My highly toxic schedule from Wednesday until Saturday prevented me from seeing the performance night. But from what I heard and the from the snippets I was able to catch, Kris won the first round (contestant's favorite) with his Ain’t No Sunshine shining over Adam’s Mad World. The second song was producer Simon Fuller’s choice. Adam got back on track with A Change Is Gonna Come. Kris was given What’s Going On.
For the final round, they brought back that one song that each of the Final Two has to interpret. This time it was No Boundaries, a song co-written by judge Kara DioGuardi. The song is a sound-alike to I Believe (Fantasia’s season) but with more forgettable lyrics. The real task for the two is how to interpret a song this insipid and lacklustre. The song is better suited for Kris’ style but it was set too high that Kris has to strain himself to reach the notes. Adam was effortless but there is disconnect between his vocals and the song’s sentiment.
The performance night ended with no clear indication of who will win.
Sidebar: Kris reminds me of Joey from "Friends." Adam reminds me of a Chucky doll. Sorry, Adam fans!
Almost 100 million votes were cast, a new record. And with that kind of number, controversy is not far behind. From what I’ve read, the competition touched the nerve of America and became a battle between religious beliefs, with the conservatives voting for Kris and the liberals going for Adam (yeah, something like Democrats vs the Republicans). Kris and Danny Gokey are active members of their church whereas Adam is haunted by news on his sexuality. They were even whispers that some people vote for Kris not because they like him more but because they hate Adam and what he represents. What year is this...1532?
I think one explanation to this upset victory is that the fans of Danny Gokey flocked to Kris Allen. After all, they have the same profile and persona. Boy-next-door, squeaky clean and very endearing.
For the record, I have nothing against Adam and I am very much in awe of his talent. And this is about the music so I don’t give a damn about religious views or even personal sexual preferences. I just find Kris more talented in the way he makes liberties with his material (in contrast, Adam’s talent sometimes plays second fiddle to his overeager showmanship). Kris’ personality is also more affable; he has this down-to-earth and unassuming aura that you can’t help but like.
This season’s Grand Finale was the best in AI history. As the viewers sit on the edge waiting for the results, they are treated to one superb production number after the other. To see the Top 13 once again is already a treat in itself, as this is the most talented batch ever.
For me, these are the most memorable performances of the Finale night:
The Final Two singing the anthemic We Are The Champions with Queen. The perfect song to end this near-perfect season.
Kris Allen performing Kiss A Girl with Keith Urban.
Matt Giraud singing Black Magic Woman with Carlos Santana then the Top 13 chorused on Smooth. Here we see some wicked dance moves from Kris and Adam.
Allison Iraheta singing Time After Time with Cyndi Lauper. For me, this is one of the most beautiful songs ever written. Ergo, the countless revivals.
The Top 13 Girls performing Fergie's hits and then the Black Eyed Peas exploded onstage with Boom Boom Pow.
David Cook with Permanent, his fourth single and also a charity single as downloads on iTunes will serve as a donation to a cause finding a cure for cancer (his brother Adam just recently succumbed to the illness)
Bikini girl Katrina Darrel performing Vision of Love after being given the award for Best Attitude. Her nemesis Kara came out and sang with her…then moments later revealed herself in a bikini. (I swear Kara is one hot mamma...you want to almost shout Take it Off! Take it off!)
Ok, you can peel your eyes from Kara's body now.
As a final re-cap for this season, below are the best 15 performances; at least from the ones I’ve watched.
1. Falling Slowly - Kris Allen
2. Heartless – Kris Allen
3. Tracks of My Tears – Adam Lambert
4. Mad World – Adam Lambert
5. What Hurts The Most – Danny Gokey
6. She Works Hard For the Money – Kris Allen
7. My Funny Valentine – Matt Giraud
8. To Make You Feel My Live – Kris Allen
9. I Can’t Make You Love Me – Allison Iraheta
10. Black Or White – Adam Lambert
11. Human Nature – Matt Giraud
12. Remember The Time – Kris Allen
13. Ain’t No Sunshine – Kris Allen
14. Part-Time Lover – Matt Giraud
15. True Colors – Anoop Desai
To these guys...see you at the charts!
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