american idol talk's blog

the finals -- top 3

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It's coming down to the wire here and this is one of my favorite weeks. Contestants get to choose any song they like. Judges choose one for them. That leaves everything completely wide open. This not only gives the opportunity to judge the contestant's singing ability, but also their own judgment with respect to the songs they deem fit them best. Some of the most memorable performances have come out of this week. Fantasia, Taylor Hicks, Bo Bice and David Cook all tore the roof off the house in the semi-finals.

So will this year be the same with one stunning performance? Let's see...

First: Judge's Choice...

1. Danny Gokey: Dance Little Sister by Terence Trent D'arby. At least it came together for him tonight when he needed it most. Nice vocal tone for that particular song. The arrangement was hot, but didn't overwhelm the vocals like it has with most of his performances. Yet again, he had some breath and timing issues, and went sharp in a spot or two, but overall he did well.

2. Kris Allen: Apologize by One Republic. Flat again and the falsettos really have to go; he simply can't hit them with conviction. He just doesn't have the anatomy to pull them off like they should be done. This was nothing special. He didn't hose it completely, but he never controlled it either.

3. Adam Lambert: One by U2. He has perfect pitch, perfect timing, and perfect control. He just out-Bono'ed Bono. No matter what he sings, he always manages to also look the part. He is an artist.

Now, Contestant's Choice...

1. Danny Gokey: You Are So Beautiful by Joe Cocker. Bad arrangement in that he has difficulty holding more than a whole note. His voice starts wavering and trailing. He should have chipped it more. And then he started screaming. Danny has no real sense of dynamic range and how to achieve it. He is either going soft and dainty or screaming into the mic. All he knows is soft and loud. Overall it was pretty good, but just not memorable.

2. Kris Allen: Heartless by Kanye West. The song sucked. The presentation sucked more. I kept expecting an orchestral crescendo and it just never came. He had some halfway decent vocals, and proved that he can more than effectively play the piano and guitar, but that's about all he showed. He's vocal style is drab and his presentation has been consistently boring with no movement in his performances. Now if you have the ability of say Jim Croce or James Taylor you can get away with it, but he does not.

3. Adam Lambert: Crying by Arrowsmith. Not quite as good as I expected it would be, but still amazing. I think the arrangement changes he made were just a bit too jarring, though. But even so, he absolutely nailed it. Adam is by far the best non-operatic tenor I have heard in years. And more importantly, he combines that skill and talent with stage presence.

This one is easy for me this week. Get rid of Kris Allen. He just does not have what it takes to be a superstar. Now, having said that, I am concerned about one thing.

It is clear that Adam belongs in the finals, and clear at least to me that he deserves to be the next American Idol. I am afraid that the two other camps will, in what may turn out to be a popularity contest, overvote for Danny and Kris. But in them fighting it out, that will leave Adam with the least number of votes. We'll see later tonight.

Filed under: Music