Top 2 (FINALS!) – Performance Show

The acoustic rocker versus the glam rocker. Conway versus California. The guy next door versus the guyliner. LOL.

Order is:
Contestant’s favorite song from the season
Producers’ choice
Coronation single (written by Kara DioGuardi)

Kris won the coin toss and chose to sing last.

I wish the contestants’ choices were the last ones!! Adam and Kris each picked a great performance from the season –I think it will be the coronation single or the producers’ choice that wins it. Adam got a better producers’ pick, I feel — but we will see. I think we will be seeing an instrument from Kris tonight, which is nice. However, probably not on the single — I heard the contestants can rearrange the song to suit them, but they can’t play an instrument on it. Wonder if an anti-Kris producer made that rule. LOL.

Stay tuned…

Adam sings Mad World again. He’s coming down the stairs in a pool of smoke and lights. He’s wearing some sort of dark long trenchcoat! He sounds great. I kinda like him better singing this on the stool all in white, though — but vocally, he sounds better this time around, I feel. Randy says he’s glad he chose something from the season (they had to, duh) and gives him an A+ and A for Adam. Kara talks about him being an artist with that performance. Paula says he looks incredibly handsome and is so proud of him being up there and his long journey. Simon loves him singing it but thought it was over-theatrical and a bit Phantom of the Opera-ish. Adam mentions something about the dry ice. He’s revving up the voters, I’m sure.

Kris apparently charged people a quarter to sing for him because he was too shy. He made his mom a set of coupons that she can use for him to sing whenever she wants. Ain’t No Sunshine on a GRAND PIANO!! He sounds great! People are clapping to the beat; girls are screaming. LOL. Violins going. Final note is better this time than last. They won’t throw him under the bus because it will rev up his voters too much! Randy talks about the kind of record he will make, says it’s one of his best performances ever. Kara talks about the bond he forges with the audience on every song and the connection which he will “kill with” on his record. Paula says he Allen-izes everything. Simon says he takes back what he thought about America maybe not making the right choice after that performance. Finally!!!!

Simon says Kris wins round 1!

Is Simon being sincere, or trying to mess with things like he did with the Davids last year? I do think he meant what he said to Kris about his deserving to be there. It’s just funny how the pimping has taken this long to begin. He’s been this amazing all season long.

This has the potential to be the best finale ever.

Adam singing Change Is Gonna Come. Wearing a silver suit. Very bluesy. I can imagine this is very emotional for him, as it was for Syesha. Guitar players out there with him. He sounds very into it. Signature wail! He looks like he might even be in tears. Great glory note. He immediately gives a shoutout to the guitar players. Randy says he can sing his face off and it was unbelievable. Kara thinks it may have been his best interpretation — the high notes and pulling it back, both. Best Paula’s ever heard him sing. She knows he’ll be iconic no matter what. Simon says he’s 100% back in the game. Like he was ever out of it?

Ryan says Paula’s wearing [something], Simon’s wearing buttons, this is the American Idol finale!

Kris is up next with What’s Goin’ On. Sabotage?

Yes! Guitar! This sounds John Mayer-ish. We’ve got a small combo up on stage. Wow, this is good. Hopefully he will get some arrangement cred! He’s very into it. I love the passion in his voice. Everyone’s clapping along to the beat. I am loving this arrangement! His vocals were awesome too! Randy says it was a duel, but thinks it was too light. Kara loves his being true to himself. She likes the socially conscious message and thinks Kris is the type of artist who can deliver that. Paula says she tore it up and made Marvin Gaye proud. Simon thinks it was like three friends strumming in their bedroom, too laidback for tonight. Bullshit.

Simon says this round is a million percent Adam. Kris smiles and nods.

Grrr. The comments from the guys there – ridiculous. You can still get the emotional, social content of the song without hitting us over the head with it. I thought the emotion came across better because the arrangement wasn’t so full-blown. The highlight of the performance was the emotion, not the theatrics. Oh well. They’re evening the playing field.

The real test will be who wins on the coronation single. The suspense!

Adam singing No Boundaries. I think he’s a bit off in parts here, but the arrangement definitely suits him. It’s almost got a light metal vibe about it. He seems very emotional. Randy and Kara making weird faces at each other. Randy says he can sing the phone book. He said it was pitchy in spots and not his best. Kara thanks him for singing her song; Adam says it was a beautiful song. Paula is in awe of him and says he’s brought so much to this season. Simon says he won’t judge the song, he will judge Adam, and says over the course of the season, he has been one of the best, most original contestants on the show ever. He says you hope to find a worldwide star and he believes with all of his heart that they have found that in him.

Adam says he enjoyed getting to do all of the songs, especially the Sam Cooke song. Ryan calls him a class act.

Kris with the same song, next! Will he rearrange it???

The arrangement has more of an acoustic sound. It’s a little hard to hear him. He’s really into it — oh the mic stand drag. The judges will probably call it for Adam, but I liked this better (if Bandzilla had been softer). Randy says he is an amazing competitor and thinks the song may have fit him a little better than it did Adam, but it may have been too high. Kara congratulates him and hopes people vote on the season. Paula says he deserves where he is in the spotlight. Simon thinks the highlight was his first song, but he has grown so much throughout the competition from his audition where he had no confidence. He says he definitely deserves that spot up there. He says it was incredible to watch him up there tonight. Kris says who knows what will happen, but he and Adam said they weren’t competing tonight, they came out to give a good show.

My favorite finale ever. Why? Because I loved every performance tonight.

Carrie singing Home Sweet Home amidst a montage.