Top 2 - Two Great Performers, One Close Call

Before I start this recap I'd like to give a shoutout to my readers in the Philippines! According to Google Analytics it seems I have a few fans there. Thanks for reading, and don't be afraid to leave a comment!

So here we go. After all the manipulation, exploitation and drama we're down to two contestants. We have a guy whose audition was aired in full, who got plenty of attention in Hollwood and who's been one of the most talked-about contestants since day one. On the other side of the coin, we have a guy who was only seen briefly in the preliminary rounds, whose addition to the Finals came as a surprise to many viewers and who made it this far by growing as the competition progressed. The former contestant looked like he had this whole thing wrapped up just a few weeks ago, but the latter contestant has been picking up momentum. At this point, I truly believe it's anyone's game.

Hey, Casey Carlson is in the audience! Anyone besides me remember her? Carly Smithson is shown in the audience as well, and my eyes don't appreciate that one bit, Mr. Director.

As we spoiler-readers all know by now, the contestants are each doing three songs tonight: one reprise from earlier in the season, one chosen by Simon Fuller and the winner's single co-written by Kara.

Adam Lambert is up first, and we see a video where his parents talk about how noisy he was as a kid. Is this leftover footage or something? He's reprising "Mad World," which I think was his most overrated performance, but what do I know? He performs this time wearing a long coat on a dark stage with tons of dry ice surrounding him. Oddly enough, I think I like this better than the first time he performed it. I'm feeling the emotion a little more this time, and he doesn't miss the final note as badly as he did back in the Top 8. The crowd goes wild after he finishes. Randy gives him an A+. Kara says it was great when he performed it the first time and it was just as great the second time. Paula says he gave a theatrical taste of what we're going to see from him. Simon says it was a little overtheatrical. I think that extra theatricality was what made it more interesting to me, so I have no gripes.

We find out that Kris Allen didn't like singing in front of his family when he was a kid and they had to pay him to do it. He even gave his mother coupons for when she wanted him to sing. That Kris is quite the enterprising businessman, isn't he? His reprise is of "Ain't No Sunshine," the one that made him a contender in most people's minds. This is pretty good, but it wasn't one of my favorites of his. Still, I can't knock it. He delivers here just like he did the first time. Randy plugs the Lakers (boo!) and says it was one of his best performances. Kara says something's wrong if a Kris Allen performance doesn't move you. Paula says he puts his trademark on everything he sings. Simon says he wasn't sure Kris deserved to be in the finale last week, but he absolutely believes he does based on that performance. High praise indeed! Go Kris! Ryan asks Simon who won Round 1 (this "round" thing in every finale is getting old), and Simon says Kris by far. Awesome. Of course, I don't think these "rounds" (not to be confused with mediocre contestant Lil) mean much, since Simon declared David Archuleta to have swept each one last season and look what happened there.

Simon Fuller's choice for Adam is "A Change is Gonna Come." Huh? Isn't that one of those songs he sang pre-"Idol" that's been circulating on YouTube? Well, this is odd. You have a bluesy, soulful Adam instead of the theatrical rocker we're used to. Of course, he makes sure to Lambertize it with his trademark shrieking. It's solid, but it feels a little contrived to me. Randy says he showed the real reason he's here is that he can sing his face off. Kara says it may have been his been performance yet. Paula says it was the best she's ever heard him sing. Wow. Exaggerate much? Simon says Adam is 100% back in the game. I feel robbed that he didn't get a chance to do "I Believe in a Thing Called Love" in this competition.

Kris is back and Simon Fuller's choice for him is "What's Going On" I guess old Simon Fuller is a big fan of socially-conscious soul music. Me? I'm a big fan of Kris' acoustic jazz-rock side, and once again he's bringing it here. There's something about that guitar in his hands that makes magic happen, and this time is no exception. All I can say is "wow." I love this performance. It may be one of Kris' best. Randy says it was little bit light for him. Kara says she loves that he's been true to himself and that Kris is exactly the type of person to uplift people with a song like that. Paula says Kris made Marvin Gaye proud (from beyond the grave, apparently). Simon says it was too lightweight and he didn't do enough to make it his own. It's weird. Simon seems to be thinking the opposite of everything I think tonight. Screw him. America does the voting.

They keep showing this little blond girl in the audience. What's the deal there?

Now it's time to hear the winner's single. First to tackle it is Adam. This is odd. He seems to be outside the pocket for most of the first verse, and his voice doesn't seem to fit it very well. It doesn't help that the song is about as mediocre as it gets either. Ugh. The sheer crappiness of this song might be dragging down Adam with it. His voice actually manages annoy me here. This is as rough as "Cryin'" from last week. Randy says he can sing the phonebook, but it was pitchy and just alright for him. Kara says she's proud to hear someone of Adam's talent sing a song she wrote. What's the point of Kara's critique? She probably isn't going to bash a performance of her own song, because it might indirectly reflect poorly on her. Paula says adjectives can't express what Adam's brought to Season 8 and she's a fan forever. Um, OK. Simon says he'll judge Adam instead of the song, and he's been one of the most original contestants they've ever had and that he believes he's going to be a worldwide star. In other words, Adam is the best and deserves to win?

Kris' turn. Can the weaker technical vocalist outshine the better one on this turd of a song? Hmmm. It starts out equally shaky, but once the chorus comes in it sounds much better than Adam's version to my ears. Wow. I think Kris is actually outsinging Adam. I'm hearing a lot more heartfelt passion in his voice too. I'm not saying this'll rank with Kris' best performances, but it's good. Randy says Kris should be very proud of what he did in this competition and agrees with me that the song fit Kris' voice better than Adam's. Kara says he's a compelling artist who's been incredible to watch week after week and she hopes people will vote based on the season. Paula says it's been one of the most compelling finales and Kris deserves to be where he is. Simon says the highlight tonight from Kris was the first song and that he deserves to be standing on the stage. Interesting. Most of their feedback was essentially "you should be happy to be here." Is that a subtle way of pimping Adam? Ryan asks Kris if he thinks he did enough to win, and Kris says that he and Adam aren't competing anymore, they just want to put on a good show. Awesome. These guys are a pair of class acts, I tell you.

Carrie Underwood takes the stage to sing us out with "Home Sweet Home" as a montage of moments from this season plays in the background. Nothing to see here.

So, how do I see this night's performances?

My Performance Ranking:

Kris, "What's Going On" (8.5 out of 10)
Adam, "Mad World" (8 out of 10)
Kris, "No Boundaries" (6 out of 10)
Kris, "Ain't No Sunshine" (5.9 out of 10)
Adam, "A Change is Gonna Come" (5.5 out of 10)
Adam, "No Boundaries" (3.5 out of 10)

So the big question: who do I pick to win? While I preferred Kris' performances tonight to Adam's, Adam got the heavier pimping from the judges. Kris seems to have picked up fans over the course of the competition, while I get the impression that Adam's gotten by with a rabid fanbase that hasn't added many new members. I'm still seeing a little more buzz surrounding Adam, but Kris' understated style might be the reason he doesn't inspire as much discussion. While a lot of people love Adam, he also annoys a lot of people with his over-the-top style. Most people seem to be cool with Kris even if they don't love him.

Prediction:

This is a tough call, but I'm predicting that the name of our 8th American Idol will be...(drumroll please)...Kris Allen.

Tomorrow I have two hours to recap and then all that's left will be some end-of-the-year lists and maybe some other random thoughts I feel inspired to write about during the "Idol" offseason. Season 8 has had its ups and downs, but one thing I'm glad about is that the final two were both deserving of the title. Whoever wins, America will have gotten it right.

What awesome group numbers from the Top 13 are in store? We'll find out tomorrow night!