Battle of the Davids

So Ryan asks Randy what he wants to say before they announce the results and Randy says they've all done an amazing job, that they should be proud of themselves, that they are the three standing out 100,000 people they saw. Paula says they're all standing in a path of great things to come, and that life is about moments and if you're lucky enough, you create ones that will last forever and if you're really, really lucky, the world will watch. Simon says he likes the these three and if it's the final he's hoping for, they're going to have a real humdinger next week.


Here we go...

After 56 million votes, America has decided that the two people going head to head in the finale next week are:

David Archuleta and David Cook.

Syesha Mercado goes home.

David Cook's week

Last is David Cook and Ryan says that the interesting thing about David is that it wasn't his idea to audition for "Idol." David says that it wasn't. He says he went to Omaha to be moral support for his little brother, Andrew. He says a producer came up to interview Andrew and ten turned to him and he said he wasn't auditioning, to which the producer responded, "Well, now you are." Ryan then calls Andrew up to the stage with him and David and David continues the story. He says he answered the question the producer asked him and made some Mandy Moore comment, trying to be funny and the next thing he knows, he's got a golden ticket and he's heading to Hollywood.

So, we're heading to Blue Springs, Mo., now to see David's visit home. He visits the local Fox station, where tons of fans were waiting, even though it was raining. While at the station, he gives the local weather forecast, he heads to a radio station and ten goes downtown to give a little concert, where he is completely shocked by how many people turned out and he tells the audience that it's the coolest day of his life. He then heads to his old elementary school where he plans to surprise his old music teacher, Mrs. Gentry, to thank her for inspiring to get into music in the first place. They had a whole assembly gathered, so I doubt it was a real surprise, but it was still really sweet. Then he's in a parade, with a tremendous, and I mean tremendous turnout - he, too, looks close to tears. He then throws the first pitch at a baseball game and says that he's gotten to do everything he ever wanted to do in one day.

Next is a look at his journey through the season.

Looking at Syesha's week

Syesha Mercado is next...Ryan asks her what it was like to get the star treatment at home. She says it was amazing, that she didn't know there were that many people in Sarasota, Fla.

During her visit home, she makes an visit to Fox13's studios, then heads to Bradenton, Fla., wear she visits her old elementary school - the crowd is huge and one lady actually passes her a baby as she's walking, so she could take a picture with it... insane. At the school, Gwen Brown, the Manatee County Commissioner declares the day Syesha Mercado Day and Syesha too, is in tears. Then she heads to her actual home, where she visits with family. Her dad says that having Syesha be in the competition has given him a reason to stay clean, since he had struggled with drugs and alcohol. Then Syesha is part of some kind of parade on the way to her old high school, where the mayor of Sarasota, Lou Ann Palmer says nice things about her and then when the crowd starts chanting her name, she starts crying again, and the tears continue to flow on her limo ride away from the school.

Ryan then goes through her performances and shows a video of her journey through the season.

Closer look at David Archuleta's week

Well Ryan says they're getting right to the results, which makes no sense, because as soon as you say one person is safe, the bottom is immediately revealed. But anyway, he calls David Archuleta up first.

Instead of going through last night's performances, Ryan shows a video of David's visit back home to Murray, Utah. He makes an appearance on "Good Morning Utah" and has a bunch of cheerleaders rush at him to hug him, visits a radio station and shows up at the Gateway Mall. Of course, there were screaming girls at every stop and by the time he hits the mall, he's in tears, overwhelmed by everyone's support. He does say something kind of cute - on the limo ride to the high school, he's kind of talking about how many people showed up at the mall and he says, "Gosh, where did they park?" It cracks me up because it's something I would wonder about myself. Anyway, it looks the entire high school is there to support him and Yosemite Sam (the mayor) announces that May 9, 2008 is David Archuleta Day.

OK, so now Ryan goes through last night's performances and asks David what the biggest obstacle was for him. David says learning three songs was a lot with visiting home and everything, but it was fun and it was all worth it once he got on stage. And since he competition is so close, they're showing the video if David's journey through the season now - I'm assuming they'll do it for all the contestants.

Fantasia performs on "Idol"... again

The group song tonight is to "Ain't No Stopping Us Now." It's OK - they're actually blending real well together, so it sounds nice.

But let's rewind a moment - did Ryan really say Fantasia is going to be singing live? Ugh... why do they keep forcing us to listen to her? It's very possible I may fast forward past her - I hope you all understand - I think her voice is terrible.

The Ford commercial tonight is set to "Heaven" and it shows the contestants visiting a fortune teller, where they envision themselves living lavish lives, with mansions and cars (Fords, of course.) It was OK, but this season's have not been as good as last season's - it's like they've lost their originality a little bit, but they're still entertaining for 30 or 45 seconds or so.

Well, Fantasia is singing now, a song called "Bore Me," and even though I really don't like her voice, I can admit that it's quite a catchy tune and her fans probably loved it. Her performance was really energetic and she moved around the stage a lot. It was not as bad as I thought it would be.

"I don't want to miss a thing" next week when David Cook wins

The last round is the producers' choice and they choose "Longer," by Dan Fogelberg for David Archuleta.

Now, this what I'm talking about - this is a perfect song for him - very soft and soothing. He sounds incredible - as if the song had been written just for him. The melody is so pretty and the lyrics a bit sappy - it's exactly the kind of song I want to hear him sing, the kind of song I would pay to hear him sing. Up until this point, I have felt like as good as he is, I would never buy his music, but if he recorded an album with songs like this, with softer, kind of easy-listening music, I would totally buy it. He could be this decade's Lionel Richie.

Randy tells him it was interesting song choice (one he didn't get to make) but that he could sing the phone book, he's in the zone and it was another hot one from him. Paula says it was a lovely performance and Simon says he's not going to criticize him because he sang the song very well, but he thought the song and the lyrics were absolutely horrible - it was so gooey, it was something you'd choose for like a 90-year-old and he's only 17. But he adds that he thinks David has done enough to get into the finals next week.


The producers choose "Hit Me Up," by Gia Farrell, a song that was featured on the "Happy Feet" soundtrack.

My only thought is that the producers must really want Syesha off the show because this song is horrendous and her singing is not much better. She sounds out of tune in a bunch of places and she looks incredibly uncomfortable on stage. She really needed this song to be great to make up for last round's performance, but instead, I think this song just sealed her fate - she'll be going home tomorrow night.

Randy says he could see her doing a song like that, but that it was just OK for him. Paula says she sang the song well, but it's not the type of song that defines her as an artist and she doesn't know if it's going to be good enough to get into the finals. Simon says it was better than the second song, but she had her moment last week with the Sam Cooke song. He says he doesn't think anything she sang tonight has topped that and the problem with that song is that it didn't give her that defining moment he would have liked to see at the end of the show.


The producers choose Aerosmith's "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing" for David Cook, and it's a great song for him. It starts out soft, which he sings perfectly and then builds to the chorus, where he rocks it out, like we've come to expect from him. Plus, they added real dramatic lighting, so the performance just had that extra something. If you ask me, he should be taking the prize next week and I just hope the teeny boppers out there can get over David Archuleta's shy giggle and vote for David Cook.

Randy says he loves the song, but it was still just OK for him, that it was very predictable. Paula says she'll see David in the finals. Simon says, "David, one of the greatest song of all time and I have to tell you, David Cook wins the night."


No big surprises here - I think Syesha Mercado will go home tomorrow and we'll be watching the battle of the Davids next week.

Syesha Mercado must have had a "Fever" when she chose that song

Next round is the contestant's choice and David Archuleta is up first. He chooses to sing Chris Brown's "With You."

He's a smart kid - he chose a song that's current, that's still being played on the radio. I'm not sure it's his thing, though. He seems really uncomfortable throughout and he's doing this weird swaying motion - I don't know if it's his attempt at dancing, but it looks a little weird. It's a cute performance and I'm sure it was meant to show that he is young, fresh and current, but I think it backfired a bit - it actually showed that he's not - he does better with the old-fashioned ballads - these uptempo songs don't suit him at all.

Randy says he applauds the fact that he tried to do something hip and young since that's the kind of record he thinks David should make, but he's not sure this was the right song, that seeing him sing "my boo," he just didn't believe it. Paula says he should be singing songs like this, that he's so used to singing ballads, but he needs to work on shortening his phrases, not extending them so much. Simon also applauds him for not doing a ballad, which he would have expected, but it was a little bit like a chihuahua trying to be a tiger, in so much that it's not really him - he thought the dancing was a bit awkward.


Syesha chooses to sing "Fever," by Peggy Lee... Whoa... big mistake and here's why. First off, that's an older song and she really should be trying to do something more contemporary to show the judges the kind of album she would like to make. Second, I can already envision her slithering across the stage, trying to be all sexy, and that angle has never worked for anyone for very long. Oh boy - she's planning to use a prop - she's got a chair onstage - is she planning to do a striptease or something? This is getting to be just a bit nonsensical.

Plus, is it just me, or did Syesha just become very annoying almost overnight? She's talking in weird voices, trying to be funny and it's just coming across like she's trying too hard and it's getting on my nerves. Anyway, she couldn't be any more predictable in her performance of this song - she starts with her back to the audience, sitting on the chair, and then turns just enough for the camera to get a profile of her making some wannabe sexy face. Then she gets up and starts walking around the stage and actually walks around a bass player and kind of caresses him, before slithering back to the chair. Just horrendous. Notice, how I haven't even mentioned her singing - that's how ridiculous she looks. It's like her voice doesn't even matter - she ruined the whole thing trying to be sexy. Definitely a bad move for her.

Randy tells her it was a very interesting song choice at this point, but what he highlights is that she sang it amazingly well (I'm surprised he was able to focus on the singing with all her theatrics going on). Paula says she's surprised Syesha picked this song because it doesn't show her who Syesha is as an artist. Simon says she will probably regret that decision tomorrow because she had a chance to prove that she is a contemporary recording artist with her own choice of song, but instead, she did quite a lame cabaret performance.


David Cook chooses to sing "Dare You to Run," by Switchfoot. I love this song - I first heard it on the soundtrack of "A Walk to Remember," and it's such a perfect mix of ballad and rock song. Great choice, in my opinion.

Ouch... it's not his best performance - I wonder if maybe he can't hear himself or something, because he's actually just a tiny bit off key in the verses. The chorus sounds fantastic, though, so maybe no one will notice.

Randy says it's a great song choice, but performance wise, it wasn't his best tonight, that it was a little pitchy (I guess someone did notice). Paula says she knows how hard it is to squeeze a song in like 90 seconds, that the key is to have audience feel like they got a beginning, middle and end, and she feels like he just got to the beginning when it hit the end of the song and she wanted more. Simon says there's nothing much he can add to that. He says it was pretty much what he expected, that it wasn't the best melodic song in the world and that the three of them all had an OK middle round.

"And so it goes," judges love David Archuleta...shocker

First off, I want to thank you all for the wonderful birthday wishes - they were completely unexpected and greatly appreciated. Second, I need to take a moment to mourn the loss of my "American Idol" love, Jason Castro - I still can't believe he left on my birthday, but it's OK - it really was his time to go. It seemed to me that he had checked out a little bit, so it's all for the best.

And we're getting down to the last few episodes now - I can't believe we're just a week away from the finale. Tonight each contestant will be singing three songs - one chosen by one of the judges, one chosen by the show's producers and one song the contestants personally choose.

The first round tonight is the judges' picks and David Archuleta is up first. Mayor Snarr, of Murray, Utah, whose mustache reminds me of Yosemite Sam, tells David that Paula Abdul has chosen Billy Joel's "And So It Goes" for him to sing tonight.

I know this may be sacrilege here on Long Island, but I do not like Billy Joel - at all. So, I am not familiar with this song, nor am I looking forward to hearing it. Plus, David says he's excited to sing it because it's a really pretty song, which just means it's probably a ballad. Yuck.

I'll say this for him - he sang almost half the song a cappella, which is incredibly difficult to pull off. It's so hard to stay in tune without any accompaniment to guide you. But, as expected, I think the song is boring and completely uninteresting. He sang it well, though, and for the first time in a long time, I'm actually a little impressed with him. I just wish it had been a better song.

Randy tells him that Paula chose a dope song for him and he can sing anything. He says the Billy Joel thing works well on him and he would have liked to see David play the piano like Billy Joel while singing it, but that it doesn't matter. He says David is in the zone and he's in it to win it. Paula says it was a pure and stunning performance and that tonight, he was a storyteller, that it was a beautiful performance. Simon says it was very good, no surprises, a bit predictable. The crowd boos and Simon says that it's not really a criticism - that it was good, not outstanding, but good.


Syesha is up next and she learns via text message that Randy Jackson has chosen "If I Ain't Got You" by Alicia Keys. She says that's her favorite artist and she loves that song and already knows what she's going to do.

I love her dress - very elegant, and she looks stunning in it. I do wish she had left her hair curly, though. She sings the song well, but it wasn't a real wow performance. I think she could have gotten into it a bit more - she chose to kind of stand in the middle of the stage and just sing. But this song is very emotional, she could have put some movement into it, made it come alive. I don't know - I feel like they're all so good, any criticism is really just nit-picking, but still, I think she could have done a little more with the song.

Randy says she did an amazing job and he's so happy that she's peaking at the right time in this competition. Paula says she is very proud that Syesha is the last lady standing. She says it's hard to do a song that is so identifiable with a beautiful artist and she applauds her for that. (Why does she deserve that? She had no choice in that song - it was chosen for her.) Simon says she sang it very well, but he wishes that Randy had chosen something for her where she wasn't going to just be trying to sound like the original. Randy then says that if he listens back, she actually changed quite a few notes. Simon says not enough, in his opinion, but that she looks gorgeous.


David Cook is next and as some of you may already know, he was surprised during a live interview with a text message from Simon Cowell saying that he is singing Roberta Flack's "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face." He didn't look too excited about it, but I think he'll make something out of it.

I've never actually heard the original, and I wonder if it could be any better that David Cook's version. The thing I love about him, is that while he's been categorized as a rocker, he sings these soft ballads so beautifully and really only adds a rocker twist at the end. He's versatile - he can really sing anything well - he's not trapped in one style like David Archuleta is.

Randy tells him he's been a fan since Day 1, that he can sing anything and he loved the high note at the end, but he wishes Simon would have picked something that wasn't as predictable as this older kind of song because he wants David to rock, that he's a rocker. Paula says that it's one of her favorite songs and now he's the second favorite person who sings it. Simon says that he might be a little bit biased, but he thinks it was actually one of his best performances to date.