I did one American Idol 7 performance review this season and I thought it’s pointless to not put a close on something I already started. For posterity, here’s my review of the 2008 season finale.
It goes down to the Davids this year. Cook vs Archuleta. Rock vs Pop. Manly vs Boyish. And that last versus was so totally lame but, yeah, you got the picture. Two contestants with a unique fanbase, genre, and vocal style. While both are very talented, how would they fare individually tonight? Here you are, Idol Fans, a blow-by-blow account of how the Davids’ did in the Season 7 finale aired today. Dig this, what you are about to read are based solely from audio rips of the show courtesy of Rickey. Parts of this post with the word EDIT were added after I got to see the actual performances. Continue reading at your own risk (spoiler alert!).
David Cook started the ball rolling with U2‘s “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For.” The Great Bono is an artist who is nothing short of legendary. To take on a song that big and effortlessly manage to engage the audience to go wild during the chorus could either mean that Cook nailed the living shit out of the track with his vocals and stage presence or the people in the front rows are his groupies (even my delusional sister, Zhan, had gone Cook-oo saying over and over and over again, “Kuya, ako si Mrs. David Cook“). Seriously now, Cook’s performance was brilliant and he totally owned the song, something I had long thought to be an impossible feat for anyone attempting to cover a U2 track. His raspy yet playful voice was spot on.
David Archuleta was up next with his version of Sir Elton John‘s “Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me.” I went, “are you kidding me?” at first but then this is David Archuleta: the kid who can supposedly make a hit by singing words from any random “pambalot ng tinapa” IF they had tinapa in the US. ANYHAWTS, what sets little David apart from other artists his age is the connection he has with the melody of his songs. He does some of the arrangements himself. Maybe that’s how it goes when you totally have control over your chops to make them do amazing slurs or ties at will. Archuleta made a knight proud with that song number.
Cook’s original was “Dream Big.” Fucking baaaaaad lyrics. “But if we don’t dream big, what’s the use in dreaming. If you don’t have faith, there’s nothing worth believing. It takes one hope to make the stars worth reaching for. So reach out for something more.” Cliché, cliché all a-frickin-round. And Cook screwed up with the lyrics at one point by doing “But if we don’t have faith, what’s the use of dreaming. If we don’t have faith…” Two have faith’s. And he hesitated, ergo, pwnt! Only a true blue rockstar can spot that! Har! EDIT: The stage was so bare to keep up with the energy of the song. Sorry, that didn’t help at all.
Archuleta’s verses for “In This Moment” weren’t any better. “And I am gonna be in this moment. No one can take it from me. And I wanna stay in this moment. No one can take it away from me.” It just goes round and round and forcking round. Good thing the melody was playful and the accompanying orchestra grand. What can we expect from AI, right? EDIT: Archuleta looked like he already won.
For the last set, Cook did Collective Soul‘s “The World I Know,” another familiar song that sent shivers down my ancient spine. Cook gave us a liberal amount of good sounding falsettos this round, something I did not expect he could do with ease. If there’s anything I look forward to more with Cook’s numbers, it’s the bridge and his closing notes. He makes it a point to give listeners a treat of fresh vocal awesome even if he starts rather plain (an understatement in itself). EDIT: Simon’s a total bitch with his comments for Cook. If this dude wins AI, in your face Simon! Rock sells. Rock sells!
Archuleta closes the show with his moving rendition of “Imagine.” I am normally peeved when a finalist recycles a song from past performances where they got rave reviews but little David still managed to inject some changes for this song. I loved his cover the first time and now, he let the notes out with the grace and ease of a seasoned veteran. EDIT: Being last performer is a perk by itself. Same as Simon’s nod. Nuf said.
America, whoever you choose this season, both are already sure winners by he way, the world was greatly entertained with what I think is the best final sing-off you have came up with. It all ends tomorrow. Good luck David. And David.
Twitter Updates
21 May 2008 at 7:02 pm
The 2 finalists are really good but I am leaning more to David Cook. I like the tone of his voice. I hope he wins.
22 May 2008 at 1:16 am
Archuleta annoys the hell out of me. I’m sick of how he giggles and shakes his head while pretending to look shocked every time the judges say something nice about him. The kid just can’t take a compliment.
22 May 2008 at 8:24 am
Binoto ko si Cook. Sana manalo siya
22 May 2008 at 11:56 am
David Cook! It’s funny how people thought he was arrogant or whatever during the beginning of the season and how people didn’t like him. He’s the first ever American Idol winner whom I’ve liked and believed in since the beginning. Mainly because he was confident about his song choices, and always sang the songs he liked, regardless of the audience he’s trying to please.
22 May 2008 at 1:32 pm
LOL to Simon and the two other raving judges with the results.
22 May 2008 at 4:47 pm
you’re just saying that because he’s mormon.
23 May 2008 at 3:26 am
Simon apologized to Cook right before the winners were announced. Cook’s facial expression was a masked version of what could have been my “WTF? ARE YOU KIDDING ME? YOU ADMIT YOU MADE A MISTAKE WHEN THE VOTES HAD ALREADY BEEN CAST?! NOW THAT’S CONVENIENT! FCUK YOU!” He did the same thing to McPhee two years ago.
23 May 2008 at 9:00 am
I need to watch the replay on Star, seeing that I slept through all 3 showings yesterday. Fail. But yay, Cook was the better David.
23 May 2008 at 11:32 am
They have replays during the weekend. I have only seen parts of the award show at around 3am :(
24 May 2008 at 8:47 pm
David Cook is a classy guy. He could’ve milked so many things to get more attention but he chose not to. His brother has cancer and we never heard anything about that from him. He was wearing an orange wrist band for little girl name Lindsey Rose (also fighting cancer) yet he never used that to get more votes.
On the other hand, Archuleta has always been pretending that he had a social conscience by repeatedly singing songs that put the spotlight on ‘homeless and poor people’. PATHETIC.
24 May 2008 at 8:59 pm
Seriously?! See, even I didn’t know. Rockstars hold a special place in my heart. Cook, now, has a seat in its VIP section.
24 May 2008 at 9:04 pm
here’s the Lindsey Rose thing.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g_r0n1X7OmM
Fox News also had a small bit about him just after the TOP 12 performance night.
That orange baller id that you always see on his wrist was for Lindsey Rose.
*sobs*
25 May 2008 at 8:57 pm
The final show’s the only episode I watched ever since American Idol began (and I’m serious). Anyway, COOK is just fantastically awesome (sounds exaggerated, but I mean it) when he sang his last piece – “The World I Know” sent shivers up my spine for real – especially his falsetto and the whole song. It’s just guhh-reat.
:D Anyway, utakgago here.
25 May 2008 at 10:53 pm
I know who you are, you ass! LOL I shamelessly listen to “The Time of My Life” everyday since he sang it when he won *fanboy mode* :D
26 May 2008 at 1:19 am
Yah I know!! Weirdo. Hahaha.
26 May 2008 at 2:14 pm
David Cook said “I LOVE YOU” to ARCHIE while hugging each other at the stage lololololol
26 May 2008 at 3:38 pm
Oh, and this too.
http://tinyurl.com/68zjne
26 May 2008 at 3:45 pm
Vid with audio or not true!
26 May 2008 at 3:46 pm
but but, that’s JUST brotherly love. Or is it? dun dun duuuuuun
28 May 2008 at 11:34 pm
David Cook is just darn too humble, I might burn upon sight of him. Day 1, I was rooting for Malubay (pinoy pride, as usual), Archuleta, and him. But after that “Hello” performance, I switched. Goodbye teetsy beetsy teeny acting-like-the-youngest-human-in-the-world Archuleta. Yeah, I’m mean but you know I know when a person acts and when someone’s telling him/her to act. And he’s a good one. Like me. LOL ^_^
Yes. I just love Cook. We ALL LOVE COOK. I’LL COOK HIM! LIKE THAT JOYFUL CHICKEN!
29 May 2008 at 12:06 am
Ok lang, Neil. Tapos na. Pwede ng maka get over, pramis. Ok lang. How did joyful chicken get into the picture again? XD
29 May 2008 at 4:51 pm
Hinde eh… Simon was so mean talaga. Ihahagis ko na yung TV for being rude to… ayoko nun… ‘no gusto n’ya!? Away, gulo?!!? ‘De, gulo eh!! LOL.
I love chickens. Joyful Chicken is a… chicken. Therefore… I’m a chicken lover!
LOLlerblades.