David Archuleta - Season 7

[BoBoFan]

Originally Posted by BuckeyeGal007

I'm sure th vocal condition he had doesn't help much either...if and when he makes it big, he'll be one of the ones who have to watch the vocal straining. Poor kid...hopefully he'll be okay for tonight.

I hope he'll be ok too. He's under pressure BIG Time, not just from the show, but the lurking stage Pappy too. I'm worried about him not being able to run away from Pappy if he comes in 2nd. He acts as if he's terrified half the time. Now you know why I love him.

[Google]

 

[BuckeyeGal007]

Originally Posted by BoBoFan

I hope he'll be ok too. He's under pressure BIG Time, not just from the show, but the lurking stage Pappy too. I'm worried about him not being able to run away from Pappy if he comes in 2nd. He acts as if he's terrified half the time. Now you know why I love him.

I don't even want to know how JA going to react if Archie doesn't win! I almost feel bad for the kid.

[BoBoFan]

Run Archie Run!!!!!
I want him to win just to tell his dad to ....

[angelic_one2002]

I didn't hear David A. strain at all last night. I thought he sounded fantastic. I thought they both did. This is the first season I felt the last two contestants were too close to call.

[TopCatDC]

From today's LA Times: American Idol Banter: Which David rules this playground?
12:23 AM PT, May 21 2008

In a 2006 talk about America's obsession with precociousness, "New Yorker" writer and noted Big Idea guy Malcolm Gladwell made an interesting observation about what it means to be an adult.
"What a gifted child is, in many ways, is a gifted learner," he said. "And what a gifted adult is, is a gifted doer. And those are quite separate domains of achievement."

...
David Archuleta is this season's Wonder Kid, a prodigy so innocent he seems like he fell out of a book by J.D. Salinger. He's awash in natural talent: there's that gorgeous vocal tone, and his stunning instinct for finding a song's melodic contours. But he's also proven himself adept at absorbing guidance.

Allowing Andrew Lloyd Webber to persuade him to open those fluttery baby browns -- a happy life lesson revisited tonight -- was an obvious case. The influence of his forceful dad, Jeff Archuleta, has been more fiercely scrutinized. But Archie's performances are what really prove that he's a gifted learner.
From his breakthrough "Imagine" (also reprised Tuesday, as a show-topper), to his reverential readings of Dolly Parton and Mariah Carey, to the uptempo numbers that foundered because he's just too uptight, Archuleta showed himself the ideal teacher's pet.

And his teacher? Certainly not Simon. No, it's pop itself, the clear source of all of this kid's comfort and emotional understanding. He is the latest embodiment of that wondrous, somewhat sad figure, the young dreamer who lives inside his chosen art form. The fondness many viewers feel for him reflects not only his singing talent but also the otherworldly aura that comes from Archie's utter absorption in the world of song. (That same quality makes others find him a bit creepy.)

...
Anyway, following Gladwell's logic, the doer should have outclassed the learner in this ultimate test of "Idol" prowess. For weeks Cook has been the front-runner, growing ever more assured as Archuleta trembled, getting ready for his next role as Chris Daughtry's little bro on the meat-and-potatoes rock circuit.

But it was Archuleta's night. Cook was credible singing U2 and enthusiastic with the songwriting competition number he chose, and (I discovered, returning to the moment on Youtube.com), his cover of Collective Soul had more panache than the original. But this final contest just didn't seem that important to him, even when he dropped a few tears mid-show. ...

Archuleta, on the other hand, went deep inside tonight, completely focusing on those ridiculously short performances, letting the world slip away. When he started to sing "Don't Let The Sun Go Down on Me," selected for him by Clive Davis, it seemed slightly ridiculous. One of Elton John and Bernie Taupin's most stentorian ballads, a favorite of Clay Aiken when he wanted to pull out his big gospel notes, the song expresses the despair of a tired, endangered lover, not a 17-year-old kid who murmurs "gosh!" when surrounded by cheerleaders.

But Archie pulled it off. Climbing the song's long crescendo as if it were as stairway to the throne, he left his student's desk for a few minutes and unleashed something visceral. Maybe the motivation behind Archie's reading was just his burning need to win, but whatever it was, it belonged one hundred per cent to him.

The rest was frosting. Two more excellent interpretations; three moments with Ryan Seacrest, during which poor Little David could hardly speak. But as most "Idols" past know, it only takes one instance of convincing transformation to become the final Chosen One. Making the leap from learner to doer, David Archuleta grabbed that ring. No matter what the voters decide about the contest, which can't be summed up in one night, Archuleta was your "American Idol" this hour.

- Ann Powers

(I left out the Cookie parts since this is the DA discussion section - but go read the original article - she loved Cook as well)

[shanskill]

When he was singing, he seemed very relaxed. I thought he was the better of the two last night. I like both Davids pretty evenly so I will be happy either way. David A. won the night though...have to agree with Simon.

[Uncle David]

As usual I didn't vote at all last night (Although I did phone in a couple of times to see if David A's phone lines were jammed ) After the debacle in Season 2 I decided it was futile to get involved. If they change the voting format to something approximating that of DWTS I might vote in the future, but until then I'm not interested.

Those who are desperate for David Archuleta to lose can take heart. No one I've ever rooted for has ever won AI. So, it doesn't look good for little David

Oh well! The two best made it to the finals. I am content.

[shanskill]

I'm with you. I like them both and would be happy with either as winners. The better of the night was David A. for me but then again I haven't disliked either of them so I have nothing negative to say either way. I think both of them are winners and look forward to hearing them on the radio. I am partial to David A. so I'll cheer a little louder if he wins. My fave doesn't usually win either so I've grown used to it.

[Uncle David]

There was one moment during this season when I briefly moved from the Archuleta camp to the Cook camp. It happened after I heard David Cook sing Billie Jean. I thought, "this guy is brilliant". "What a remarkable arrangement." "This arrangement puts Cook in a class so far above the rest of the competition I can't possibly support anyone else."

Then I found out it wasn't his arrangement.

[combatcutie]

Originally Posted by Uncle David

There was one moment during this season when I briefly moved from the Archuleta camp to the Cook camp. It happened after I heard David Cook sing Billie Jean. I thought, "this guy is brilliant". "What a remarkable arrangement." "This arrangement puts Cook in a class so far above the rest of the competition I can't possibly support anyone else."

Then I found out it wasn't his arrangement.

Are any of their arrangements their own? Your blasting Cook for this, but have no problem with others doing it. There is no doubt that they are both talented and will do very well.