The eighth season of “American Idol” is officially over, and America has selected its fourth male winner. But, while those who followed the various Idol blogs, prediction websites, fan clubs and message boards, might have anticipated tonight’s outcome, the result was undoubtedly a shock to the general public.
In what will definitely be called an upset given the intensity of media coverage and non-stop raving from the judges for the runner-up, Kris Allen took the “Idol” prize. From Conway, Arkansas, the smooth, low-key singer, who has drawn frequent comparison to artists like Jason Mraz and Jack Johnson, overcame intense buzz surrounding Adam Lambert to win the eighth edition of “American Idol.”
The specific vote margin was not released, indicating a relatively sizable victory for the singer billed as a major underdog. Host Ryan Seacrest did confirm that nearly 100 million votes came in for the final decision.
Allen’s victory might have surprised mainstream audiences and media, but for those who intensely follow the program, his win seemed inevitable. Though few dismissed Lambert’s talent and position as a favorite, a great number of the most “passionate” fans, based on their frequent blogging and message board postings, were behind Allen. With a propensity to spend the duration of the four hour window voting, they made Allen an absolutely formidable challenger. Even if Adam Lambert touched a greater total number of Americans, Kris managed to elicit excitement from his fans in a manner similar to season four winner Carrie Underwood–that type of connection is what creates winners on “American Idol.”
This year’s “Idol” top thirteen rankings:
1) Kris Allen
2) Adam Lambert
3) Danny Gokey
4) Allison Iraheta
5) Matt Giraud
6) Anoop Desai
7) Lil Rounds
8) Scott MacIntyre
9) Megan Joy Corkey
10) Michael Sarver
11) Alexis Grace
12) Jorge Nunez
13) Jasmine Murray