American Idol Recap: Final Performances

Adam Lambert or Kris Allen?

Kris Allen or Adam Lambert?

American Idol viewers got their fill of each finalist this week, as both Lambert and Allen performed a trip of songs.

First, each brought back a classic from earlier this season: Lambert showed his versatility and range with a performance of “Mad World,” while Allen was right at home on the piano for “Ain’t No Sunshine.” We thought it was even after this round, but Simon seemed to think Allen outshone his counterpart.

But that all changed during round two. Idol creator Simon Fuller chose songs for each crooner, as Lambert led off with “A Change is Gonna Come” by Sam Cooke. It was an ideal showcase for his high notes and his restraint. We could easily see Adam releasing this as a hit single tomorrow.

However, not much stood out about Allen’s “What’s Going On.” He strummed on his guitar. A couple guys next to him played drums. It was an efficient performance, but not one worthy of an American Idol finale. Simon and Randy agreed.

As for the final performances, the lame, cheesy single co-written by Kara DioGuardi really stood out more than anything else. Fortunately, Lambert’s talent made us overlook lyrics that involved climbing mountains and taking deep breaths.

For Kris, the song was simply too much. He seemed out of breath at times, trying to keep up with his opponent’s energy and range. It wasn’t a domination, as some expected it might be. But we think Adam Lambert proved his mettle and will take home the Idol title as a result.

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It was an entertaining evening of American Idol performances this week.

The five finalists all impressed judges and viewers with renditions of Rat Pack classics from the 1960s, while we even enjoyed the show’s guest mentor for the first time all season. Jamie Foxx was surprisingly attention to each singer, displaying enthusiasm for their auditions and offering helpful advice.

As for the performances themselves…

- Kris Allen opened the show with “The Way You Look Tonight.” Every judge said he set the bar extremely high for his fellow finalists.

- Allison Iraheta went next. She went with “Someone to Watch Over Me” and was told by Kara DioGuardi that “if that doesn’t land you in the finals, I don’t know what will.”

- Matt Giraud is likely in the most trouble, but his rendition of “My Funny Valentine. would have been among the top performances most week. He simply faced stiff competition this time around.

- After hearing Danny Gokey sing “Come Rain Come Shine,” Randy Jackson told the crooner: “You are the only one I’ve heard so far tonight that actually could have an album of songs like that.” High praise indeed.

- Of course, Jackson hadn’t heard Adam Lambert sing at that point. The white-suited singer belted out a version of “Feeling Good” that caused Paula Abdul to compare him to Michael Phelps. And it actually made sense!

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And then there were five. “American Idol” has chopped out two contestants from its eight season after giving Matt Giraud a second chance last week through the one-time Judges’ Save. Those meeting the end of the journey are Memphis native Lil Rounds and Wild Card pick Anoop Desai.

Both Rounds and Desai stumbled on Disco night. The former sang Chaka Khan’s “I’m Every Woman” and got butchered by the judges, with Simon Cowell predicting that she’s going home. Desai, who got the privilege of performing last, sang Donna Summer’s “Dim All the Lights” and Simon thought it was his worst performance.

Ryan Seacrest was very fast in announcing that Rounds was out from the competition. She was called first to be in the bottom three and immediately told that she did not make it. “I’m actually going to miss your family screaming at us every week,” Simon commented on her departure. Desai meanwhile, was waiting for his fate when lined-up beside Allison Iraheta who was also in the bottom three.

Performers of the result night were Freda Payne who sang a medley of famous disco songs including “Band of Gold”, Thelma Houston who sang “Don’t Leave Me This Way”, KC from KC & The Sunshine Band who sang “Get Down Tonight” and former “Idol” runner-up David Archuleta who sang his latest single “Touch My Hand”.

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This week’s performance show of American Idol didn’t deliver any stink bombs at least. That being said, we can’t see Lil Rounds or Anoop Desai advancing much farther.

Conversely, Adam Lambert, Kris Allen and Allison Iraheta stood out from their fellow finalists. These two broke down classic, fast-paced songs into slow, emotional ballads. As usual, Lambert led the way with “If I Can’t Have You.”

Here’s a rundown of each performance:

- Adam Lambert: A slow, emotional rendition of “If I Can’t Have You.” Kara said it was her favorite performance of the season from Lambert.

- Anoop Desai: We didn’t love this version of “Dim All the Lights.” But we did dig Anoop in pink.

- Kris Allen: A great, creative job with “She Works Hard For The Money.” Allen broke down the song on his acoustic guitar.

- Danny Gokey: Went with Earth, Wind & Fire’s “September.” The usual strong, emotional rendition from Gokey.

- Matt Giraud: We enjoyed this fun version of “Staying Alive,” though Simon didn’t share our feelings.

- Allison Iraheta: Took the Donna Summer classic “Hot Stuff” and made it into a ballad that packed a powerful punch.

- Lil Rounds: Solid vocals on “I’m Every Woman,” but no creativity to match other finalists.

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