Well, American Idol fans, it's down to
Anyway, DeWyze is up first with "The Boxer." We get lots of tongue shots during this song, in which the music drowns out Lee's voice. Not that that's a bad thing--there's nothing challenging about the vocals. DeWyze just sings, "La, la, la" a lot, as if he's softly singing a lullaby to a sleeping baby. In his get-to-know-you segment, we learn he liked to play shortstop in baseball. Maybe he should have stuck with that. And, speaking of the contestant packages, it's a shame they aren't longer--this season, the show is so jam-packed with commercials, we barely got to know the contestants at all.
Bowersox, in a super-unflattering outfit that makes her look twice as big, got her hippie side from her dad, who is just as granola-y as she is. And wow--she looks pretty much the same a a kid as she does now, and that's not saying much. But her performance of "Me and Bobby McGee" is 100 times better than DeWyze's song, although it gets really screechy at the end. Judge Randy Jackson offers a great gem and says the song was slow in the beginning--um, great observation? It's still semi-fun to watch, and already it's evident that Bowersox is deserving of winning.
DeWyze comes back with "Everybody Hurts." Eek--the first few notes really hurt, and with this song, it actually would have been cooler if he hadn't changed up the arrangement. Instead, he performs a watered-down version and tries to cover up his mediocre voice with yet another choir. Despite what judge Kara Dioguradi says, DeWyze is not emotionally accessible. He just seems totally out-of-place on the big stage. But he still has one more song to go.
Bowersox is next with "Black Velvet." Once again, she doesn't look good at all, but her performance is strong and energetic. Unlike DeWyze, she looks like she's actually trying. She gets screamy on this song, too, which is disappointing--maybe she's sick or losing her voice? It is still a fun performance, and she proves once again that even if she doesn't have her guitar, she can still nail a song.
Appropriately, DeWyze gets the very douchey "Beautiful Day" to sing, complete with a ton of violinists on-stage to distract from his singing. This is his best performance of the night, because if he actually has a career after the show is over, this is the type of song he should be singing--one wear he can faux-belt and employ orchestras to make something that would normally be forgettable and make it pretty. The musicians are the high point of the song, not DeWyze's voice, but at least he ends on a good note.
Bowersox closes out the show with "Up to the Mountain." It's totally respectable she sings her song acoustically, and it doesn't even matter she brings a freaking choir up on-stage with her because they are the only other accompaniment besides her guitar. Her performance is beautiful, and her look is actually decent this time. She has both strong and vulnerable moments throughout the song, which showcase different sides to her and show she's versatile. Exactly what the public needs in a winner, and Bowersox will win (despite her shameful sucking up to judge Simon Cowell). Sorry, Lee. I'm sure the paint shop will give you your job back.