Seacrest opened the show by touting the upcoming bout as “acoustic rocker vs. glam rocker,” “Conway (Arkansas) vs. California” and “the guy next door vs. the guyliner.”
Love that last one, Seacrest, but you seem to have forgotten “amateur vs. professional,” “straight vs. (allegedly) gay” and, of course, “shoe-in vs. dark horse.”
Last night the finalists sang three songs: their favorite performance from the season, a song chosen by the show's producer, Simon Fuller, and the (usually crappy) winner’s first single, which was co-written this year by -- surprise, surprise -- Kara DioGuardi.
Kris won the coin toss and chose to perform second, perhaps in order to leave a lasting impression with the viewers. It worked, too! I was thinking of his dimples all night, even in my sleep.
No big surprise here. Glambert chose to sing “Mad World” as his favorite performance. Believe it or not, I found it stunning the first time he did it, and this time it was just as great (maybe because of the dry ice). He is strongest when he uses his range but still shows some restraint, i.e. no screaming.
I would’ve also enjoyed a reprise of the love-it-or-hate-it “Ring of Fire.” I mean, he was already sporting the goth/cowboy duster anyway. Randy liked the look, calling it “Twilight”; not a compliment in my book. Simon, however, thought it was more “Phantom of the Opera,” which seemed more on target. Don’t get me wrong; both are lame. It’s just that “Phantom” is more “theatrical” (like Adam), while “Twilight” was a little light on the actual acting.
I was hoping that Kris would do “Falling Slowly” as his favorite performance, but he chose “Ain’t No Sunshine,” probably a safer choice, since it showcased this season’s buzzword, the oft-mentioned yet elusive “artistry.”
I’m still not 100 percent on what Kara means when she throws that word around, but I’ve come to the conclusion that it has something to do with taking a song and changing it up ... unless, of course, it is a “classic” song with a “strong melody” that doesn’t need to be changed.
He got nothing but praise from the judges and when prodded, Simon even declared Allen the Round 1 victor.
Fuller chose “Change Is Gonna Come” for Glambert. Though it got a little screechy towards the end, it was a great (and unexpected) choice. He truly did look like a star in his retro-style suit and he showed that he could sing something bluesy without being overly dramatic.
For the first time, I could really envision him singing at the Grammy Awards or at -- I don’t know -- like, a vampire convention or something.
Randy said that he could “sing his face off.” I’m not sure if he can sing off his whole face, but he can definitely sing his pancake foundation off.
Kris performed “What’s Going On?” as Fuller’s choice. Smartly, he played the guitar and showcased the one undeniable strength he has over Lambert: the ability to play multiple instruments.
