| ‘Idol’ is a tale of two Davids |
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| Wednesday, 30 April 2008 | ||
You’ve heard of David and Goliath. But are you ready for David and David? This year’s “American Idol” is shaping up to be a contest between Davids Archuleta and Cook, which would be the first finale pitting two males against each other since the Ruben Studdard vs. Clay Aiken showdown from the show’s second season. Archuleta and Cook are a contrast in styles: David A. seems to exclusively sing middle of the road, inspirational ballads, while David C. is best at giving a little rock oommph to songs not thought of as having rock backbones. A David-David showdown would be ideal — the judges and producers seem to be steering things in that direction — but there are three weeks to go before the final two are decided, and “American Idol” is nothing if not unpredictable. Jason Castro Dude, are we keeping you awake? Last week, the cameras caught Jason Castro yawning backstage during the elimination show, and that passing moment pretty much summed up his entire laissez-faire attitude toward the competition: He couldn’t care less. Yet, every few weeks, his laid-back, beach-bum performances strike a resonant chord and show that underneath the clueless affability and stoner veneer that there’s a singer waiting to get out. But instead of pushing himself further, he’d rather take a nap. Verdict: In a year, he’ll either quit his job and tour with Jack Johnson (as an opener) or quit his job and follow Jack Johnson’s tour (as a fan). Brooke White We’re mystified by how far White — who bears a passing resemblance to the Wayans Brothers in their Paris Hilton-esque valley girl guises in “White Chicks” — has ridden the whole Carly Simon thing, and her pouty expressions during the judges’ critiques have driven us crazy for weeks. She’s stopped and restarted her performances twice this season, a performance no-no that the judges last week said made her look human. Through our TV, however, she just looked unprofessional. Verdict: She’ll live to botch another few performances, but mercifully won’t make it to the finals. David Cook David “Combover” Cook is “Idol’s” most legitimate rocker since Chris Daughtry; and like Daughtry, he doesn’t need to win “Idol” to be successful. However, Cook is a bit more theatrical and less gritty than his bald-headed forebear, and his trick — recasting already-familiar songs in an unexpected rock light — may be limiting. Still, on a show where the judges speak endlessly of being an ”artist,” Cook has the ability to put his own artistic stamp on his material more than any of his competitors. Verdict: A runner-up who could go on to outsell the winner. Syesha Mercado It sure took a long time, but last week Syesha Mercado finally came out of her shell, flashing a big, bold smile and slinking across the stage during “One Rock N Roll Too Many.” Finally leaving the bland ballads behind, Mercado was sleek, sexy and playful during the “Starlight Express” number and showed the born performer who’s been hiding beneath those gowns all these weeks. Yet, she still ended up in the bottom two — again — proving she may have waited too long to show herself. David Archuleta When David Archuleta is on — like he was during John Lennon’s “Imagine,” which still ranks as this season’s best performance — he is stirring. The problem is this mini-Michael Bolton has yet to break free from his ballad-centric comfort zone and show any real range as a performer, or any evidence that he’s not a 56-year-old trapped in a 17-year-old’s body. But get him within 30 feet of this year’s winning “Idol” theme, which is sure to play directly into his hands, and he’ll knock it out of the park. Verdict: Ladies and gentlemen, David Archuleta is your next “American Idol.” |
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