And the winner is… DAVID COOK!

By 12 million votes!!!

Though last night was David Archuleta’s time to shine, it wasn’t enough to make him win.  David Cook just had more “hits” and good performances throughout the season.  In this case, he wasn’t just as good as his last performance.   The voters remembered all his great performances, which included Hello, Eleanor Rigby, Billie Jean, and of course, Always Be My Baby.

After the show, all online indicators pointed to a David Cook win.  iTunes sales, internet polls, it was overwhelming.   What I thought was an exciting finale (not knowing who the winner will be until the last second) became more predictable as the night went on.

David Cook is the first rocker to win American Idol.  Awesome!  I cannot wait for the CDs/albums to come out.  I will be watching out for David Cook’s, David Archuleta’s, and Jason Castro.  Michael Johns singing Father Figure tonight was sexy, so maybe I’ll watch out for his CD too.

So to American Idol 7, congratulations on a good year.  Hopefully next year you can mix it up a bit, ratings are probably going down because the format is practically the same yearly.  But heck, “low ratings” is still higher than most shows out there combined!  Hopefully next year too, no more Neil Diamond week, m’okay?  That was really lame.   And please, please, keep Idol Gives Back.

Congratulations to David Cook!

WHAT A NIGHT!

I was hoping for a David vs. David finale for the excitement and the showdown and boy did I get it.

A lot of people have been saying that David Cook will/should win American Idol. But after tonight, I believe David Archuleta has a chance. Yes David Cook won last week, but David Archuleta clearly won tonight. And sometimes, only the latest performances matter (remember Elliot Yamin?).

I’m actually not rooting for anyone to win, I truly believe they are both winners already – it looks like they both will have good careers ahead of them. I used to be a big David Archuleta fan, right after “Shop Around” (1st song, during the Top 24) and even more so after “Imagine”. However, he got boring after a while because he sang the “usual” David Archuleta songs – ballads, inspirational songs, and the like. David Cook on the other hand mixed it up and chose funky arrangements for his songs (some not original though, like Billie Jean) so he became “exciting”. However, towards the end, I also felt he sang the “usual” David Cook songs – pop-turned-rock. The “unexpected” became “expected”.

David Archuleta’s case: Loved by the tweens, teens, grandparents, and people in between. Seems that he can be easily “manipulated” by the AI machine. He has one of the best vocals in the season. Perfect example is tonight. He nailed all the songs, vocally. He’s so adorable and cute.

David Cook’s case: He has been consistent from the beginning (Top 24). Though not the best vocally, his “marketability” has been proven throughout the season through the iTunes sales. He even beat Madonna at some point! He is daring, and will definitely be good for AI as he is unlike any other past winner.

OK, on to the performances!

David Archuleta won the coin toss and opted to go second.

David Cook sang the following songs: I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For, Dream Big, and The World I Know.

I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For – I was waiting for a U2 song all season and I finally got it tonight! And David Cook performed it well! However, I found it “typical” of David to sing it a bit slow, then rock it out in the end. His trip to the audience area wasn’t as smooth as I would have wanted it to be – I mean, it just looked a bit forced. But still, it was a great performance.

Dream Big – It wasn’t a performance for the finals, in my opinion. Can’t fault David 100% for the song choice because they had limited choices and almost all were crap (at least that’s what I read).

The World I Know – Good song (thanks for introducing me to the song, David) and good performance, but it wasn’t enough, at least for me. I’ve read a lot of articles and blogs talking about David Cook’s cockiness, but I’ve never noticed it until tonight. That answer about “progression” and not seeing the reason why he has to repeat a performance – that was kinda cocky. I totally understand where he’s coming from, but he could have explained it another way. I totally agree with Simon, he should have sang Hello or Billie Jean (Always Be My Baby is OVERPLAYED haha!). Let’s say he really wanted to sing a new song – he could have chosen something else. The World I Know is definitely not the type of song you’d want to sing as your LAST song.

David Archuleta sang the following: Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me, In This Moment, and his hit, Imagine.

Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me – Good performance, and I kinda understand why the song was chosen but – THERE ARE SO MANY OTHER GOOD SONGS OUT THERE! Oh well, can’t fault David for this, it wasn’t his choice. But he did his best and it came out good. I don’t agree with the judges though that this is his best performance for the season.

In This Moment – Another crappy song but he did what he could. And it was definitely a better “winning” song than Dream Big. I swear, can’t they just scrap the songwriter’s competition already?

Imagine – As written in another blog, there’s no way you can sing pure beauty twice. It just wasn’t as beautiful as the first time. However, it was still a perfect performance. Perfect song to end the night.

David Archuleta looked petrified and really nervous during the critiques of the judges, but he was flawless with his singing (okay, maybe not flawless for the first song). Between the two Davids, it looked like the little David went there to win, singing his heart out with every line. I didn’t feel that with the older David.

So will David Archuleta’s performances tonight be enough to make him the next American Idol? Or will David Cook’s boldness make him the first rocker to ever win American Idol? Tomorrow, we’ll find out.

What do YOU think about tonight’s performances?

I took part in the Rickey.org live chat to check out the results and I CAN’T BELIEVE I had doubts as to who will go home tonight. I guess you can never be too sure until the names are announced, but I really couldn’t imagine a finals night other than David vs. David!

And yes, it will be David vs. David in the finals!

And David Cook, no matter how good he is, was in the bottom 2! David Archuleta’s name was called first! I don’t think it will be the same case during the finals, ’cause I’m sure David Cook will BRING IT ON! It will be very, very exciting!

YAY!!!

And the next American Idol is…. DAVID!!!

I’m actually a bit disappointed. Not 1 standout performance. No “Imagine”, no “Always Be My Baby”. Nothing new. Almost all the performances – even those that showcased great vocals – were predictable.

David Archuleta sang “And So It Goes” by Billy Joel, “With You” by Chris Brown, and “Longer” by Dan Fogelberg. His best performance was his first one, “And So It Goes”. His vocals tonight were very, very good, but to me it came across as the usual David Archuleta song. Nothing new to wow me. But don’t get me wrong, it was a really good performance. “With You” was a bit awkward, but I totally understand David’s choice. It’s current, he’s young, and both judges’ songs were s-l-o-w. Still, we get good vocals from David. “Longer” again showcases his spot-on vocals but for me, it’s a snoozefest. What, they can’t choose a better song than that?! Come on! Thank you Simon for giving credit where credit is due – he did sing it well. The song was just really crappy. If I only base it on the songs and performances, I would be worried. But I truly believe David has done enough to merit a spot in the finals, against the other David. I cannot imagine Syesha getting more votes than little David.

Syesha Mercado’s songs were “If I Ain’t Got You” by Alicia Keys, “Fever” and “Hit Me Up”. I think Syesha’s going home tomorrow. “If I Ain’t Got You” was okay for me, it was the usual “I am Syesha, I can belt it out” song – nothing special. I don’t understand why she chose “Fever” – it just showed everyone how better she will be in broadway than in mainstream music (which is what American Idol is all about?). It was a good performance, but really way off the mark, I think. “Hit Me Up” was pitchy, and I really don’t think it’s a song for the Top 3. Makes me think American Idol did it on purpose to get rid of Syesha and ensure a David vs. David finale.

David Cook’s songs were “First Time I Ever Saw Your Face” by Roberta Flack, “Dare You to Move” by Switchfoot, and “I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing” by Aerosmith. I applaud Simon for his song choice – it’s a song that’s not expected from David, one that will challenge him. Though he sang it well, it was not at the level of “Billie Jean” and “Always Be My Baby”, that’s for sure. “Dare You to Move” is forgettable. “I Don’t Want To Miss a Thing” is the perfect song choice for David, but there were some pitchy moments, I think. It was good though, but still nothing spectacular.

The performances, ranked from fave to least fave:

1. And So It Goes by David Archuleta
2. First Time I Ever Saw Your Face by David Cook
3. I Dont Want To Miss a Thing by David Cook
4. Longer by David Archuleta
5. If I Ain’t Got You by Syesha Mercado
6. Dare You To Move by David Cook
7. With You by David Archuleta
8. Fever by Syesha Mercado
9. Hit Me Up by Syesha Mercado

It’s looking like a David vs. David finale. Hard to believe there will be a shock elimination tomorrow. And it looks like David Cook will win this thing.

Tomorrow, the Top 3 will perform. This week is more challenging because aside from learning several songs, one of which isn’t their choice, they had to go home and participate in many activities. I followed David Archuleti’s (I find that cute – Archuleti) homecoming and it was crazy! KUH-RAYZEE!!! He was so overwhelmed at one point that he kept tearing up! He guested in the local Fox TV news show, signed autographs outside a mall, go back to his High School to perform, and sang the national anthem for during a Utah Jazz game. So many people came out to see/greet/watch him! He was told that Paula’s song choice for him was “And So It Goes” by Billy Joel. I quickly Googled the song and well, I found it boring!!! Couple that with the fact that David’s dad is now BANNED from rehearsals – I’m so worried for little David! Will he be able to handle all of the pressure?

Is it even possible for him to be eliminated at this point? I’ve always thought that there was no doubt it was going to be a David vs. David finale. Now, I’m not that sure. I remember Elliot Yamin left the week before the finale – because it all boiled down to the performances for that night. He really didn’t do well. I’m now worried about David – what if he forgets the lyrics, what if he can’t make Paula’s song choice interesting – so many what ifs! He looks like a nervous wreck every single week and the pressure just might be too much for him.

Everyone’s question is – what can Syesha do to get into the finals? Because a lot of people genuinely expect a David vs. David finals, and nothing else. Is this the end for Syesha, or is still there a chance for her? I think she will only have a chance if one of the Davids truly effs up all his performances AND if she delivers a FANTASTIC last performance.

I’m still hoping for a David vs. David finale – because that way you will never be sure who will win American Idol until Ryan’s announcement. The two Davids are so different from each other, but both have the qualities of an American Idol.  I have no doubt that they will both be stars afterwards.

How about you? What do you think of the Top 3? Who will be in the finals? Who’s your bet?

Well, NO SURPRISES tonight!

First one safe was David Archuleta.  Second one safe was David Cook.  Really, did anyone ever doubt?

So it was Jason versus Syesha.  Well, I don’t know how she does it, but she’s been in the Bottom 2 so many times I can’t count anymore.  But, again, she was safe.   It really helped her that she has been improving the past few weeks, I guess that matters to people, huh?

Goodbye Jason, it was fun while it lasted.  You have your niche and hopefully, you’ll be able to come up with a great album in the future.

And so we have our Top 3 – David, David and Syesha.

One week closer to a David versus David finale.  Syesha will have to come up with something REALLY AMAZING for her to make it to the finals.  The ball is on her court.  Let’s see next week.

Been sick for a couple of weeks already hence the hiatus. Plus I really didn’t feel like blogging about last week (Neil Diamond week) because I found it utterly B-O-R-I-N-G. But this week’s good, so here goes!

This week’s theme is “Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll”. After much Googling and surfing, I found out that the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame actually released a list of 500 songs that helped shaped Rock and Roll. It’s a rich list and everyone was waiting for the choices.

First up was David Cook with “Hungry Like the Wolf” by Duran Duran. You know what, it was okay! It wasn’t as bad as how the judges thought it was. I just think they were expecting more from him, which is why they made those comments. Randy said it was okay, Simon said it was good but a little bit of copycat. This is the downside of delivering week after week after week. Once you give an “okay” performance (still good especially compared to others), you get negative comments. For his second song, David sang “Baba O’ Reily” by The Who. I actually didn’t like it that much, maybe because I prefer the faster arrangement. I still David though, and now more than ever I believe in a David versus David finals.

Syesha Mercado sang “Proud Mary” by Tina Turner and it was actually good! Well, the start was much better because I think there was trying a little too hard towards the end but it worked for me. She is definitely giving it her all, and I give her points for that. Her second song was “A Change is Gonna Come” by Sam Cooke and again, she gave it her all. I think Randy got it all wrong. It was amazing. However, looking back, I think the faster songs work more for Syesha, than the slow “belt it all out” type of songs.

Jason Castro – what happened to you? I don’t see the fire in him anymore. It’s like he already gave up and doesn’t care if he leaves. I used to like him a lot, I love it that he’s unique, but giving mediocre performances isn’t the way to win American Idol. Both songs were not that okay. His first song was “I Shot The Sheriff” by Bob Marley. For me, it wasn’t as bad as the judges thought it was, but it was nothing compared to the performances of the other three. His second song was “Mr. Tambourine Man” by Bob Dylan and it was a total mess. He OBVIOUSLY forgot a line – it was worse than David Archuleta because that wasn’t as obvious. It was like Jason was playing around. He SHOULD go home, but I’m not very sure about that because of his strong fan base.

David Archuleta – my little David was the clear winner, at least for this week. Granted, his song choices are all typical David Archuleta songs (I don’t know how to explain it, his song choices are all kinda similar) – I do agree with some of his detractors on this point – but come on, he NAILED it tonight. BOTH performances! His first song, “Stand By Me” by Ben E. King, will definitely be a hit. “Love Me Tender” by Elvis Presley was so tender and touching and moving. I love it that David is taking risks – he went for the high notes during his first performance and sang falsetto during his second performance. Here are the 2 performances of David:

“Stand By Me”

“Love Me Tender”

The performances, ranked from favorite to least favorite:

1. Stand By Me by David Archuleta
2. Love Me Tender by David Archuleta
3. Hungry Like the Wolf by David Cook
4. A Change is Gonna Come by Syesha Mercado
5. Baba O’ Reily by David Cook
6. Proud Mary by Syesha Mercado
7. I Shot The Sheriff by Jason Castro
8. Mr. Tambourine Man by Jason Castro

I think Jason Castro should go home tomorrow, but I’m not sure. Let’s see.

Last week was Andrew Lloyd Webber Night on American Idol.  People were eagerly anticipating this because it was reported that David Archuleta and Carly Smithson love broadway.  So this was an opportunity for them to shine.

The show opened with Syesha Mercado, who sang “One Rock ‘N Roll Too Many” from Starlight Express.  She was brilliant!  This was her best performance for the season. I’m actually happy for her because even if she won’t do well with the album sales (her mp3′s don’t sell on iTunes), she can still have a career in broadway.

Next was Jason Castro with “Memory” from Cats.  It was definitely not his best performance but I don’t think it was as bad as the judges thought it was.  I felt the song.

Brooke White sang “You Must Love Me” from the movie Evita.  It was a MESS!  She had ANOTHER false start but she  already sang a line before we started again!  The performance felt like a kid trying to recite a memorized poem – she kept bobbing her head with each word or phrase.  Definitely the worst performance of the evening for me.

David Archuleta’s song choice was actually very strange.  He chose “Think Of Me” from Phantom of the Opera.  Andrew Lloyd Webber’s interview was a bit funny because it opened with “this song was written for a diva, for a woman”.  I’m not sure if I detected a tinge of sarcasm when he said that if ‘David wanted to change the song a bit, then bravo’.  David’s version was a pop version, and I think it worked.  It wasn’t his best performance for sure but it was okay.  I’m a bit worried because he forgot his lyrics though not very obvious.  It’s just that it’s not the first time this happened.  I hope it’s the last.  I’m really hoping for a David vs. David final.

Carly Smithson listened to Andrew Lloyd Webber and sang “Jesus Christ Superstar”.  She was supposed to sing “All I Ask  Of You”.  A lot of people think she did well, the judges actually loved her performance.  I didn’t.  She was screaming throughout the chorus but the backup singers sang the melody louder.  I’ve said this before – you don’t win Idol because you can reach the high notes.  And doing it on purpose (singing the high notes) makes it worse for me.  But, good for her, she had fun and it showed.

David Cook closed the show with “Music of the Night” from Phantom of the Opera.  He didn’t change the arrangement, he sang it as is, and he did well.  So aside from being unpredictable and daring, he has a good voice!  Good choice this week.

The performances, from fave to least fave:

1. Syesha Mercado
2. David Cook
3. David Archuleta
4. Jason Castro
5. Carly Smithson
6. Brooke White

I thought this was how America was going to vote:

1. David Archuleta
2. David Cook
3. Jason Castro
4. Carly Smithson
5. Syesha Mercado
6. Brooke White

Bottom 2 was Carly and Syesha, which surprised a lot of people.  People were betting on a Brooke White elimination. I wasn’t that surprised because it’s very obvious by now that Syesha does not have a fan base, which is a big factor during voting, especially before the Top 4 or Top 3.  People don’t care that she has a good voice (she does), they’re just not that into her.  Regarding Carly, I guess it finally caught up with her.  Brooke was able to offer a couple of FANTASTIC performances in the past with “Let It Be” as the best, which probably saved her, unlike Carly.

So there you have it!  Next week is Neil Diamond week.  I’m still trying to figure out who he is…

What a “dramatic” night. American Idol tried their best to make the results show interesting and well, I think they were able to pull it off. First, they made sure people wouldn’t know who the bottom 3 would be until the last minute. Second, David Archuleta’s sitting in the middle of the stage (with David Cook and Jason Castro following him) lessened the viewers’ perception of the episode being too “scripted” (Remember “There are too many Cooks in the house, let’s swap.” Geez.).

FINALLY, Kristy Lee Cook goes home. FINALLY. It’s about time!!! I guessed this! Barring anything new, I think Syesha Mercado will go home next week.

If I have to predict right now the Final 2 for American Idol 7, I’d say it will be David Cook versus David Archuleta. They have been both very consistent. They’ve had many good performances already, they’re good singers, and they connect to the audience.

If I have to pick right now who the winner will be, based on the performances to date, I’d say it will be David Cook. I’m a David Archuleta fan, but I’m also objective.

It’s still a long way to go though. Let’s see what will happen within the next several weeks.