Thursday, May 15, 2008

American Idol - The Battle of the Davids

Let me just say, this has been a really weird season of American Idol. The judges seem totally bored with the whole thing, so much so that they pay more attention to each other than the contestants. And the the singers have been an unusually chatty bunch, explaining why they relate to broken birds and how hard they've all fought in the industry. Yep, we get it, it's hard. But you're up on stage now. It's time to live the dream, not explain why you goofed up that last song!

American Idol - The DavidsI don't mean to be down on the contestants. There was a lot of talent in this bunch. Many of them had previous record deals that never panned out (which is a whole other topic of discussion!) Once it was narrowed down to a final 12, I picked my favorites: David Cook, Jason Castro and Brooke White.

Now you might be thinking, What? Why not David Archuleta? Good question. David A. is a very talented young man. But there's something... off about him. The poor fellow looks like he's about to break down in tears at the end of every song. And his Q and A sessions with Ryan are simply painful to watch. Granted, he's only 17, but I think it's more than immaturity.

So now it's David A. and David Cook in the final two, and I'm SO glad. David C. has impressed me from the beginning, but even more so on Andrew Lloyd Webber night. When he sang "The Music of the Night" as it was meant to be sung, well, I got a bit choked up. It was truly beautiful. The thing about David C. is that I believe he gets the songs he's singing. He connects with the lyrics and finds the meaning in them. He also sounds great and has a really cute smile.

So in the end, it's not a battle of David and Goliath. It's a battle of David and David, two competitors equally matched in their vocal skill. What it will come down to, in my opinion, is their ability to translate emotion through their songs and connect with the people who choose to vote. I wish them both good luck and look forward to the finale next week!

6 comments:

Amy said...

Despite the strangeness of the season, David Cook may well be my favorite Idol ever. I just love him!

Jennifer AlLee said...

Me too, Amy. Whether he wins or not, I'm sure he's got great things ahead of him!

Carole said...

I completely agree with your thoughts about David C, Jennifer. Although I don't really like rock music, I am moved by his singing, and hope he wins. But it really doesn't matter; he will have a great career.

David A - Great voice, but something is lacking. I thought it was immaturity, but it may be more like you said.

Brooke - I knew she wouldn't win, but she was one of my favorites. I would actually buy her recordings. And I did buy "Let It Be."

Jason - I think he is a very nice young man with a unique quality. I will follow his career.

Jennifer AlLee said...

Hey Carole,

I didn't think Brooke or Jason would win, either, but I enjoyed them. Hopefully, the publicity from Idol will enable them to make a living with their music and keep doing what they love!

Donna said...

I agree with you whole heartedly. This has been a wierd season. I really like David C. I think he is the most rounded of the competitors, yes a bit cocky, but he has the talent and the mind set to be successful. I am not sure about David A. I don't think I would want to see him interviewed after the show on the morning news if he did win.

My other gripe is the back and forth between Ryan and Simon. I don't think that it added to the season.

David C. has had my vote from the beginning.

Jennifer AlLee said...

Donna, I couldn't agree more! All the sniping between the judges, particularly Simon and Ryan, is incredibly irritating. It's also disrespectful to the contestants. I can only speak for myself, but I tune in to watch the singers, not to follow the Ryan-Simon-Paula-Randy drama!