American Idol 8: Sorry America, You Got It Wrong!
Commentary and Rankings by RTVC Staff Writer Jillian Domings
May 21, 2009
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Another season of American Idol has come and gone and in my opinion, it's unfortunate that such an exciting season ended the way it did.
While Kris had a solid season, Adam had a stellar one.
Sorry America, you got it wrong, Adam should be your Idol.
Before we got to the results, we were forced to sit through two hours of filler.
Here are some notes I jotted down...
- There were many AI Alums in the audience including Kim Locke, Carrie Underwood, Ruben Studdard, Bo Bice, and Justin Gaurini. I was surprised that Justin was shown as many times as he was considering that after his amazing run on AI, the show wrote him off completely.
- What's up with the contestants getting a teleprompter during their songs over the past few years? I miss the good old days of Kelly Clarkson forgetting the lyrics.
- Seeing the top 13 back together again really made me realize what a mistake America made when they eliminated Jasmine week one.
- Nick Mitchell wins Outstanding Male of the season. His routine was great for the finale.
- Lil Rounds sings Cue The Rain with Queen Latifa and gives her best performance of the season. This is the type of music she could have had success with. Too late now; we'll never hear from her again.
- I love the Jason Marz song I'm Yours- it actually has great sentimental meaning for me. I've never actually seen Jason before though and I'm surprised by his appearance. Very Elliot Yamin.
- AI has put together a clip package of Kris's journey. We see his initial interview where he tells us he's 23 and a student. I never realized he was that young. Who gets married in college?
- The girls sing a medley with Fergie who proves to us that you don't have to be pretty or a good singer to be a star. As busted as she is though, I appreciate that she sang live. Well, tried to sing.
- AI did a terrible job trying to censor the Black Eyed Peas performance.
- Bikini Girl wins Best Attitude and enters bikini clad (of course). She also sports off some new implants. After attempting to sing once again, Kara surprises her by joining in on the song. Bikini Girl looks completely annoyed and surprisingly, Kara sounds great.
- Allison sings an amazing duet of Time After Time with Cyndi Lauper. On Carrie Underwood's finale, she sang a duet with Rascal Flats which has been on my Ipod ever since. This duet will soon join it. Two words: A-MAZING.
- Danny sings a medley with Lionel Richie including the song All Night Long. This song always reminds me of the season two group song when Carmen and Clay staged a kiss to help Clay's fans think he wasn't gay. Speaking of season two, cut to a shot of Ruben Studdard. I really disliked Ruben season two mainly because he had no right to beat out my Clay. Re-watching the season now though I appreciate, and secretly like him, a lot more.
- Adam rocks it out with Kiss. I love the jacket with the crazy metal shoulder pads and the huge, platform boots. Adam, you are my Idol.
- Steve Martin plays the banjo while Megan Joy and Michael sing along. Very weird and awkward and I can't help thinking it' all part of some SNL skit.
- Tatiana Del Torro wins Outstanding Female of the season. I'm so glad she didn't make the top 13.
- Adam and Kris sing a duet of We Are The Champions with Queen. The whole time I'm thinking how awesome Adam would sound if he sang this solo. Kris is nothing but a distraction.
- Kris is crowned the American Idol which leaves me scratching my head. I seriously don't know anyone who voted for him at all the season. I know tons of people who voted for Adam, plenty who voted for Danny, and even a handful who voted for Allison. But I honestly can't say I've ever spoken with a person who's said, “hey, I voted for Kris”. Weird. The south wins again!
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Kris Allen
Winner American Idol 8
So Kris is this season's winner of AI. While Kris was most certainly deserving to be in the finale, I don't believe he was worthy of the title. He had a solid, but not spectacular season. He was always consistent with both his style and performances. I can't say he is all that unique though and I can't say I will remember any song he sang a few months from now. He was definitely one of the best of the season but looking at the big picture, I don't really expect for him to do all that well. I think he'll have a few top 40 hits, but will soon fade. I hope he enjoys it while it lasts.
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Adam Lambert
Runner Up
For the very first time this season, I am forced to rank Adam lower than first. I voted for Adam as did all of the people that I know. Even though I knew the two were close going into the finale, I honestly never expected Kris to win. I believe Adam will be the true star of season eight. Long after the dust settles on the AI season and tour, Adam will be the one we will continue to hear. He was so unique to the show- we've never seen a contestant quite like Adam. He was daring, exciting, an amazing performer, always pitch perfect, and just a thrill to watch. I truly, truly believe we witnessed the making of a star this season in Adam Lambert.
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Danny Gokey
Eliminated
I am so glad that Danny is not in this year's finale. In my opinion, finishing third is still too high though. I still think Allison should have placed higher than Danny. Danny did as well as he did because he was given oodles of air time in the early rounds and established a fan base before some other contestants were even introduced to us. He was also continuously praised by the judge even when his performances were sub par. The judges commented too early in the season that Danny should be in the finale so in an effort to save themselves from being wrong, they did all they could to try and get him there. Luckily though, America voted Kris and Adam through- two much more deserving contestants. It is my opinion that we will most likely not hear from Danny again. I don't think he has the raw, musical talent to actually succeed in the music industry.
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Allison Iraheta
Eliminated
America made their biggest mistake this season when they eliminated Allison. Allison is one of the best singers and performers to ever grace the AI stage. Her performance this week was quite good for her, despite whatever ridiculous comments the judges decided to give her. Allison is a mix of Kelly Clarkson and Pink at the young age of 17. A record producer needs to scoop her up fast. I have a feeling we will be hearing again from Allison real soon. She is a true talent and I think the real music industry professionals will recognize that.
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Matt Giraud
Eliminated
Thanks to the judges save, Matt finished fifth this season instead of seventh. I definitely think he is talented enough to place in the top five so overall, I'm glad the judges saved Matt. It would have been great if he came back after being saved and just blew us all away. He continued to only be average though and I think his fifth place standing is understandable. I still think that if he gets a little lucky with some good writing and good producing that we could see him at the top of the charts. He's like Michael Buble meets Justin Timberlake. I definitely think he's relevant and I would love to hear more from him the future.
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Anoop Desai
Eliminated
I'm actually shocked Anoop ended up finishing sixth. I don't think it was deserved. Even though Anoop has a nice voice, I never really thought he was relevant to the music industry. I don't think he will ever record a succssful album and I don't think we will ever hear an Anoop song on the radio. He had a very loyal, dedicated following though- hence his sixth place finish.
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Lil Rounds
Eliminated
Lil started way up near the top of my scoreboard. Each week though, she slowy dropped down. There is no denying that Lil has a good voice. She just had no clue how to use it and market herself properly. She never picked a song that suited her and she never had a standout performance. She should be happy she finished seventh. When it comes to the music business, she seems to be clueless.
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Scott McIntyre
Eliminated
Scott made it as far as he did because of his remarkable backstory. Vocally, he’s really just not that good. His performance this week was one of the worst of the season. He missed more notes than he hit and the performance was awkward as usual. His performances always looked cold and emotionless to me. I have a feeling America created the artist they wanted to see, not the one he actually was, because of his backstory.
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Megan Joy Corkery
Eliminated
I will really miss Megan and even though I really like her, her elimination is understandable. She is most definitely unique and refreshing and I truly enjoy her. However, she is not a good live singer. I’m sure she would have a great recording voice but when it came to performing live each week, she just couldn’t cut it.
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Michael Sarver
Eliminated
Michael should be happy he finished 10th and therefore will be going on tour. I always thought Michael was only an average singer; it was definitely his country influence that got him this far. I think he needs to watch himself perform more, whether it be on tapes or in the mirror. He’s one of the corniest AI performers since Josh Gracin.
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Alexis Grace
Eliminated
Alexis did well in the competition and I actually think her 11th place finish is fair. Her voice was only average. And even though she really played up her ‘dirty’ style, if you remember back to her original audition, that’s not even who she really is. It was only after the judges advised her to dirty herself up that she dyed her hair pink, and started dressing flashier and wearing more makeup. I thought she was definitely good enough to make the top 13 and even though I personally would have liked her to last a few weeks longer, I can see why America eliminated her.
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Jasmine Murray
Eliminated
Poor Jasmine, she didn’t deserve to go this soon. Vocally, she is amazing. However, she did not have the popularity of some of the other contestants and that was what ultimately caused her to be cut. I will miss her!
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Jorge Nunez
Eliminated
Jorge should be thanking his lucky stars he made it to the top 13. I don’t think he should have even made it that far. He placed as high as he did because of his personality. And even though he was popular enough to make it to the top 13, there was no way he could keep up with the big dogs.
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Jillian Domings is a recently married 26 year old dance instructor from Massachusetts. Other than reality TV, she enjoys Lost, Heroes, gymnastics, movies, and all things Disney. Her dream is to live in Cinderella’s Castle and be a real-life princess.
You can contact Jillian at jillian_kuras@yahoo.com
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