Last year I was way ahead of the game, as far as posting about American Idol.
I made my prediction way back when the top twelve started performing. And I do believe I had actually made my pick well before that, as a matter of fact when they were holding auditions I saw this 'David Cook' dude who I really liked...
And Cook was my predicted winner the whole way through the season - he just kept getting better and better each week.
Congrats, by the way, to DC for going platinum in the first few months of his debut release.
Anyway, Season 8 is upon us, well pretty involved- actually...
And again I must say I have picked a favorite. Though this year I am torn a bit more than last year. But in the end, I must give my props to Adam Lambert. He is truly the most naturally talented singer in the competition (and perhaps in eight seasons you would be hard pressed to find a more gifted singer)...
He has an absolutely ungodly range. Always in tune no matter how low or how high he is singing. It's amazing to watch the control he has over his voice. Really impressive.
A few weeks ago he tamed down his typical theatrics (which he gets naturally, being a stage performer in the touring production of
Wicked) and went for broke, singing Smokey Robinson's 'Tracks of my Tears' - it was a class act and even Smokey himself gave him a standing O.
And he looked like this for that performance. A complete 180 to his usual look.
Adam generally has a flamboyant, dramatic look - glam rock if you will. He is emo to the 'nth degree, with a Pete Wentz/Dave Navarro look, complete with gothy black hair, eyeliner, nails - you name it.
But as much as he emotes the goth look, you can see under it. He has the best eyes in the business and his smile lights up a room.
So yes, I guess I have a bit of a crush... his looks are nice, but his singing is top notch.
Wearing his Mr. T starter kit.
This past week he sang "Mad World" (a song originally recorded by Tears for Fears in the 80's but later reimagined by Gary Jules and made famous in the movie Donnie Darko..) Adam did the Jules version and though you thought you'd never see it, Simon Cowell gave him a standing ovation at the end of the performance (the audience soon followed). It was a heart-wrenching, totally honest and most of all controlled performance. A tour de force which just makes me reiterate the fact that it is obvious (after giving him the prime 'last to perform' spot on tuesday) that the judges are behind this dude 100%.
I still have no real idea how they would market a record from this guy though...
But let's consider Adam's main competition.
I would certainly say Danny Gokey is his main rival, and I still feel it will be a Danny/Adam Season 8 finale.
Danny's story was told a thousand times during auditions, Hollywood week, and the run into the top 12 (or 13 as the case was this year). He lost his wife to heart disease just months before he auditioned, so he really had the pity vote and the sympathy of the American public going into the start of Season 8. To top that off, he seems like a genuinely nice guy. He has a really likable voice as well - a bit of Bryan Adams raspiness gives him an edge and different sound that has held up fairly well so far. Both the hubby and I like Danny alot, and would be happy if he were to pull off the win against Adam.
Kris Allen-
- is the dark horse of this competition, and he has been a bit of a rising star as of late. He's been fairly consistent (save his performance this past week of a crappy version of Don Henley's classic 'All she wants to do is dance') with his shining moment a few weeks ago singing a stripped down, fantastic rendition of Ain't No Sunshine. Awesome.
Kris also has his good looks going for him, and his friendly personality always seems to shine through.
At first, I didn't want to like this guy, with no excuse other than he just seemed too nice.
But he may have the most marketable voice in the whole she-bang this year. A bit John Mayer, a bit Jason Mraz... good stuff.
Seriously, I'm likin' this dude more every week, if I do say so.
Alison Ireheta -
-who at 16, is a mere babe in the woods. I was already married like, 2 or 3 years when she was
born!! But she's really blessed with natural singing ability, and I could totally hear her fronting a band - think Paramore or No Doubt - easily. She could also go the Kelly Clarkson route, she's got the chutzpah to go completely on her own.
I really don't think she's had a bad week. She is consistent, and despite her young age, seems like an old pro on the stage, always picking songs she can use to her advantage to show off her fabulous voice and quirky personality.
No matter how far she gets here, she has a future in the music biz. Remember her name, people, I'm telling you.
A round up of the other three contestants that are left leaves us Matt Giraud -
- a bluesy, soulful dude who the judges keep saying reminds them of Justin Timberlake... I don't know about that, cause I'm not really a fan of JT. But I loved his take on 'Georgia' during Hollywood week. He worked as a dueling piano player prior to Idol, so he really does have major skills.
But he seems to have some issues regarding song choice. Matt flip-flops between good and bad each week. He's had a few crappy weeks, and has been in and out of the bottom 3 a few times now. Don't think he has the goods to go all the way.
Ditto that for Anoop Desai.
Love love love this guy's voice. Like Randy Jackson says, he has 'mad vocals'... but he seems to be a one-trick pony and if he isn't singing a ballad, he's struggling. He's so very likeable though-he has such a crisp, natural flow to his voice that if he put out a whole record of slow & easy tunes I just might think about buying it. But he is simply not in the same class as Danny and in particular Adam.
Poor Lil Rounds.
She got major, major hype during the pre-season. She and her family had survived a tornado that destroyed their home and they have been through alot. She had the judges behind her a hundred percent going into the final rounds. However... this girl can't pick an appropriate song if her life depended on it. Where on earth are the people who are supposed to be helping these contestants do the right thing? The way she's butchered her last several performances (in particular this past week's Tina Turner karaoke performance - UGH!), she's really walking a tightrope and more than likely unless she pulls a magic rabbit out of her hat, she is going bye bye, soon.
And this past week we said goodbye to Scott MacIntyre.
Scott was a fantastic talent, with a very nice voice and major piano skills. His main claim to fame was the fact that he is the first handicapped Idol contestant. Which should really mean nothing as far as singing goes, but hey, the guy's been blind since birth. Major kudos to Scott for getting up there every week and doing his thing. He just wasn't versatile enough to hang with the big dogs. But hey, he (and the rest of the final ten) gets to do the tour, so perhaps he can continue his fifteen minutes of fame at least throughout the fall. I read somewhere that he has tons of songs (music and lyrics) already composed and waiting to go.... So if anyone is looking for the next Barry Manilow-slash-Billy Joel-slash-Donny Osmond type of performer, Scott's your guy.
Course he'd be equally at home being a wedding singer, I fear.
But we loved ya, Scott.
SO after all is said and done, I've really gotta sit in Adam's corner, as he hasn't had a mistep yet as far as song choice, and seems to be the most intelligent and saavy of the contestants, knowing where his strengths lie, picking likeable songs and changing them up to his style, and working the crowd with unmitigated ease. Charm and charisma just flow outta this dude, and I don't know if even Danny has enough to overcome it.
(And of course Adam's looks have alot to do with it too, sad but true. How else do we explain Megan Joy Corkery lasting so long???)
Go Adam.
