Y'know, I honestly have no idea which way this is going to go. Last week, all three contestants were separated by only one million votes. This week, by all accounts, all the lines were jammed, suggesting that the winner may be determined by text votes and more random factors. This may be season two all over again.
Personally, I cast a few dozen votes for Adam... but I've gotta hand it to Kris. I counted him out early on, and he really stepped up. Yes, he's benefiting from the "anybody but Adam" vote, but that in itself wouldn't come close to sufficing; he's given people legitimate cause to rally around him.
Over in my pool... whatever happens, kudos to Mo Pie for leading the pack most of the way (she's the only one of us not to go a week without scoring so far) and for sportsmanship; to Pam for sticking to her guns regarding Adam; and to TeKay for almost pulling off the gutsiest strategy of any of us. As for Jesse and I... we didn't suck, and there's always next year.
Finally (before getting to the show), Snark of the Week goes to "American Idol virgin" Ed Masley, a music critic for the Arizona Republic who's watched Idol all this season for the first time. It's been fun getting his take, and I'll be interested in seeing whether he decides to come back next year. Anyway, with regards to the single, he notes that Kris "stripped it of its roots in silly, lighter-waving, '80s power balladry and gave it some substance and soul just by virtue of not being Adam or Kara." Heh.
(All of that said, I still think Adam is way better. So there!)
Anyway. On to the finale!
Missed the first few minutes, because I never remember just how freakin' long a SlingPlayer software update takes. (Answer: really freakin' long.)
We check in with Mikalah and Carly in Kris and Adam's hometowns.
The top 13, clad in white — symbolizing this season's diversity — perform "So What."
David Cook performs "Permanent." Nice.
Proceeds from this performance of the song on iTunes will go to cancer research, in honor of David's late brother.
...ah, the Golden Idol awards. I expect to see Tatiana and Norman Gentle tonight...
Outstanding Male nominees: several entertainingly terrible auditioners — Will Kurick, Michael Gurr, Elijah Scarlett, Dean-Anthony Bradford — and also Nick Mitchell / Norman Gentle.
And the winner is... Nick Mitchell, of course. He walks up from the audience to accept his award, starts a thank-you speech, strips off his outer layer going into Norman mode, and... oh, there are no words.
Camera goes back to Ryan, wearing a red headband and Norman-style glasses.
Lil Rounds and Queen Latifah sing "Cue the Rain."
Anoop, Alexis, and Jason Mraz perform "I'm Yours." (Backed up by the other finalists, who perhaps remember the arrangement from the Ford commercial.) Fun!
Kris Allen montage.
Kris and Keith Urban sing "Kiss a Girl."
The female finalists sing "Glamorous," and introduce Fergie, who warbles "Big Girls Don't Cry." And then they're joined by the Black Eyed Peas, singing "Boom Boom Pow." (I think. I'm using Google for the titles.)
And back to the Golden Idols. Best Attitude nominees: Katrina "Bikini Girl" Darrell, Alexis Cohen, and Tiffany Shedd. And the award goes to... Katrina. Who comes out in a bikini to accept her award. There's a mixture of cheers and boos as she goes to sing to the judges... and she's then joined by Kara, who outsings the heck out of her. Cute. ...oh no. At the end, Kara rips her dress open to reveal a bikini. Apparently this is part of a bet, with the money going to charity. She really shouldn't have. (To clarify, she looks great in a bikini, but that's not the point.)
Allison and Cyndi Lauper perform "Time After Time."
Ryan chats with Kris's parents, then Adam's. They're all gracious.
Danny sings "Hello." (Holy crap. Are they gonna bring out Lionel Richie? ...they are! I love this show...) Danny and Lionel sing "Just Go," and segue into "All Night Long." With the two providing their own echoes on "let the music play on (play on, play on)." Cute.
Adam montage.
Adam, wearing... what the heck IS he wearing? ...sings something and introduces KISS. Okay, that explains the outfit. The first song was "Beth"; they continue the medley with "Detroit Rock City" and "Rock and Roll All Nite."
Carlos Santana plays "Black Magic Woman," is joined by the finalists for "Smooth."
Ford commercial: "I Will Remember You."
And in a pre-taped segment, David Cook gives Adam and Kris the keys to 2010 Ford Fusion hybrids.
Megan Joy, Michael Sarver, and... Steve Martin? Playing the banjo, of course... actually, that's all he's doing. Playing the banjo. This is very strange. And yet kind of awesome.
...ah, he wrote the song, "Pretty Flowers," and it's on his new album, which came out yesterday. All is explained. (And he knows it's a longshot, but he hopes he wins this season.)
The male finalists sing "Do Ya Think I'm Sexy?" and introduce Rod Stewart, who sings "Maggie May" all by his lonesome.
Hmm. We still haven't-- ah, here we go. Golden Idol nominees for Outstanding Female: Chelsea Marquardt, Irene Anguelova, Dana Moreno, and of course, Tatiana Nicole Del Toro. Tatiana is told that they're out of time, but she rushes the stage and sings "Saving All My Love" again while security makes mock attempts at escorting her off. Cute.
Kris and Adam sing "We Are the Champions," joined by Queen. Nice.
And now that DVRs set to stop at 10 PM have cut off, on to the results. They actually have somebody bring out an envelope this year. Almost 100 million votes cast!
The winner... of American Idol... 2009 is...
Kris Allen!
Adam was better, but America loves a good come-from-behind narrative. Way to go, Kris!
Kris is in shock. As is much of the crowd. He gets a trophy for some stupid reason, like that's not anticlimactic. We don't get to see the judges' immediate reaction, but they seem subdued when Ryan thanks them. Anyway, Kris rallies to sing the crappy single.
(Was that Justin Guarini they cut to at the end?)
And over in my pool, Pam edges out Mo by a quarter of a point. Wow.
Final pool standings:
Pam: 25.25
Mo Pie: 25.00
TeKay: 19.75
Jesse: 18.50
Shmuel: 18.50
Thanks for playing, and see you next season!
Shmuel out!
This is it: Adam vs. Kris! And I'm thinking the performances are actually going to matter this time...
Three songs apiece this week: contestant's pick; producer's pick; and the single, which is co-written by Kara this year. (Does that mean it'll suck less? Doubtful.)
Kris won the coin toss! And sensibly chooses to go second.
Ryan warns that tomorrow's show is gonna go long, so if you're recording it, set your DVR accordingly. Which... well, it's good that he's at least said so, but it might be nice if they adjusted the official schedule accordingly...
Round One: Contestant's Choice
Adam: "Mad World"
Tightly controlled performance, subdued and haunting. Pretty close to flawless.
Kris: "Ain't No Sunshine" (on piano)
Excellent contrast, well executed.
I'd give the first round to Adam, but that's purely personal preference; it's an apples and oranges comparison. Both were excellent.
Simon gives the first round to Kris.
Round Two: Simon Fuller's Choice
Adam: "A Change Is Gonna Come"
Oh, that was great.
Kris: "What's Going On" (on guitar)
And suddenly I'm chilling out in Kris's den. It's perfectly nice, but not at all up to the standard of the rest of the night.
Round two definitely goes to Adam.
Simon concurs.
Round Three: The Single, "No Boundaries"
Adam:
...I'm trying to get past the bit where this song sucks. I think Adam's having the same problem.
Kris:
The song is still bland and generic, but Kris is able to work with that.
Round three to Kris.
Carrie Underwood sings us out with "Home Sweet Home." (We are now officially in overtime. Glee is gonna have to wait a few more minutes.)
Overall... I don't think tonight's going to sway anybody. Adam fans got good reason to vote for Adam; Kris fans got good reason to vote for Kris. I can easily see this going either way.
That said, I am so voting for Adam. After Glee ends, anyway.
Current standings:
Mo Pie: 25.00
TeKay: 19.75
Jesse: 18.50
Shmuel: 18.50
Pam: 16.25
Spoilers after the jump!
Tekay had by far the most consistent picks this season, putting Adam and Danny in first and second place every single week. If Danny had come through, he could have creamed the rest of us, but Kris successfully managed to come from behind...
So, as matters currently stand...
If Adam wins, Mo Pie creams the rest of us; nobody else can bridge the gap. TeKay, Jesse, and I are tightly clustered together in the middle, and Pam brings up the rear.
If Kris wins, then there's a razor-thin margin between Mo and Pam, which could go either way depending on what predictions they make next week. If Pam continues to back Anybody But Adam, and Mo decides to be sporting and keep Adam in first, then Pam will win by one-quarter of a point. There's then some serious competition between TeKay, Jesse, and I for the final slots.
Upshot is, it ain't over yet.
I've long maintained that one reason for the long string of successful artists to come out of Idol is that they essentially go through boot camp in the course of the show. USA Today has a good article about that, with this year's top three.
Meanwhile... if the top three end up being Adam, Danny, Kris -- in that order -- TeKay's gonna wipe the floor with the rest of us. I haven't run all the math, but at first glance I think Mo stands to win if it's Adam, Kris, Danny. If Danny actually wins this thing, Pam should as well. I'm not really sure what would happen if Kris pulled an upset, though I actually find that more likely than the Danny scenario; it'd probably depend on the order of the other two.
This should all be much more clear cut after we find out who leaves tonight. Read on!
Missed the beginning, being otherwise occupied.
Danny and Kris recaps.
Jordan Sparks performs her new single, "Battlefield." Pretty good!
Adam recap.
Katy Perry performs her new single, "Waking Up In Vegas." ...wearing a cape with "Adam Lambert" on it? Over a sort of collared deep-V-neck leotard inspired by 70s Elvis's jumpsuit? Ohhhhhkaaaay...
Kris is safe!
Down to Danny and Adam... and... Adam is in the finale. Suck it, Danny!
...umm, I mean, sorry about that, Danny...
Kara's mike is off, but she clearly mouths "oh my God."
Next week: Adam's manifest destiny vs. Kris's stepping up and clawing his way to the top. This has actually just become interesting again.
Mo Pie gets 8 points; Jesse and I get 4; Pam gets 1.
It's episode #300! And we're down to the top three! Who will be singing... two songs apiece. Hmmph.
So, which judge doesn't get a pick? Are two going to share? This... is American Idol!
Probably the fact that nothing really grabbed me is due to my being very short on sleep. Will attempt to remedy that. Shmuel out.
Three out of five of us have Kris going home this week, while TeKay stands to pick up five points if Allison goes instead. What will happen?
Ford commercial: "Move Along."
The finalists perform "School's Out" with Slash.
Glee commercial. I cannot wait for Glee.
Okay, Danny watched last night's show and has a sense of humor about his big finish last night. Good for him! (Seriously. I'm not being sarcastic.)
Paula performs her new single, "I'm Just Here for the Music."
...and I do mean "performs," not "sings." No effort is made to hide the fact that this is lip-synched. It's all about the choreography... which is better than last year's "Dance Like There's No Tomorrow" trainwreck.
(Nice touch at the end, where a dancer playing a reporter asks whether she'll be back next season. She doesn't answer the question.)
No Doubt performs "Just a Girl."
Montage of Top 3 homecomings past.
Ryan specifies we're not gonna get a bottom 2; the finalists will be announced in no particular order.
Kris is safe!
As the only person who didn't have a single point on Kris in fourth place, I'm a bit gleeful about this. :-)
(Currently, if Allison goes out fourth, everybody gets some points; if Danny does, I rake in a few; if Adam does, every one of us is caught off-guard.)
Ryan reminds us that Chris Daughtry got cut this week in Season Five.
Daughtry performs "No Surprise," the first single of their upcoming album.
Adam is safe!
Danny... is safe. Allison is going home.
TeKay gets five points; Pam gets three; Jesse and I get two; Mo gets one.
Oh, and next week the top 3 perform two songs apiece: one, judges' choice; one, their own pick. Apparently, the producer's pick is being sacrificed due to the four-judge time constraints.
...but here's what I posted on a Project FOX forum about this season of American Idol:
I've been watching Idol since the first episode of the first season. I've run an Idol pool for years (strictly for fun; no money changes hands). You might say I'm a fan. :-)This season is still well worth watching, but I will grant that it has not been one of the better ones. Some of this is luck of the draw, some of it isn't. Zipping through the issues...
The semifinals portion of the show has always been the weakest segment of the season, but the producers hit on an approach that worked well in seasons 4 through 7, gradually whittling down the top 12 boys and top 12 girls to 6 apiece over the course of three weeks. This had a few effects: it let us get to know the finalists better, having watched them for three weeks before the finals got underway; it let them get more practice; and perhaps most importantly, it made it possible for a more diverse group to get in. When only 3 people are selected from a group of 12 in one shot, you're probably going to get only those who are most solidly mainstream. Which helps explain why this time around we ended up with a group rather boringly dominated by white males.
(On the whole, I'd say http://blogs.usatoday.com/idolchatter/2009/03/the-real-proble.html got this right.)
The fourth judge. I have nothing against Kara. While I don't think it will happen, I would not be terribly upset if she ended up replacing the one judge she makes superfluous, by which I mean Randy. But there have been time and pacing issues all season long [including this past week's top 5 snoozefest; apparently they didn't have time for each contestant to sing 2 songs, so they dragged the hour out with only 5 total] because hearing from the whole panel takes so much time. Unless the show itself is going to be lengthened to compensate, she probably has to go.
As an aside, Paula and Simon remain the two most important judges, which has only been reinforced by the seating arrangement this year: you've got the lesser duo up against the greater one. I don't think either of them are replaceable.
The judges' save was an interesting idea, but I don't think it served the show well. I'd prefer it be jettisoned, but it's not a huge deal one way or the other.
The season itself hasn't been as interesting as those past, which I think comes down to two factors: (1) Adam Lambert is so much better than the rest of the pack that the show's really become a competition for second place. (2) The rest of the pack doesn't have anybody totally (or entertainingly) out of their league, but none of them have anything particularly setting themselves apart, either. Ultimately, I think the semifinals process helped create both of these factors. As I said above, it made for less diversity and fewer oddballs... and both serve to add texture to the show and unsettle the overall rankings.
Finally... this is a very minor point in the overall scheme of things, but that cake-fighting sequence in the top 5 results show was just horrifying. In these troubled economic times, I am not entertained by watching people waste perfectly good pastry!
Anyway, I'm still a fan of the show -- one which has produced many, many successful artists, not just Kelly and Carrie -- and I'll look forward to next season. But I do hope they restore the semifinals to the previous format.
It's Rock Week!
And... yow. They're doing six duets, covering every combination of contestants, instead of, say, eight solo performances. That's... that's actually kind of an interesting idea.
The mentor is Slash, and there's been no dress rehearsal due to technical problems. Funfunfun.
No, wait, I'm wrong. I guess they're doing four solo performances, followed by two duets?
(Close. Two solo performances, followed by a duet. Repeat.)
My brother's Slingbox wasn't working for some reason, but the DVR picked it up, and I'm watching it now. Will probably update with reactions afterward, but you can go ahead and post your predictions if you want.
Added, 10:05 PM: Okay, just finished watching the recording. The ending of Danny's song was the only actively bad bit, but... ouch. Though I actually thought the Danny/Kris duet was better than the Adam/Allison one, what with the use of harmonies and all.
Anyway, the results this week are anybody's guess.