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May 23, 2007
The final notes
 
Michael Becker/Fox
First things first: Did Paula Abdul really break her nose tripping over her dog, or did she get a nose job? And how chubby could a chihuahua get?
OK, back to the final competition on Season 6 of "American Idol." Things shifted to the cavernous Kodak Theatre, with host Ryan Seacrest donning another of what I call his little-boy suits. Judge Randy Jackson was decked out in some sort of weird Gen. Patton/Michael Jackson military jacket, Paula was dolled up and maybe medicated, and Simon "Cleavage" Cowell wore the traditional unbuttoned shirt and jacket.
And then there were the two finalists: Jordin Sparks and Blake Lewis (shown above) in yet another battle of the singing sexes - the fourth pitting a girl and a guy in the six seasons of "Idol."
A coin toss last Wednesday night determined who would sing first. Blake won and deferred to Jordin, who shook her head "No." They each sang three songs: one they already had performed this season, one of their personal favorites and the winning song from the "Idol" songwriting competition. That song was "This Is My Now," written by Scott Krippayne and Jeff Peabody from Seattle.
Ironically, that was the audition city for both finalists.
Before the singing got under way, Ryan asked Paula how she was doing after tripping over her pooch over the weekend.
"I'm OK. I'm all right," she said. "Simon says it (my nose) looks better."
We got treated to a trip back to last September's audition in a very cold, very rainy Seattle, where Blake admitted he went to the contest on a "whim. I didn't know then how bad I really wanted it." Jordin, who was predicted to do well from the beginning (great smile, consistent performances), said she was "just happy to be here."
That said, here are the high - and no more low - notes from Tuesday's final competition. (Well, maybe just one low note.)
* Blake: His first song was "You Give Love a Bad Name" from Bon Jovi Week. Great, great choice. It was one of his best performances - then and last night.
Randy: "I can't hear myself talk (over the thunderous applause). I give you a 10 out of 10 on the beat-boxing. I liked the triplets on the drumming, but the singing was just all right."
Paula: "He (Randy) needs to clean his ears out. You outdid yourself. I wish I could give you more than a 10."
Simon: "You're not the best singer in the competition, but you are the best performer. You're amazing on stage. The singing fell flat in the middle, and you were shouting. But it was a better performance than four weeks ago."
* Jordin: Her first song was Christina Aguilera's "Fighter." She has done Christina before, so this was no surprise. I'm still not sure about the rocker style for Jordin.
Randy: "You know what: This is a very interesting show tonight. The fans are ruling. We've got a great singer vs. a great entertainer. Your voice was amazing. I'm going to give the edge in performance to Blake and vocals to Jordin."
Paula: "I knew this would be that kind of battle and one of the best finales ever. It's stellar, and you two proved it."
Simon: "On a positive note, you chose a younger song. Only the vocals were a bit shrieky in the middle. I'm going to call round one to Blake."
* Blake: His second song was Maroon 5's "She Will Be Loved." If you recall, the producers picked another Maroon 5 song for Blake. Again, another good, uh, great song choice.
Randy: "Great song. Very nice vocal. I love it when you sing natural and pure."
Paula: "You really got into the ease of the song. You got past the first number. You're a great singer."
Simon: "It was good. It was safe. Not as good as the first performance. I wouldn't have chosen that song because it doesn't make much of an impact."
* Jordin: Her second song was "A Broken Wing" by Martina McBride. Jordin sang this song during Country Week, and I predicted she would sing it again. Smart move.
Randy: "I've loved you since day one. You're the most talented 17-year-old I've ever seen. That was flawless. I think it was better than the original."
Paula: "You are in great, great vocal voice tonight. You're soaring."
Simon: "Now, that was good."
For the third song, Blake and Jordin offered completely different versions of the winning song, "This Is My Now." I have to say upfront that, while I'm sure there are throngs of you who loved that song, I thought it sounded like something you would hear at a junior high, high school or college graduation. The one saving grace is there weren't lots of backup singers in choir robes. The song definitely played more to Jordin's singing strengths than Blake's.
Of Blake's performance:
Randy: "It's not the type of song that suits your voice. Not great. But you did a pretty good job."
Paula: "It's not the genre of music you traditionally enjoy, but you did a great job."
Simon: "It was a little odd, to be honest, all the jumping around. In the middle, you looked frustrated. It's not a bad song, but not the song you normally would sing. People will judge you on the first two songs. I said there was talent in Seattle, and I was right."
Of Jordin's performance:
Randy: "What's great about this (show) is that it's the search for the next superstar. It's a singing competition, bar none. And you were the best singer tonight!"
Paula: "I saw your parents singing along. You have a lot to be proud of. It was a great night for you."
Simon: "Last week, I didn't think you were good enough to make the finals. I want to say publicly tonight, I was wrong. This is a singing competition, and you just wiped the floor with Blake on this song."
After the last note was hit, the judges offered their final assessments:
Randy: "It's a singing competition. Jordin wins the night."
Paula: "They all end up winners. The next thing tells you why." (You had to stick around to get this.)
Simon: "I would say the best individual performance of the night was Blake. The best overall singing was Jordin."
FYI: I'm sure you caught glimpses of some of the Top 12 contestants in the audience. I saw Stephanie Edwards and Brandon Rogers, and there was Chris Richardson sitting next to Phil Stacey in his Navy uniform. I blogged yesterday that Phil got the high sign from his commanding officer to shove off on the "Idol" summer tour.
On a fashion note, the contestants stuck to their traditional garb. Blake wore what he calls his "Grandpa pants," with a variety of tops, including a jacket and argyle vest. Jordin opted for long tops over pants and jeans, and a really beautiful black dress for her last song.
Back to what Paula was saying about the "next thing": I hope viewers weren't too quick to switch to the finale of "Dancing With the Stars" over on Channel 10. That's because you would have missed Season 5 finalist Chris Daughtry and his band performing this season's farewell song, "I'm Going Home." If nothing else, his amazing performance proves you can be a star and not wear the "Idol" crown.
I'm going to take it easy today to gear up for the big finale tonight. Can't wait for the Top 12 group sing-along, the dubious guests, the celebs who need face time to promote something and, of course, one more evening with Simon Cowell.
Posted by Leigh Grogan at May 23, 2007 10:35 AM
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