same sentiment is buzzing around as has been buzzing in my head. I can't seem to shake the feeling that we could be in for an Idol shocker tonight. Stranger things have happened . . . See: Tamyra Grey, Latoya London, and Chris Daughtry. As I thought about this today, a few things occured to me. First of all, Kris, Danny, and Adam all have proven that they have very strong voting bases. However, Allison was VERY strong in the final duet which I believe will keep her safe. Second, The Gokey was smacked in the middle of everything like Kris was . . . and Simon said that, "he should be safe". We know from Idol history that often times "you should be safe" and comments like it tend to make voting bases lazy. Third, the buzz around the net is that everyone is PISSED at the blatant throwing under the bus of Kris and Allison and the blatant pimping of Adam and Danny. All of these things work together to make an unstable voting situation. Therefore, I'm gonna put out a few different scenarios that could be shocking.

1. Allison and Danny in the bottom 2 and Kris and Adam safe. Before you go, "WTF" think about it. Allison has never had a strong voting base and it isn't out of the question that despite going last her peeps just won't come up with enough numbers to keep her safe. The Gokey was HORRIBLE last night, and that, along with his positioning in the line up, could result in this situation.

2. Kris and Danny in the bottom 2 with Danny going home. See the above commentary on Danny and mix that with Kris' very strong voting base. Barring last week's odd bottom 3 in a Top 5 situation, Kris, along with Danny, has always been safe.

3. Danny/Adam bottom 2 . . . granted, I think this is a very unlikely scenario, but could it be that Adam was actually in the bottom two last week because his voting base isn't as strong as we think it is? Just a question . . .

At the end of the day, it will probably be my Kris who hits the road, but what if . . . .

American Idol's Big Tease: Adam Lambert and the State of Gays in America

The New York Times has published a very interesting article on Adam Lambert and American Idol. In the article, the authors ask the question is America ready for an openly gay idol . . . if Mr. Lambert is indeed gay. The article is of particular interest becasue they use the topic of Adam Lambert and American Idol to discuss the state of homosexuality in the United States today. It is a VERY interesting read. Check it out by clicking the link.

Performer of the Week

I haven't really run this past anyone as yet, but in celebration of our 13,000th hit . . . Thanks, people! I thought we could start a new weekly posting . . . Performer of the Week. In my thinking, "Performer of the Week" can be the best performance of the week OR the performer who was the most improved (think KLC singing "Anyway" last year) . . . I'll get us started with what I thought was the best performance of last week. . . Adam Lambert singing "Tracks of My Tears" . . . seriously, for me, hands down the best performance of the entire season thus far. Click the link below to revisit the Lambert Magic.

EW's Idolatry: Lambert Love Loosed

EW's weekly vlog series "Idolatry" has been posted. In this week's webisode, they discuss last week's performances and elimination. It's a good episode this week. They are lovin up some Adam Lambert and smackin down some Megan Joy and some Scott. Make sure you watch it until the very end to see who they would like to join Adam in the Top 3.

Adam Lambert: I Wonder How the Idol Machine Will Deal With This One?

MJ's Blog, a popular Idol Blog that I check into from time to time. Reported a story on one Mr. Adam Lambert. Idol's resident rocker is seen above smooching with a rather colorful young man. MJ wonders, as do I, how the Idol machine will deal with this dramz . . . IF it is true that Rocker Adam enjoys the love that dare not speak its name, then will it affect how America votes. In my memory of Idol gone by, I seem to think that we've never had an OUT finalist . . . we've had finalists who came out afterwards (See R.J. Helton, Jim Veraros, and of course, Clay Aiken) . . . but none that I can remember that were out on the show. Let me know what y'all think about how the Idol Machine will deal with this development.