I can finally say, at the conclusion of this year’s American Idol, that America got it right in crowning David Cook as this season’s winner. Even though David Archuleta had the better night, from an overall perspective, Cook is the most marketable and versatile of the two Davids. Archuleta will get a record deal and will still be the Idol of the teenage girls, but Cook is going to be blazing out of the gate carrying the Idol brand, the way Chris Daughtry could have. Moreover, it’s really nice to see two guys who were the two best and most deserving in the final spots.
The boxing analogy used for the finale was really weird, especially because they both looked like they were wearing Las Vegas kimonos, but I guess it was a good excuse to buy Michael Buffer’s time to give Idol even more heavyweight power.
Cook took more risks as well, by singing U2’s “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For” and Collective Soul’s “The World I Know”. Archuleta gave good performances, but remembering what he sang besides “Imagine” is tough without looking at notes (he did a good version of Elton John’s “Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me” which surprisingly, he didn’t do as a duet with George Michael the following night).
In the finale, the group numbers were funny, if only because how obviously uncomfortable Amanda Overmyer looked EVERY TIME she was there, including the girls number with disco legend Donna Summer. Wow. I was also reminded how much I love Carly Smithson and Michael Johns, who did a duet together, and I’m sure that that pairing will continue to happen throughout the tour. I’m glad Syesha Mercado got her big moment by a great duet with Seal—I wish Idol would continue pairing up superstars with the talent instead of letting talent just pimp their records out for America.
I think David Cook got the great duet moment of the night, though by getting to sing with ZZ Top. It’s too bad Idol couldn’t get Carly Simon or Stevie Nicks to sing with Brooke White, but she still got to sing with Graham Nash.
We also got the return of the “You Are My Brother” guy, complete with cheerleaders and the USC marching band. Amazing, and you know… why not.
Carrie Underwood came back, too, with a ridiculous outfit that was way more memorable than her actual performance. George Michael had a intense performance, but he’s aging quickly. I still love his music, though, and he still has one of the best overall voices in the music industry.
Overall, this season of American Idol was a guilty pleasure to watch, and for some reason, this was a cast that a lot of people really cared about. My theory? They were the most relatable to everyone watching. Now we all have to figure out what to do with our Tuesday and Wednesday nights.
YouTube Video of the Week
Alanis Morissette performing “Thank You” on the Today show.
Thank you for reading; make your moment your breakthrough.
