5/25 Season Finale Part 1 *Spoilers*

[Miss_Griss]

I'm beginning to think that my wishful thinking last week might have been right when I wondered if the pimpage of Lee was reverse psychology and the judges really wanted Crystal to win. Lee wasn't great tonight, but Crystal was really a bit rough, too, and listening to the judges comments you would have thought that they were worlds apart and she was the most amazing thing ever.

Having all of those negative comments after his numbers had to be a psych out for Lee. How do you keep coming back and performing at your best after receiving negative feedback for everything you do, especially when you know they're praising Crystal to the heavens.

I'm a Crystal fan, so it works for me, but I'm just sayin'....

[KennyLuv]

Crystal tore up the roof with her vocal prowess.

Lee peed all over the floor with his vocal prowess.

[jammyjoe]

I hope Crystal wins since she's really the best of this sorry crop of contestants that they fielded this time. I thought last year was saved by some great contestants even with rotten tomatoes like Scott, Megan, Michael, and Jasmine making the top 13 but this year we have the worst group of talent since the Fantasia season. [mod edit]

West Coasters need to pick it up for Crystal. She needs this more than Lee. Lee is definitely the inferior contestant with his bum notes...evident again tonight.

[KennyLuv]

Why wasn't Crystal's boyfriend in the audience? Missed him. He has great smiling eyes.

[Unklescott]

Wasn't that him that she hugged sitting in the front row as she made her way to the stage from the audience when the show started?

[KennyLuv]

Wasn't that him that she hugged sitting in the front row as she made her way to the stage from the audience when the show started?

I believe that was her father.

[RealityLovesMe]

Lee has to be the most boring contestant reality tv has ever seen! Watching him tonight was painful. Listening to Crystal's screech was just as painful so I will call it a draw. All the performances needed improvement. I was actually soothed to hear "Leave Right Now." I hate to seem negative but I've been negative all season! At least I am consistent! The lack of talent was irritating and I just want it all to be over!

[jammyjoe]

Lee is winning in most polls. I'm ready to concede that Lee is the winner

Here are some polls:

Crystal
Crystal Bowersox leads Lee Dewyze in "American Idol" voting; cast your vote | poughkeepsiejournal.com | Poughkeepsie Journal

Lee
Who will win American Idol 9? – Poll | Rickey.org

Lee
'American Idol' poll: Who will win, Crystal or Lee? Plus, our Casey James photo gallery | - NJ.com

Lee
Why Lee DeWyze Will Win 'American Idol' | Billboard.com

Lee
Who do you think will win American Idol? (Results)

[CrossingGuard]

I have accepted that Lee is going to take it. His huge popularity will lead him to an undeserving win.

I haven't that much this season, but I voted a bunch of times for Crystal. I wasn't a Crystal fan before, but she rocked this finale. She deserves the crown... but unfortunately she'll probably just come up short.

[liedenfrost]

May 25, 2010: The Top Two

1. Crystal Bowersox. Looks like she changed her mind about wining. She was all out tonight; put her point across in a big way. Crystal’s a good singer; not a great one.. She’s a good performer but not a great one. Ellen said she has a “clear” voice. That’s only partly true. Her upper register is definitely not clear; it’s thin, sharp, weak, and unsupported, all of which combine to produce a very unpleasant tone on high notes. I’m sure she knows this, but it doesn’t matter much. She screams and yells like she’s in the shower. Like Siobhan, Crystal’s pipes aren’t strong enough to maintain good tone while screaming. Others; e.g., Kelly Clarkson, Adam Lambert, Allison Iraheta, Fantasia, do it well; produce a very pleasant soul scream and/or rock yell because they are blessed with perfect pitch, powerful pipes, and rich textured tone. In short, screaming does nothing for Crystal. She seems destined for folk and/or country blues (Bonnie Raitt), but is not as traditional blues singer (Joss Stone). Nor is she a contemporary pop blues singer (Alicia Keys, Adele, Amy Winehouse), so I doubt we’ll see her competing with them at the top of the Billboard 100 pop chart. While I still think she is an artist on some level, she’s not there yet; not yet in the same class with Melinda Doolittle, David Cook, Elliott Yamin, Adam Lambert, Latoya London, Jennifer Hudson, Allison Iraheta, Kelly Clarkson, David Archuleta, Fantasia Barino, and Bo Bice (all of whom are not only great singers, but fully developed, consummate, and passionate artists). She is, in my opinion, the best of this year’s class but pales in comparison to the aforementioned. It’s not impossible; she’s young; there’s time. For example, it’s been five years since Carrie Underwood won Idol and she just started to show signs of becoming an artist (Temporary Home). Both Crystal and Lee are good performers but not great; not in the tradition of Adam Lambert, Kelly Clarkson, Elliott Yamin, Allison Iraheta, Taylor Hicks, Bo Bice, and Melinda Doolittle; to name a few. And while both Crystal and Lee are likable, neither belongs in the same class as the gregarious and downright lovable Taylor Hicks, Kelly Clarkson, Elliott Yamin, Carrie Underwood, Adam Lambert, Kris Allen, and Reuben Studdard. I guess I’m trying to say that Crystal and Lee are middle of the road in almost every category that affects commercial music sales. The word is Mediocrity, and it was in abundance on the AI stage this season.

Don’t know why she picked Me and Bobby McGhee; her best performances were Midnight Train to Georgia, Long as I Can See The Light, and People Get Ready (the latter two were intense, moving, and very passionate). Didn’t like Bobby much the first time and didn’t like this one either. The song is too big for her and she apparently hasn't mastered basic traditional blues chords. Her rendition of Black Velvet, praised by the judges, was not good either. She screamed most of it and when she wasn’t screaming she was over-singing, something Alannah never does. Nikki McKibbin (season one) was infinitely better. Crystal’s Up to The Mountain was her best work tonight, but even that was not competitive; not when we’ve seen it done right. Kelly Clarkson absolutely nailed this song on the AI stage, and I couldn’t help but compare the two. As an AI vet, maybe I’m getting too judgmental in my old age, or maybe I’m just spoiled and used to better on the AI stage, but there’s no way this song tops the charts. There is some good news. Her participation in this competition put her in touch with her feminine side and transformed her into a beautiful woman.

2. Lee Dewyze. Lee is a schizophrenic frustration. First time round, he disappeared inside The Boxer. Did it tonight as well in the middle section but for some reason disengaged and disappeared toward the end. It’s almost like he hears voices, “that’s enough emoting for one night; let’s get outta here”. The first was definitely Lee’s best work on the AI stage and he was smart to pick it again but it wasn’t as emotional or as soulful this time round, so I was disappointed. His Everybody Hurts was a painful listen, but a vocal masterpiece compared to Beautiful Day, which was disconnected, off-melody, atonal, dispassionate, and butchered. There’s no way this thing makes the top of the chart either. Every music lover across the universe knows this rock melody, will recognize immediately this isn’t it, and reject it. Kara said he has a million dollar voice. She’s right, but what good is it if he can’t tame it? Can’t make it a commercial commodity? As I mentioned last time, Lee is an emotional soul; he lets you in; he’s willing; he’ll show you his heart, but for whatever reason, that openness and transparency usually shuts down the minute he starts to sing. There were times tonight when it was clearly obvious he was going through the motions, mouthing words. It was obvious he didn’t care at all about his lyric. Worse, he got owned tonight by Will Young, who pipes are much weaker. Will is not a great singer but did something neither Lee nor Crystal was able to do; he disappeared inside his lyric and stayed there until the last note.

Don’t know what 19 Entertainment will do with Lee. He’s got a great rock voice but is vocally undisciplined and does not understand the genre so can’t use it to advantage. He’s clearly a pop singer but not prototypical (Justin Timberlake, John Mayer) and in my opinion, is too square for the contemporary teen and/or young adult demographic. We’ve seen this model before (Kris Allen); we know its history; and we know it doesn’t work. The typical AI selection criteria; good looks, great personality, high moral fiber simply does not translate to record sales and commercial success. But none of it bothers Crystal and Lee. For them, AI was never about making millions; they simply wanted to make a living, and AI will certainly give them that.

I’m a loyal viewer so I don’t change channels but this was a very difficult season for me and I’m glad it’s over. Here's to a great season 10! (fingers crossed).

Thank You Simon Cowell for bringing this show to American television and giving me seven wonderful seasons of music excellence (wasn't thrilled about season two but it was light years better than this one). I enjoyed it. You deserved a better send off and curtain call. If the rumors are true, I will see you (and Paula, hopefully) on X Factor.

Thank you Ellen for making the show funny (and tolerable) this season. There were times your funny commentary was the only enjoyable thing on the show. Please come back next year.

Seacrest is Weird: Yes, he got really crazy this season. But I’m inexplicably drawn to weird so I love this dude. If Idol returns next year, he will thrive, even if the show does not. Dude is an alpha male and was never comfortable in subservient shadows. Couldn't even tolerate sharing the hosting gig (season one). With Simon gone, he can relax, return to his old self, and be a great host again, something he was born to do.

Paula: It’s been nearly a year and I still miss her.