American Idol 6, May 22 – This Is My Now

Well, readers, here we are – the final episode of Season 6 of American Idol. We definitely had some surprises along the way. Remember how amazing Sundance Head was in the auditions, only to choke when he made the top 24? Have you forgotten all of the scandals surrounding Antonella Barba? Or the hubbub around the juggernaut that was Sanjaya?

Idol’s biggest shock came last week, when odds-on favorite Melinda Doolittle had to settle for third place. I’d been sure for months that she was the inevitable winner, and her not being in the finals has blown the field wide open. I’ve spent all day speculating as to the effect her ouster would have on the competition tonight (unless of course, you’re my boss reading this, in which case I spent all day concentrating on nothing but work). My conclusion? I just don’t know!

Much will come down to what Melinda’s fans will do. On one hand, Jordin’s musical style is a lot more like Melinda’s than Blake’s. If you liked Melinda’s music, you’re probably more likely to buy a Jordin Sparks album than a Blake Lewis one. So, maybe you’ll vote for Jordin.

On the other hand, if you’re a Melinda fan, maybe you really, really hate Jordin for taking her spot in the finals. There’s a girl who can sing her heart out that you have already pledged your allegiance to, thank you very much. Maybe you’d rather Blake win, because you are sure not voting for Jordin.

Or, maybe you’re so disgusted that Melinda, arguably the best singer in the competition, is gone, so you’re not going to watch this show at all. In which case, hi, and thanks for reading my recap. Like I said, I just don’t know. Maybe we should watch the show.

Ryan welcomes us to the finale, being held in the massive Kodak Theater. That’s got to be really exciting for Jordin and Blake. Ryan points out that this is another battle of the sexes, just as we had with Kelly and Justin, Bo and Carrie, and Taylor and Katharine. We say hello to the judges. Randy apparently made his very own Sergeant Pepper’s jacket and looks utterly ridiculous. Simon, as per usual, has not buttoned any buttons on his shirt. And Paula broke her nose last night when she tripped over her dog Tulip. Yes, really. Paula says she’s not badly hurt, and Tulip is just fine. “So, the bitch is okay,” concludes Ryan.

Ryan recalls that the judges weren’t at all happy with the Seattle auditions. But it turns out that both Jordin and Blake tried out in the Emerald City. We see Jordin and Blake standing in line. Blake says that he auditioned on a whim. Simon tells Blake he wasn’t that impressed with him. Blake’s adorable dad gives him a giant hug. We see clips of Blake’s performances, and he’s praised by the judges for being unique and for taking risks.

Ryan says that for Jordin, this dream has been “a long time coming.” In unison, my husband and I say, “She’s only 17!” Jordin tells us that she didn’t care about getting her driver’s license… which again was only a year ago. What she wanted to do was audition for the show. Ryan notes her consistently strong performances and beautiful smile.

We see a quick clip from last week, in which Ryan tosses a coin to see who will sing first. Jordin and Blake each get a side of the coin. We see the coin flip in dramatic slow motion. Blake comes out on top, and he actually asks Jordin if she wants to go first. She’s happy either way, so he says he’ll go first.

They’ll each sing three songs – one favorite, one that they haven’t sung before, and the winner of the songwriter competition, “This Is My Now.”

Blake is going to kick things off with “You Give Love a Bad Name.” Good choice, Blake. And what can I say? It’s completely awesome. Only Blake could perform this song this way, and that’s what makes it really special. It is what’s known as an Idol Moment, no doubt about it. Way to bring it, Blake.

Randy: The crowd is going nuts, so Randy needs to wait for a minute before he can talk. Blake looks overwhelmed. He gives him a 10 out of 10 in beatboxing. The singing, however, “was just all right.” The crowd boos.

Paula: Paula is going to clean Randy’s ears out for him. She gives him a 10+.

Simon: Blake’s not the best singer, but he is the best performer. The performance was great, but the singing was a bit flat. He thinks Blake was shouting. The crowd boos, but Simon insists that he’s right. He adds that it doesn’t matter, because it was his best performance.

We see several Idols in the audience, including Chris Richardson looking very happy for his buddy. Ryan gives Blake’s numbers and promises at least four hours to vote.

Jordin is going to tackle a Christina Aguilera song, with “Fighter.” It’s a good song choice for her, because it’s young and fresh. Simon definitely can’t accuse her of being old fashioned with this one. It’s a strong performance and a good song for her, but I have to give Blake the edge on this one. She does rock it out at the end, though, no doubt about it.

Randy: It’s an interesting show. They’ve got a great entertainer fighting a great singer. Her voice was amazing.

Paula: This is one of the best finales ever. She was awesome.

Simon: Simon, as I predicted, was happy she picked a younger song. However, he thought her vocals were a bit shrieky in the middle. He gives the first round to Blake.

Ryan asks Paula who picked the first round. She refuses to answer except that it was “an amazing tie.” Randy joins her on the fence, saying that Blake was a better performer and Jordin was a better singer. Jordin’s fans are going nuts, chanting her name.

Blake says that when he was a kid, he asked for a drum set for Christmas every year and never got it. Obviously, Blake’s parents are sensible people! His senior year in high school, Blake saw someone beatboxing and vowed to learn. His dad heard him practicing and actually thought someone had bought Blake some drums.

Blake is going to sing “She Will Be Loved” by Maroon 5. Oh, yay – he’s wearing argyle! Randy was right last week about Maroon 5 for Blake – it’s a very good fit for him. And if you don’t like the beatboxing, no worries – it’s not there. This was an excellent performance. It wasn’t as big of a homerun as his first song, but it was still good.

Randy: Great song, and a nice vocal. He likes it when Blake is “natural and pure.”

Paula: Blake got into the ease of the song and sounded great.

Simon: It was good, but safe. He wouldn’t have chosen the song in the final because it doesn’t make a strong impact. Predictably, the audience disagrees.