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Recap of American Idol
Season 7
By: Clayton
Davis
Who is the next
American Idol?
With
the season finale of American Idol up this Tuesday, the final two
contestants are the ones that were touted the favorites from early on in
the season, David Archuleta and David Cook. But are these the
correct final two?
Top 24 – 60s
When the season
kicked off February 19th, this was deemed the most talented
season yet. The viewers are left a little anxious with that statement
as when the Top 12 guys took the stage, it looked to be true. With the
60’s as our opening theme, great hits like “So Happy Together,” “Shop
Around,” and “The Midnight Hour” were sang greatly. But the following
evening, the girls took the stage and were nearly bulldozed to the
ground, as song choices seemed to be their downfall. Some songs were
massacred, some were bland, and some were just forgettable.
Eliminated: Garrett
Haley, Amy Davis, Colton Berry, Joanne Borgella
Top 20 – 70s
The 70s proved to be
more upbeat with more up-tempo songs. David Archuleta smashed the
competition with one of the most touching performances in Idol history
as he sang John Lennon’s “Imagine” and for the first time in the season,
he was deemed the ‘one to beat’ by Simon Cowell. The girls raising it
up a notch from the previous week, still seemed to not keep up with the
boys.
Eliminated: Jason
Yeager, Robbie Carrico, Alexandrea Lushington, Alaina Whitaker
Top 16 – 80s
80’s week, arguably
the most decade for music proved to the best night yet; David Cook
changing a Luther Vandross-“Hello” into a pop rock song. Dreadlock
haired, Jason Castro sang “Hallelujah,” which made him a big contender
for the title. Achuleta was called ‘gloomy’ for the first time but was
predicted to be in the final two by Simon Cowell once again. The girls
took on some big 80’s numbers as previously signed contract holders
Carly Smithson sang, “I Drove All Night” and Brooke White “Love is a
Battlefield.” Definitely showing themselves as the two strongest ladies
in the competition and holding some fire to the boys as possible
spoilers during the season.
Eliminated: Kady
Malloy, Asia’h Epperson, Luke Menard, Danny Noriega
Top 12 Week –
Lennon/McCartney Songbook
As it seemed,
American Idol has been trying for years to open up the songbook and it
seemed people had been longing for this night to happen. (Little do
they realize that the young Teens that watch this probably won’t be too
familiar with the songs which comprise more than 60% of their viewers)
David Cook, again transforming a hit and making it his own sang “Eleanor
Rigby” and stole the night away. A contestant who seemed to be one of
the weaker performers and singers had his moment to shine as Chikezie
Eze gave a southern-type version of “She’s a Woman.” Carly Smithson was
compared to previous Idol-winner Kelly Clarkson as she was said to ‘have
finally picked the right song’ and took on Beatles hit “Come Together.”
Favorite Achuleta forgot his lyrics to the Stevie Wonder version of “We
Can Work it Out.” As he survived this week, it proved that Little David
was to remain unstoppable for the rest of the season. The week
before the story broke about contestant David Hernandez and his past as
a stripper for a gay night club, could this have had something to do
with his elimination?
Eliminated: David
Hernandez
Bottom Three: Kristy
Lee Cook, Syesha Mercado
Top 11 – Beatles
Week
Someone lied to
American Idol and told them that Lennon/McCartney week was such a huge
success that they decided to do it again. Very repetitive and very
bland, all performers seemed to drop a notch. The only two performers
to stand out were the ones in need of redemption, David Archuelta
singing “The Long and Winding Road” and Syesha Mercado singing very
tenderly “Yesterday.” A lot was riding on this week as the Top 10 would
be going on the American Idol Tour this summer.
Eliminated: Amanda
Overmyer
Bottom Three: Kristy
Lee Cook (2), Carly Smithson
Top 10 – Year They
Were Born
Nicknamed by myself,
‘80’s week Part II,’ performers took on songs from the year of their
birth. Big iconic songs like “We Are the Champions” sung by Australian
native Michael Johns and “Alone” sang with mediocrity by Ramiele Malubay
made its appearances on this night. But it was David Cook that brought
the house down as probably the best performance of the season singing
the Chris Cornell, rock version of “Billie Jean.” It was also the first
night Brooke White did her famous ‘start over’ during her number of
“Every Breath You Take.” Syesha Mercado also hit her stride with her 2nd
of many Bottom 3 appearances that would happen throughout the season, no
matter how good her performance was.
Eliminated: Chikezie
Eze
Bottom Three: Syesha
Mercado (2), Jason Castro
Top 9 – Dolly Parton
Week
In other words,
Country Week, Parton opened her songbook to our contestants and let some
of them massacre her songs like “Coat of Many Colors” by Kristy Lee Cook
or “Do I Ever Cross Your Mind” by Ramiele Malubay. All in all, a pretty
good night that flew by. An hour long show for nine performers is no
easy task. This seemed to be Michael Johns night as he closed the show
with “It’s All Wrong but It’s All Right.” Oscar nominated song
“Travelin’ Thru” by Jason Castro was also sang and held no measure to
the original.
Eliminated: Ramiele
Malubay
Bottom Three: Kristy
Lee Cook (3), Brooke White
Top 8 – Idol Gives
Back – Inspirational Songs
Holding no candle to
last year’s Idol Give Back, this night proved to be a night of risks and
safety. Jason Castro reinvented “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” with the
internet version by Israel Kamakawiwo’ole which is probably his best
performance of the competition. Kristy Lee Cook showed that she could
actually sing with Martina McBride’s “Anyway.” Michael Johns version of
Aerosmith’s “Dream On” left the viewers a little melancholy and wanting
more. He would become this season’s ‘shocking elimination’ as he was
touted one of top three vocalists in the competition.
Elimination: Michael
Johns
Bottom Three: Syesha
Mercado (3), Carly Smithson (2)
Top 7 – Mariah Carey
Week
Definitely the most
difficult week for our contestants as Mariah has some amazing vocal
range. The guys completely stole the night with Cook’s version of
“Always be my Baby,” (which led him to tears following commentary)
Archuleta’s “When You Believe,” (which was as predictable as any
performance) and Castro’s “I Don’t Wanna Cry” (with a very Latin feel to
it). The girls would remain unsettling and no competition for the guys
with only Syesha completely nailing one of Mariah’s earlier works,
“Vanishing” which surprisingly still put her in the Bottom 3.
Elimination: Kristy
Lee Cook (4)
Bottom Three: Brooke
White (2), Syesha Mercado (4)
Top 6 – Andrew Lloyd
Webber Week
If you’re not into
or familiar Broadway Theater, than this week was probably torture. Even
if you are into it, than you probably didn’t enjoy it with the
contestants taking on some heavy numbers. But despite being the best of
the night with the exception of David Cook, Carly Smithson, and our
Bottom 3 expert Syesha were Bottom 2 with Smithson being eliminated.
Brooke White would survive after being at least ten seconds into her
song and saying to the conductor, ‘Can we begin again?.’ Jason Castro
would also survive after taking on the big number from Cats, “Memory”
and completely mutilating it.
Eliminated: Carly
Smithson
Bottom Two: Syesha
Mercado (5)
Top 5 – Neil Diamond
Week
Once we make our way
into the Top 5, the contestants are given two songs to sing a week.
This is the infamous episode where the judges were allowed to give the
commentary after all the performers had sung their first songs. When
all the contestants were standing on stage, Paula commented on Castro’s
second song that hadn’t even happened yet. The night was a bit of a
bore with only Cook & Achuleta delivering like always with “All I Really
Need is You” and “America.”
Eliminated: Brooke
White
Top 4 – Rock & Roll
Hall of Fame
The chance had
arisen for the contestants to really get into some great songs and blow
them out the box. Achuleta would sing “Stand by Me” and “Love Me
Tender” and win the night entirely. Showing some freshness for once but
still giving us his infamous ballads. Cook sang “Hungry Like the Wolf”
and “Baba O’Reilly” but with a week that is exactly his style of music,
Cook underperformed than usual. The moment of the show was bestowed
upon Syesha after she would sing her second song, “A Change is Gonna
Come” by Sam Cooke. After Paula’s opinion, Syesha bursts into tears
upon realizing that her dream had finally come true. I call this the
moment, America fell in love with Syesha. But our dreadlocked Castro
would fumble the words to “Mr. Tambourine Man” and destroy from note to
note, “I Shot the Sherriff.”
Eliminated: Jason
Castro
Top 3 – Judges
Choice, Contestants Choice, Producers Choice
Round 1: Cook gives
his most tender and loving performance yet with Chaka Khan’s “The First
Time I Ever Saw Your Face” which let him create something original which
has been his thing all season. Round 1 goes to ‘Cook and Cowell’
Round 2: Archuelta
decides to be 17 for once but in the wrong song and chooses Chris
Brown’s “With You” which the little girls love but the rest of America
probably hated. In Simon’s words, ‘it was like a Chihuahua trying to be
a tiger.’ Well said Simon, well said indeed. Syesha is also the
hottest she has ever been with a chair and some “Fever.”
Round 3: The
producers choose some really bad songs for the final three; some ballad
for Achuleta that bored me to tears. An up-tempo number for Syesha that
sealed her fate as the next one eliminated. Cook was given “I Don’t
Wanna Miss a Thing” which made him that night’s winner.
Eliminated: Syesha
Mercado (6)
So who will be the
next American Idol? The boy with the big voice but arguably no
personality or this season’s Chris Daughtry which may be considered the
most talented contestant in Idol history. Hopefully the songwriter's
song will be fair to both parties.
Final Prediction:
David Cook by a hair…
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