This proud Seattleite must first take an admittedly selfish moment to stick her tongue out at Randy, Simon and Paula.  For all the nasty comments they made about our city (even when many of the auditioners weren’t even from here)—knowing that both finalists came from the Seattle lot is worth bragging about.  So there!  Thank you for letting me vent…

It was a battle of style (Blake) vs. skill (Jordin) tonight…and once again, each contestant had to perform three songs:  something old (a season favorite), something new, something borrowed (a song written by the winners of the songwriting contest) but nothing blue.  Having won the coin toss, Blake decided to go first.  Was he smart to kick-off the show—or should he have chosen to end it?  Read on!

BLAKE LEWIS
SONG:  “You Give Love A Bad Name”/ (his favorite performance this year)
MY FIRST IMPRESSION:  I almost think the song sounds too polished since the first time he performed it.  It really isn’t much of a (pleasant) shocker anymore.  Now we know when all the bells and whistles will come in.  Beat box here, scratch there…
JUDGES’ NOTES:  Randy gave him a 10 out of 10 for beat boxing, but said the singing was just ‘alright’.  Paula thought that he outdid himself.  Simon said that he wasn’t the best singer in the competition—but that he’s definitely the best performer.

JORDIN SPARKS
SONG:  “Fighter”/ Christina Aguilera (her new song choice)
MY FIRST IMPRESSION:  This is a good choice to challenge Blake’s rock opener.  Being compared to Christina - no matter who you are - is a serious gamble, but I do think she managed to hang in there.  It was also a good reminder of her strong, sassy side.
JUDGES’ NOTES:  Randy said her voice was stellar.  Paula stole ‘stellar’ from Randy.  Simon appreciated that she finally chose a ‘younger’ song (as opposed to Barbra Streisand), but he thought her vocals were a bit shrieky.

BLAKE LEWIS
SONG:  “She Will Be Loved”/ Maroon 5 (his new song choice)
MY FIRST IMPRESSION:  Still milking up the compliments from his previous Maroon 5 cover, Blake chose to sing another song from their library.  This is a very smart choice for him because it shows off his softer side.  I thought he struggled for a few notes, but otherwise it was good.
JUDGES’ NOTES:  Randy said it was a great song and nice vocal.  Paula thought he sounded very relaxed.  Simon said it was good and safe…but not a great song choice for the finals.

JORDIN SPARKS
SONG:  “A Broken Wing”/ Martina McBride (her fave song choice from this season)
MY FIRST IMPRESSION:  Reaching out to the country fans?  Very smart.  Apparently Round 2 of this competition was about tapping into their touchy-feely sides.  And if Blake won Round 1, Jordin definitely has definitely evened up the score.  She can outdo him on any sensitive night of the year.
JUDGES’ NOTES:  Randy thought it was flawless—better than the original.  Paula said she was in great vocal form.  Simon said “Now THAT was good”.

BLAKE LEWIS
SONG:  “This Is My Now” (writing contest winner)
MY FIRST IMPRESSION:  So far Blake’s showing his Achilles heel—the softer, quieter song.  And that strange opening moment looks more at home on Broadway.  I’m not sure if it’s the song or his performance I dislike at this point (could be both)—but you gotta work with what is dealt, right?
JUDGES’ NOTES:  Randy said that he did a ‘pretty good job’ with it.  Paula said that he did a great job on the song.  Simon thought it was all ‘a little odd’.  He said that Blake looked a little frustrated.

JORDIN SPARKS
SONG:  “This Is My Now” (writing contest winner)
MY FIRST IMPRESSION:  This is why Blake made the mistake of choosing to go first:  He let someone else get the last impression!!!  She hasn’t even gotten to the chorus - or the 2nd verse - and she’s already left Blake in the dust.  This really is a very weak song, but Jordin’s singing it with confidence.  She looks like she owns the place already (even through the tears).
JUDGES’ NOTES:  Randy said that she was the best singer tonight and that she deserves to win.  Paula said that she had a lot to be proud of.  Simon didn’t think she was good enough last week to make it to the finals—but this time around, she wiped the floor with Blake on that song.

FINAL THOUGHTS:  These performances will not do anything to change anyone’s minds.  It will only reinforce what you already believe—that Blake’s a good performer and Jordin’s a great singer.  So it’s just a matter of preference.  As for me, I prefer to listen to my people sing…

(You can find all the American Idol 6 posts here.)