"I am a superstar in the making. I am the next American Idol."
--Adam Lambert, ostensibly said on the day of his first audition
Here we go, judges: Kara looks nauseous. Randy is wearing a purple tie and a purple shirt. Paula is wearing a dress made from the hide of Slimer. And Simon Cowell... eh, I don't have any comment about his appearance because he always looks the same. I wonder what he'd look like wearing a print? Say, a tartan plaid flannel shirt?
Kris won the coin toss (brought to you by a Coca-Cola coin) and he'll be going second. You know what that means... get ready for the glam man! But first a commercial, which is lucky for me, 'cuz my cookies are done. (Tonight, in honor of this momentous event, I'm simul-blogging, so no, you will NOT be spared the details.) Now on to the contestants' personal song picks:
Adam picks his biggest hit of the season so far, "Mad World." He looks awesome in silhouette, wearing a long trench coat and futuristic boots. (Dude, how come no sing Bowie? If they ever remake Todd Haynes' Velvet Underground ((heh, yeah like that'll happen)), Adam should play the rock idol.) How does he do that with his eyes? Randy gives him an A+. Kara is also a fan of the rehashed song choice because she considered that first pivotal performance a game changer. Paula claims it's "unbelievable" that he's standing on that stage right now... just what is unbelievable about it? He's been the forerunner for weeks, lady!
Awww, when he was a kid, Kris gave his mom handmade coupons for "music." I used to do that, too. My mom never redeemed them. For his personal pick, Kris has chosen "Ain't No Sunshine," which he performs at the piano. And it's a hot one. Cowell admits he wasn't sure whether America was right to pick Kris over Gokey, but says after hearing that performance, he's changed his mind. (No reaction shot of Gokey here, unfortunately.)
Simon Fuller's picks:
Adam does Sam Cooke's "Change is Gonna Come" and I can't think of a stranger song choice for him. Unless perhaps Fuller's trying to get Adam to demonstrate the far-reachedness of his range? But Adam's "theatrical" facial expressions don't do this song any favors, frankly. Still, the vocals are solid and his more sincere emotions come through by the end. Kara and Paula go a bit cuckoo with their praise, while all Simon says is, "You're 100% back in the game." As if he ever left-?
Katie Holmes and Suri in da house. Mama Holmes is covering Suri's ears. Well, it is a concert, lady. You don't have to bring your Baby Alive everywhere.
Kris plays guitar for Marvin Gaye's "What's Goin On." This song has never sounded so relevant as it does tonight. Whenever I hear Marvin's version, I think, "Ugh, this is so late 70s." But hearing Kris do it, I can actually appreciate the timeless qualities of the melody and lyrics, and not the datedness. Well done, lad. Randy thinks it's a little too light for the venue, but Kara disagrees and says Kris could enact social change with his music. Simon has a Jason Castro flashback and says it was all a bit "dorm room."
Cookies all gone. Me sad.
Top 12 reunion shot! Anoop's growing a depression beard and Scott apparently has no idea they're onscreen because he looks dour. And a bit haggard. Guess that one haircut was all he got.
Kara co-wrote this year's Idol song, "No Boundaries" (or some inspirational shite like that.) They're both going to sing the same song, apparently. That's pretty cruel. Is Adam wearing shorts? I thought I saw leg. No, they're skin tight bleach-treated jeans. OK, good. This seems like a really tough song to sing. Kara looks nauseous again. (She knows Simon's gonna shit on the lyrics.) Simon praises Adam and says he deserves the title. Hmmm. If he wins, does his first single have to be this mountains/hurricane song?
I can hear my cat puking in the other room. I'm serious.
Here we go again. "No Boundaries" as sung by Kris Allen. Snore. You'd think this type of song would be better suited for Kris's mainstream poppy style, but actually, I think I liked Adam's version a little better. Is Kris trying to grow a mustache? The judges seem to agree the key was too high for him, but ask people to vote based on the season and not on this final (lackluster) performance.
Who knows what will happen at tomorrow's results show, and I have to wonder: do these guys even care? Because let's be real: they are both guaranteed success in the music industry, with or without the title of American Idol. The judges love them both; the fans love them both; they are both different kinds of artists: separate but relatively equal. I think they're just relieved the competition is over and they can get to makin' records, makin' money and makin' love.
P.S. Carrie Underwood's jeans/boots combo is really cute.
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