[This post is already a day late. By internet standards, this is already history and no longer breaking news. But still, I write on.]
It’s down to the final two: David and David. Who’s going to win? My bet’s on Cook. It hasn’t always been that way, though. There was a time when I thought he was an average rocker with a bit of bad fashion. But he rocked Billie Jean, and then lost that streak of blonde hair. Suddenly, I was looking at him in a different light.
At the start, I was really rooting for Syesha. She was the classic choice. She had that big voice and big hair. I was particularly struck when she sang the high notes during the Hollywood auditions even though she’d lost her voice. She kept saying that she’s going to be the next American Idol and I almost believed her. I really wanted her to win. But somehow, during the contest proper, I’d suddenly lost interest in her. She was still a good performer but she was typical. There wasn’t anything spectacular about her songs. Sure, she sang in tune and reached the high notes but there was nothing different about her. She was merely repeating the performance of the original singers. While she had personality, it wasn’t enough for her to be called magnificent. And now that I’ve thought about it, perhaps that’s the reason why some American Idols haven’t succeeded in the real world. They were great imitations of the original. But they lacked personality.
Look at Chris Daughtry. He didn’t win and yet he’s doing better than Taylor Hicks. Not that Taylor wasn’t good. He was charming but he didn’t have enough personality. Chris Daughtry is a person who knows what he wants and how to get it. He stuck to what he knows and doest best. That’s what’s made him successful. Personality is key.
That is the reason why the two Davids have moved on to the finals. They both have personality. They’ve both “rearranged” the songs they sing to match their personality, not just to copy the original. The songs adjust to them and not the other way around. But the question remains: Who will be the next American Idol?
Perhaps, the better question is “Does David A. stand a chance against David C.?”
In my book, David Cook has the bigger chance of winning. Sure David A. has charisma. I mean, he is kinda cute and he sings great. But ask yourself, has he done anything as mind-blowing as David C.? I don’t think so. What’s more, I don’t think David A. would survive in the real world where he’ll sing his original songs. I think he’d be eaten alive. Just like what happened to Taylor Hicks. Don’t get me wrong, I like Taylor Hicks. He’s charming…just like David A. But charm can only get one so far.
