The American Idol Top Three each got the chance to sing two songs, and unlike Paula Abdul’s performance after Rock Night, there was no lip-synching to be found! Here’s how each one did, and who might be going home.
Danny Gokey – “Dance Little Sister” by Terrance Trent D’Arby
Paula picked this song for Danny, and while it was a bit of an obscure choice and not necessarily the best song for getting votes, there is no question that Danny’s voice was perfect for something originally performed be the artist formerly known as Terrance Trent D’Arby. Kara commented that the performance may not be very memorable, but that was more a product of song choice than Danny’s performance – he did the best he could with what he was given, and had fun doing it.
Kris Allen – “Apologize” by OneRepublic
Kara and Randy not only picked a song that was good for Kris’ voice, but it was also far more relevant then what Danny was given to work with. Kris really came off as a current artist in this performance, and the only real knock that could be made was that Kris’ take on the song was not very original, and it stretched his range a bit too much. A step behind Danny in terms of performance, but it was a better overall song.
Adam Lambert – “One” by U2
Simon was really happy to have picked this song for Adam, and it is easy to see why – the song choice not only allowed Adam to be expressive and completely original, but it also allowed him to be current, too. It is difficult to do something different with such an iconic song (even Mary J. Blige, R.E.M. and Pavarotti never deviated from the basic melody), but Adam pulled it off brilliantly. As Simon was all too eager to point out, it was a great song choice and a great performance.
Danny Gokey – “You Are So Beautiful” by Billy Preston and Bruce Fisher, performed by Joe Cocker
It really looked like this was going to be an awful song choice at first, but once he got to the original part of the arrangement; Danny totally knocked it out of the park. It was by far Danny’s best vocal performance of the competition, and probably one of the best of the entire competition. If Danny does not make the finals, it will have nothing to do with his ability to sing.
Kris Allen – “Heartless” by Kanye West
Kris made a really good song choice; Kanye West is a far better rapper than a singer, and because of that it was really easy for Kris to sound better than the original. With a full band at his disposal, Kris took a big risk standing up on stage with nothing but an acoustic guitar, but it really paid off; the performance was believable, original and while he still may be a little behind Adam and Danny, Kris made a very strong case to be in the Finals.
Adam Lambert – “Cryin” by Aerosmith
The only surprise about Adam’s performance was that it was not very surprising. After an entire season of completely original arrangements, Adam actually sang this song pretty much true to the original, and that was the right choice; Adam’s style is exactly the same as Steve Tyler’s, so why change a winning formula? Adam knows how to put on a great performance, and this one might have been strong enough to get him into the finals.
All three American Idol finalists really stepped it up in their attempt to make the Finals, but in the end, only two of the three will be back. Adam has been the clear frontrunner for weeks, and should definitely be in the finals. Any of the trio could make the final two, though, and it should be the closest vote of the season.
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