The Idols Talk Idol on Larry King Live, Plus Tuesday’s Song Rounds Revealed

http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0905/15/lkl.01.html

Transcripts in case you can’t see the video. Also…

The winner, runner-up and the rest of the top 10 will be our guests next Friday with “Idol” host Ryan Seacrest as host.

Thanks for the transcript, Heart.

“Kane-yeh”? Heh.

Oh Lord Jesus, have they still not called the exorcist on that backup singer in Cryin’???? Of all the footage they could have chosen, they WOULD pick that. Grrr.

Paula said this morning that the contestants could either reprise a song or pick a new one, but Ryan made it sound like they HAD to reprise a song. I hope that is not true, I’d rather see something new from both of them.

JosieX, I agree on wanting a new song and not requiring a reprise. I feel like we’ve been ripped off on getting performances from the idols already, what with them cutting down on the songs in Top 5-3 thanks to four judges yapping.

Singing the same coronation song back to back I think puts Kris at a disadvantage, but it depends on what kind of song it is. The last time they did this (Jordin/Blake) it was pretty clear they were favoring the vocalist over the musician…it’ll be interesting to see if they allow Kris an instrument or to rearrange it at all. Kara gulping like a fish when they eliminated Danny makes me think she wasn’t planning on Kris having to sing the song, lol…whoops…don’t you peek at the vote totals before the show, Kara? :)

kane-yeh.

ahahahahaha. :wallbash_tb:

I’m glad that Ryan is hosting LKL next week instead of Larry. Love Larry, but he is not in touch with Idol or with pop music in general. Ryan knows the kids well so he will be well tuned to interview them all.

Did Ryan mean that Adam and Kris will pick songs they covered during the entire run of the season? Hmm…makes me wonder. Which of Kris’ songs can compete with Adam’s? While their picks might be a reprise, it’s still pretty interesting to know which songs they’d pick, like choosing their best weapon from their arsenal. Moreover, it is nice to see friends competing, and the best compliment one can give to a friend is competing head on, with honesty and such passion. So, I’m certain that Adam and Kris will give us “one, big fight.” Good luck to them both.

Did Elliott say that Kris finished 3rd? Did I hear that wrong?

Can’t wait to see what all the posters have to say about this one! They will be stirring the pot! :devil_tb:

gingerly – nope, that’s what he said…

YAMIN: I think he’s great. I think like — he kind of reminds — his kind of situation kind of reminds me — I mean, obviously he finished third, I finished third. So we — we kind of share that parallel.

Maybe he confused Kris with Gokey? I hope?

Love Larry, but he is not in touch with Idol or with pop music in general. Ryan knows the kids well so he will be well tuned to interview them all.

So true, it’s always painful watching Larry interview the Idols…

Did Elliott say that Kris finished 3rd? Did I hear that wrong?

I heard that too? Elliott didn’t act like he likes Kris too much.

Elliot likes Gokey, doesn’t he?

seems like that, Michelle. http://billboard.blogs.com/jadedinsider/2009/04/idol-worship-eliott-yamin-qa.html

I would have much preferred if they let them choose to present a new song, and not “the favourite of the season”. I don’t like “replays”. Last year, we would have missed out on The World I Know– just sayin’.

What do you think they’re going to sing? Kris is a bit disadvantaged, I guess his best would be Heartless, but is he going to sing it two weeks in a row?

Wonder if Kim will try to date Adam and have his babies? Heh. Couldn’t resist. :devil_tb:

I think Elliot wants Adam to win because he allways talks about meeting Adam in a club one night and how Adam complemented him/ asked for advice.

Kimberly has been reading the internet I see (about the whole “Simon’s pimpage may backlash”) … I wonder if she is expecting to date the winner? jk!

As for song choice i think Kris could sing:
1. Ain’t no sunshine: thats when i really noticed he was a front runner
2. Heartless: the studio recordings for the finals are just recordings from the show, so we could get an acustic version. Plus Simon said it was the best performance of the season.
3. Apologize: but this time mix it up and make it his own. Last week he proved he is just as good as anybody, but this time show how he can improve he song.

Adam could sing:
1. Tracks of My tears: maybe he could change it up by not singing his falsetto version?
2. Mad World: it proved to be very popular especially on iTunes

But i’m still wishing they get to choose new songs!

I hope Simon Fuller chooses Unchained Melody for Adam because I think it would challenge him, but still turn out awesome! I think if Adam doesn’t wail to much he can win, (he should still sing the power notes, just not wail everytime) keep it controlled yet spectacular!

I hope Kris gets to rework both the Simon Fuller song and the coronation song!

Oh boy. How will Elliott and AI get out of that? LMAO

I think Kris and Adam are the two finalists with the most moments in this season, so I don’t think either one will have a problem finding something great to do again. Of course, you have to make it great again on the night — when Blake redid You Give Love a Bad Name it wasn’t anywhere near as good as the first time. Luckily, these guys seem to thrive on the pressure.

Kris is a good singer, but he isn’t in the same league as Adam. If Kris wins AI I will know that the show is bogus.

You know, I’d be sad if Kris wins, but may not be surprised that Kris can pull out a Moment. He’s been surprising everyone with something new almost every week for a while. I still remember fondly “Falling Slowly”, which was how he made me sit up and pay attention to him. “She works hard for her money” and “Heartless” are just the icing on the Kris Allen cake, showing off his musical arrangement chops. I think given more training to stretch his range, Kris would be able to cover way more songs.

I wonder if he’d do “Come Together”. Without having Slash around to be rigid about the arrangements, he could make it really cool as acoustic. We heard shades of how good he could make it in certain parts of the song during Rock Week.

That said, Adam for the wiiiiiiiiiiinnn!!! *Gasp! Not easy to do the rock wail thingy*

Why does this season of AI need training wheels? They actually ended up with some of their most talented and capable contestants in years and they’ve been handicapped by narcissistic producers and judges. Bring back Nigel!

I wonder if heà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢d do à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Come Togetherà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ . Without having Slash being rigid about the arrangements, he could make it really cool as acoustic. We heard shades of how good he could make it in certain parts of the song during Rock Week.

His first night home he performed Come Together on acoustic guitar on the local news. I kinda hope he does this next week too. What a great way to get around a crappy rule.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_EIC3c-lpCs

Why would anyone be sad whoever wins? Both are clearly very talented, just with different styles. Why does one style have to be better then the other? I hope it comes down to who has the best night.

Kris is a good singer, but he isnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t in the same league as Adam. If Kris wins AI I will know that the show is bogus.

This show has never been a singing competition. If it was, Ricky Braddy would have made the top 5. It’s a performing competition, and both have performed well and understand their strengths and weaknesses. You may prefer a one style, but that doesn’t invalidate the other. I guess I’m lucky that I like both, so no matter what happens I’m happy.

I feel bad that Kris and Adam have to do a previous song and the same coronation song. I really do hope Kris performs Everything while Adam performs Bohemian Rhapsody. As for the coronation song, Kris should really be able to change it up.

I’m worried for Kris now…

Any song from the season :ponder_tb: Adam can do boheim rhaspody(SP)
I really like they are going back to singing the same corination song, that way know one has an advantage

Oh boy. How will Elliott and AI get out of that? LMAO

Get out of what?

Elliott is a Gokey fan. He’s been asked about it constantly while he’s been trying to promote his cd. I can only imagine that he probably just wants to say when asked about who he likes on idol “Dude, can we please talk about my cd? I don’t give a sh*t who wins idol!” I did hear him say one time that he thought Adam was too good for the show.

Wonder if LK will have Kaney on anytime soon? hahahahahaha LOL at Elliott and POLOGIZZE.

I hate the idea of either of the guys having to do a previous song. They are both artists who I would imagine love the chance to do something new. If contestants performed a previous song in the Top 2 in Australia they would most probably be blasted.

In Australia last season they had a coronation song chosen for each of the contestant depending on the type of music they would most likely make. Our winner’s single last year was http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2a89dr_0Sgo . Now you may not like our winner but at least the song wasn’t the usual coronation single.

As for the finale you guys do it so much better than us.

Im wondering if Adam and Kris are going to sing each song fully? And none of this 2 minute crap. I would love for the them to sing the full version of each song. If someone knows please post it. I mean this is the final 2 for goodness sake!!!!

No one wants to start off the night with a ballad, so I think it will go as such…

Contestant’s Pick from Season Highlights
Round 1à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬’ Adam – “Whole Lotta Love” – Led Zepplin
Kris – “Heartless” – Kanye West

Adam will win the first round, just because of the “cool” Zepplin factor. And if they BOTH pick songs recently done, it won’t be a big deal. I bet they are sitting in the mansion figuring it out between them and the blue nail polish.

Fuller’s Pick
Round 2à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬’ Adam – “Space Oddity” – Bowie
Kris – “Smooth” – Thomas/Santana

Wouldn’t Adam doing this song just kill? I mean, the whole space rocket theme is right up Adam’s alley. This show is definitely Adam’s rocket, so I think this song will be the one. I would love to see Kris do this as an acoustic piece.
Adam get’s this round too, unless he turns it into a funeral march or death metal dirge.

Coronation Song by Kara
Round 3à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬’ Adam – “Some barf-inducing sap that should never get released Pt 1″
Kris – “Some barf-inducing sap that should never get released Pt. 2″

I can’t wait for Simon to tell Kara that he hates the song…he usually does hate the coronation song anyway. Kris will win this, because he will rearrange it so it is unrecognizable from Adam’s version, and since Adam singing it will be the first one ever to do so, it will be the only thing the audience has to compare it to. Kris wins by default.

Elisa May 16th, 2009 at 8:45 am

Im wondering if Adam and Kris are going to sing each song fully? And none of this 2 minute crap. I would love for the them to sing the full version of each song. If someone knows please post it. I mean this is the final 2 for goodness sake!!!!

It is doubtful that they will do full songs. We have four judges who can’t shut up, seven songs to get through (Carrie is performing “Home Sweet Home”), and Ryan’s jabber to get through. Not in one hour. You will have to get tour tickets to see full performances.

We got screwed this year, and BIG time, but oh well. It will still be interesting.

So once again it is a set up for Lambert, it sounds like. Must do a previous song, so we can’t have anything new and surprising from either contestant, perhaps a little more important for Kris who has not been the front runner all season, but rather just now getting the judges attention; and they have the same sap coronation song written for the flashy Lambert. How many times do we call foul on this ridiculous season 8? When I see anything at all done this season in the best interest of Kris Allen I will stop complaining. Not once has the deck been stacked in his favor and still there he is capturing the hearts of scores of viewers who vote. Even if I didn’t love his vocals and personality I would be voting for him next Tuesday based on the manipulations of American Idol this year.

Wow, I’m excited to see that Carrie will be on. We just never get to see her anymore.

I can’t believe Mr. Nice Guy Elliott is hating on Kris – the most vanilla guy on the show ever. Pretty funn.

Oh of course, Larry shows the one second of Apologize where Kris’s voice had a little break. Third, Elliott??? And I love apologize rather than ‘pologize. Why not change it up. If he had done it exactly like either Kanye or the Fray he would have been panned for that. Did Elliott even listen to the show or just that little clip from Larry King. Never did like Elliott. Like him less now.

Carrie, on Idol. Shocker.

Kimberly, Kris could win with Kris’s fans. I hope Danny’s fans do vote for Kris, but if he wins it will be on the basis of his own talent not because of people voting against Adam.

I like the fact Carrie comes back and does stuff for the show, She really is the only “Star” from idol that always metions where she comes from in her acceptance speeches.

I don’t think the line-up screws either contestant. The audience and viewers, on the other hand… We’re royally screwed, particularly if they have to reprise a song from the show. Booooooo!!!!! Two singing the sappy song just adds to our misery, as well as taking away the actual moment from the winner.

Admittedly, I’ve only watched one full season, so naturally I appreciate S7 better overall. The World I Know was the best of Cook, imo. And, Magic Rainbow was touching as multi-colored confetti fell, but would have been a yawner if we’d heard it twice the night before. Blech!

Ok, all whining aside. :-) I’m still looking forward to the night. I’m so glad these two are our final two!

Kimberly, Kris could win with Krisà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s fans. I hope Dannyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s fans do vote for Kris, but if he wins it will be on the basis of his own talent not because of people voting against Adam.

I’m not so sure about that

I doubt that they waited to see who was in the finale before they chose the format for the Final 2 or that they set it up specifically to favor Adam. No one on this show has ever had the opportunity to re-arrange the coronation song. Both guys will probably have to record it as written after getting a few hours to work on it.

Wasn’t Nigel the one who loved the sappy coronation songs? Maybe they had Kara write it this year because they wanted a real song instead of some glory note fest about rainbows and unicorns. She’s written for Hilary Duff, I don’t think she necessarily writes stuff that’s off the charts with vocal challenges. Hell, if they want it on the radio, they can just have the guys sing it through AutoTune and add T-Pain.

I think Adam is a much more talented vocalist, technically, but Kris sounds more like artists on the radio and I don’t think he’s at any disadvantage. Cook won last year after being told he chose the wrong song (twice) and that he didn’t do enough with the other song, and that he lost in a “knock out.” Kris might get the same types of comments ,but that doesn’t mean he won’t win.

Third, Elliott??? And I love apologize rather than à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹pologize.

Well Elliott proved last night that he is not keeping up with idol. lol It was just like the last time he was on to try and promote his cd. But he is once again in the middle of trying to promote a new cd so he probably has other things at the top of his priority list. I thought the whole apologize thing was funny.

I the fact that Kris has lasted this long bodes well for him to win. I also think the judges will do anything in their power to make sure Adam wins. THe song choices should be interesting.

Who would have believed the most intelligent comments on this show came from Sanjaya Malakar.

Did Elliott say that Kris finished 3rd? Did I hear that wrong?

He sure did. I looked at the transcript just to make sure!! What’s that all about? LMAO

SONG 1: (IMO matters the least)

Kris should do “Sunshine”, it was great and early in the season. Plus, it an original arrangement. I think that “Come Together” was not a great choice for Kris in the first place and he should not repeat it.

I still don’t know what Adam will do, but I wonder if he can do “Believe”. Because it’s actually a great song (sans Cher) and has a real upbeat message. If not, I expect we’ll see “Black & White”.

SONG 2: (This is where someone could really screw up.)
I sure hope Simon F. picks something good for them to sing.

SONG 3: (This has mattered most in the past.)

“SEACREST: And round three will be the winner’s single. And this year, whoever wins will have the same single. So that’s new stuff for you, Larry.”

Kara has written some reallly great pop-rock music. Many of her songs have been hits. Sounds to me like 19M really wants a big hit from this first single. My bet: this will not be a “rainbows and cotton candy” song. I think the advantage may go to Adam on this one UNLESS HE GOT TOO OTT. He can really own a song, and Kris will have to follow him. And, it will be harder for Kris to fudge the notes that are out of his range by covering it with his arrangement.

It’s going to be interesting. Kris has the advantage because I think his vocal sytle appeals to more people, but Adam has superior stage presense and vocals.

Singing the same coronation song back to back I think puts Kris at a disadvantage, but it depends on what kind of song it is. The last time they did this (Jordin/Blake) it was pretty clear they were favoring the vocalist over the musicianà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ ¦ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ll be interesting to see if they allow Kris an instrument or to rearrange it at all. Kara gulping like a fish when they eliminated Danny makes me think she wasnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t planning on Kris having to sing the song, lolà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ ¦whoopsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ ¦donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t you peek at the vote totals before the show, Kara? :)

I think the most similar past final was Carrie vs. Bo Bice. As I recall the final they were fairly even in the final EXCEPT Carrie won the last song, and the style & likability contest.

Kris has a big advantage, he’ll get the MOR Country vote – this is the biggest AI voting block . And for all the talk of Kris’ being Jason Mraz 2.0, he sounds a lot more like updated rockabilly to me. (And I mean that in a nice way. We have a lot of performers in the mid-South playing a similar mix of stripped-down rock-blues-country with an AC edge. I don’t know if it has a name, but it’s all over North Mississippi, Tennessee and Arkansas.)

Adam will have to be at the top of his game to win. He needs to keep all his voters and inspire people who never cast an AI vote before to do it now. That’s asking a lot.

I hope…

That Adam stays true to who he is as a performer and belts out whatever the hell he wants. His fans are going to love him and the non-fans already are displeased with him for a variety of reasons, most having nothing what-so-ever to do with his talent.

That Kris stays true to who he is as a performer and tells a story the way he wants. His fans are going to love him and the non-fans think he is boring anyway so he has nothing to lose.

Unless they want to be like Carrie, who still embraces American Idol with open arms(who is an AI whore — but in the nicest, sweetest way) , neither Kris or Adam will need the AI crutch to propel them once they get a foot hold out into the real recording world.

I really think Kris’ talent isn’t in performing, though he does a very good and respectful job, but he is utterly awesome in knowing how to arrange a song. I really see him being a much sought after arranger and possibly a very good song writer and absolutely a producer once the dust has cleared. He’ll make a very fine living for him, his lovely wife, and lots of little Allens.

And, IMHO, Adam will really prosper in his chosen profession once he is able to get the ball rolling. He will take a lot of extreme chances (and some will be minor failures) but he has the tenacity to keep moving forward.

I think both of these fine young men have really set the bar even higher on AI. For several seasons we have been treated to talented people who “know” something about singing and performing and making a song their own. Now, as AI viewers we will no longer be satisfied with kareoke singers and a good voice with some potential. I for one, as I watch in the coming years, won’t give any contestant my vote unless they can prove to me they know what to do with a song and how to make me “feel” it and they will have to make me forget the original.

Good luck, guys, you are both winners in my book!

I have been listening to all of Kris’s songs from this season and I really don’t know which is my favorite. I loved Man in the Mirror. The soft songs, Make You Feel My Love and Falling Down are beautiful, but there is the subtlety factor when you are going head to head with Adam Lambert who doesn’t do subtle and half the fans of the show will respond to the Over the Top theatrics and not understand the beauty of the subtle. So I’m not sure any of these would be the best Kris picks. I loved Heartless in the same way I loved She Works Hard for the Money and Ain’t No Sunshine because of the arrangements and the way he put his own spin on them. I loved Come Together. The judges completely blew it on their feedback for this song. It was dynamic, relevant, funky, and fantastic and Randy was right, his guitar playing was outstanding. I also loved Apologize and How Sweet It Is, but they were close to the originals although with a little of the Kris stamp. I hope he doesn’t do The Way You Look Tonight, not because he didn’t do an amazing job on that song, but because it needs to be something with his funky, jazzy style to it rather than a crooner/ballad type song. I hope he is able to do something new because I really don’t enjoy repeats. I agree with David Cook. The show should be a progression and repeating something you already have sung takes away from that progression.

Elliot loves Adam of course,because they both are Jews,But it don’t take rocket science to figure out Adam is the best in this game, If we are talking about vocals skills then Adam wins hands down, Kris is a musician with not very good vocals take away the guitar and what do we have? well Kris. I don’t believe Adam will win now because most of Danny fans will vote for Kris (the christian thing), but i know this Adam will be the biggest and brightest star of our generation.

For Kris Heartless was at the top of my list… Aint No Sunshine is second. I like his understated style. He’s cool and current. He needs to make sure he stays current with his song choices and arrangements because I think that’s what people like.

Cheese wrote: “Kris sounds more like artists on the radio….” More’s the pity.

TKat wrote: “We have a lot of performers in the mid-South playing a similar mix of stripped-down rock-blues-country with an AC edge.” IOW: Kris adds NOTHING to the music scene, not even in a REGION, let alone the national air-waves and arenas.

I’m just looking forward to a fun night. If Kris wins, he’ll be one of the least deserving ever in terms of vocals but with a good shot at fitting into the current music scene. Adam has tremendous vocal talent but I really dislike the tone of his voice. If he puts out OTT rock, it’ll go nowhere. I might be interested if he did some dance music with an act like Gaga. Of course a win by him would mean the end of homophobia as we know it and it’ll be rainbows and puppies for all.

That said, I’d be sad if Adam lost and not just because I have 30 points on him to win it all.

“Elliot loves Adam of course,because they both are Jews”

Yeah they read the Protocols of Zion together and have a secret handshake and everything. Does this mean that all Jews like Adam because Elliott was originally a Gokey fan and probably missed the memo.

Tess, I agree with you and Ryan Seacrest about both of these guys being very successful after Idol, but disagree that Kris should not be a performer. He is a fantastic performer and personally I will be attending the tour next fall in Chicago only to see him perform. (Well, a little to see Allison, too, if I am honest). I love his voice and what he does with a song. He can be an arranger/song writer, too, but I hope he never stops performing. He has an amazingly likeable/listenable quality to his voice. I hear the warmth, the compassion, the heart of the song when he sings and it feels honest. If you like exciting Adam may be your man, but if you just love a good song sung from the heart Kris is your guy. Kris is my guy.

I hope Adam does Bohemian Rhapsody, so we get a longer version and something that seems new and possibly “a surprise.” Part of the entertainment of the show is waiting to see what the contestants will do. This goes for both Adam and Kris, especially, as each has been known to surprise us in his own way.

It’ll be a real shame if they cannot do something at least somewhat new for their own choice. But, I’m betting they don’t get to, if only because of the need to record a studio version. This year, thankfully, we’ve had studios for each song, unlike last year. I’m thinking this is why TPTB may require a reprisal in the finale. But, then again, that’s less $$$ for them, too, so who knows.

ETA: Regarding jpfan’s comments about Adam’s music post-Idol. I disagree with the idea that he cannot do rock, but agree we’ll most likely hear a debut of pop/dance/electronica type mixes for the most part. Who knows though. Personally, having downloaded and listened to Green Day’s new 21st Century Breakdown (released yesterday), I find myself hoping for something like that, or American Idiot (coupled with a peppering of influence from Queen’s A Night at the Opera) from Adam and a band one day. Not expecting it on a debut, of course, given it’s AI, but still hoping nonetheless. :-)

Norwegiano, I hope that Simon does better than this. Because I really want them both to be great in the Final.

Fullerà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s Pick
Round 2à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬’ Adam – à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Space Oddityà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  – Bowie
Kris – à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Smoothà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  – Thomas/Santana

I hope he picks something more relevant than this song; hard to keep it from being too karaoke. If they go with the obvious choices, I think that Queen would be a better choice. How about “Somebody to Love”? And the lyrics would give Adam something to connect with. Of course, I think it would be great to have Adam sing Roy Orbison’s “Crying”. It’s perfect for his voice and a great song.

If Kris gets “Smooth” it will be a really challenge for him to pull it off. I think that Kris’ voice just doesn’t have enough character or power for Smooth. The Santana version is great because the strong brass intro and Corlos’ Santana (on guitar) contrast brilliantly with Rob Thomas’ gravelly voice and jazz riffs. I would give Kris Coldplay’s “Viva La Vida”, he could handle the vocal, it would be different than what he’s done before, it’s a beautiful song and almost everyone knows it.

Well, Adam is not Simon Fuller’s “cup a tea”…this doesn’t bode well for a song choice does it? If Simon gives Adam some horrible drippy song, I hope Adam does a ‘ring of fire” on it…he will be my hero.

Will Adam sing Mad World (judges and sales favorite) or Ring of Fire-Adam’s admitted favorite? Hmmmmm.

The only Kris song that bowled me over was “Aint no Sunshine” which I thought was beautiful…

Unless they want to be like Carrie, who still embraces American Idol with open arms(who is an AI whore à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬’  but in the nicest, sweetest way), neither Kris or Adam will need the AI crutch to propel them once they get a foot hold out into the real recording world

Don’t be so hasty to declare them real-world successes. It’s not a given; they could blow up like Carrie and Daughtry but in a year’s time, they could also be straining to get a guest spot on Idol Extra. It’s not a given but I do hope they succeed.

Wow, Kris and Adam are so big they don’t need Idol already.
I’m already laughing at Adam being the Star of our Generation now neither of these guys need Idol. Someone tell Carrie. She still shows up and has sold 10 million albums.

Boy, I cant figure this one out. If my life depended on it and I was forced to choose a winner, I would say its Kris.

He’s subtle and adorable (where Adam is in your face and striking), his style seems to fit whats on the radio these days (not saying Adam couldnt put a record out that would do fine cause he’s superman and he can do anything) but in a competition like this I think the one who is perceived to be the underdog has a better chance.

I think a lot of people think Kris needs a break where Adam has already made a name for himself and left his mark. He’s like a dog who pees all over the stage to mark his territory. Aint no one gonna mess with his shit, least of all Kris who is an entirely different performer.

And finally, the Gay issue. Kris is the wholesome, cute, gentle puppy where Adam is the rebel, the fuck you, this is who I am attack dog. That may turn a lot of people off though it excites me no end.

The Free Online Dictionary gives this definition of wholesome (which I think Kris appears to be on screen)…

>>wholesome – conducive to or characteristic of physical or moral well-being; “wholesome attitude”; “wholesome appearance”; “wholesome food” >>

Kris epitomizes that definition and Adam is its antithesis.

I think Kris wins.
I think Adam is the most talented entertainer ever to grace the Idol stage……hands down. He already found what he was looking for. Acceptance and career exposure.

>>Elliot loves Adam of course,because they both are Jews>>

Smacks forehead…..

Of course. Why didnt I think of that.

Hmmm…if we get the “Blake Lewis memorial can’t re-arrange the coronation song” move, that will tell us how desparate Simon is…

oh, poor caldwell. she wont be able to date kris or adam.

Why is it desperate if Kris can’t change up the coronation song? It is only desperate if he does. It would be extremely special consideration if they let him. Bo Bice had to sing Inside Your Heaven as written, Blake had to sing This is My Now as written, David Cook had to record and release Magic Rainbows as written. Kris is not special. – His vocals aren’t as strong, so he shouldn’t be made to go one on one with Adam – is not a good enough excuse to change the rules for the first time in eight years.

Elliot loves Adam of course,because they both are Jews

This is a joke, right?

I really don’t understand how people are saying Adam Lambert has this wrapped up when there was only a million votes separating the two last week…and we don’t know who got the most. I think it could go either way. I’ve only voted for Kris and Alexis this year and I don’t really see that changing at this point. Yes, Adam has an amazing range, but I’m not fond of his tone. Kris is the one who continuously makes me smile, and I love listening to his songs.

Anyhow, to me, Elliott came across as a bit of a douche. I was quite surprised by that…

Jlyn
May 16th, 2009 at 10:21 am
Why is it desperate if Kris canà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t change up the coronation song? It is only desperate if he does. It would be extremely special consideration if they let him. Bo Bice had to sing Inside Your Heaven as written, Blake had to sing This is My Now as written, David Cook had to record and release Magic Rainbows as written. Kris is not special. – His vocals arenà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t as strong, so he shouldnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t be made to go one on one with Adam – is not a good enough excuse to change the rules for the first time in eight years.

Actually David Cook has said that he “was able to do some things to that song” if I’m quoting correctly.

The TPTB is just annoying.Is it wrong if some people want Kris to win? They just want to run over him with a truck.This is when the TPTB have the power to hurt whoever they want because its there pick.I’m sure they knew if Kris re-arranged the song it would be better than Adam’s and they want Adam is win
as if he needs this??? I love Adam and I hope he wins the same for Kris.The both of them will make records and sell out arenas.I’m just sick of the adam shoving down our throats.

Kris’s vocals are strong.Does a musican have the scream lyrics in order to have strong vocals???

Taylor was able to put his own spin on Do I Make You Proud. He used a lot of his mannerisms and riffs to make it at least interesting. The words remained the same but the delivery was not straight up.

At about the :40 mark he lights up the stage with that smile, at the 1:35 mark he growls out the “everybody needs to rise up” part, at the 2:09 mark where he belts out DIMYP and does that back and forth thingy with the mic making his voice fade in and out, but its the 2:14 mark where he grabs that mic off the stand, he knows he’s got it now and does the bendy knee thing and……need I go on? Dont make me do it cause I’ll describe the entire fucking thing if you want me to.

My point? You can change up the song if you have it in you to do that sort of thing. I dont think Adam will have even a sliver of reservation changing it up his own way and the shit song they give them to sing will become at least bearable and possibly win a Grammy lololol.

gingerly: I’m sure he was able to stretch the song vocally, he had a better voice than the writer, but he didn’t rearrange the song musically – it sounded pretty much like the demo. Both Adam and Kris will be able to put their own vocal spins on the song, but radical changes shouldn’t be allowed if they never have been before, just to suit one particular contestant. IDK, I’m just getting frustrated with Kris. I loved David Cook last year when he put his own spin on songs, but was really pleased when he sang Music of the Night straight. American Idol is ostensibly supposed to be a singing competition, not a best musician competition.

The TPTB is just annoying.Is it wrong if some people want Kris to win? They just want to run over him with a truck.This is when the TPTB have the power to hurt whoever they want because its there pick.Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢m sure they knew if Kris re-arranged the song it would be better than Adamà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s and they want Adam is win

I don’t see this at all. All the angst about how the format favors Adam just screams (pun) to me that folks don’t have the confidence in Kris that they should. I think peeps are selling him short, as they’ve done all season.

At the end of the day, anyone can argue anything at all to support either that TPTB chose the format to favor Adam or Kris. A repeat song does not favor Adam, especially with folks say over and over and over how they only tune in to see what he’s going to do next. Note, they don’t say, I’m only tuning in to see what Adam does again. Likewise, a sappy song seems far more likely to favor Kris, his soft voice and understated style, rather than balls to the wall exciting Adam.

The only unknown is Fuller’s choice, and we won’t know how that turns out/favors or disfavors anyone until the show, and even then, should Fuller get the credit/blame for the choice, or should either fall on the contestant for the performance? Hard to say. But, as noted upthread, one could argue that Fuller’s shown no real preference for an Adam type over a Kris type — he personally manages Daughtry, Cook, and I believe (?) Carrie, none of whom scream (pun) Adam to me. :-)

I say all of this to say that I don’t think anyone can say that this format favors one over the other. The format only represents the rules for the competition. Either guy is talented enough to compete successfully within the format, if they bring it Tuesday night.

Blake sucked on the coronation song S6, but I’m one who firmly believes he didn’t have to. That appeared to me to be more attitude than aptitude. (Only watched Top 3 and 2 that year, but that’s my view.)

lambertftw
May 16th, 2009 at 9:32 am
Elliot loves Adam of course,because they both are Jews

Lil and I are both women, but she sure as hell ain’t my favorite.

I’m just quoting what he said, Jlyn. Idol has never been a singing competition. If it were that, they could line them up behind a black screen and have them sing scales. Nobody would watch, nobody would care.

Well, Adam is not Simon Fullerà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“cup a teaà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ ¦this doesnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t bode well for a song choice does it?

When did Simon Fuller ever say Adam is not his “cup a tea”?

Taylor was able to put his own spin on Do I Make You Proud. He used a lot of his mannerisms and riffs to make it at least interesting. The words remained the same but the delivery was not straight up.

Taylor interpreted the song different yes, but it wasn’t musically changed to fit him. There’s a difference.

If Adam and Kris both have to sing the same song, they should not be able to musically change the song. It should be the same band, the same verses, the song speed, the same everything. They will obviously interpret it differently, but it should be the same exact song. That way NO ONE is at a disadvantage, and there aren’t any excuses for one of them doing bad…..

Personally, I don’t know why Kris fans are so worried. I’m an Adam fan and I’m not worried at all. I’m confident in my guy!! lol Plus, Adam has shown throughout the the competition that he can sing pretty much anything.

I’m interested to see how both of them interpret the last song. I haven’t heard a coronation song I liked yet. Maybe kara will surprise me and write a decent song this year. lol

i highly doubt that Kara and producer would allow contestants to rearrange the coronation song. What’s the point to have Kara compose it? Aren’t we suppose to have a great song for AI finale instead of usual cheesy songs?

As said above, they were not allowed to change in the previous, why should now? Unless Kara’s song is really sucked and both Adam and Kris insisted to re-arrange it

Actually David Cook has said that he à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“was able to do some things to that songà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  if Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢m quoting correctly.

The original version of Magic Rainbow was there for all of us to hear and vote on (even the foreigners). David definitely worked some magic on that song and re-arranged it to be palatable for modern radio. If he’d recorded it in the original arrangement, I’m thinking it wouldn’t still be being played on the radio.

There is certainly a precedent for people to re-arrange the coronation song. I’m thinking the original Tamyra penned “I Believe” didn’t have as many “Yah-Yahs” as Fantasia interjected into it. Taylor admitted to changing up DIMYP (remember, it was originally intended for Elliott and their styles are a bit different).

So, let’s review: Cook, Taylor and Fantasia all re-arranged their coronation song. Although Taylor was not an original “pimpee”, by the time of Final 2, the producers seemed to have warmed to him a bit. Fantasia was an out of the gate pimpee and Cook, if he wasn’t one of the original chosen ones, was certainly beloved by about the middle of the season.

Bo and Blake were not allowed to re-arrange the coronation songs and the producers clearly did not want them to win. They were made to sing songs that were in the wheelhouse (in arrangement and lyrics) of their much more pimped opposition. Both were skilled arrangers and likely could have done something with the songs if they could.

Seems to me that we have a clear indication of pimping. If the pimpee is a good arranger, they will be allowed to re-arrange the song to suite them. If the non-pimpee is the stronger arranger, he will not be allowed to re-arrange the song and will be made to sing it in a style not in his wheelhouse.

I think Kris is the better arranger of the two. I’m pretty sure that he’s not TCO. Now, while Adam has done a good job finding arrangements by others, he can’t do that with a coronation song (no youtube covers yet). He’s done a semi-good job of prodding Rickey into making decent arrangements.

So, it will be interesting to see if there is a non-arranging rule. While this isn’t “Arranging Idol”, this shouldn’t also be “You Must Sing In The Wheelhouse of TCO Idol” either.

Thanks, Kirsten. You always make very valid points (whether I like them or not). I happen to like this one and totally agree with it.

Maybe my ears deceive me, but Cook did not rearrange TOML. He said he put his mark/stamp on it, and he did that vocally, interpretatively, emotionally. But listening to Hamm’s original reveals to me literally no compositional rearrangement.

After hearing Hello, Little Sparrow, ABMB, All I Really Need Is You, etc, I don’t think a Cookified Magic Rainbow would have sounded anything at all like the single he released (aka the song Hamm wrote.)

Bo and Blake were not allowed to re-arrange the coronation songs

I was not Blake fan but I remember being angry about this. I dont particularly care for his voice but he has a great musical ear and CAN rearrange music. I thought the look on his face when he was singing that coronation song said it all (“how much longer do I have to sing like this? please make it end!”)

Coronation song:

As much as a lot of people seem not to like Kara I’ll bet you money that she isn’t so stupid as to write a song that she won’t let be “worked out” by the artists performing it. Come on, that is what she does for a living…writes songs and works with the person singing it. I have this great feeling that we are going to hear two completely different versions such that we will have a hard time recognizing as the same song.

Adam and Kris are both excellent at changing up a song to fit their vocal skills and styles. I remember an interview with David A. where he talked about Cook’s coronation song and he said that Cook sang it totally different than he was going to.

Final 2: I know it is fun to speculate on what is going to happen…but it is really sad to me that many fans have already decided that their chosen one is going to get the short end of the deal before it happens. It’s almost like they are making excuses because they don’t think their chosen one has a chance. Well, I think both guys have an excellent chance of “winning” even though I think they are both winners already!

My take on it is that AI is not strictly a singing competition. It is both a singing/performing and popularity contest. There are phases to the show where singing carries more weight vs. being popular and vice versa.

Additionally, even in strictly singing competitions, it is all about performing the song, showing musicality. That is the difference between a good singer and a great singer. There are elements designed to test the technical aspects of singing (e.g., scales, sight reading) but those are not the only criteria, nor do they always carry the most weight.

i highly doubt that Kara and producer would allow contestants to rearrange the coronation song. Whatà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s the point to have Kara compose it?

The song would still be composed by Kara. “Heartless” is still composed by Kanye. He’ll still get paid. It’s still his words. It’s still his melody. It’s still his chorus. That Kris didn’t sing it with a vocoder doesn’t mean that Kanye suddenly didn’t compose it.

As said above, they were not allowed to change in the previous, why should now?

But they have been able to change the song in the past.

Personally, I donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t know why Kris fans are so worried.

Because if there is a non-arranging rule in effect, then the song probably favours Adam. The song wasn’t written this weekend and Kris was not intended to make the final. If it was suddenly discovered that “surprise!” the coronation song had been written by Bucky Covington with a Kris/Michael final two in mind and Adam was going to have to sing a full-on country song with nary a glory note allowed, then things might be a little different. I would prefer that Adam be given a fighting chance to change up that “good old boy” song and turn it into something in his style. I’m pretty sure that some Adam fans might agree with me.

I frankly find it far more interesting to say “here is a song, make it your own” (just like the judges have been harping about all season) then see two people sing the same song in exactly the same way. I have some paint to watch drying that would be more interesting. Let’s give them a song and see what they can do.

Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢m thinking the original Tamyra penned à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“I Believeà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  didnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t have as many à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Yah-Yahsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  as Fantasia interjected into it.

Fantasia puts “yah yah’s” in all of her songs. Thats her style, and interpretation of the song. There’s a difference between singing style and musically changing chords to make a song fit you.

i highly doubt that Kara and producer would allow contestants to rearrange the coronation song. Whatà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s the point to have Kara compose it?

THIS!

I think it’s to Kara’s best interest to have them singing the song in their own style. It would show that a good song is a good song (the jury’s still out on that) no matter who sings it. It’s like a good house. It has the right bones regardless of the wallpaper, paint, horrendous kitchen cabinets…

i highly doubt that Kara and producer would allow contestants to rearrange the coronation song. Whatà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s the point to have Kara compose it?

Because she’s the composer not the arranger. Think of what Adam did to the song One. Did it sound anything like the original? No. Did Bono mind if Adam sang it on idol with his own spin on the song? Apparently not. I think not allowing contestants to rearrange songs is tying their hands behind their backs. I like to see what they come up with. I do think Kris takes the edge here so if idol doesn’t allow it, it will smell very fishy to me.

Giving a different vocal interpretation to a song is entirely different than musically rearranging it. Adding your own vocal riffs, emotion, going up an octave where the guy on the demo didn’t have the voice to, etc. is a totally different thing than changing the tempo of the song, or eliminating instrumentation, or taking out parts. David Cook’s Time of My Life is Musically the same song Reggie Hamm wrote, with a better singer.

If kara doesnt want to be more hated then she already is then she has to let Adam and Kris both sing the song the way they want.

I dont think a TOML type of rearrangement would be enough to kris… he needs radical rearrangements such as heartless and she works hard for the money to get things working, specially if with an acoustic guitar. The ABMB type of rearrangement. THIS would not be allowed, I assume, since has never been. Cook, Taylor, etc, they had minor changes but kept the style, instruments, etc.

Kris rearranged/made minor changes and several other songs such as come together, etc, and it does not have the same impact.

Adam, on the other hand, has a very angelic voice when he wants to. If he does not go crazy with the melody, it will probably come on his favor.

Also, the fact that they do not have a reference on the original coronation song does not help very much kris. He was praised based on the “shock” of a different interpretation of former songs. There will be no shock, unless adam goes straight and kris is allowed to kris-ize the song with his guitar only… Lets see what happens!

What is TOML and ABMB?

TOML is Time of My Life
ABMB is Always Be My Baby

I think somewhere along the line there has evolved a disconnect between arranging and singing. A musical arrangement is: An adaptation of a composition for other instruments or voices or for another style of performance. A singing style is: intonation, phrasing, breath control, the key a song is performed in.

I don’t think the contestants are going to take Kara’s song and rearrange the verses, or change the timing of the song (rhythm), or two choruses instead of a bridge, etc. But they will sing the song differently just because their voices and singing styles are different.

Blake….Blake was just Blake when he sang the coronation song. His stick was so over the top and had absolutely nothing to do with “singing” that he didn’t have the singing skills to make the song different. He was a one trick pony that got caught in his trick.

I don’t think there’s no need for Kris or Adam fans to fight who is better than who. They are completely different from each other so no point in comparing. Both their stars will shine and only the future can tell who is the real winner career-wise. But I do hope that both Kris and Adam fans unite as both your idols are BFF. Adam may want to win but I’m sure he’d be very happy if Kris wins. Kris is not looking forward to win since he acknowledges that Adam is a better performer (the thumb nail polish is his way of stating his support for Adam to be in the finale) but for sure he will share his award with Adam if he wins. Both are winners in my eyes.

The only difference that I can see between the two is their audience – Kris appeals to the American audience while Adam has that worldwide appeal.

Giving a different vocal interpretation to a song is entirely different than musically rearranging it. Adding your own vocal riffs, emotion, going up an octave where the guy on the demo didnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t have the voice to, etc. is a totally different thing than changing the tempo of the song, or eliminating instrumentation, or taking out parts. David Cookà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s Time of My Life is Musically the same song Reggie Hamm wrote, with a better singer.

EXACTLY!

I think ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s to Karaà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s best interest to have them singing the song in their own style. It would show that a good song is a good song

Not to mention she would look like a Grade A B!tch if she didn’t allow them to re-arrange her song after she chewed Kris a new one for not re-arranging “Apologize” enough last week and then wemt crazy for “Heartless’ and “One”. What? Tedder, West and Bono are chopped liver, but all her songs are sacrosanct?

Now, personally, I think Kara would be open to her songs being re-arranged (as gingerly says, it shows the quality of her songs if they can be re-arranged and still sound great). I’ll blame Warwick, Fuller and Cowell if I have to see Kris trying to belt out glory notes 8 steps above his range while looking like he wishes the stage would just swallow him now. I get no joy out of seeing somebody try to sing something they cannot. I get joy out of seeing people achieve their best.

IMO, Adam can win on his own. He doesn’t need the producers to hobble Kris. So, they should allow the re-arrangement of the coronation songs so that we can have an interesting competition to watch and some kick-ass singing.

I disagree about Blake… maybe not the vocal chops but he knows how to arrange music… imo. It really doesn’t matter what any of us think. TPTB have their agenda and they’ll work it however they need to. But I thought Kris did a brilliant job with Heartless… may even be my fave from the season. And I didn’t start out the season as a Kris fan at all.

If Kris doesn’t win it’s not likely he will sign with E19 or one of their affiliates. He won’t be that marketable, and they have been burned before. Archie fit Jive well. Where will Kris fit?

Who wants to bet that Kara’s song will be so bad and chessey/bubblegum.I bet both of these guys will have a hardtime since the Kara mostly writes for David Archuleta,Hilary Duff,,,etc.It makes me wonder if Kara ever wrote a song for a real artist/musican because that’s who both Kris and Adam are.Kara’s song wont do any favors.

Giving a different vocal interpretation to a song is entirely different than musically rearranging it. Adding your own vocal riffs, emotion, going up an octave where the guy on the demo didnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t have the voice to, etc. is a totally different thing than changing the tempo of the song, or eliminating instrumentation, or taking out parts. David Cookà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s Time of My Life is Musically the same song Reggie Hamm wrote, with a better singer.

Yup Yup Yup!!!

Kara DioGuardi’s songs have been recorded by artists including Celine Dion, Carrie Underwood, Kelly Clarkson, Pink, Avril Lavigne, Hannah Montana, the Jonas Brothers, Paris Hilton, Faith Hill, Santana, Ashlee Simpson, Jewel, Christina Aguilera, and Kylie Minogue and many others. DioGuardi has also had much success with major Latin music artists including RBD, Laura Pausini, Enrique Iglesias, Marc Anthony, Thalà ­a, Ricky Martin and Carlos Santana

not bad for someone who’s coronation song is going to be really cheesy….geesh!

Giving a different vocal interpretation to a song is entirely different than musically rearranging it

Yeah I get that. I just don’t understand why there’s a problem with rearranging. This debate is strange to me. I’m not sure why it’s a problem for people to have a song rearragned. Oh well…

I feel like I’m in an alternate universe. I can’t beleive I’m on here giving all these props to Blake! lol… those of you around in his season remember that he was not at the top of my list. I do respect his muscianship though.

Kris better not be E19.He’s so much better than that crappy label.I think he fits into RCA? Or jive? I dont know record deals that way.I think he fits into pop/country?

ccagain
May 16th, 2009 at 11:22 am
If Kris doesnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t win ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s not likely he will sign with E19 or one of their affiliates. He wonà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t be that marketable, and they have been burned before. Archie fit Jive well. Where will Kris fit?

There isn’t just Jive or Sony/RCA in 19E’s family of labels. While some have said that the top two get the same deal, I don’t know if that is correct. I happen to think they each get the deal they pen. I don’t understand why they wouldn’t sign somebody who was within a million of the top votes, or had the top votes by a million. Every runnerup has gotten a record deal. I don’t think it will be any different for the runnerup this year, whomever he happens to be.

E19 owns RCA, KrisAllen1. E19 also owns Jive.

The big difference between TOML and whatever Kara wrote is neither DC or Archie were being judged on their performance. TOML wasn’t heard by the AI viewers until AFTER the judging took place. Since they both picked their own choices from the songwriting contest entries they sang entirely different songs that night. This will be a whole other ballgame and whether or not the song can be changed will play a huge part in how the voting goes.

FWIW official Facebook pages are up now for Adam and Kris. A couple of other Idols also have official pages but Adam and Kris’ are the only ones who seem a little different and their profile pictures are official headshots with the 19 logo on them.

Where Kris Allen and Adam Lambert will be signed is already a done deal. All the details have been worked out. Tuesday means absolutely nothing. They both will be congratulated and told Wednesday night where they will be signed and they will go to THEIR winner’ party, then do THEIR media circuit. The companies that are signing them do not care if they got confetti, or if a few more power voting cougars and grannies stayed up for 4 hours. They got 88 MILLION people to vote last week. They already did it.

That said, everything favors Kris to win.

I agree with many of the posts above: Why are the Kris fans so worried about him not being able to rearrange the final song? He’ll stylize it and been fine. Relax about it. That isn’t his big challenge.

He didn’t rearrange “Come Together”, he just did an accoustic guitar version of the song. And “Falling Slowing” was well received and that was a very faithful cover.

Frankly, for all the discussion of Kris’ arrangements, I am not certain that that is important as it is being made out to be. With the notable exception of “Ain’t No Sunshine”, mostly he has been stylizing songs. Note: Kris did NOT do an original arrangement of “Heartless” it was The Fray arrangement. I have no issue with Kris covering this song except I love The Fray and hate to see people give Kris create for their great work.

I thnk Kris’ real worry is that Kara probably wrote the song thinking the song would be sung by someone with an above average vocal range. And Kris clearly has a pretty average voice.

Based solely on their live American Idol performances, here’s a comparison:

Adam:
Overall lowest : C#3/Db3 Overall highest : A#5/Bb5
Vocal range: 16-1/2 steps (part of tenor, contralto & mezzo soprano)

Kris:
Overall lowest : B2 Overall highest : A#4/Bb4
Vocal range: 11 steps (tenor)

Based on Adam’s non-Idol performances, I know his range is broader than what we’ve heard on Idol, particularly in the lower register. A couple of his pre-Idol performances are in the tenor range. I am starting to think that Adam can sing just about anything well — it’s just a matter of how OTT he gets.

IMO Kris has been really pushing the upper limits of his vocal range, for example, he missed a few of the high notes on “Apologize” because the range was more than he could handle. Kris does really well when he can pick songs, because many of his picks and arrangements have an 8-step range. I doubt Kara wrote something like that for a “singing competition”.

Note: Danny was not my favorate, but just to give the “devil his due”, he had a 13 step range.

I don’t know who will win the Final, but I know who is the better performer and has the better voice.

wouldn’t it be a hoot if “Round One – The Contestantà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s Favorites – Favorite song from the season is how Ryan described it.” meant that the idol could select a song sung by someone else on the show and do it up however they liked! after all, dream on could be one of adam’s favourite songs.

personally, i would rather adam and kris take a song that they kinda blew during the season and give it one more shot to turn it into a “moment”. both should stay away from mad world and heartless as you can’t go anywhere but down trying to sing them again. i can just hear simon saying “nice, but not as good as the first time you sang it. i would have picked a different song.”

I donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t see this at all. All the angst about how the format favors Adam just screams (pun) to me that folks donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t have the confidence in Kris that they should. I think peeps are selling him short, as theyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ve done all season

You hit it on the nail for me…..Kris seems to have this going for him all season…Is he so weak that fans have to always make up an excuse why he may or may not meet up?..It will never be his fault if he has a subpar performance..it will always be TPTB that are trying to bus him or something…I call it bullcrap

he will get a song, and should sing it straight, and either suck or do good…and if he does suck, it will be because he sucked…end of story!

People are very confused how the whole record label/management thing works out.

MANAGEMENT

There is 19M = 19 Management

They have first right of refusal for all of the Top 36. If 19M doesn’t opt to sign them, they have to wait until the contract runs out – which is usually the middle of August – before they can sign any other management deal. On rare occassions they release people early (like Michael Johns and Elliot Yamin). The reason they do this is to prevent non-winners from directly competing with their winners.

RECORD LABEL

There is also 19R = 19 Recordings
There is SONY/BMG Music group – A corporate umbrella that houses a large number of record labels.

The above also gets first right of refusal for the same time period. The record deals are usually a combination of 19R and one of the SONY/BMG record labels. I’m not exactly sure how that relationship works but my feeling is that 19R is more of a financial arrangement (meaning they take a cut of record sales) and whatever SONY/BMG record label the contestant signs with is in charge of the actual record production, creative direction, marketing and distribution of the album.

It’s a total misnomer that not winning sets a contestant free of 19M/19R’s clutches. If 19 wants Adam and/or Kris, neither will have a choice but to sign with them.

So with that reality, it’s really better to WIN, because then 19M/19R will make the winner their first priority – in most cases. Unless you’re name is Taylor Hicks. :op That year, they treated Daughtry as the winner. Taylor and Katharine McPhee signed with different management.

I hate when people call Kris a weak singer.I feel like doing a Danny scream when i hear that.Kris can sing any song and make it Kris. he cant scream and nor do i want him too.Fans that can Kris a weak singer dont really know good music.I know singers who dont scream or cry in the middle of a song.A real artist can connect with a song without over-doing it.

Lu, I agree with you I think Blake actually created some interesting music, I just didn’t think he was much of a singer.

I actually think that Kris is a better singer than Blake, but not as creeative. For example, for “Heartless”, Kris selected an alternative arrangement and covered it. I just don’t think that many Kris fans know The Fray (currently on the Global Top 10, US Top 40). They are brilliant and they ararnged/composed this acoustic version of “Heartless”.

I love the fray but Kris did a better arrangment and version of it.It was pure flawless and i hated the fray’s version of it.

Tkat – I wasn’t familiar with The Frays version either but I am now and I love it!

I like Kris, but I prefer the Fray’s version of Apologize. It really bugged me and sounded awkward every time Kris enunciated “apologize”, instead of saying “pologize”.

Adam should, and probably will, pick Mad World. However, I would give him serious props if he picks Ring of Fire.

Kris should pick Ain’t No Sunshine. Although Heartless may have been marginally better, it is too recent and won’t seem fresh. By doing this, of course, he will leave himself open to being criticized for not picking his best song. In that sense, he is in a no win situation.

Does this format favor Adam? Well, this format gives the producers a LOT more influence. So, if they want an Adam win, it would be easy to set it up so that he clearly wins the “singing” contest that night. If the coronation song is written specifically to show case a singer with a big, high upper range, and Kris is not allowed to change it up, he will sound terrible. Stick him with some miserable “producers choice” that doesn’t fit his voice (Kris, we picked We are the Champions because we want to see your rock side), he is probably screwed.

I say probably, because Kris has shown an amazing resiliency and ability to make even improbable choices (She Works Hard for the Money) work for him.

I think Kris faces an uphill battle and really hope that the judges don’t try to hobble him too much. We have a clear contrast in styles, both of which I think could yield success outside this show. Just play it straight and let the voters pick.

On another note, I am interested to see what the producers pick will be for Adam. They seem to feel the need to balladize him for the masses. Sounds weird, but a song choice like Bridge Over Trouble Waters wouldn’t surprise me at all from this crew. A conventional song that Adam can easily make his own, but will sound safe to middle America. Let’s hope it doesn’t get this cheesy.

Randy namechecked the Fray in his commentary on Kris’ performance, so I wouldn’t be too worried about them not receiving credit (even though I think there are differences between what the Fray did and what Kris did.) That’s a lot more info than we get for a lot of the “covers of covers” done on this show! :) The cover-crediting debate is silly when you’re talking about a show of entirely covers, I’m sure there are people who didn’t know Adam’s Mad World was based on a version done by Gary Jules but that certainly doesn’t take away from Adam’s intelligence in selecting a version of the song that he felt would have the most impact.

Fans that can Kris a weak singer dont really know good music.

I don’t think that this is quite a fair statement. And I don’t think that people have been calling Kris a weak singer, they have just been saying he isn’t a “strong” singer in that his voice doesn’t project itself. It doesn’t have anything to do with screaming….far from it. as defined: clear and firm; loud: He has a strong voice.

Kris wouldn’t be able to sing in a concert hall or on a stage without the benefit of a microphone. (very few singers can). His voice is more intimate, it is the kind of voice that you think of when you picture someone sitting around a campfire and singing. It is about starry nights and soft breezes and fire flies and spring showers. And his voice is beautiful.

Adam’s voice on the other hand is strong and powerful. His voice is more about fireworks, and crashing waves, and waterfalls and driving rain. And his voice is beautiful.

Vote for Kris. Adam will make it without the Idol win. Kris, probably not.

Kris has certainly been the dark horse in this competition, and yes, people do tend to root for the underdog (I rooted for the Red Sox for years
because they were always the underdogs, but, hay, I’m from New England). Anyway, I have to disagree with the train thought that that will help Kris to be the next Idol. The entire country is in a crisis (home foreclosures, unemployment, credit card cancellations and outrageous interest rates for people who pay on time, poniz schemes, etc.)! The thing that Adam Lambert brings to the table is that he is BOLD and DIFFERENT! People are fed up with the sh** that is going on with the economy and the war. Adam’s unbelievable vocals give people something else to focus on and its’ a statement!! Quite frankly, he makes people feel good!! The tweens on this blog will not understand what I just said, but the truth is, Adam crosses all generations with his unbeleivable performances, and I’m shocked by my reaction to him….haven’t felt this good since Rick Springfield (Jesse’s Girl). Feel even better listening to Adam!! This sh** is crazy!!

Kris does have a strong voice.Just because he needs a microphone doesnt mean he doesnt have a strong voice.He does have a beautiful voice.I love Adam but i cant get into his music.I think Adam’s voice is mind-blowing though and one of the best.Very few singers can scream and make it sound like beautiful music.I think Kris has a more intimate voice though.Its very..smooth like butter.Adam does scream and sometimes wail and it doesnt come off as something i want to hear.I think Kris has a firm and clear voice.

They do both have BEAUTIFUL voices though i have to agree.

color me crazy but i do think adam MIGHT have a problem with the coronation song. i really dont see him connecting well with ballads….example: One. while the beg of the song was great, when he hit the chorus, it just went off course for me (too screechy, too broadway). usatoday article did quote adam as saying he wasnt a big U2 fan, it wasn his type of music. thus, if he wasnt able to connect well with U2′s lyrics , not sure how well he will be able to do so with Kara’s.

Tear of a Clown and Mad World were both stripped down (free of bandzilla), so adam really got to showcase his beautiful voice…..im just not sure that a sappy coronation ballad WITH the band will really give him an advantage over kris (who as someone mentioned above, did really well with the faithful cover of Falling Slowly).

plus, expectations are higher for adam…sometimes that can make a big difference in the mindset of the viewer/voter

As a Kris fan I think Adam is good at ballads.Just look at Mad World,Tracks Of My tears,If I cant have you.I think Kris is better at ballads just because of To make you feel my love,Falling Slowly but Adam is just as good.If the song is a ballad then it works for the both of them.

Adam:
Overall lowest : C#3/Db3 Overall highest : A#5/Bb5
Vocal range: 16-1/2 steps (part of tenor, contralto & mezzo soprano)

Kris:
Overall lowest : B2 Overall highest : A#4/Bb4
Vocal range: 11 steps (tenor)

Tkat….wow i am impressed

im just not sure that a sappy coronation ballad WITH the band

Everyone is referring to the coronation song as a sappy ballad with the band. I haven’t heard the song yet, so I can’t make this kind of judgment. For those that obviously have can I have the link, please. I’d like to hear it too.

Heà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s like a dog who pees all over the stage to mark his territory. Aint no one gonna mess with his shit

ROFLMAO. Ah Dingo, I missed ya last year & so glad your posting again this year. Masterpiece! Be sure to keep those bunny slippers out of that pee tho.

Blake sucked on the coronation song S6, but Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢m one who firmly believes he didnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t have to.

Ever think that maybe, just maybe Blake did not want the win? :wink_wp:

On the coronation song. I don’t think it will matter in the end. People who like Adam will vote for Adam & people who like Kris will vote for Kris. I think each of them should be able to “stamp” the song with their “voice”. I don’t think they should be allowed to change the music or tempo.

Who would have believed the most intelligent comments on this show came from Sanjaya Malakar.

I was thinking the same thing! Weird.

Kris should do à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Sunshineà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ , it was great and early in the season. Plus, it an original arrangement. I think that à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Come Togetherà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  was not a great choice for Kris in the first place and he should not repeat it.

I guess you haven’t heard Kris sing “Come Together” acoustic. It is fantastic.

I hate when people call Kris a weak singer.I feel like doing a Danny scream when i hear that.Kris can sing any song and make it Kris. he cant scream and nor do i want him too.Fans that can Kris a weak singer dont really know good music.I know singers who dont scream or cry in the middle of a song.A real artist can connect with a song without over-doing it.

I don’t think Kris is a “weak singer” but I do believe that he has an AVERAGE vocal range and lacks vocal power. His voice also gets even weaker in his upper range and he often goes off key a bit on the higher notes.

It’s not an opinion that Kris has an average vocal range; it’s a fact. IMO Kris’ big strength is as a song stylist and his phrasing is great. The average vocal range, however, means that 1. he needs to use other forms of vocal expression, and 2. that he can’t sing a song that requires a large vocal range without making adjustments. That was the problem he faced with Apologize.

Because of Kris’ vocal range, “Apologize” was a terrible judges’ pick for him, and if he gets a song from Simon F. or Kara that is like this, he could have trouble with it. Here is a great cover of Apologise for comparison. The key is higher but it clearly illustrates the vocal range the song requires:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p6FFQ3CJcBU&NR=1
(note: One Republic talks for a lttile over a minute before the song starts.)

I love the fray but Kris did a better arrangment and version of it.It was pure flawless and i hated the frayà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s version of it.

Kris’ Heartless is almost note for note The Fray version — Kris changed the tempo a bit, sang both parts (lead and backup) and dropped the high notes because he couldn’t hit them. Just give The Fray credit for the version and I’m happy. IMHO The Fray version is better. But I can understand liking Kris’ version better and I respect that.

For all of you negating Adam’s ability to sing a coronation song check out “is anybody listening”. More than likely Kara has already wrote the song and the music to go with it with Danny in mind hence her shocked expression on results night this week. Since Danny is soul/r&b this is where the moment comes of who is a truer artist Adam or Kris at making the song suit them. If of course the producers allow them too.

oh, poor caldwell. she wont be able to date kris or adam.

That’s hilarious, myra.

I wonder why most Kris fans are concerned if Kris will be allowed to re-arrange the coronation song to suit his voice. This is a singing competition, not a musical arranger’s competition. If he is really a good singer, he will sail it through. I just wish both of them will sing acapella….no band, no guitars….just their voices to be heard.

I don’t believe there was 1 million votes separating Adam and Kris. The producers are just trying to make it more interesting.

I am also annoyed that the tv hosts said that most Danny fans would gravitate to Kris. It’s not fact it’s just speculation. If Adam had been eliminated I would have went with Danny.

More than likely Kara has already wrote the song and the music to go with it with Danny in mind hence her shocked expression on results night this week.

oh dear .. I hope there are no “doop dooo beeee doooooos” in the lyrics

“Kara mostly writes for David Archuleta,Hilary Duff,,,etc.It makes me wonder if Kara ever wrote a song for a real artist/musican because thatà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s who both Kris and Adam are.Karaà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s song wont do any favors.”

Hmm, I beg to differ whom you’re NOT calling a real artist musician. Kara wrote maybe one song for David A. and he is a real artist but you need to be his fan to really know it, sorry!

The fact that Adam’s songs are arrnaged by Orland doesn’t make him a real artist? The list is too long of artists who don’t arrange their own songs. In the music business, it’s as much about collaborating with a talented writer/producer team as it is about being able to do it yourself.

I checked out the Fray’s version of Heartless as soon as I heard the spoiler and Kris did a better job. I thought the Fray version was too mellow but then the Fray are mellow masters.

I wouldn’t be surprised if Kara already wrote the song for Danny’s voice, foolish girl, but let’s just hope it is the best coronation song ever written for AI or more realistically let’s hope it is the least schlocky coronation song ever written for AI.

Hi jessedxn, you noted from idolranges.com

Adam:
Overall lowest : C#3/Db3 Overall highest : A#5/Bb5
Vocal range: 16-1/2 steps (part of tenor, contralto & mezzo soprano)

Kris:
Overall lowest : B2 Overall highest : A#4/Bb4
Vocal range: 11 steps (tenor)

Just wanted to Add that Adam can and has sung even higher than A#5. That is just his highest note in head voice. Idolranges doesn’t count notes in falsetto.
That limitation is same for alll contestants,so it won’t be counting any notes Kris sand n falsetto either.

I am dying to know who is going to do duets with which celebrity guests.

Lionel Ritchie and David Cook maybe?

Jason Mraz and Kris Allen?

What lucky SOB gets to front Santana?

Actually I think Kris could do a great job on Smooth esp if Santana was the back up band, you know since they are available and all.

I like Bruno’s thinking, it would be great if it was a song performed by anyone of the peeps – like to hear something new-ish.

I guess you havenà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t heard Kris sing à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Come Togetherà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  acoustic. It is fantastic.

Yes, I’ve heard the acoustic version of “Come Together” and it’s much better than the AI Live Performance version. I have three reasons for thinking that Kris should pick something else:

1. He performed “Come Together” in the Top 4. Very recently.

2. The song is a rock song and the most sucessful cover was done by Aerosmith. I perfer it as a rock song.

3. I love the Beatles and the John Lennon songs are my favorate, but this song has odd lyrics that sound like nonsense verse. General consense is that the song is about the Beatle, but John never explained what it is about. For example, a couple of verses:

Here come old flattop he come grooving up slowly
He got joo-joo eyeball he one holy roller
He got hair down to his knee
Got to be a joker he just do what he please

Come together right now over me

He bag production he got walrus gumboot
He got ono sideboard he one spinal cracker
He got feet down below his knee
Hold you in his armchair you can feel his disease

Come together right now over me

3. IMHO “Ain’t No Sunshine” was a brilliant performance and would be a bigger number for the final. And Kris did a very original arangement that is really current for this.

I really just want both Kris and Adam to be at their best for the Final — even more than wanting one or the other to win.

Because of Krisà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ vocal range, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Apologizeà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  was a terrible judgesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ pick for him, and if he gets a song from Simon F. or Kara that is like this, he could have trouble with it. Here is a great cover of Apologise for comparison. The key is higher but it clearly illustrates the vocal range the song requires:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p6FFQ3CJcBU&NR=1

I think Kris would have benefited more from the song if he had just done piano and vocals like the girl in the video above. He has the kind of voice that works better with stripped down versions. (IMO).

But on a side note. Would it kill the sound guys to just turn up the volume a little bit when the contestants play an instrument? I feel like I’ve barely been able to hear Kris all season.

à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Kara mostly writes for David Archuleta,Hilary Duff,,,etc.It makes me wonder if Kara ever wrote a song for a real artist/musican because thatà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s who both Kris and Adam are.Karaà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s song wont do any favors.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ 

She has writen songs for Celine Dion, Avril Levine, Leona Lewis, Faith Hill, Pink, Kelly Clarkson, Santana and many other artists. IMO Kara is a second-rate judge but she is a first-rate songwriter.

In 2007, she was named BMI’s “Pop Songwriter of the Year” for 2006, as she had accumulated ten BMI awards in the previous four years for having written the “most performed songs on the radio”. To date, she has had over 46 albums in the Top 10 on Billboard magazine’s 200 album chart. Her songs are on various hit albums that have altogether sold over 100 million copies. In 2007, DioGuardi was nominated for a Latin Grammy in the category of Best Song for her writing on the Belinda single, “Bella Traicià ³n” along with co-writers Belinda, Ben Moody, Nacho Peregrin and producer Mitch Allan. In November 2007, Kara was awarded the TAXI A&R award for Humanitarian of the Year at their annual Road Rally Convention.

The list of what she’s writen is way too long, here a link to a partial list:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kara_DioGuardi_songwriting_and_production_discography

She is also a respected producer.

Here are my finale predictions, which are sure to go wrong:

1. Contestants’ Greatest Hits: I hope that the contestants will be allowed to pick new songs here, but it sounds like the show’s going for a “Greatest Hits” vibe here (probably to save money).

Adam: Whole Lotta Love by Led Zeppelin

Kris: Heartless by Kanye West and T-Pain

2. Simon Fuller’s Picks: One thing that people have to keep in mind is that Simon Fuller’s picks are probably going to be from artists that he already manages (again, to save as much money on song rights fees as the show possibly can)

Adam: Love Song For a Vampire by Annie Lennox- This could be another Mad World moment in the making.

Kris: Moody’s Mood For Love by Amy Winehouse, Elliot Yamin, etc.- If you listen to Winehouse’s version of this song, you can get a Jason Mraz-type vibe out of it, which Kris can really riff on. Plus, there’s no better way to shut Elliot up than by slaying (in a good way) one of his signature songs.

3. Kara’s Coronation Song: This will suck and likely favor a power vocalist.

I, too, am sort of disappointed with the “favorite of the season” but I hope, like many of yall have said, they take a new spin on them. I sort of hope Adam comes out and does something crazy. maybe he and bowie could both come out in their quasi-drag greatness :)

i had a great Idol moment last night at dinner. i have noticed all along that the message boards had tons of moms and grandmas that love adam because he moves them in a way that no artist has in a long time. i chalked it up to maybe only being the hi-tech moms and grandmas that are online since they probably are still relatively “young” in their music choices…. but at a dinner for a friend who just got his PhD – his 60 year old mother, who is very much not on the internet, was SO excited to get to talk about her love for Adam with a fellow Glambert. my other friends just rolled their eyes (given that they were with me a few days before at dinner while i proceeded to call in votes for adam the entire time we were at the table :)

it just goes to show that adam isn’t JUST the favorite of the “My Chemical Romance” or “Twilight” Tween crowd (or the nerdy grad student crowd in my case)… he is cross-generational in his appeal and i think he really will go far.

i love them both, but i really really really want Adam to win!

I donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t believe there was 1 million votes separating Adam and Kris. The producers are just trying to make it more interesting.

I am a bit surprised that this hasn’t been further dissected given the previous scrutiny each and every word of Ryan’s has received.

What he said was “just over a million” votes separated the two.
I remember wondering at the time if that meant 1,000,500 or 2 million, as technically either could be correct.

Hell, with an 88 million total “just over” a million could even be more, especially in Ryan-speak.

From reading various boards, it’s sad that so many people who supported Adam early on are suddenly deserting him because they feel he’s already a star and the title will help Kris more with his career. I really, really like Kris – he’s been my 2nd favorite all along – but no one will convince me he’s earned the top spot over Adam. Not everyone appreciates Adam’s style, but there’s no denying he’s got mad talent and has people tuning into AI in droves this year for the first time. If Adam doesn’t win, it would be a real travesty.

I wonder why most Kris fans are concerned if Kris will be allowed to re-arrange the coronation song to suit his voice. This is a singing competition, not a musical arrangerà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s competition. .

Um, not really.

The judges are constantly harping on the arrangements of the songs. You do it too faithfully, you’re karaoke. You mix it up, great if they like what you did with it — you flunk if they don’t.

This would be a “pure” singing contest if the whole format changed to make it about one kind of music. Everyone singing country, or soul, or (like that fun BET show) competing on gospel? Yup, they all have the style and equipment to tackle it on equal footing.

But what entertainer do we know who can master every genre? I mean, can you imagine Bruce Springsteen or Frank Sinatra or Marvin Gaye singing disco one week, showtunes the next, then hard rock, then Motown, then Opry, etc. etc.

This is one of the reasons why the show is unique, and also why some of the best people don’t win — ie LaKisha Jones, who had very likely never in her life sung (and maybe never even heard) a disco number before Idol. And it’sone of the reasons why really versatile vocalists like David Cook and Kelly Clarkson excel.

But you’ve got two minutes to make you shot, and if bandzilla is whacking you upside the head, or you’ve added a sax solo that messes stuff up, or you sing the tune in the wrong key and/or tempo, that’s a HUGE difference.

And for the record, I’m REALLY disappointed Kradam can’t do a new number on Tuesday. I want to hear more of what Kris has to sing, and know if Adam is more versatile than I suspect.

so ccagain, you mean we should vote based on pity rather than talent? isn’t that unfair for the talented one? and isn’t that weird that most Kris’ fans are so unconfident about Kris? in that way, even if Kris wins, it will only make people think it is not because he is talented, but because of whatever reason you can think about. It is actually a humiliation to Kris.

my choice is, who performs better, who get my vote. this is finale, why can’t we enjoy and vote for the best?

Lexus…what you have been reading in other boards about Adam fans giving up on a Kris’ Idol title is just a way of preparing them for another surprise. I know because I am one of them who seems to need to accept that Kris will win because of Danny’s vote going to him. But come Tuesday night, I together with those Adam fans who thinks Kris will win, will still be there for Adam dialing his # for as many hours it could take. We can’t just let a good man down. He’s one in a million….a superstar in the making. I just wish AI would reward him for being the one who single handedly brought back AI to life.

colette…sure they have to show artistry, their own version, their own arrangements. But no one has heard the coronation song. How will we know who re-arranged and who stayed true to it. It will be better if they leave the song’s melody as it is and make their voices worked it out.

We canà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t just let a good man down. Heà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s one in a millionà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ ¦.a superstar in the making. I just wish AI would reward him for being the one who single handedly brought back AI to life.

You’re so right, lola. Some say he doesn’t need the title, others say perhaps it’s better he not be tied to a contract. It’s incredibly discouraging. He wants to win. I think his real fans should respect his wishes and do what they can to pull him through.

I also don’t get why Danny’s fans feel Adam’s responsible for his leaving and are launching a voting campaign against him. Perhaps its a credit to Adam that so many people feel threatened by him. Personally, I never had the impression that Adam was pimped any moreso than Danny.

We canà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t just let a good man down. Heà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s one in a millionà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ ¦.a superstar in the making. I just wish AI would reward him for being the one who single handedly brought back AI to life.

I am in full support of Adam but I don’t know if he brought AI back to life. He certainly made this season interesting (little unsuspenseful maybe, but highly interesting). No one does what Adam can do on that AI stage and I think AI is thrilled that they were able to find and uncover him to the public.

Does he need the win? Maybe not. But this isn’t a contest of good will and friendship, may the best competitor win. Adam said so himself “If I win, it would be a validation of everything that I’ve worked for”.

And to an earlier post – I think Adam can do ballads beautifully. Tracks of my Tears actually doesn’t come close to what he can do with ballads. Come Home and Dust in the Wind are performances unlike his AI performances and I hope the final week – he gets to showcase that. Those vocals were beautiful. Maybe those 2 were the 2 performances that really made me fall into this Adam obsession. Just read at the AI forums that Adam planned to do Come Home before he realized that Kris was going to do Apologize. . It’s a little unfortunate but I did enjoy crying a lot. However, Come Home would be a jaw dropper for people who are in the mindset of “Adam can only scream”.

I like Kris …but don’t think that he should attempt to do Moody’s Mood For Love. Elliott wrapped that song up and sent it air mail ..lol

Just a reminder, the Idol contestants basically have little input on what is sung on Tuesday. Yup, they get to chose one of their previous songs but that is as far as their song choice goes.

Simon Fuller gets to pick the other song and the 3rd song is Kara’s coronation song.

So unless Simon Fuller is “fantastic” in his picks there will probably not be the moment that we were all hoping for during the finals. So its going to be who can do the best under this rather restrictive format. Both guys need to up their game for just “singing“.

I love this interview clip of Kris about how he and Adam are friends:

http://www.hollywoodoutbreak.com/2009/05/14/kris-allenweve-both-won/

1. They will sign Adam to a record contract. They will sign Kris to a record contract. As Kris says, they both have already won.

2. I think the vote winner will be however does the best performances on Tuesday. America has gotten it right so far, I continue to have faith they will get it right on the final.

3. Adam’s voters don’t fit into a neat little box. Last week a writer for the Tampa Bay paper wrote his weekly AI column and the editors wrote the headline “Why Adam Can’t Win”. The article went on to describe how Kris and Danny had all the Christians, grandma’s, soccor mom’s, tweeners, etc.

Within an hour there were hundreds of comments — I’m a 68 year old Republican conservative evangelical grandma and I’m for Adam, I’m a soccor mom and ….., my 10 year old daughter made me write that she is for Adam and so am I.. My husband and I are in our 60′s abd former hippies and we’re for Adam… There were people from all over the country fans of Elvis, fans of 70′s glam rock, twilight fans, grandmas, moms, daughters, you name it. I read the comments in amazement because it was clear that there was no demographic similarity but these hundreds of women were uniformly passionate about Adam’s vocal talent.

Frankly, I will vote for Adam until my fingers bleed, but I won’t shed a tear if Kris wins. (OK I’m lying I might cry, but I won’t be sad.)

ccagain May 16th, 2009 at 1:29 pm

Vote for Kris. Adam will make it without the Idol win. Kris, probably not.

I disagree. Kris made it to the top 2 with anti-pimping. I think he’ll be just fine with not winning.

However, if he wins, he’ll deserve it!

There is also a great sound byte from Hollywood Outbreak with Adam explaining how all of the stage effects during his performances (lighting, staircase, chair, etc…) are his ideas that he has requested, not something that the producers have concocted for him.

http://www.hollywoodoutbreak.com/2009/05/14/adam-lambert-making-the-performance-his-own/

I frankly find it far more interesting to say à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“here is a song, make it your ownà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  (just like the judges have been harping about all season) then see two people sing the same song in exactly the same way. I have some paint to watch drying that would be more interesting. Letà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s give them a song and see what they can do.

ITA, Kirsten! I want to see “artistry” up there. If the judges love the word so much, then let’s have it!

Giving a different vocal interpretation to a song is entirely different than musically rearranging it. Adding your own vocal riffs, emotion, going up an octave where the guy on the demo didnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t have the voice to, etc. is a totally different thing than changing the tempo of the song, or eliminating instrumentation, or taking out parts. David Cookà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s Time of My Life is Musically the same song Reggie Hamm wrote, with a better singer.

No, no it isn’t. I suggest you talk to a person who has studied music composition. Changing the key a song is sung in is the same as stripping down the instrumentation for these purposes. No one is removing bars of music here.

I say let Adam and Kris compete on an even playing field. Each doing the best with what they have. I said it before, I’ll say it again. If this was really a singing competition Ricky Braddy would have made the top 5. It’s a performing competition, and I want to see some killer performances!

ETA: That “this Idol has a greater octave range so he/ she is a better singer/ artist/ performer/ whatever” argument seems to appear every year too. Music would be boring if we only gave props to big ranges. I think it’s more important that performers understand their strengths and weaknesses and how to work them to their advantage than just being able to sing more notes (I’m talking to you, Matt G). That’s how guys like Kris and Blake got as far as they did. That’s a lot more impressive, IMHO, than shouting out a glory note at the end of every song. A big range is something to be proud of, and Adam knows how to use his, but it’s not all there is.

Within an hour there were hundreds of comments à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬’  Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢m a 68 year old Republican conservative evangelical grandma and Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢m for Adam, Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢m a soccor mom and à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ ¦.., my 10 year old daughter made me write that she is for Adam and so am I.. My husband and I are in our 60à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s abd former hippies and weà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢re for Adamà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ ¦ There were people from all over the country fans of Elvis, fans of 70à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s glam rock, twilight fans, grandmas, moms, daughters, you name it. I read the comments in amazement because it was clear that there was no demographic similarity but these hundreds of women were uniformly passionate about Adamà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s vocal talent.

I think this is exactly right. Which is why I don’t believe Adam’s sexuality matters at all. I know there is probably a small religious contingent out there that will hold it against him, but they are a small group. And even smaller numbers would ever bother to actively work for his loss by voting for Kris just to get Adam to lose. No way they impact the race.

I just cannot imagine Adam Lambert being the warm up act for Kris during the Idol Tour. The horrors of that!

I just cannot imagine Adam Lambert being the warm up act for Kris during the Idol Tour. The horrors of that!

LOL I’d thought about that alot myself, with respect to mostly Danny, since everyone was assuming… I think they may just change the tour format this year. While I think I’d enjoy mini-sets from each most, I’m thinking we’ll have more interaction with duets, group #s, etc, to mix it up a little (and to give Adam time to change clothes and hair. LOL j/k)

I think this year has really poven the fact that singing should never be cookie cutter and that every good singer does or should know what they are capable of. If any AI contestant gets hung up on out singing the other guy they’ve lost even before they’ve begun. I think that is ultimately what hurt Danny in the long run…you just can’t outAdam on a rock song. And you have to know your vocal strengths and weaknesses (ask Matt) and you can’t just imitate a famous performer (ask Lil) and you can’t depend on an instrument to be your crutch (ask Scott) and you can’t just sing good in your comfort zone you need to spread your wings (ask Anoop). In my very humble opinion the 3 contestants who knew themselves the best , AAK, will go the farthest once this competition is over. They emphasized their strengths, never displayed their weaknesses, didn’t try to outsing each other just themselves. I think they have shown record producers, fans, and the media what talent is and what potential talent they have.

Maybe I’ll stop eating for a few months so I can go to the AI concert. I’d really like to clap for these 3 wonderful singers who were smart enough to know how to play the game!

I dont care who wins because Adam and Kris are both talented to the bone.It all comes down to who does the best on tuesday.THe top 3 performances kinda proved that.

“and to give Adam time to change clothes and hair. LOL j/k)”

I think Adam would love that if he has time to change clothes!!! It would be dull for him and his fans if he has to wear the same outfit for all the songs : )

erinnthered

I think ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s more important that performers understand their strengths and weaknesses and how to work them to their advantage than just being able to sing more notes”

I agree with you, that range isn’t all it’s about. But if a singer has high-level vocal talent and understands how to use it, then they have a real chance to do something really incredible. A singer with vocal power, accurate intonation, and a vocal flexibility can just bring so much more to their performance. For this lucky handful of singers, they have an even bigger challenge — what limits do you set up so that you do not overwhelm the audience. That’s Adam’s challenge — since I think he might be able to hold that high A for about 2 hours, how does he learn to use it most effectively?

I’ve been very lucky to see a lot of top level people preform live. And, I’m older than most trees so I got to see many classic rock artist in their prime. Many performers are impressive (Cold Play, Elvis Costello, Santana), some are fun (Bette Midler, Madonna), and many are not as good as you would hope. But only 3 times have I been really impressed by a vocalist. The first time was in 1974 when I saw first saw Freddy Mercury and Queen live as an opening act for Mott the Hoople. The second in 1982 when I saw Roy Orbison perform a duet with Emmylou Harris “That Lovin’ You Feelin’ Again”. And the last time was at the 1984 Grammy Award performance where of the 21 acts Pavoroti blew me and everyone else away — even in LA’s Shrine Auditorium. Freddy Mercurry, Roy Orbison and Pavorati do not have a lot in common except that they are uncommonly-talented singers.

Just 3 times, until this year and I heard/saw Adam Lambert perform Ring of Fire — on my television no less. I can’t explain why I connected with that performance. I can’t explain why for the first time in 2 decades, I’m passionate about a performer. All I can say is that I am very glad that I have watched AI for years because all that viewing time has been worthwhile.

I believe that Adam is also an uncommonly-talented performer, the kind that either become stratispheric or “crash and burn” to be the next Lifetime movie. Thankfully, Adam seems to be well grounded, has a great family, and I think that he will do just fine.

Just 3 times, until this year and I heard/saw Adam Lambert perform Ring of Fire à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬’  on my television no less. I canà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t explain why I connected with that performance. I canà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t explain why for the first time in 2 decades, Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢m passionate about a performer. All I can say is that I am very glad that I have watched AI for years because all that viewing time has been worthwhile.

Oh, hear! hear! erinnthered!!!

think ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s more important that performers understand their strengths and weaknesses and how to work them to their advantage than just being able to sing more notes (Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢m talking to you, Matt G). Thatà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s how guys like Kris and Blake got as far as they did. Thatà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s a lot more impressive, IMHO, than shouting out a glory note at the end of every song. A big range is something to be proud of, and Adam knows how to use his, but ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s not all there is.

Couldn’t agree more. My favorite artist currently recording is Diana Krall. Her range is insanely limited, but lord does she know how to use what she’s got. It helps that she’s a killer musician & arrranger, too (8 Grammy noms, 2 wins, and she’s probably looking at another one this year). Reminds me a little of someone else who gets mentioned here from time to time…

From Ryan Tedder of One Republic:

Oh, and adam lambert told me backstage he had requested to actually perform “come home” the night before but the other dude sang Apologize
about 6 hours ago from TwitterBerry

DAMN!!! HE KILLS ON “COME HOME” ON YOUTUBE!!! HOPEFULLY SIMON FULLER WILL LET HIM SING IT FOR THE FINALE??/ PLEASE???

Interesting discussion going on. I just finished writing up articles for three different outlets on the season finale and my head is awash in Idol right now. One thing I did not do in any of these pieces is make any prediction as to who I thought would win it, and that’s because I really don’t know. If you had asked me three weeks ago, I would have said Adam, but now I’m not so sure.

I do think some of Danny’s votes will go to Kris. That’s just the way it is. But I also think that people who don’t normally vote, or even watch, will pick up the phone Tuesday night. If Adam does what he’s capable of doing, he’ll win it. I think it’s his to lose. But I’m not ready to predict that he actually will win!

As far as the coronation song goes, Kara’s written for many different types of artists, including quite a few Idols. She wrote “The Real Thing” on Bo’s first album and my favorite song from that album, “Remember Me.” She also wrote Kelly C’s “Walk Away,” which was a huge hit. Kara writing a song for the winner could be a good thing. It has to be better than some of the schlock we’ve heard in previous years.

Someone upthread mentioned they thought Kara had written the song with Danny in mind. I disagree. I think she knew Adam would be in the finals and wrote something that would suit him. I guess we won’t know until we hear it!

In one of the articles I wrote that no one has ever won or lost Idol just because of the coronation song. Bo sang that horrible “Inside Your Heaven” better than Carrie. Her win was in the bag before he opened his mouth that night. Justin and Blake both had to sing songs that clearly favored their opponents, but they weren’t going to win either. “I Believe” seemed to be written for Fantasia and she killed it, but is there anyone out there who thinks Diana ever really had a chance at beating her? I rest my case.

The coronation song is important for one reason, and that is the winner is saddled with this song for months after the competition is over. David Cook’s “Time of My Life” was still on the charts last week! I think a bad, overly syrupy song can hurt the winner’s credibility going forward.

Finally, I have to say when I read that the producers are trying to line up David Bowie to sing with Adam in the finale, my pulse quickened! That would be a major coup and certainly a big endorsement for Adam in the future. If Bowie would come and sing with him, he’s gotta be for real, right? We shall see.

I hope Simon Fuller has chosen a Queen song for Adam. He hasn’t sung Queen on the show so far (other than his audition) and this might seal the deal. “Boehmian Rhapsody” has been done to death on this show, but it would be perfect for Adam. I think Fuller’s smart enough to get the Freddie Mercury connection.

Jason Mraz and Kris would also be outstanding.

I am really looking forward to this finale week. It’s the most excited I’ve been about Idol since Season 5! And I do think Adam’s had a lot to do with that. Hell, he’s the main reason I’ve watched, who am I kidding!

Thanks for indulging my rantings. I am still really full of Idol today, certainly a sign that I’m really into it!

ccagain
May 16th, 2009 at 1:29 pm
Vote for Kris. Adam will make it without the Idol win. Kris, probably not.

if he can’t make it without the win (while a lot of others did, such as Jason, David.A), then how far can he make with the win??

tl;dr alert…

I agree with you, that range isnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t all ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s about. But if a singer has high-level vocal talent and understands how to use it, then they have a real chance to do something really incredible. A singer with vocal power, accurate intonation, and a vocal flexibility can just bring so much more to their performance. For this lucky handful of singers, they have an even bigger challenge à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬’  what limits do you set up so that you do not overwhelm the audience. Thatà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s Adamà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s challenge à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬’  since I think he might be able to hold that high A for about 2 hours, how does he learn to use it most effectively?

I would agree with this paragraph wholeheartedly, but not necessarily the rest of your post. I too have seen some amazing shows in my life, but for me it’s the emotion that gets me. The meaning behind the voice, and the ability to understand what to do with what you have. Just in the last year I’ve had the opportunity to see three shows that shot to my top 10 of all time. Bettye Lavette in her Austin City Limits taping (Almost everyone there was moved to tears and even the staff were raving. Some who’ve been around for years!), PJ Harvey during sxsw, and Leonard Cohen. Not a one of them is known for their range. On the other hand, I’ve seen some great ‘big voices’ too. Yet of all of them, Jennifer Holliday still stands out. She puts more emotional punch into a phrase than anyone I’ve seen. I can imagine Pavarotti must have been amazing for that same quality.

I like spectacle and artistry pretty much equally. I have yet to see that Adam truly understands how to control his voice in a way that could make a satisfying album. I would love to see him live (preferable a solo show) and I know I would enjoy it, I just don’t see him as the second coming of Freddie. Then again, you have seen Freddie live. Something I never got the chance to do…but honestly, I’d almost rather hear about Mott the Hoople. hee

If I’m being honest, part of the reason I am so skeptical is that just about everything being said about Adam right now was actually said about Taylor Hicks. From the “he’s the first person in ___ years to move me” to the industry people declaring him the second coming (for real, he may not have gotten a solo EW cover – he wasn’t that style – but the industry people were truly salivating over him). I even see the same odd song choices (PTFMWB?) and flamboyant/ eccentric performance style. They both know how to play the game, but I have yet to see real evidence that Adam can make an album any more coherent musically than Taylor. I need more evidence. Just like Taylor, I am certain he will kill live, and both do great covers, but that’s not enough. I know I’m not the only old (read: former) Taylor fan who’s noticed this. I’m hearing it all the time both off line and on. I hope I’m wrong, but I’m not going to get attached to someone unless I’m a bit more confident.

I do feel much more confident with Kris. I have the same feeling for him as I did for Elliott and Blake, and both have enjoyed musically in their post-Idol careers. I’m not going to follow anyone around the country…anymore…but I will see them when they come to town, and I feel confident pre-ordering their albums. At the same time neither Elliott nor Blake won, and I am perfectly happy with an Adam win this year. I feel confident going into the finale knowing that I will vote for whomever I enjoy the most, and I honestly don’t know who that will be. Could be like rock and standards night where it was Adam, or like top 3 or soundtrack night where it was Kris. I love the uncertainty, and that makes this finale all that much more exciting to me.

Oh, hear! hear! erinnthered!!!

Buderschnookie, that was not me, That was TKat. On that point we happen to disagree.

Vote for Kris. Adam will make it without the Idol win. Kris, probably not.

if he canà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t make it without the win (while a lot of others did, such as Jason, David.A), then how far can he make with the win??

Exactly! To state that Kris probably won’t make it without the win and to urge Adam fans to vote for him for that reason is simply another form of vote splitting. We’re in the finals now and that kind of nonsense has to stop.

Wow people really have a lack of confidence in Kris’s ability to be successful after the show if he doesn’t win. Look at Archuleta coming in 2nd didn’t hurt him. He even got treated as a winner and went on the media tour with David Cook for some time after Cook won. He’s had a successful tour and cd sales.

I think it’s ridiculous that you vote for Kris through pity, I’m sure Kris would want to win based on that and not his talent *sarcasm*.

if he canà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t make it without the win (while a lot of others did, such as Jason, David.A), then how far can he make with the win??

THIS!!! Great, great point!

I just wish both of them will sing acapellaà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ ¦.no band, no guitarsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ ¦.just their voices to be heard.

I would LOVE that!! I still can’t believe Bo is the only AI contestant that ever dared to do that.

I donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t believe there was 1 million votes separating Adam and Kris. The producers are just trying to make it more interesting.

Yup. I don’t believe it either. To be honest, I don’t think many people do. Its never really mentioned in any conversations, blogs, articles, etc. I’ve never been one to trust the vote totals though since they never reveal them to the public.

I am also annoyed that the tv hosts said that most Danny fans would gravitate to Kris. Ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s not fact ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s just speculation. If Adam had been eliminated I would have went with Danny.

I don’t quite get this either….. The only explanation I can come up with is that people who say Kris will get all of Danny’s votes WANT Kris to get them so he can win over Adam.

That said, everything favors Kris to win.

Like what? What favors Kris? lol Kris has no more advantages than Adam to me. Actually, the fact that Adam wasn’t chosen as VFTW’s pick is a testament to Adam’s talent……. I think the odds look good for Adam actually. Very well indeed…

I mean, does anyone here really believe Christians aren’t voting for Adam??? I know at least 2 who are…myself and my mother…. LOL I’m sure we aren’t alone.

I dont think Kris or Adam need to win.They will both make good music.

I found that interview painful. Those three (Elliott, Justin, Kimberly) had nothing interesting to say, and were pretty charmless. The whole thing was about Adam. Sanjaya (!) at least was intelligent and well spoken. I still am not sure what Ryan said about song choice by the contestants. I tried watching it back but I couldn’t find that part. I thought he left it somewhat up in the air (it was a little confusing).

Gee if you were Adam would you be insulted to be described by Larry King as the male Celine Dion?

Yes Vegas, Larry, I can see it now.

People are not begging for votes – one can analyze this media reaction to the outcome without being a rocket scientist or a fan for either one of the finalists.

The bottomline is, if I were an executive for 19 Entertainment, I would think that the media storm will work to 19′s best advantage if Kris wins because half the press will be about how Adam was robbed and the other half will be about how Kris was the little underdog that could. If Adam wins, the intitial press will be all about how Adam is the first gay Idol and aren’t Americans enlightened people now and Kris will get lost in the shuffle. I would predict. Of course this happens to all runner-ups and many have more than survived it but this would be the win-win situation for 19 Entertainment if Kris won I would submit. But maybe Simon Fuller would disagree.

This is just a unique situation this year where an AI finalist has garnered more media attention before winning who also did not get eliminated unlike say Daughtry. And even then clearly Adam has gotten more media attention than Daughtry.

However hopefully the decision is up to the voters and not 19 Entertainment and let the chips fall where they may.

Even if Adam doesn’t win, he will go on and be the most remembered artiste in AI history. And even if Kris doesnt’ win, as Jamie Foxx said, he is gonna have a significant, SIGNIFICANT career. Why would Foxx, a multi-talented, grammy and Oscar winner superstar say that of Kris if he didn’t see something in him?

So i believe who wins isn’t a matter of loss for the other anymore. I think Kris is extremely talented and is like Sanjaya said (wow Sanjaya makes sense!) a MUSICIAN compared to Adam, a PERFORMER. So it’s really what America prefers. I personally…….hmmmm…i prefer musician. LOL, after all, it is music i love. GO KRIS!! :clap_tb:

Adam single handedly brought AI back to life.

Yeah, cause last year was such a big bust!! And the winner was such a dud HAAAAH pu leez!
Even this Archie fan has to call fowl on that statement.

Gee if you were Adam would you be insulted to be described by Larry King as the male Celine Dion?

No. Adam wasn’t even insulted when Simon said it was the Rocky Horror Show. Personally, I think its a compliment. Celine Dion has a great, powerful voice. Stuff like that doesn’t bother him, which is why he will go far. He has thick skin. Shake it off as Jay-Z says… LOL