Cookin’ Hot

How sweet the smell of success is!

Apparently, the voting public of American Idol has gotten this one right. This despite the prediction of Simon Cowell that David A. has knocked down the competition.

In fairness, I think David A. took the blow particularly well. He didn’t start bawling like some of the other contestants who got voted off earlier. Anyway, I’m sure there are already recording offers for him just waiting behind the curtains. I mean, he has a phenomenal voice after all.

As for David Cook, he’s just been let out into the real world. Now, more than ever, the pressure is on for him to prove that he is worth the title. But I’m sure he can pull it off. I think he’s got a lot of tricks up his sleeve.

 

And the winner is…David!

If the contest is only about winning, then I believe that David Archuleta will win. I don’t doubt that he has a very very vast following. I won’t even question why. He’s a good singer, not to mention, charming.

But if the contest is really about finding an American Idol, a really, really good performer, dynamic and will, by the way, sell multi-million albums, then the voting public of American Idol ought to choose David Cook.

It’s the penultimate night of American Idol season 7. Naturally, millions of people were tuned in to see who will be crowned winner this time. If Simon Cowell could foretell the future, and correctly at that, then David A. will probably win. As Simon saw it, David A. delivered a mighty blow against David C. It was, in his words, a “knock-out.” But is that enough?…

This brings to mind the first boxing bout between Manny Pacquiao and Juan Manuel Marquez. During that fight, Pacquiao was able to deliver heavy blows against Marquez. Many thought that Marquez was certain to lose. But come decision time, the judges announced a draw between the two.

Of course, I’m not saying that Pacquiao is the Filipino equivalent of David Archuleta. God knows Pacquiao can only sing as good as David A.’s foot. The point is, delivering deathly blows sometimes is not enough… assuming these were in fact deathly blows.

But then again, as my friend had pointed out earlier when I voiced the same opinion to him, I may be biased in favor of David Cook. Perhaps, that is the reason why even though I’ve agreed with Simon Cowell’s opinions for this season, no matter how harsh they may have been, I cannot bring myself to see it his way this time. The way I see it, the voting populace will not consider only their performance for tonight. Otherwise, they should have just made it a one-show season. It’s not just an ordinary elimination night where the one with the highest votes will have another shot. After tonight, regardless of whatever happens tomorrow, the two Davids are out on their own now. They will no longer have to concern themselves with whatever the three judges will say of them. As soon as they left that stage tonight, their concern is so much bigger, or at least it should be.

 

David and…. David!

[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.

 

Jason finally gets the boot

After all those weeks I’ve predicted that he will be thrown out of American Idol, Jason Castro has finally left the building.

To begin with, I don’t think Jason ever had a particularly stellar performance. I mean, sure he’s got a good voice and all, but that’s just not enough at times. All the other contestants also have wonderful tones. It’s just about standing out from the crowd. If I must guess, I’d say that he was kept on the show by votes of people who thought he was cute, not necessarily because they thought he was a great performer. He is kinda cute, after all. I’d be the first to admit that. But is he better than Brooke White? I don’t think so. I suppose the reason Brooke was crying hard when she was voted out last week wasn’t because she was sad to be going home but that it wasn’t her time to go. She probably knew that Jason’s performance sucked and she was annoyed that he didn’t get what he deserved. I’d probably bawl like a baby too if I were in her place. It’s just plain injustice! Finally, however, the voting population must have realized that Jason wouldn’t really make for an American Idol.

My friend and I have an ongoing bet. We think that the two Davids will be left standing for the finale. However, he has taken side with Archuleta while I with Cook. He thinks the young one has charisma. He’s cute and cuddly and sings great for such a young age. I, on the other hand, prefer Cook. He won me with his rendition of Billy Jean and Always be my Baby. I mean, if you could remake a Mariah Carey hit into a really good rock song, you’re one for the book. But even if he doesn’t win (Gasp! God forbid!!!), he’d still be signed by major record labels and sell millions of albums. Kinda like Chris Daughtry. He’s doing a lot better than Taylor Hicks and Katherine McPhee combined. I think David C. would have a wonderful career ahead of him even if he doesn’t become American Idol (knock on wood three times!)