May 22 – This Is My Now
American Idol 6, May 22 – This Is My Now by Betsy Wasser -- 05/23/2007 This is it! Jordin Sparks and Blake Lewis are the final two contestants on American Idol. Only one of them can wear the crown. Who will it be? Well, readers, here we are – the final episode of Season 6 of American Idol. We definitely had some surprises along the way. Remember how amazing Sundance Head was in the auditions, only to choke when he made the top 24? Have you forgotten all of the scandals surrounding Antonella Barba? Or the hubbub around the juggernaut that was Sanjaya? Idol’s biggest shock came last week, when odds-on favorite Melinda Doolittle had to settle for third place. I’d been sure for months that she was the inevitable winner, and her not being in the finals has blown the field wide open. I’ve spent all day speculating as to the effect her ouster would have on the competition tonight (unless of course, you’re my boss reading this, in which case I spent all day concentrating on nothing but work). My conclusion? I just don’t know! Much will come down to what Melinda’s fans will do. On one hand, Jordin’s musical style is a lot more like Melinda’s than Blake’s. If you liked Melinda’s music, you’re probably more likely to buy a Jordin Sparks album than a Blake Lewis one. So, maybe you’ll vote for Jordin. On the other hand, if you’re a Melinda fan, maybe you really, really hate Jordin for taking her spot in the finals. There’s a girl who can sing her heart out that you have already pledged your allegiance to, thank you very much. Maybe you’d rather Blake win, because you are sure not voting for Jordin. Or, maybe you’re so disgusted that Melinda, arguably the best singer in the competition, is gone, so you’re not going to watch this show at all. In which case, hi, and thanks for reading my recap. Like I said, I just don’t know. Maybe we should watch the show. Ryan welcomes us to the finale, being held in the massive Kodak Theater. That’s got to be really exciting for Jordin and Blake. Ryan points out that this is another battle of the sexes, just as we had with Kelly and Justin, Bo and Carrie, and Taylor and Katharine. We say hello to the judges. Randy apparently made his very own Sergeant Pepper’s jacket and looks utterly ridiculous. Simon, as per usual, has not buttoned any buttons on his shirt. And Paula broke her nose last night when she tripped over her dog Tulip. Yes, really. Paula says she’s not badly hurt, and Tulip is just fine. “So, the bitch is okay,” concludes Ryan. Ryan recalls that the judges weren’t at all happy with the Seattle auditions. But it turns out that both Jordin and Blake tried out in the Emerald City. We see Jordin and Blake standing in line. Blake says that he auditioned on a whim. Simon tells Blake he wasn’t that impressed with him. Blake’s adorable dad gives him a giant hug. We see clips of Blake’s performances, and he’s praised by the judges for being unique and for taking risks. Ryan says that for Jordin, this dream has been “a long time coming.” In unison, my husband and I say, “She’s only 17!” Jordin tells us that she didn’t care about getting her driver’s license… which again was only a year ago. What she wanted to do was audition for the show. Ryan notes her consistently strong performances and beautiful smile. We see a quick clip from last week, in which Ryan tosses a coin to see who will sing first. Jordin and Blake each get a side of the coin. We see the coin flip in dramatic slow motion. Blake comes out on top, and he actually asks Jordin if she wants to go first. She’s happy either way, so he says he’ll go first. They’ll each sing three songs – one favorite, one that they haven’t sung before, and the winner of the songwriter competition, “This Is My Now.” Blake is going to kick things off with “You Give Love a Bad Name.” Good choice, Blake. And what can I say? It’s completely awesome. Only Blake could perform this song this way, and that’s what makes it really special. It is what’s known as an Idol Moment, no doubt about it. Way to bring it, Blake. Randy: The crowd is going nuts, so Randy needs to wait for a minute before he can talk. Blake looks overwhelmed. He gives him a 10 out of 10 in beatboxing. The singing, however, “was just all right.” The crowd boos. Paula: Paula is going to clean Randy’s ears out for him. She gives him a 10+. Simon: Blake’s not the best singer, but he is the best performer. The performance was great, but the singing was a bit flat. He thinks Blake was shouting. The crowd boos, but Simon insists that he’s right. He adds that it doesn’t matter, because it was his best performance. We see several Idols in the audience, including Chris Richardson looking very happy for his buddy. Ryan gives Blake’s numbers and promises at least four hours to vote. Jordin is going to tackle a Christina Aguilera song, with “Fighter.” It’s a good song choice for her, because it’s young and fresh. Simon definitely can’t accuse her of being old fashioned with this one. It’s a strong performance and a good song for her, but I have to give Blake the edge on this one. She does rock it out at the end, though, no doubt about it. Randy: It’s an interesting show. They’ve got a great entertainer fighting a great singer. Her voice was amazing. Paula: This is one of the best finales ever. She was awesome. Simon: Simon, as I predicted, was happy she picked a younger song. However, he thought her vocals were a bit shrieky in the middle. He gives the first round to Blake. Ryan asks Paula who picked the first round. She refuses to answer except that it was “an amazing tie.” Randy joins her on the fence, saying that Blake was a better performer and Jordin was a better singer. Jordin’s fans are going nuts, chanting her name. Blake says that when he was a kid, he asked for a drum set for Christmas every year and never got it. Obviously, Blake’s parents are sensible people! His senior year in high school, Blake saw someone beatboxing and vowed to learn. His dad heard him practicing and actually thought someone had bought Blake some drums. Blake is going to sing “She Will Be Loved” by Maroon 5. Oh, yay – he’s wearing argyle! Randy was right last week about Maroon 5 for Blake – it’s a very good fit for him. And if you don’t like the beatboxing, no worries – it’s not there. This was an excellent performance. It wasn’t as big of a homerun as his first song, but it was still good. Randy: Great song, and a nice vocal. He likes it when Blake is “natural and pure.” Paula: Blake got into the ease of the song and sounded great. Simon: It was good, but safe. He wouldn’t have chosen the song in the final because it doesn’t make a strong impact. Predictably, the audience disagrees. Ryan points out that Blake has never seen an Idol finale. Blake says it feels great, and he loves the audience. He promises that he’s not nervous, just having fun. Blake does a cute spazzy dance while Ryan reads his numbers. Jordin says that she has always wanted to sing. Her mom says that her first songs were the alphabet song and “Jesus Loves Me.” Jordin says she’s thrilled to have come as far as she has. Jordin’s reprise will be “A Broken Wing.” It’s a beautiful and very strong performance. I think she sounds a lot better than she did last round. I wonder if she wishes she’d saved “I, Who Have Nothing” for this week, since it’s such a show-stopper for her. Regardless, this was solid, and I predict Simon will give the round to her. Randy: He’s loved her since the beginning and thinks she’s the most talented 17-year old he’s ever heard. It was flawless, better than the original. Paula: She looks adorable and sounds even better. Simon: “Now that was good.” Ryan exclaims, “This is a battle tonight!” The last song was written by the two winners of the Idol songwriting competiton. They’re both from Seattle, and the song is called “This Is My Now.” Blake is really trying to please me, since he’s wearing another argyle sweater. The less said about the rest of the outfit, which involves a skinny tie, metallic sneakers, and an aqua blue short sleeved shirt, the better. This is a really hard performance to judge, because I don’t think that ever, in a million years, is this a song Blake would choose to sing. He sounds good, but there’s nothing Blake about the song, you know? Randy: Randy says the song didn’t really suit his voice, but he did all right. Paula: She agrees with Randy and says he did a great job. Simon: It was “a little odd.” He asks Blake how he felt about it. Simon agrees that it wasn’t a bad song, but that it wasn’t his. He should be judged on his first two performances. Simon admits that there is indeed talent in Seattle. Ryan says Blake did the best he could with the song, that it was tough for him. Blake agrees, but not in a bitchy way. He’s really pretty chipper, considering how blah that song was for him. Ryan reminds us of the Idols Live tour, which I might actually go see. Jordin is up, with her take on the same song Blake just did. Pretty much from the beginning, it’s a lot better. It’s really a much better Jordin song than a Blake song. Oh, and you know who would have done really well with this? Melinda. I’m just saying. Anyway, Jordin pretty much wipes the floor with Blake on this one. There are a few teeny pitchy spots in it, but overall, she just sells it in a way that Blake couldn’t, down to the tears in her eyes at the very end. Randy: He loves the show because they’re looking for a superstar. She was the best singer that night and deserves to win. Paula: Paula is incredibly proud, and loved watching the joy on Jordin’s parents’ faces. Simon: Last week, he didn’t think she was good enough for the finals. Simon says that he was wrong. It’s a singing competition, and “You just wiped the floor with Blake on that song.” Simon and I apparently think alike tonight. Jordin is about to fall apart, she’s so happy. She holds it together enough, of course, to hold up the right number of fingers to encourage everyone to vote. We see quick recaps of all of their performances. Randy and Paula are in shock that Simon admitted he was wrong. Randy says that it’s a singing competition, so Jordin should take it. Paula, of course, won’t commit, adding that they’re all winners. Simon says that Blake gave the best performance of the night with the first song, but that Jordin sang better. Paula adds again that they’re all winners. Ryan jokes that she always says that. But Paula’s point is that you can be a success even if you don’t come in first, as evidenced by Chris Daughtry, who performs for us as the show closes Okay, so now what? Paula is right that no matter what, this will not be the end for Jordin or Blake – or for Melinda, of course. But there can only be one winner, and I think it’s going to be Jordin. That last song was awfully rough for Blake, and that’s hard to overcome. And can you imagine Blake standing in a shower of confetti, choking out that song again? Because I sure can’t. Jordin Sparks is going to win this thing. Am I right?
American Idol 6, May 22 – This Is My Now by Betsy Wasser -- 05/23/2007 This is it! Jordin Sparks and Blake Lewis are the final two contestants on American Idol. Only one of them can wear the crown. Who will it be? Well, readers, here we are – the final episode of Season 6 of American Idol. We definitely had some surprises along the way. Remember how amazing Sundance Head was in the auditions, only to choke when he made the top 24? Have you forgotten all of the scandals surrounding Antonella Barba? Or the hubbub around the juggernaut that was Sanjaya? Idol’s biggest shock came last week, when odds-on favorite Melinda Doolittle had to settle for third place. I’d been sure for months that she was the inevitable winner, and her not being in the finals has blown the field wide open. I’ve spent all day speculating as to the effect her ouster would have on the competition tonight (unless of course, you’re my boss reading this, in which case I spent all day concentrating on nothing but work). My conclusion? I just don’t know! Much will come down to what Melinda’s fans will do. On one hand, Jordin’s musical style is a lot more like Melinda’s than Blake’s. If you liked Melinda’s music, you’re probably more likely to buy a Jordin Sparks album than a Blake Lewis one. So, maybe you’ll vote for Jordin. On the other hand, if you’re a Melinda fan, maybe you really, really hate Jordin for taking her spot in the finals. There’s a girl who can sing her heart out that you have already pledged your allegiance to, thank you very much. Maybe you’d rather Blake win, because you are sure not voting for Jordin. Or, maybe you’re so disgusted that Melinda, arguably the best singer in the competition, is gone, so you’re not going to watch this show at all. In which case, hi, and thanks for reading my recap. Like I said, I just don’t know. Maybe we should watch the show. Ryan welcomes us to the finale, being held in the massive Kodak Theater. That’s got to be really exciting for Jordin and Blake. Ryan points out that this is another battle of the sexes, just as we had with Kelly and Justin, Bo and Carrie, and Taylor and Katharine. We say hello to the judges. Randy apparently made his very own Sergeant Pepper’s jacket and looks utterly ridiculous. Simon, as per usual, has not buttoned any buttons on his shirt. And Paula broke her nose last night when she tripped over her dog Tulip. Yes, really. Paula says she’s not badly hurt, and Tulip is just fine. “So, the bitch is okay,” concludes Ryan. Ryan recalls that the judges weren’t at all happy with the Seattle auditions. But it turns out that both Jordin and Blake tried out in the Emerald City. We see Jordin and Blake standing in line. Blake says that he auditioned on a whim. Simon tells Blake he wasn’t that impressed with him. Blake’s adorable dad gives him a giant hug. We see clips of Blake’s performances, and he’s praised by the judges for being unique and for taking risks. Ryan says that for Jordin, this dream has been “a long time coming.” In unison, my husband and I say, “She’s only 17!” Jordin tells us that she didn’t care about getting her driver’s license… which again was only a year ago. What she wanted to do was audition for the show. Ryan notes her consistently strong performances and beautiful smile. We see a quick clip from last week, in which Ryan tosses a coin to see who will sing first. Jordin and Blake each get a side of the coin. We see the coin flip in dramatic slow motion. Blake comes out on top, and he actually asks Jordin if she wants to go first. She’s happy either way, so he says he’ll go first. They’ll each sing three songs – one favorite, one that they haven’t sung before, and the winner of the songwriter competition, “This Is My Now.” Blake is going to kick things off with “You Give Love a Bad Name.” Good choice, Blake. And what can I say? It’s completely awesome. Only Blake could perform this song this way, and that’s what makes it really special. It is what’s known as an Idol Moment, no doubt about it. Way to bring it, Blake. Randy: The crowd is going nuts, so Randy needs to wait for a minute before he can talk. Blake looks overwhelmed. He gives him a 10 out of 10 in beatboxing. The singing, however, “was just all right.” The crowd boos. Paula: Paula is going to clean Randy’s ears out for him. She gives him a 10+. Simon: Blake’s not the best singer, but he is the best performer. The performance was great, but the singing was a bit flat. He thinks Blake was shouting. The crowd boos, but Simon insists that he’s right. He adds that it doesn’t matter, because it was his best performance. We see several Idols in the audience, including Chris Richardson looking very happy for his buddy. Ryan gives Blake’s numbers and promises at least four hours to vote. Jordin is going to tackle a Christina Aguilera song, with “Fighter.” It’s a good song choice for her, because it’s young and fresh. Simon definitely can’t accuse her of being old fashioned with this one. It’s a strong performance and a good song for her, but I have to give Blake the edge on this one. She does rock it out at the end, though, no doubt about it. Randy: It’s an interesting show. They’ve got a great entertainer fighting a great singer. Her voice was amazing. Paula: This is one of the best finales ever. She was awesome. Simon: Simon, as I predicted, was happy she picked a younger song. However, he thought her vocals were a bit shrieky in the middle. He gives the first round to Blake. Ryan asks Paula who picked the first round. She refuses to answer except that it was “an amazing tie.” Randy joins her on the fence, saying that Blake was a better performer and Jordin was a better singer. Jordin’s fans are going nuts, chanting her name. Blake says that when he was a kid, he asked for a drum set for Christmas every year and never got it. Obviously, Blake’s parents are sensible people! His senior year in high school, Blake saw someone beatboxing and vowed to learn. His dad heard him practicing and actually thought someone had bought Blake some drums. Blake is going to sing “She Will Be Loved” by Maroon 5. Oh, yay – he’s wearing argyle! Randy was right last week about Maroon 5 for Blake – it’s a very good fit for him. And if you don’t like the beatboxing, no worries – it’s not there. This was an excellent performance. It wasn’t as big of a homerun as his first song, but it was still good. Randy: Great song, and a nice vocal. He likes it when Blake is “natural and pure.” Paula: Blake got into the ease of the song and sounded great. Simon: It was good, but safe. He wouldn’t have chosen the song in the final because it doesn’t make a strong impact. Predictably, the audience disagrees. Ryan points out that Blake has never seen an Idol finale. Blake says it feels great, and he loves the audience. He promises that he’s not nervous, just having fun. Blake does a cute spazzy dance while Ryan reads his numbers. Jordin says that she has always wanted to sing. Her mom says that her first songs were the alphabet song and “Jesus Loves Me.” Jordin says she’s thrilled to have come as far as she has. Jordin’s reprise will be “A Broken Wing.” It’s a beautiful and very strong performance. I think she sounds a lot better than she did last round. I wonder if she wishes she’d saved “I, Who Have Nothing” for this week, since it’s such a show-stopper for her. Regardless, this was solid, and I predict Simon will give the round to her. Randy: He’s loved her since the beginning and thinks she’s the most talented 17-year old he’s ever heard. It was flawless, better than the original. Paula: She looks adorable and sounds even better. Simon: “Now that was good.” Ryan exclaims, “This is a battle tonight!” The last song was written by the two winners of the Idol songwriting competiton. They’re both from Seattle, and the song is called “This Is My Now.” Blake is really trying to please me, since he’s wearing another argyle sweater. The less said about the rest of the outfit, which involves a skinny tie, metallic sneakers, and an aqua blue short sleeved shirt, the better. This is a really hard performance to judge, because I don’t think that ever, in a million years, is this a song Blake would choose to sing. He sounds good, but there’s nothing Blake about the song, you know? Randy: Randy says the song didn’t really suit his voice, but he did all right. Paula: She agrees with Randy and says he did a great job. Simon: It was “a little odd.” He asks Blake how he felt about it. Simon agrees that it wasn’t a bad song, but that it wasn’t his. He should be judged on his first two performances. Simon admits that there is indeed talent in Seattle. Ryan says Blake did the best he could with the song, that it was tough for him. Blake agrees, but not in a bitchy way. He’s really pretty chipper, considering how blah that song was for him. Ryan reminds us of the Idols Live tour, which I might actually go see. Jordin is up, with her take on the same song Blake just did. Pretty much from the beginning, it’s a lot better. It’s really a much better Jordin song than a Blake song. Oh, and you know who would have done really well with this? Melinda. I’m just saying. Anyway, Jordin pretty much wipes the floor with Blake on this one. There are a few teeny pitchy spots in it, but overall, she just sells it in a way that Blake couldn’t, down to the tears in her eyes at the very end. Randy: He loves the show because they’re looking for a superstar. She was the best singer that night and deserves to win. Paula: Paula is incredibly proud, and loved watching the joy on Jordin’s parents’ faces. Simon: Last week, he didn’t think she was good enough for the finals. Simon says that he was wrong. It’s a singing competition, and “You just wiped the floor with Blake on that song.” Simon and I apparently think alike tonight. Jordin is about to fall apart, she’s so happy. She holds it together enough, of course, to hold up the right number of fingers to encourage everyone to vote. We see quick recaps of all of their performances. Randy and Paula are in shock that Simon admitted he was wrong. Randy says that it’s a singing competition, so Jordin should take it. Paula, of course, won’t commit, adding that they’re all winners. Simon says that Blake gave the best performance of the night with the first song, but that Jordin sang better. Paula adds again that they’re all winners. Ryan jokes that she always says that. But Paula’s point is that you can be a success even if you don’t come in first, as evidenced by Chris Daughtry, who performs for us as the show closes Okay, so now what? Paula is right that no matter what, this will not be the end for Jordin or Blake – or for Melinda, of course. But there can only be one winner, and I think it’s going to be Jordin. That last song was awfully rough for Blake, and that’s hard to overcome. And can you imagine Blake standing in a shower of confetti, choking out that song again? Because I sure can’t. Jordin Sparks is going to win this thing. Am I right?