It's our second consecutive all-male "American Idol" Top Two and just like last year, when you were either a Cook Fan or an Archuleta Booster, the battle lines are pretty much drawn across this great nation. Nobody is allowed to be ambivalent. You can root for Kris. You can root for Adam. But don't tell me that you like them both equally and differently.Kris won the coin toss last week and, like all good Pete Carroll coached teams, he opts to defer and go second. Each singer will perform thrice, including "No Boundaries," the inevitably corny coronation song courtesy of none other than Superfluous Fourth Judge Kara DioGuardi.
How did the night go down? Click through...
Singer: ADAM LAMBERT
Song: "Mad World"
Fred, Daphne, Velma and Simon Say: Check it out. This is it, Randy, explains. Randy loves Adam showing his sensitive side. Randy starts with an A+. Hard to know where the grading goes from here. Kara says that Adam changed the game for everybody else and that he rocked it again tonight. Paula, roasted on a spit overnight, is also proud of Adam. Me, I'm wondering if I could rock Adam's coat. Simon, shirt unbuttoned to his belly-button, calls the performance "a bit over-theatrical." Simon hates the coat, but Randy says it's a "Twilight" thing." Randy has never seen "Twilight."
Singer: KRIS ALLEN
Song: "Ain't No Sunshine"
Fred, Daphne, Velma and Simon Say: Dude. Yo. Check it out. You know? You know what Randy loves about Kris? That he knows the kind of artist he is and that this was one of his best performances ever on the stage. Kara says that if you can't feel a Kris Allen performance, there's something wrong with you. Well, I didn't like "Glee" either, so there probably is something wrong. Paula raves about Kris' ability to Allen-ize every performance. But can he Simonize? Simon admits he was surprised when Kris' name was called out week, but he takes back his skepticism after that performance. Simon calls Round One for Kris. Me? I think Kris was better-than-usual, while Adam was just good-as-usual. To my mind? Round One is a push, a draw.
Singer: ADAM LAMBERT
Song: "Change Is Gonna Come"
Fred, Daphne, Velma and Simon Say: Listen. The song is an amazing classic for Randy and Adam showed that he can sing his face off. Matt Giraud is appreciative. Kara says it may be Adam's best performance of the entire competition, pulling it back and letting it go. Paula doesn't speculate, yelling that it was his best. Simon's lost at least one button on his shirt since we last saw him. "You are 100% back in the game," Simon reassures Adam.
Singer: KRIS ALLEN
Song: "What's Goin' On"
Fred, Daphne, Velma and Simon Say: Randy loves that we have a duel, finding the song timely. Randy calls it light, which has to be a judgment on the emotion of the performance, not the song itself. Kara likes that Kris' delivering a message. Paula says Kris tore the song up and made Marvin Gaye proud. "It was like three friends in their bedroom strumming along to Marvin Gaye." Ryan makes a confusing homophobic joke. Simon gives Round Two to Adam, "a million percent." It may even be more than that. If this were a boxing match, the first round would be either 10-10 or 10-9 either way depending on your preference. Adam has this one solidly 10-8 with a knockdown.
Singer: ADAM LAMBERT
Song: "No Boundaries"
Fred, Daphne, Velma and Simon Say: "Dude you can sing the phone book," Randy says, before saying it was pitchy in spots and just aight. Kara speaks on behalf of her co-writers to thank him. Paula is out of adjectives. She's in awe. Simon mocks the mountains and hurricanes and declares that over the whole season, Adam has been one of the best and most original contestants they've ever had and tells him that he's a worldwide star. Adam thinks he got the job done. I'm wondering if Kara DioGuardi and not Kris Allen is going to do Adam in.
Singer: KRIS ALLEN
Song: "No Boundaries"
Fred, Daphne, Velma and Simon Say: Randy tells Kris that he should be proud of himself, even if the key was too high. Kara agrees it was too high and that Kris shouldn't be judged on the performance. Paula says he deserves being where he is. Simon says Kris' best performance was his first tonight, but that he deserved to be on the stage tonight. Kris doesn't know if he did enough. I'd give the last round to Kris, but on a technicality. That makes it a 10-9 round for Kris at best.
(Source: Hitfix)
You can download MP3s of all of tonights performances HERE or download selected tracks using the single track download links below:
Download Links:
Adam Lambert
1. Adam Lambert - Mad World
2. Adam Lambert - A Change is Gonna Come (Simon Fuller’s choice)
3. Adam Lambert - No Boundaries
Kris Allen
1. Kris Allen - Aint No Sunshine (on the piano)
2. Kris Allen - What’s Going On (Simon Fuller’s choice)
3. Kris Allen - No Boundaries
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