Two seasons ago, David Archuleta outperformed David Cook on the final “American Idol” performance show yet cleanly lost the competition to the latter, more popular contestant. Last year, in a well-contested finale, Kris Allen managed to upset frontrunner Adam Lambert with a dominant victory in the “Idol” voting.
From Ruben Studdard defeating Clay Aiken to Diana DeGarmo coming surprisingly close to the significantly superior Fantasia Barrino, “American Idol” finale voting is never predictable. It is never a certainty that the best contestant will win, and it is, in fact, never clear exactly how much stock voters put in that final performance show.
If one were to select the season nine “Idol” outcome based on momentum going into the finale, Lee DeWyze would win. If one were to select the season nine “Idol” winner based on likability, Lee DeWyze would win. If one were selecting it based on who was more over with the live crowd, Lee DeWyze would win by the biggest margin in “American Idol” history. But if one were to go “old school” and predict based on who did the better job Tuesday night, he would have no choice but to crown Crystal Bowersox the “American Idol” winner in the show’s biggest blowout to date.
The competition, quite honestly, did not even come across as fair. Crystal, who had struggled in the weeks leading up to the finale, reminded America why she was the favorite from the very early stages of the competition. Two of her three performances were absolutely brilliant, and as icing on the cake, her final number (one of those two) was one of the best “Idol” finale performances in history–it was every bit as sincere as Carrie Underwood’s “Angels Brought Me Here,” every bit as intense as Fantasia’s “I Believe” and every bit as vocally beautiful as “Summertime,” also by Fantasia.
Lee, meanwhile, was passable–but he came across as a clear second place finisher. Nothing really popped for him, notably due to the song choices neutralizing almost all of the vocal edge and passion that made him a fan favorite. The song selections made this a singing competition rather than an emotion or sincerity competition, and Lee simply could not keep up. And, as Simon Cowell said, Lee’s nerves were so noticeable that he likely would have “lost” even if the songs were more on point.
Round One: Lee’s “The Boxer” vs. Crystal’s “Me and Bobby McGee
The two contestants revived some of their stronger performances from throughout the season, but both struggled to make a finale-worthy impact this time around.
Both were caught off-guard by the size of the theater, and the deliberately “intimate” performances were drowned out by the big room. Even the late run by Crystal, which made for such a huge statement the first time around, had no real impact in such a large auditorium.
The difference, however, came down to confidence. Lee seemed particularly thrown by the magnitude of the event, and the beautiful emotion that went into his previous rendition of the song was absent. He made every note look difficult, and while the vocals were technically decent, he brought no special emotion or believability to the lyrics. Every stride he made this season towards proving he belongs in the competition was absent; he performed like he was content with second place.
Crystal offered a lot more in the way of sincerity and vocal power, but as she too was canceled out by the aura of the room, it was not a tremendously effective performance. Did she win round one? Of course. But she did not necessarily come across like an “American Idol.”
Winner: Crystal
Round Two: Lee’s “Everybody Hurts” vs. Crystal’s “Black Velvet.”
Round two marked the point at which Crystal truly began running away with the competition. Her song was even more cliched and obvious than Lee’s, yet she delivered it with such poise, soul and originality. The vocals were absolutely on point, and she went above and beyond to prove that she can bring something unique to the modern music marketplace. Her stage movements seemed a bit phoned in and lazy–she didn’t necessarily put on a great live show–but she was just leagues better than Lee when it came to vocal delivery and honesty. This was a hit performance.
Lee was better than he was in round one, but he again came off as disconnected and overwhelmed. His vocal delivery almost came across as if he was “chopping” at the song–making individual attempts to hit the notes rather than delivering a long, cohesive, sustained performance. There were some moments in which he shined, but he never did so as brightly as Crystal.
It was clear here that for all his success this season, Lee has only truly proven to be great within the “American Idol” construct. With this performance, a truly great cover of an overdone song, Crystal showed she could be the real deal outside of the show.
Winner: Crystal
Round Three: Lee’s “Beautiful Day” vs. Crystal’s “Up to the Mountain.”
And if there is justice in the world, this is where Crystal won the competition. Lee did benefit from performing a more contemporary, recognizable song–it is one of U2’s career best pop songs, and it works so well that even a mediocre vocal performance will sound fantastic. Lee was better than mediocre, so this truly was a delight.
At the same time, the beat and overall feel of the song did not really mesh with his edgy, gritty style, so while it allowed him to show energy and star quality, it did not really enhance the honesty portion of the equation. This did not have the charm or believability of a performance like last week’s “Hallelujah,” and it again made Lee come across as a dampened, weak version of himself.
Crystal, meanwhile, stole the season with “Up to the Mountain.” Capturing every subtly yet showing no restraint in going for power, Crystal perfectly crafted the song–and did it effortlessly and gorgeously. This was far and away the best performance of the season, and it literally happened at the perfect moment. If anyone objectively puts this against ANY of Lee’s performances this season and chooses Lee, he should not be listening to music.
Winner: Crystal
Final Thoughts:
The season itself caught a lot of negative feedback, and the massive ratings declines certainly indicate that fans grew weary of the concept over the course of the year. But few finalists have ever performed as well on the big stage as Crystal, so regardless of how well the winner sells this year, we can at least know that the finale provided some great performances.
As for who will win, logic says Crystal, but there are many reasons why Lee could still be in contention. Based on his never landing in a bottom group, he WAS the most popular contestant going in, and he clearly fits a mold that attracts finale voters (he should be appealing to the same people as David Cook and Kris Allen). His underdog status in the finale itself could also help; Diana DeGarmo clearly benefited from that scenario in season three, as there is no comprehensible way she could have been so close vote-wise to winner Fantasia Barrino. Crystal’s constant “pimpage” as the frontrunner has alienated many fans as well, so there definitely could be a rebel vote in play.
But if this finale is judged based on who “won” Tuesday night’s show, Crystal Bowersox should be crowned the winner.