Yuku free message boards

The opening of the show with the boxing metaphor was so annoying that I wanted to stop watching then and there. And then they continued it throughout the night! Ugh!!! Randy surpassed himself and reached a new level of idiocy (and I'm not just referring to him thinking it is 2007…). Paula was as silly and vapid as she has ever been, and I nearly got whiplash from how drastically Simon switched sides and threw David Cook under the bus. Still, it was a fairly satisfying night. Why? Because both idols took the opportunity to really show who they are… As a result, I'm going to stray from my normal format and just talk about that.

David Cook is a good singer. He is not the best singer in this competition, at least not technically. However, he makes up for that with simple authenticity and artistry. He has a rare ability to make each song he does feel like it was written for him. When he covers a song, you can almost forget about the original version entirely. His confidence and honesty serve him well. Round 1, he took an incredibly well-known, classic song by arguably the best band ever and wasn't intimidated by it. He made it his own. In doing so, he didn't just embellish or rearrange melodies out of vanity or even seemingly out of a strategic desire to win. He just sang the song the way he felt it because he wanted that performance to be true to the music and true to himself. In round 2, he actually made a baddish song sound like a real song, and he made the melody memorable. It wasn't a "wow" performance, but it was solid. In round 3, he picked a song that is not obviously designed as a showcase for personal aggrandizement and just gave himself over to it. In short, he served the music - he didn't use the music to serve him. I give him props for that.

David Archuleta proved tonight that he IS, at least technically, the best singer in the competition. He had his personal high point in round 1 and performed with more comfort and ease than we've seen from him thus far. His tone was, in a word, glorious. Does he have the passion or the depth to truly service this song? No. But he showed that he does have more passion and depth than I have previously suspected. And I congratulate him for not going overboard and showing off. In round 2, he took a treacly, baddish song, but used it well as a showcase for his vocals. I don't remember the song at all. I don't remember the name. I don't remember the melody. I don't remember any of the lyrics except the "reflection/perfection" one they hammered home. What I do remember, though, is that he sounded great singing it. He used the song very effectively as a showcase for his voice. I was disappointed in him in round 3. I think he oversang the song, threw in too many runs, and changed the melody more than was necessary. He would have been better off singing it as simply and purely as it was written. Still, given what his objective was with the song, he pulled it off. It's not to my taste, but there is no denying the skill with which he pulled it off…

In short, I don't think there is a "wrong" winner this year. We have two very different finalists. One is a consummate vocalist and the other one is a true artist. In my mind, David Archuleta is a karaoke king who doesn't necessarily bring anything apart from amazing vocals to his songs. David Cook is also a strong vocalist, but more importantly, he brings himself to every song he sings. Sometimes he sings amazingly and sometimes he sings adequately, but in every performance, we see him and through him, we see the song in a new way.

As I've said, Archuleta is brilliant at karaoke. But I'm far less interested in karaoke than I am in originality and personality. On the other hand, to my way of thinking, Carrie Underwood was also a karaoke master. Yet with the right material, she has proven herself to be a powerful force in music. Some of her music (by the power of the writing as much as from what she brings to it) is even good… David Cook is more like Kelly Clarkson to me. There may not be the same level of polish or perfection there, but there is real heart and character. I've always preferred Kelly over Carrie. Similarly, I choose Cook over Archuleta. In doing so, though, I still pay tremendous respect to Archuleta's inimitable skill as a singer.