Adam Lambert Interview

Hey guys, since I posted an interview with Kris yesterday, here is one from Adam. This one is crazy long, though. About 30 minutes I think? It's really good though, and you get to see a little more personality than we get on the show. Enjoy.

http://www.nj.com/entertainment/celebrities/index.ssf/2009/05/they_said_it_adam_lambert.html

Textgate! AT&T and American Idol Respond.

http://www.mjsbigblog.com/american-idol-producers-and-att-respond-to-text-gate.htm

Kris Allen on Ellen

Here is a video of Kris on Ellen, singing "Heartless" and "No Boundaries." This cheesy song is growing on me folks, both his (currently #11 on Billboard Top 100) and Adam's versions.

http://www.krisallenation.com/2009/05/kris-on-ellen.html

Here are their studio recordings:

Kris Allen:


Adam Lambert:

Controversy Arises in Kris Allen Victory

Read this article and let me know what you think. This could explain the 32 million votes that came out of Arkansas.

http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/entertainment/controversy-dogs-kris-allens-american-idol-win_100197577.html

And The Winner Is...

*DISCLAIMER- Since this is a recap for a two hour episode, as well as the last entry of the season, prepare for a long post.*

Last night, we were all witness to one of the greatest American Idol Finales ever. With a plethora of superstar guest performers, as well as a hilarious batch awards given out, Idol kept the last show of the season just as entertaining as the contestants have all season. In a two hour special, we left feeling like we had just witnessed one of the big award shows, such as the Grammy's, Oscars, or MTV Music Awards (is that a big award show?). For the last time this season, I will give you my thoughts on how the show shook down. *tear*

First, Ryan introduces people who need no introduction at this point, our judges. With extremely funny videos, they pick on some of the nuances the judges have. For Randy, it was his "for me, for you" saying. This was probably my favorite just because he says it so much that I have even caught myself saying it! Oh Randy, that saying is MAD DOPE! FIIIRE!! MOLTEN LAVA!!! He's crazy. Kara got picked on for sweeting up her harsh critiques with "sweety" and "honey." I never picked up on that before, but it's true, she does try to sweeten it up before she rips them a new one. Next, they mock Paula's extended vocabulary. Really, Paula is the highlight of entertainment from the judges panel. You never know what she is going to say, but you can pretty much rest assured that it will be something completely over-embellished and nonsensical, tried to make sound profound with poorly strung together multi-syllable words. Finally, we get to see Simon, and his video depicting his lack of attention on the show. "Pardon?" and "What?" were common for him, as he's usually looking off to some unknown person to his right, or trying to decipher what Paula had just said. Very entertaining, these judges are.

Next, we get to see our ivory clad finalists, Adam Lambert and Kris Allen, with Ryan, with "see" being the operative word. Their mics aren't turned on. Whoops. It's only the biggest night of the season, sound guy, but you feel free to take a nap in the middle of it. No biggie.

With their rendition of Pink's "So What," we see our finalists joined by the rest of this seasons first ever top 13, also clad in white. Really, Allison should have just gotten to sing this as a solo. The lyrics hold especially true for her. "I didn't win American Idol? So what? I'm still a rockstar." As for the rest, they pull off a decently sung rendition of the pop hit. It's surprising since they weren't able to do this more than twice during the season, but hey, they've had time to practice I bet.

Last years winner, David Cook, is up next to perform his new song "Permanent." This is somewhat of a Debbie-downer performance, but it's touching due to the fact that David just recently lost his brother, Adam, to brain cancer. All of the proceeds from this song will go to help find a cure for cancer. We should all go buy it, because it is his best single to date, and it will help those in need.

Up next is the first presentation for the Golden Idol Awards. The first reward goes to the Outstanding Male of the season. The nominees are: Wil Kunick, who preceded Adam by giving a high-pitched audition of "Mad World"; Michael Gerr, who sounded like a constipated Gollum singing Carrie Underwood; Elijah Scarlett, whose incredibly deep voice could "do voice-over work for monsters"; Dean Anthony Bradford, whose coat looked like a bad couch; and Nick "Normund Gentle" Mitchell, who actually made it into the Top 36 and made love to the American Idol logo. This is a no-contest. Nick Mitchell wins hands down. Accepting his award in a hoodie, he insists that he had no idea this was going to happen. No idea whatsoever. Not. Breaking free of the snapaway pants and unzipping the hoodie, we get to see Normund doing his version of "And I'm Telling You." Complete with singing into a floor monitor and shouting out "girl in the purple shirt," he has us rolling. If he can get learn to extend his repertoire, he could be a funny comedian. "Takes one to know one, sassy pants. BOOM!"

Our first superstar performance is a duet between Lil Rounds and Queen Latifah. I'm going to put it out there that Queen Latifah is crazy pretty. She completely overshadows Lil, literally and figuratively. Lil is like a munchkin up there next to her. She sings well, much better than she did on the show, but she shows us that she still doesn't really have that star power to compete with Queen, who is just so laid back and relaxed that she does it effortlessly. The song "Cue the Rain" is decent though. Not a bad way to go out Lil.

Awkward pairing of the night goes to our next performance: Alexis Grace and Anoop Desai sing "I'm Yours" with Jason Mraz and the top 13. Neither of these two are remotely close to the genre of this song, but they sing it well enough. Jason Mraz looks like he's thinking "why am I even here?" It was a tad random, but not horrible.

Kris Allen is up next to sing "Kiss a Girl" with Keith Urban. Though anyone could have written the words to this song, it's still done well. I can see Kris going this sort of route in his music- a little pop country-ish but more geared toward adult contemporary. I'm glad they got Keith Urban, because he doesn't dwarf Kris like everyone else does. Lil guys singing together. This should also dispel those outlandish rumors on the Internet about him and Adam.

This is one star-packed show! Up next are the 5 female contestants from the top 13 singing "Glamorous" by Fergie. Jasmine shows why she was sent home so early. Megan shows that she can rock some daisy-dukes and has some killer legs. Not to be out-done, Fergie emerges from backstage singing "Big Girls Don't Cry," which is sort of ironic, since each of the girls cried when they got the boot. Hmmmm. Then she rips off her skirt to show off her legs as the rest of the Black Eyed Peas come out and sing "Boom Boom Pow," complete with crazily dressed dancers (can I get one of those costumes though?!) and a strange 5 second delay in the middle of the song. Did Will.I.Am just go on an extreme cursing spree? Did Fergie wet herself onstage again? Or did she have a wardrobe malfunction with those shorts? I don't know but I was still GETTIN IT in my living room. That is my jam. Megan was also gettin it in the isle, haha. She's so awkward, I love it.

Golden Idol Award #2: Best Attitude. The nominees are: Katrina "Bikini Girl" Darrell, who challenged Kara's demonstration of Mariah's "Vision of Love"; Alexis Cohen, who returned for a second season with an initially demure demeanor, only to break out the birds in the end (she was more lady-like this year though); and Tiffany Shedd, who promised to leave with a good attitude and broke it in five seconds, much like her voice broke my eardrums when she sang. Of course, Bikini Girl wins this. She comes out wearing, surprise surprise, a bikini. Ryan says that he sees some things have changed with her, and she shows off her new chestoral muscles (well I guess they aren't muscles since they are fake). She precedes to sing "Vision of Love" again, but is interrupted halfway through by KARA! She wipes the floor with bikini girl and then rips open her dress to reveal her own bikini. Best. Moment. Of. The. Night. That was hilarious. People who were hating on Kara shouldn't anymore. She is pretty cool (and has some pretty nice abs!). Bikini Girls face was priceless.

Up next is the highest finishing female this season, Allison Iraheta, singing with Cyndi Lauper. I'm digging this song, and the fact that Cyndi is strumming on the dulcimer. It puts a cool feel to the song and Allison easily outsings Cyndi, who was never known for her stellar voice. I think that Allison is going to have a very good career. She is pretty freaking amazing for being as young as she is and she can definitely get a record deal and sell big.

Following Allison, we see Danny sitting on the stairs. He begins to sing "Hello" by Lionel Richie. I literally freak out at this point because this song should never be sung on American Idol again by anyone not named David Cook. After last years rendition, Danny's will inevitably pale in comparison. He sings it incredibly well, but it's still no David Cook. As Lionel Richie joins him and they start to sing "Chill" and "All Night Long," I realize that Lionel is now Jamaican. And so is Danny. Crazy. Well sung, but nothing overly exciting about this pair.

After the journey video for Adam rolls, which is pretty impressive, we see the finalist alone with a mic and a CRAZY outfit on. With rhinestones around his eyes, not to mention huge rhinestone-studded roll cages as his shoulder pads, he proceeds to sing "Beth." Everyone in my living room is disturbed at this point and I'm just thinking "Well, he's putting all those gay speculations to rest..." When the camera pans behind him, we see the platform shoes, and that can only mean one thing. KISS! Suddenly, the costume seems appropriate, and KISS takes the stage, in full regalia, complete with drummer Eric Singer coming down from the ceiling. Adam shines in this performance, showing that he is perfect with a big band sound backing up his voice. It's ridiculous that he can come out and sing KISS so effortlessly.

Next is another legend, guitarist Carlos Santa, who joins with Matt Giraud in a very well sung version of "Black Magic Woman." For me, Matt was hot and cold this season. Talented, yes, but he got about as far as he should have. Maybe further. The rest of the top 13 join for "Smooth" and I am impressed with how well they sound together tonight. Way to not suck it up for the finale, guys and gals! I know y'all are just trying to get some record deals.

The last Ford commercial of the season (thank God) is a combination of all the previous commercials, which is painless to watch, so for that, I'm greatful. David Cook then "surprises" Kris and Adam with matching Ford Fusion Hybrids (awww). They do this every year, so I'm sure the contestants realize they are getting a car. Why not a mustang though?! Cheap Idol, real cheap.

Michael Sarver and Megan Joy Corkery sit down to sing a song, with none other than Steve Martin accompanying them on the banjo. Not much to say here. I didn't like either of their voices on the show, and I am not liking them too much now, even though they are singing as well as they both can. Steve Martin predicts that the longshot winner is...himself. Haha, funny old guy!

Now it's the men's turn to counter the women's performance earlier. They sing Rod Stewart's "If You Think I'm Sexy." Rod comes out after, and thank God he didn't sing that song with them. He looks like my grandpa up on stage dancing in a jacket that Anoop HAD to have picked out from his "Ridiculously God-Awful Jacket Store." He sings "Maggie May" and I feared for him falling and breaking a hip the entire time. Good for him, though, that he is still performing and making music, even though he's older than dirt.

Golden Idol Award #3: Best Female. The nominees are: Chelsea Marquardt, whose performance of "Without You" was compared to a falling cat; Irene Angulova, who should've been sent "Somewhere Over the Rainbow"; Dana Moreno, who was too screechy to make the song recognizable; and (of course) Tatiana Nicole Del Toro, whose hideous laughter and dress belied a passable voice and high drama queen potential. Naturally, Tatiana won this, and our prediction of her singing "Saving All My Love for You" for the fourth time COMES TRUE...sorta. Chased by security guards in an obvious comedic attempt, Rubin Studdard looks shocked in the audience, like he believes this is for real. Come on, man. You know she crazy, but she ain't THAT crazy. Ok, maybe she is. I wouldn't put it past her.

Finally, we get to see our finalists perform a duet together, singing the ever-so-appropriate "We are the Champions" by Queen. I have been waiting for Adam to sing Queen again since Hollywood, and he NAILED it. He handled Freddy Mercury's high notes like they were nothing. Kris sounded good on it too, but Adam's power overshadowed him on the choruses. What I liked most is that the last note was great. Adam could have completely went off, leaving Kris in the dust, but he didn't. They held out the same note, not trying to showboat over the other. That shows some class, in my opinion, on both of their parts.

Now is the moment we've all been waiting for. The lights are dimmed and we prepare to find out who our new American Idol is. After a hard fought season, the winner is...





KRIS ALLEN!





As the cheers erupted from my living room, I clap for Kris because I like him a lot, but I realize that, especially after tonight's songs, Adam got robbed. This was not just my sentiment since I'm an Adam fan, but each person I talked to agreed that Adam probably should have won. But let's not take away from the victor. Kris Allen rose from the depths of a self proclaimed mediocre performance of "Man in the Mirror" to show that an ordinary, everyday kind of guy can use his talents and charm to win over the hearts of America. He truly might be one of the most likable contestants this show has ever seen and he still deserved to be in the finals based on his musicality and creativity. I'm not sure, in my opinion, if it was enough to have won the competition, but it's hard to deny that he is very skilled and talented. I hope that he can take this victory and run with it; not letting the horrendous production of 19 records sweep him under the rug like has been done with so many other past male Idols. I hope he sticks strong to who he is as an artist and doesn't let the fame and fortune affect his ability to grasp the hearts of his listeners. Don't produce fodder, Kris. Don't let them make you produce fodder. I hope that both of these two contestants have promising careers in the music industry, for I like both of them and want to continue enjoying the music they create- Adam's insane tenor rock anthems and Kris' cool, laid back acoustic groove.

This has been my favorite Idol season of yet, and I'm glad that you all were able to join me along the ride through this blog. I have been joked on it relentlessly for it, but I feel like it was all worth it. I hope you all were able to gain something from my often-times incoherent ramblings on this site and I hope that you all enjoyed reading my opinions on something that ultimately has no baring on our lives whatsoever. Haha. It was a pleasure and a privilege to be able to write for such a dedicated group of followers. Let me know what you thought...of the season, of the blog, of a contestant, anything. Let me know your favorite moments from this season, and your least favorite; what left you in awe, and what left you howling, wishing, praying for it to end. This has been fun and I look forward to doing it again next year.

For the last time...

Your American Idol Junkie,

Billy

The Finale! - Performance Results

Adam Lambert. Kris Allen. The two finalists have sung their final songs. The votes have been cast. The polls have been closed. This years American Idol has been determined, but as of now, we do not know who that winner is. After a thrilling finale, each singer showed America why they deserved to be on that stage vying for the nations best undiscovered talent. Both competitors performed valiantly, giving us exactly the type of finale that we were hoping for- a neck-to-neck, punch for punch, photo-finish ending to a memorable season. From what I could tell, this was one of the closest performance shows that I've witnessed to date. Let's take a look at what our finalists sang and try to sift through the performances to find who might be the MOST deserving winner.

Adam Lambert- His Pick - Tears for Fears "Mad World"

This was the obvious choice for Adam to sing. If Simon Cowell, the world's harshest critic, gives you a standing ovation for a song during the season, it's probably worth bringing back into the finals. Emerging from a vampirish fog in a black trench coat, cutting a figure both slightly menacing and supernatural, Adam made this performance a visual spectacle. The stairs. The fog. The lights. It resembled what a music video for the "Twilight" soundtrack might look like. The combination of elements suits this song perfectly, adding an ethereal feel to an already haunting vocal. Speaking of the vocal, Adam sang this flawlessly. Every note was pitch perfect and he sang it with a confidence that only he has exuded this season. Though no fault of his own, the song was slightly less poignant than his original performance. I think this is because we were prepared for it this time. The first time he performed this song, it came out of left field and knocked us on our heels. It's hard to recreate how the shock of something different affects you the first time you hear it. Overall, I agree with the judges that it was a great vocal, but Simon's comment on the theatrical aspects of the performance, correct as it may be, is moot. It should be expected for a Lambert performance by now. In this performance, we got a glimpse of what to expect from an Adam Lambert concert. If that's the case, then he'll be a great entertainer for a while.

Kris Allen - His Pick - Bill Withers "Ain't No Sunshine"

Kris Allen, our quintessential "dark horse" has not let that label slow him down. All season, he has defied people's expectations by offering Idol listeners exactly what they want to hear. Yet, even at this point, it does not seem like KRIS thinks that he should be there. After a very strong opening by Adam Lambert, it'd be easy for the humble, and ultimately less talented, Kris Allen to cave under the monumental pressure that is on his shoulders tonight. With this song, he showed that he wasn't going to back down. This performance was incredible. Not only was it miles better than the first time we heard the song (which was pretty impressive then), but it showed a confidence that we have not seen from Allen all season. Again, seated at the piano (not his first instrument of choice), Kris soulfully sang this song with perfect pitch and tone. His runs where there, his falsetto was working nicely, and his piano playing was extremely good for a guitar player. What was most impressive, however, was the passion he poured into this performance. I know a lot of people do not like Kara, but she does make good points (she just executes them poorly). When Kris really puts his all into a song, he can drag an entire audience in and connect with each one of them. That is what he did with this song.

Round 1 Winner: Kris Allen

Simon is right. Though both contestants did extremely well on their songs, Kris' was simply better tonight. There is no denying it. Taking the momentum that he gained from the still resounding Kanye cover, he stepped up to the plate and knocked it out of the ballpark. His voice has never sounded better than it did on this song and it suits who he is as an artist perfectly. This is exactly the kind of music he should make on his album- soulful, acoustic pop rock. Putting all of his talents and gifts on display, he poured his heart into this performance, and rightfully deserves to have won this round.

Adam Lambert - Producer Pick - Sam Cook "A Change is Gonna Come"

I knew that coming into round 2, Kris would probably have an advantage on Adam. I knew that the songs that Simon Fuller picked would probably play a HUGE factor in each of the contestants overall Finale Performance. When I heard that he had chosen "A Change is Gonna Come" for Adam, I knew that this would be a redeeming rendition (not that he had a TON of redeeming to do after a solid first song). From the very first note I was entranced. He came out with some soaring opening notes and then brought it back down and brought us into this intimate, bluesy atmosphere that dared you to not pay attention to what he was singing. Then, he took us to church. With more soul and swagger than I've ever seen him sing with, he thrived in the climax of the song. His range really is ridiculous. He went from these low mellow tones to the rafters with incredible ease. On SEVERAL songs this season, such as "Born to Be Wild," "Satisfaction," and "Black or White," Adam's upper register has come across as "screaming" or "screechy." Tonight was neither. The notes he was hitting were SUNG. Simon, again, is correct. He is definitely back in the race. This might be my favorite Idol performance of the season- dare I say ever?

Kris Allen - Producer Pick - Marvin Gaye "What's Goin' On?"

When Kris was singing this, I commented to my crowd, "Dang, Kris came to sing tonight." I have not seen him as focused as he has been on this night. His vocals were spot on and he used an Adam Lambert "Tracks of My Tears" instrument set to give it a nice groovy feel. While I liked the song, and I think he did very well with it and adapted it in a very Kris Allen way, I think he could have done something different with it. I agreed with Randy. I felt that the song was too laid back and mellow to be sung at the Finale of the biggest television reality show on TV. While it was true to who he is as an artist, it didn't do him any favors to win the show, and that's what he needed to bring. Sitting in a room with some fairly competent musicians and vocalists, we felt as though we could easily do what Kris did with this song. The way I see it, the contestants should be doing something that average musicians would never be able to pull off. Several people feel like he did all he could do with the song. "How can that song be made any bigger?" I agree that it could not be made much grander, but maybe that's not what it needed. If he stripped it down completely and made it a ballad, it would have created a touching and moving performance. Some might say "THAT IS MELLOW TOO!" but it can be adapted to be impactful and intense, even though it's slow.

Round 2 Winner: Adam Lambert

Adam blew Kris out of the water in this round. Though Kris gave a very noble effort, his latin-infused "What's Goin' On" could not compete with the sheer power and charisma of Adam's "A Change is Gonna Come." Will I download Kris' song? Of course. But will I listen to it more than Adam's? Not a chance. Right now, the competition is in a dead heat! All that's left now is the final song, and my predicted "deciding factor," the Winner's song.

Winner's Song - "No Boundaries"

Let's take a look at the song before we critique the contestants performances of it. Co-written by one of our very own Judges, Kara Dioguardi, I had high hopes for this song. To date, she has had over 46 albums in the Top 10 on Billboard magazine's 200 album chart. Her songs are on various hit albums that have collectively sold over 100 million copies. Working with the likes of Christina Aguilera, Carrie Underwood, Leona Lewis, Kelly Clarkson, and Celine Dion, she has established herself as a very big hit-maker. This song, however, is not one of those hits. The Internet is abuzzed in disbelief that this song was chosen as the Winner's song. I have not heard of one person who has liked it. Since she has worked primarily with female vocalists, I feel as though she may have been out of her element in trying to write and arrange a song that was going to be sung by two men. I have still yet to come to a conclusion on what I think of it, but it sure didn't blow me away. It's cheesy illusions to mountains and hurricanes are stereotypical Idol Winner's song cliches that make every contestant who auditions for Idol hope just a liiiiittle bit that they do not win, therefore not forced to sing a stupid song about triumph and puppys and rainbows. I like the tune of the song just fine, but the words are what I can't really grasp quite yet. I will admit that I was sort of rocking out on the bridge. That part was pretty tight. Maybe it will grow on me, who knows? The benefit of the contestants doing a song like this is that we get to compare them on one ground and one ground alone, their vocal talent. This show is a singing competition. Yes I know that other factors inevitably come into play, I'm not naive. But as a singing competition, it's good to be able to judge the finalists on just that, their vocals

Adam Lambert - "No Boundaries"

While not near as good as the phenomenal song he sang moments earlier, Adam still managed to hold his own on this song. There were SEVERAL pitchy parts, but I would account that to him having to learn an entirely new song on top of perfecting his other two. The song actually fits Adam's voice well, I think. The beginning was very light and piano driven, where he can flip into falsetto and add the softer tone like he did in "Tracks of My Tears" but then it crescendos into a full out rock chorus and bridge, the style that suits his voice the best. It was also in just the right key for his voice. He wasn't able to do anything crazy high or outlandish, but he was still able to serviceably sing the song. This is probably his weakest performance of the season, however.

Kris Allen - "No Boundaries"

I said that Kris would be at a disadvantage coming into this round, seeing as the Winner's song is usually geared toward a big voiced, dramatic singer, something that Kris Allen is not. I was right. His voice did not fit as well with this song as Adam's did. Off pitch for much of the song, the song sat just a tad too high for his tessitura, not giving him a chance to be able to really belt out those high notes. He looked extremely uncomfortable up there, knowing that it wasn't in his style or vocal range at all. He also fumbled through some of the lyrics. It was just, overall, not a good performance. It was not completely horrendous by any means. I have heard plenty worse than what Kris gave us on this song, but it was not good either. I'm interested to hear the studio version of this song to see he would sound on it then. I'm not sure if this song is enough to slow down the forward momentum that Kris had coming into tonight. This, paired with Adam's "Change" might put Kris in the runner-up position.

Round 3 Winner: Adam Lambert

I can't fault either contestant on not singing it 100%, because the Winner's song has always been somewhat of a letdown. Full of cheese that only Danny Gokey could muster, the contestants were at a disadvantage before they even sang the first note. If Danny was singing in the Finals, I think he might have killed that song, but then again, Velveta would be oozing from my TV. I hope that viewers don't take this song into account as much as the first two. But for this song alone, I feel that Adam won it outright. It sounded better with his tone, he has the range for it, and it's more in sync with his style as an artist.

Final Thoughts:

So, there you have it, folks. I think that this was one of the best seasons to date. I think that this finale has been one of the closest fought ever, rivaling the showdown that the David's put on last season. Adam with his glam rock and Kris with his acoustic rock have given us one of the most unique and somehow harmonious pairings that we've seen in a Finale. I think that this years vote will be closer than last years, where only 1 million votes separated the two finalists. When it's all said and done, though, I think that Adam should be singing us out one last time surrounded in confetti. He was my pick to win it from day one and I'm not going to change that now. This prediction is not discounting Kris in any way, because he was able to rise to the challenge in a way that I did not think he was capable of. If he pulls out the win, it should not be considered the "biggest upset in Idol history." He would have won it fair and square with his general mass appeal, but personally, I don't think that will happen. The buzz is on Kris right now, but Adam has dominated the spotlight this season. I think that both contestants deserved to be on that finale stage, but Lambert deserves to win it all, if not for his superior talent, then for how he has shaken up Idol. How he's made it interesting again. How he's come out like a professional week in and week out, always entertaining us and always keeping us on our toes. We've never seen a contestant like him and likely never will again. There will be another Kris Allen next year, mark my words, but never another Adam Lambert.

Your American Idol Junkie,

Billy

PS. Here are a couple of funny pictures to leave you all with.

THE FINALE! - Song Predictions

Here we are folks! The end is near. The finish line is in sight. The finale is upon us. Tonight we will see an epic battle between the rocking banshee, Adam Lambert, and the wholesome crooner, Kris Allen - two artists who encompass completely opposite poles on the musical spectrum. Much like the rivalry of Elvis Presley and Pat Boone of old (blue suede shoes vs. white bucks), we have the stuff of [American Idol] legends in the making right now.

I have been pulling for this finale since the top 36 was announced (even before I heard them sing on Idols stage). These two finalists have far and away been my favorites of the season. Adam, with his incredible range and stage presence, is the presumed front-runner, and has been so since the first time we saw him in his auditions. More than any other contestant in the history of Idol, Adam has a kind of confidence and swagger that rivals most professionals in the industry. Kris, on the other hand, is the picture you will find in the dictionary beside the term "dark horse." Having minimal exposure in the audition and Hollywood rounds, most wrote him off as another attractive guy with no shot of winning. He has quietly, but soundly, marched into a deserving spot in the finals with his ability to rearrange a song to suit his strengths while appealing to a wide variety of listeners.

The two have experienced the entire journey together and probably form the biggest Yin and Yang finale we've seen yet. Though their styles are as different as black is from white, these two have formed an extremely close friendship, with their differences somehow bringing them in harmony with one another. Kris stated in an interview, "Adam and I kind of rely on each other." Let's take a look at their journey.

Here we see Adam and Kris sitting next to each other during the first stage of Hollywood week.

Adam and Kris are in the same group during the first round of Hollywood week.


Adam and Kris, along with Allison are voted into the top 13 during the second week of Top 36 Performances.


Adam and Kris are roommates at the Idol Mansion.

Adam paints all of his nails black, except his right thumbnail. Kris paints his right thumbnail. Adam says "If you can carry around a piece of me, man; I can do the same for you." Gokey feels left out of the bromance.

Adam and Kris hug it out after Kris is announced into the finals.

People on several message boards have lovingly nick-named the duo, "Kradam", a slash name along the likes of "Brangelina" for Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie. Some have taken it to the extent that they are unhealthily fantasizing an ACTUAL romance between the two. We here at aijunkie do not support or endorse these rumors, but the pictures DO look different once you hear that, haha.

Now that we have taken a look at the competitors, let's see what songs they should sing. Supposedly, the format for the finale will be as follows: one self picked "contestant favorite" song that they have sang earlier in the competition, one song chosen by producer Simon Fuller, and the yet-announced winner's single, a la "A Moment Like This" or "This is My Now"...whatever that means. The winner's single has been rumored to have been written by fellow judge, Kara Dioguardi. After last weeks results, Kris won a coin toss to decide who sings first. Adam will be singing first, which gives Kris the upper hand, knowing exactly what he's got to beat each performance. Here are my suggestions for the other songs the guys should sing.

Adam Lambert - His Pick - Tears for Fears "Mad World" or Led Zeppelin "Whole Lotta Love"

This was, arguably, Adam's best performance of the season, minus one pitchy last note. It was still enough to merit a standing ovation from Simon, the first ever in the history of the show. If you recall, this was also the song that was cut off from most of America's DVRs since the show ran over it's allotted time slot. So, there are a great many people who have probably never heard his rendition. This would be the smart pick for him, but depending on what Simon Fuller picked for him, he might switch it up. If the producer selects a fast song, then I think he'll do this one, but if Simon picks a ballad, then I think Adam will go with "Whole Lotta Love." Since rock is his genre of choice, and he killed that song, this would be the up-tempo choice. It's tough to pick which songs are better than others when he's been so consistent across the stretch of the season. I would love to hear "Ring of Fire" again, but the masses who don't appreciate that style would burn him at the stake. He might pull a David Cook and do a completely new song, also. Who really knows what Adam Lambert is going to do besides Adam Lambert?

Kris Allen - His Pick - Bill Withers "Ain't No Sunshine" or Kanye West "Heartless" or Once "Falling Slowly"

I will be happy if Kris chooses any one of these songs to sing. I loved each of his original performances of these tunes and would love to hear them again. Part of me wonders if it's too soon to do "Heartless" again, since he just did it last week, but being that it was the song that catapulted him past Danny into the Finals, he should probably go with that. What I would WANT to hear is "Ain't No Sunshine" because that is when he showed the most artistry of any of his songs. Yes, Kanye acoustic was unique, but not a terribly foreign concept, since Nathaniel Marshall did it with "Disturbia" in Hollywood. "Ain't No Sunshine," in my opinion, showed more versatility, soul, and passion, as well as sounded amazing. "Falling Slowly" has crept into my top 5 songs played on my iPhone, so I would like that too. And it's the song that he sang for all of his going home concerts. Needless to say, I'll be fine with any of these, and this song, whatever he chooses, should refresh your memory to how good Kris became this season.

Adam Lambert - Producer Pick - Chris Isaak "Wicked Games" or Survivor "Eye of the Tiger" or Journey "Open Arms" or Guns-N-Roses "Welcome to the Jungle"

Most of these have been seen before on previous week's picks. I've only got one last shot at getting to hear any of these songs, so I hope Simon Fuller reads this and has either 1) already picked one of these songs, or 2) scraps everything he's planned and tells Adam to do one of these instead. Adam is a pro, he can handle a last minute change :). The new addition is Chris Isaak's "Wicked Games" is sure to make some of you scratch your heads, but there are some very cool versions of this on YouTube that make me think that Adam could do quite well with it, especially if he uses his creative musicality to alter the arrangement. Simon Fuller seems to like Adam a lot, as is evident by all of the pimpage (not that it wasn't deserved) so I see him picking something that Adam can knock out of the park.

Kris Allen - Producer Pick - Lifehouse "Everything" or "Broken" or Goo Goo Dolls "Iris" or Jason Mraz "The Remedy"

I feel as though Simon will play to Kris' strengths, giving him an acoustic/alternative song that will fit with his style and voice. But in order for Kris to shine and not sound karaoke, he needs to do a fresh version of whatever song he sings. He has done this several times this season, so it's not hard to imagine that he can do it again. Having listened to some Lifehouse this morning, I think that these would be great choices. They can incorporate his guitar as well as a string section that can tie it all together in an ethereal mix. He can do this with any of these songs, maybe aside from "The Remedy." That was chosen as his up-tempo number that can compliment a slower song like "Falling Slowly." Mraz is right up Kris' alley in terms of style and sound, so it would be a good fit. I could even see some Dave Matthews thrown up in there. He needs to do very well in this round, though.

If Kris doesn't give all that he in this round, he will find it hard to pass Adam in the final song. As has been the case the past several seasons, the contestant with the bigger voice usually always wins the "winner's song" round, and ultimately the show. Since Adam's voice is huge in comparison to Kris', and they have to sing the same arrangement, he is at a disadvantage here. Think back to Jordin Sparks and Blake Lewis. He was good, but he simply didn't have the vocal chops to match with Jordin. Could that be a factor this year as well?

I really have no idea who is going to win at this point. One article likens this "battle" to our latest presidential race, pointing out that America is shifting it's view to a more liberal stance. Adam would definitely fit into this "liberal stance" more than the conservative Kris. This same article also states that the "swing vote" from Danny's exit might heavily favor Kris since only one million votes separated the two finalists last week. Yet another article discusses how the two have brought hope to our country, showing that two different people, with vastly different cultures and religious beliefs, can form a bond and not let personal beliefs mar a great friendship. This does give us hope that America truly is becoming a united country, where prejudices no longer exist. Though not there completely, we are gradually getting there, and Kris and Adam provide a good example of that.

I think (and hope) that America will vote based on who performs the best tonight. It can go either way, because both contestants deserve to be on that stage. I think, as cliche as it seems, Adam Lambert puts it best. "At this point, we both feel like we’ve already won." Indeed. This pair seems to have the makings of true stars of the future. No matter who wins, these two already are American Idols.

Let me know who you think should take the crown! According to the poll, people think that Adam will win, but will the recent shake downs affect the outcome? Let me know.

Your American Idol Junkie,

Billy