Last night, the Top Two American Idol contestants gave their final three performances. According to Randy Jackson, it was a "duel to the end" between Crystal Bowersox and Lee Dewyze--but I beg to differ, Dawg. There was absolutely no comparison between the performances by "Mama Sox" and former paint store employee Lee--Crystal was definitely in a league of her own--and really has been even since we saw her during Hollywood week.
Each contestant performed three times: first with their favorite song from the season, then a pick from Producer Simon Fuller, and finally the song that would be their first single if they win the Idol title. Crystal won the coin toss and opted to sing second--which ended up being a brilliant move on her part.
Lee started the show with his rendition of "The Boxer", and while I agree with Ellen DeGeneres that it was better than the first time he performed it, his nerves were showing and it was nothing memorable. Simon commented on the fact that Lee seemed nervous. This is where it was to Crystal's advantage to have let Lee go first--not to mention, audiences do tend to remember more about the person who performs last (unless you're Adam Lambert--in which case, it doesn't matter when you perform.)
I can't say I blame Lee for having the jitters, being that there were 7,000 fans in the audience of the legendary Nokia Theatre, but there wasn't an ounce of stagefright emanating from Crystal during any of her performances--she is clearly an artist, a true performer, and she has the vocal gift backing it all up.
Her favorite song was "Me and Bobby McGee", which the judges enjoyed just as much this time around. Although I thought she got a bit shrill at times, in comparison to Lee--well, there just isn't anything to compare. Crystal is so comfortable on stage, clearly loves what she's doing with her heart and soul. I believe Lee loves it too, but he's not as seasoned and vocally not as talented either. And he's simply not consistent, which I think comes from his lack of experience and his lack of self-confidence.
The next song that Lee did was REM's "Everybody Hurts". Oooph. I sure was hurting listening to him destroy that song. It's one thing to make a song your own, but he made it unrecognizable. I really thought it would have been a solid choice for him, but it was mostly painful for me to watch that performance. I was happy when it ended. Simon thought he needed to give a 10 out of 10 on his final song--clearly indicating that Lee was sub-par up to that point.
Simon Fuller's song choice for Crystal was Alanna Miles' "Black Velvet" and although she had trouble walking down the stairs and got a tad screechy at times again, she again exuded the confidence of a true star, and her vocal range was top notch. The judges loved it.
Lee's last song was U2's "Beautiful Day". Oy--my apologies to Mr. Hewson (aka Bono). U2 happens to be my all-time favorite band, that's a fantastic song and Bono is a Rock God. And all Lee did with that performance was prove that no one else should touch that song but U2. He made it unbelievably, painfully bland and again, I couldn't wait for him to finish. His voice just didn't suit the song at all, and I for one will not buy the single if Lee wins and releases that.
Crystal wrapped things up with Patty Griffin's "Up To The Mountain", a song I had never heard before. She nailed it, nailed it, nailed it. It's an incredible song, and she sang it with such raw emotion, and so much soul, you couldn't help but be drawn completely into her world for those few minutes. Her voice was stunning, and it was a perfect song choice in contrast to the other two--she brought the tempo down enough to give us the down-to-earth, authentic Crystal that creates a connection with the audience--and keeps us wanting more.
She was also quite gracious to Simon, and thanked him for all of his feedback and wished him all the best, being that he's leaving American Idol--tonight's show will be his very last time as a judge. Ryan promised a few surprises, which I can't wait to see. (I'm sure there will be some digs from the last 9 years, but to be honest, the show won't be the same without him).
I think it's clear who should be taking home the Idol title tonight--and the phone lines were still busy for Crystal even at 1am this morning--but you never can tell who it will be. I'm not worried about Mama Sox--like Adam Lambert, even if she's a runner-up, she has kicked the door wide open toward success.
Who do you think deserves the title? Give me a shout out; I'd love to hear who you're rooting for.
Tune in to your local FOX channel tonight to see who America has chosen, and to bid farewell to Simon.
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