American Idol Final 2

Just saw the show and haven't read anything online about it yet.... so first of all.... if Lee wins, his "coronation single" will be a well known U2 song? What in the world? They are just going to have him release a cover? That speaks badly to what American Idol has been regressing to. They made no effort on the show to point out that it was a U2 song. I had never heard the song Crystal did in the final round, which is the one that would be released if she wins, but I am guessing that has to be some sort of cover too, though much less known. As good as she might sound on it, I also think both of these singles would sell far fewer than "No Boundaries." I imagine the blogosphere has already been talking all about this. If this is the deal this season, Lee should maybe not even want to win.

Anyways, going into the week, I expressed a slight preference (based on last week) for wanting to see Lee DeWyze win as well as stating that I thought he was probably favored to win.

It is a good thing I did not attend any local DeWyze Watch Parties and have no intention on joining hundreds of people outside the Mt. Prospect Village Green tomorrow, because in this final night of performances for Season 9, I gave all 3 rounds to Crystal Bowersox. She deserves to be this season's American Idol. It is too late to cast a vote for her now, oh well.

In a few minutes, I will look at Dial Idol and perhaps will realize that I am wrong in this prediction, but I am going to say that Crystal will now win tomorrow night. In every Idol season, the person I thought would win when I went to bed on Tuesday night has always won. This season has been the oddest of them all so who knows.

A more detailed write-up will come this weekend, but to be brief, besides being vocally superior tonight, Crystal also had the advantage of singing last, had better strategic songs (both that she picked herself or that would have been picked for her), was more emotional, seemed to "want it more", and was built up by the judges, in a complete reverse of last week's love fest. She also showed a bit more personality in the talking portion of the evening than Lee.

Both Crystal and Lee have lived and performed in greater Chicagoland. Lee is a native son though, so if he is to win, it might take some good old-fashioned Cook County vote rigging. I wouldn't totally rule it out. If Lee is to win, it will be because his female fanbase was frantic enough to vote early and often on a night where it seemed pretty clear that his opponent was stronger. If the Idol public views the judges as having pimped Crystal too much, that might also benefit Lee.

Lee DeWyze had a lot of good moments this season, and certainly was not bad tonight, but in front of 7,000 people in the Nokia Theater, he had a very Chicago Cubs NLDS showing. Crystal Bowersox, who was clearly the best for much of the season and had fallen off a good deal in recent weeks was definitely not perfect, but like the 2010 Stanley Cup Playoff Chicago Blackhawks, seemed to rise to the occasion.

I hope she wins and I hope the first Lee DeWyze song I hear on the radio one day is not some cheap U2 cover.