Millions of pics, vids and music, jamd into one place
David Cook Wins ‘Amercian Idol’
Prev Article
It’s official. David Cook is the new ‘American Idol.’ He beat David Archuleta with 56% of the vote. It goes to show that you can have an off night and still win.
David Archuleta did have the better night. Although that notorious flip-flopper Simon Cowell said that he may have been a little harsh on Cook after watching Tuesday’s show back, his instincts were right the first time. Based on that one night, Archuleta should have won.
But over the season? Cook deserved it. The problem is, he peaked early. After “Eleanor Rigby” and “Billie Jean,” he started experimenting. Sometimes it worked. Sometimes it didn’t. But it was fascinating to watch him grow.
Archuleta was consistently good but consistently safe. He stuck primarily to blue-eyed soul ballads. If he had a good song, he was great. If he had an okay song, he was good. He lucked out in the finale because he chose better songs. Going up against Cook, Archuleta’s age may have worked against him. He hasn’t gotten to the experimental phase yet. It will be fascinating to watch him grow when he does -- if he doesn’t fall off the map like some #2’s have been known to do. Do Diana DeGarmo’s parents even remember her name at this point?
Wednesday’s results show was a departure from seasons past. Producers lightened way up on the bashing. Only one short clip of bad auditions. No awards for worst singer. No embarrassing, endless William Hung moment.
They did scrape up Renaldo Lapuz to sing “You are my brother, my best friend forever...” again, but it didn’t feel mean-spirited. It was actually kind of brilliant with the USC marching band backing him up. Though I will have that blessed song stuck in my head for the next two weeks. Thank you, American Idol.
Producers also went heavy on the cheese. The Top 12 were paraded out for more Brady Bunch-style lip-syncing numbers. That awful Amanda Overmeyer stopped each one dead with her solos. She has the voice of a wood chipper. With a femur stuck in it. Sorry to be graphic, but that girl sets my teeth on edge.
On a more positive note, there were some nice contestant/pop star pairings. Brooke White and Graham Nash and David Archuleta and OneRepublic were the standouts.
I can’t decide whether George Michael’s “Praying for Time” was poignant or a downer. It seemed a little off the celebratory tone, and Michael himself seemed a little off, too. He blamed it on being sick, but I get the sense that he’s just consumed with sadness. You could see Ryan Seacrest struggling to bring the room back up for the results.
When Seacrest announced that Cook had won, he broke down into tears. He was very generous, acknowledging his sick brother and gathering the Top 12 together for the season’s final moment. Cook seems like a genuinely nice guy. And he’s certainly talented. I think America got it right this year.
