It's down to two. Soon, American will know who will be the season nine "American Idol." Each contestant performed three times tonight: a song of their choice, a song chosen by "Idol" producer Simon Fuller, and the song each would release as a single if they were to be crowned th winner tomorrow night. Lee Dewyze and Crystal Bowersox are both fantastic singers. Either one could win. So, tonight's performance have the potential to make a huge impact on who the audience votes for to win tomorrow night.
Lee Dewyze began the night singing a song from Inspirational Week, The Boxer by Simon and Garfunkel. I actually preferred tonight's version of the song to the one DeWyze did earlier in the season. I thought he was spot on and, though he probably could have a bit more energy as the judges said, I thought he gave a very solid showing. The judges each seemed a bit disappointed with the performance, but it seemed to me they were more disappointed with the song choice than they were with the actual performance. To me, however, the song choice makes perfect sense. DeWyze will succeed as a recording artist with this type of song, so he's smart to show America what to expect.
Crystal Bowesrsox chose a song from Billboard Number 1 Hits, Me and Bobby McGee by Roger Miller. This was the perfect choice from Bowersox, as this is exactly the type of sound she will likely go with as an artist. Those who enjoy this type of music will be quick to vote for her and, in turn, go out and buy her album, so it was a calculated and intelligent choice from Bowersox. The judges thought the performance was excellent. Kara said it "told us so much about you as an artist," a great point on a night where artistry definitely matters.
Round One: Crystal Bowersox
DeWyze's second performance, as chosen by "Idol" producer Simon Fuller, was R.E.M.'s Everybody Hurts. The song choice, for me, would have been perfect, had it not been preceded by a very similar song. Why DeWyze performed two songs that are so similar in style, tempo, and feel I do not know. This performance was much more accessible than was his first performance, likely due to the song itself. I did, however, think it was a great choice bringing out the choir to give the song a different feel and change it up a bit. The judges again seemed to feel the DeWyze's performance was somewhat lackluster, with Simon attributing it to nerves. As successful as he has been throughout the competition, you'd hate to see DeWyze fall behind simply because he was nervous on his final night of performances.
For her second song, Fuller chose the Alannah Myles' hit Black Velvet for Crystal Bowersox. The song was a very different choice for Bowersox, as we are not typically used to her as a rocker. But, the song fit very well in her voice and she did a great job with it. I'm glad we saw her without her guitar for one song tonight; I wasn't sure if she would choose to take a risk and go without it and I think it worked out for her. Ellen gave Bowersox a standing ovation and Simon said, "You took that song and you absolutely nailed it." Another great performance from Bowersox.
Round Two: Crystal Bowersox
Finally, we were offered up the song each contestant would record if they were to win the competition. DeWyze was up first, singing U2's Beautiful Day. DeWyze also went without the guitar on this performance, a good choice to show he is willing to take risks, as well. I was actually quite underwhelmed with performance; it was both pitchy and lacking in passion and energy. I would have expected a much more rock song for DeWyze. Additionally, I'm not sure why they would choose such a recently produced song. U2, and specifically Bono, is one of the most seasoned rockers of all time. Why would the producers choose to release a song written less than 10 years ago for an emerging artist? DeWyze was put in a tough position with the song he was given and I think that has huge chance to impact his ability to win tomorrow night.
Finishing the night, Crystal Bowersox sang the song she would release if she wins: Up to the Mountain by Patty Griffin. The song was exactly the right style for her, matching her soulful voice with her musical ability. Ellen made an excellent point: there really isn't an artist like Bowersox out there and she is so different and able to adapt to different types of songs. Each of the judges praised her performance, with Simon calling it the best performance of the night and, simply, "outstanding." Bowersox absolutely hit it out of the park with this one.
