Both Adam Lambert and Kris Allen gave it their all on last night's American Idol finale.
We could rattle on and on about which singer ended the evening on a higher note (we thought it was tied after the pair of opening performances; but Lambert outshined Allen on the final two), but we'd prefer to hear from our readers.
Who do you think did the better job? Who should be crowed the champion tonight?
Regular readers of Reality TV Scoop now how strongly we've supported Adam Lambert this season on American Idol.
Heck, earlier this week, we said the final matchup between him and Kris Allen would be akin to a Mike Tyson knockout.
To Allen's credit, however, he didn't go down last night without a fight. In fact, we were nervous that the underdog would pull out a victory, following a great opening rendition of "Ain't No Sunshine."
Following the final two performances of each contestant, however, the contrast became clear: Kris can sing, but Lambert is a rare talent. He even managed to the cheesy, Kara DioGuard-penned winner's single, "No Boundaries," into a memorable tune.
In the end, Lambert won the title (we hope) last night, more than Allen lost it.
Choose your favorite finalist: Adam Lambert or Kris Allen?
They may be going face-to-face on the American Idol finale stage tonight, but Adam Lambert and Kris Allen teamed up to tackle the media this week.
The two finalists took on a barrage of questions from reporters during a press conference yesterday. Here are a few excerpts of how it went...
Kris, on receiving help from his Christian background: "I hope that having the Christian vote does not help with anything. I hope it has to do with the talent and the performance that you give. It's not about religion and all that kind of stuff."
Adam, on pre-show rituals: "Just get some sleep, which has been tough. We both are used to a lot lower pressure situations…a little bit. I think we're both really excited."
Adam, on his professional, pre-Idol experience: "I've worked in theater. We both have experience. I think the thing that is really cool about this competition is that it's an equal opportunity situation. It doesn't matter. The only rule that is set up is that you cannot be in a recording contract. And, American Idol has played by those rules and so have we."
Kris, on Adam's professional, pre-Idol experience: "He's done the theater thing…and, me, I've had as much experience as he has, just not in Wicked."
Adam, on relationship with Kris: "We're just very different types of artists. And at this point, it's not about out-singing each other. It's not like a direct competition; it's about both of us staying really true to what we do."
Kris, on relationship with Adam: "For me, I'm not going to go out there and out-sing Adam. We are two totally different artists. I do my thing and he does his thing. And, it's whoever America votes for."
The American Idol champion will be chosen this week.
And it won't be Danny Gokey.
But the third-place finisher still considers his season eight run a success, as he said over the weekend at a parade in his hometown of Milwaukee.
"It's unbelievable," Gokey said, adding that his story of auditioning for the show mere weeks after his wife passed away marked an example of "tragedy to triumph."
"My whole testimony is overcoming," Gokey said. "Overcoming the impossible in my life, and now I want to take that message and tell people, 'If I can do it, you can do it.'"
The singer plans to take this message on the road this summer. He'll be touring with the show's top 10 finalists, while also putting in in charity work for Sophia's Heart Foundation, which he started after his wife died.
Gokey added that he wants to put out a rhythm and blues CD, though he hasn't yet signed with record label yet.
Adam Lambert will win the eighth season of American Idol.
Heading into this week's performances, there's less mystery between Lambert and Kris Allen than there was over whether or not Ross and Rachel would get back together on the series finale of Friends.
But that's not a bad thing. In fact, this season of the show has been refreshing entirely due to Lambert's sheer domination.
Sometimes, in sports, in life or on cheesy, heavily produced reality competitions, the thrill lies in watching the best perform at the highest level. Sure, suspense is exciting; we were glued to our screens last May, unsure about which David (Archuleta or Cook) would take home the season seven crown.
But when a singer such as Lambert comes along, it can be equally compelling to simply sit back and watch.
The Tuesday night finale ought to play out like the 1997 Masters. That year, Tiger Woods led the field by nine strokes heading into the final round. There was never any doubt over who would win the Green Jacket.
But ask any golf fan where he was during that tournament-ending Sunday and he'll instantly spit out the answer. It was history making, it was a once-in-a-lifetime event that forver changed the world of golf.
Will Adam Lambert do the same for music? Not exactly.
Still, following weeks of pure entertainment - highlighted by unique, versatile performance after unique, versatile performance - we couldn't be more excited to see how Lambert will put a cherry on top of his season eight sundae.
Kris Allen is a perfectly capable singer and likely has a bright future as an artist. But he's a sidenote at this point.
There may be no drama on American Idol this week, but there's a Tiger-like performer on the prowl. Don't miss his coronation.
Kris Allen is a very nice guy and a perfectly strong singer.
But, heading into Tuesday night's American Idol finale, the question isn't whether or not Adam Lambert will win the season eight title; but, rather, by how large of a margin.
This is the 1985 Super Bowl between the Chicago Bears and the New England Patriots; the 1998 World Series between the New York Yankees and the San Diego Padres; the 1988 Heavyweight Title boxing match between Mike Tyson and Michael Spinks.
We're not saying Lambert will knock Allen out cold in 91 seconds, but, well, it may seem that way.
Credit American Idol voters for pitting two opposing artists against one another in the finals. It certainly makes for an interesting match-up of styles. But it's impossible to see Allen's subdued vocals standing a chance against Lambert's eccentric, theatrical approach.
Is this fair? Maybe not. After all, Kris' rendition of "Heartless" in the semifinals was as creative as anything Adam has done all season.
But this is also America. More often than not, style wins out over substance. Every Lambert performance has been nothing short of mesmerizing, round after round, if only to see what sort of unique spin the singer puts on each tune.
This isn't to say that Lambert lacks talent; far, far, far from it. Instead, it's a commentary on the hypnotic way in which he graces a stage.
I'm not the most ardent American Idol viewer in history. But I don't even flip channels during commercials each time Ryan Seacrest says Lambert is performing next. I'm that afraid I'll miss a second of his audition.
For that reason alone, Adam Lambert has my vote.
Will Kris Allen or Adam Lambert be crowned the eighth American Idol?
Either way, the show's fourth-ever champion will be on hand to see the results.
On Tuesday night, Carrie Underwood will return to the stage that made her famous to sing her version of Mötley Crüe's "Home Sweet Home."
The beautiful singer will donate a portion of the sales of the “Home Sweet Home” digital single to The Humane Society of the United States, which benefits abused and abandoned animals around the country.
This whole experience feels like a dream come true. American Idol has given me a whole new hope for my life.
Which contestant uttered these words during his farewell montage on last night's results show? And whose name did Katy Perry have stiched on to her outfit during her performance?
Find out now in our American Idol recap!
Danny Gokey has a great voice and a touching personal story.
But his consistently solid, albeit unspectacular, American Idol performances weren't enough to propel the singer into next week's finals; he was eliminated last night.
In the video montage that played at the conclusion of the show, Gokey reflected on his journey (which, sadly, included his wife passing away just weeks before his initial audition):
"It's almost like a fairy tale story. You read about tragedies, and then you read about the triumph that comes through it - and I'm that person. This whole experience feels like a dream come true. American Idol has given me a whole new hope for my life."
So, Kris Allen and Adam Lambert will go head-to-head on the finale. Who do you think should win?
Sorry, Danny Gokey fans. And the Fox network.
The Gokey/Adam Lambert finals that Simon Cowell and company had clearly hoped would take place have fallen a week short.
Last night, the viewers spoke and Danny was eliminated from the show.
Gokey did nothing wrong during his performances on Monday, but Kris Allen's version of "Heartless" simply sky-rocketed that singer into next week's finale. And Lambert had earned a spot on that show a long time ago.
That left Danny as the odd man out. He had the following to say about his journey, which included losing his wife just four weeks before his initial audition:
"This whole experience feels like a dream come true. American Idol has given me a whole new hope for my life. It's almost like a fairy tale story. You read about tragedies, and then you read about the triumph that comes through it - and I'm that person."
Click on the pics below to relive Danny's run on the series:
