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As soon as I saw the microphone descending from the rafters, I said out loud “Please don’t let Michael Buffer be at the end of that mic…” and apparently today is not my day for wish-granting. I have to admit though, instead of the pomp and circumstance of previous shows where all they wanted to do was try and build up the finale to some unreachable height, I thought the intro and the whole mood tonight was one of self-realization and I’m actually very proud of the Idol crew and stars tonight. I’m proud to say I’m a fan.

They’ve been taking “a lot of stick” as Simon put it, but they showed they don’t take themselves too seriously tonight, and put on one helluva finale. While it’s true that many of the aspects of the show have changed from it’s roots, the show still remains at heart a talent competition, and as Simon said, we have the two best singers on stage tonight, which proves (much like the BCS in college football) the system works.

So enough babbling right…? It’s time for the review. As most of you already know, the singers had to perform three songs tonight. One song was chosen by Clive Davis, the Godfather of American Idol and famous record producer. One song was chosen by the contestants from the top 10 in the songwriter’s competition, and the final song was chosen by the contestants again, but this time it could be anything at all, either sung or unsung up to this point (more on that in a bit).

So without further delay…let’s get to it!!

David Cook
So Mr. Cook leads off the night, meaning he’s got slots 1, 3 and 5. I guess they did a coin flip or something to determine who went first…if not, they definitely should. David’s first choice was perfect for him…”I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For” was a great choice by Mr. Clive Davis and I thought David’s performance was great. You could really tell throughout the night that Mr. Cook was really enjoying his time in the spotlight. I’ve never had the honor to sing in front of that many people before so I don’t know what it’s like, but I can imagine. His second song wasn’t as strong but that wasn’t because of his performance. The song was just weak, and I think maybe it’s time to do away with the American Idol Songwriter competition. It doesn’t really add anything to it for me. Last, David chose to do a song he’d never done in the competition to this point by singing “The World I Know” by Collective Soul. Collective Soul is one of those underrated bands as it relates to songwriting, and I thought this was a great choice for Mr. Cook despite what Simon had to say. Sure, most contestants have traditionally chosen a song they did well in the previous weeks to perform here as a way of saying “See? Remember when I did this one so good??” but for me, I had to give David Cook some props for sticking to his artistic integrity and doing something new. For him, it just wouldn’t have do to sing a song he’d already sung.
“I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For” - 9.0 out of 10.0 Matties
“Dream Big” - 9.0 out of 10.0 Matties
“The World I Know” - 9.5 out of 10.0 Matties
Total Rating - 27.5 out of 30.0 Matties

David Archuleta
For all the talk about how American Idol is a competition to find the best singer, we all know it’s also a very big popularity contest. Simon himself said it earlier in the year, so it has to be true. David Archuleta has been at the top of many people’s list since very early in the competition, and his fanbase has never been stronger. His first choice was great for him (and personally one of my favorite Elton John songs)…”Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me” was outstanding, and I loved the key in which he sang it. To me, it allowed him to showcase the strength in his lower range, and really showcase his big voice. His second song, a lot like David Cook’s, was mediocre, but not because of the singer but because of the songwriter. He did what he could with it, and Simon was right (although not by much) that David A. picked the better of the two songs, although to me that’s like trying to decide between broccoli and collard greens. On David’s third song, he decided to recapture some of that Beatles magic with singing “Imagine” again. To me, it wasn’t as good as his first time, but maybe I’m a bit jaded. The artist in me wanted to see him do a new song, to showcase his versatility. Maybe he’s just too young and inexperienced to learn three songs in a week. I don’t know. He did it well though, as he almost always does.
“Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me” - 9.5 out of 10.0 Matties
“In This Moment” - 9.0 out of 10.0 Matties
“Imagine” - 9.5 out of 10.0 Matties
Total Rating - 28.0 out of 30.0 Matties

I know pretty much everyone reading this can tell who I think will win American Idol…David Archuleta has had one helluva run, and so has David Cook. But to me, tonight, David Archuleta was just slightly better. I think the real difference was how they did on their first songs…right out of the gate, David Archuleta was on point vocally and he really showcased his range and vocal power.

This is a popularity contest though, and anything can happen. The blogs are already buzzing about this, and with the four hour voting window (voting still going on as I write this btw), the vote could go either way. But I expect that at the end of tomorrow night’s finale, we are going to see the balloons and confetti and spotlights fall on David Archuleta as your 2007 American Idol winner.

It’s been my honor and privilege to bring you these American Idol reviews this year…and I hope you’ve enjoyed them. I’ll be back for one more review after tomorrow night’s finale, and then it’ll be onto more reviews! I hope you’ll stick around as I get into the summer shows of The Bachelorette and So You Think You Can Dance.

Oh…I almost forgot…as if I have even have to ask this…but what do YOU think, America?!?!?!?