The Final 2 – What Should the Idols Sing?

David Cook and David Archuleta

ETA: Nigel Lythgoe releases a few more spoiler details in an interview with Ryan Seacrest this morning on KISS:

  • David Archuleta will sing “Imagine” (there is also a rumor that Clive’s choice for Archie is “Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me”. He chose not to spoil any of David Cook’s songs. Since Cookie’s camp is sealed up tight as a drum, we probably won’t know the songs until they are leaked right before the broadcast.
  • The Top 2 were able to pick their own coronation song from the Top 10 vote getters of the Idol Songwriters contest. There were only 20 songs total to begin with. Some “contest”, huh? Think TPTB didn’t like the song that got the most votes? They just changed the rules of the game midstream. Makes it hard to do the contest again next year, don’t you think?
  • There’s going to be another “Dead Elvis” video (last year, Celine Dion sang a “duet” with Elvis Presley), this time including several people. Blech.
  • The “biggest star” in the world will be there. Whatever!
  • Nigel confirmed that the Top 5 will sing duets with “somebody.”

ETAA:

  • David Cook is performing U2’s “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For”. Not sure if it’s his own pick or the producer’s pick… This will be the first U2 song sung on the Idol stage on performance night. Contestants have tried, but have never been able to get U2 songs cleared.

More spoilers here.

The producers are keeping a tight rein on the song choices for the Finale. Last year, the Top 2 were able to pick two of the three songs they performed for the big Tuesday finale showdown. This year, TPTB feel it necessary to allow Clive Davis, who was recently demoted from his position at BMG, to pick a song for the Final Two. The tight rein tells me that the producers are trying extra hard to control the outcome of this year’s contest. It’ll be pretty easy to tell who they want to win by the songs Clive picks for the contestants (Anyone remember the crappy “Open Arms” pick for Elliott Yamin Season 5?) and how the songwriters contest finally plays out.

I think the producers are gunning for a David Cook win. He’s the contestant with the most commercial potential. He’s got music that can be played on pop stations right now. Even his pre-Idol EP Analog Heart, although demo-quality, contains glimpses of Cookie’s potential as a successful artist. Archie’s appeal isn’t as certain. If his trainwrecktastic take on Chris Brown’s “With You” last week is any indication, Archie may have a hard time finding a spot on the Top 40 charts. His inspirational ballads are better suited to Adult Contemporary–not a market that sells a ton of product.

But the producers don’t always get what they want. See Hicks, Taylor. The voters decide. Yes, I really do believe that. And this year’s contest is shaping up to be a close one. We haven’t had one of those since the Season 2 showdown between Clay Aiken and Ruben Studdard.

So, here’s how the song picks are going to work One song is a pick from Clive Davis, One song is a contestant pick, the other is whatever heinous tune wins the American Idol Songwriting contest.

What do you think will happen peeps? Should the contestants pick a new song, or reprise an old one? (I say wow us with something new). Just how hideous can Clive Davis’s pick be for the two Davids? And speculate on which craptastic song will win the Idol songwriting contest…

About mj santilli 34832 Articles
Founder and editor of mjsbigblog.com, home of the awesomest fan community on the net. I love cheesy singing shows of all kinds, whether reality or scripted. I adore American Idol, but also love The Voice, Glee, X Factor and more!