A few more spoilers have started to trickle out about tonight’s American Idol pre-finale, including word that David Archuleta will reprise “Imagine” and David Cook is planning on singing U2’s “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For”–the first time a U2 song has been cleared for an Idol performance. (Perhaps this means that Bono is the big star Nigel Lythgoe was crowing about yesterday?) Also: Unlike last year, when Blake Lewis was forced to gut out “This Is My Now,” the two Davids have been given leeway to pick their own coronation songs from the songwriting contest’s top ten vote-getters. Their rumored picks, and other news bits, after the jump.
David Archuleta’s pick is “Here I Am”:
Ah, another one of those vaguely Christian-rock songs with a vaguely R & B edge that draws deliberate comparisons between fame and being saved by the Lord. The breathiness of the demo’s singer must have really appealed to David’s dad vocal coaches.
Meanwhile, David Cook’s rumored pick is the song that I originally thought was sung by a Weiland clone!
Nice “Boulevard Of Broken Dreams” guitars on the pre-chorus there.
A few other notable items in the Idol universe, via MJ unless otherwise noted:
• No word on Clive Davis’ picks for the two Davids yet, but I’m sure they’ll both be written by Professional Songwriters. Ahem.
• Neil Diamond is allegedly going to duet on “America” with little David, while in what could be an amazing mash-up trainwreck, Mariah Carey and David Cook are planning to sing “Always Be My Baby” together. Do you think she’ll get mad if he steps on her lines?
• Vote for the Worst is reporting that a cappella aficionado Luke Menard has been diagnosed with cancer. The site is saying that the cancer is inoperable, but a commenter claiming inside knowledge is saying that whatever Luke has been diagnosed with is treatable. Either way, here’s hoping for a speedy recovery.
• I think we all need a pick-me-up after that news, so for those of you who were missing Danny Noriega, here he is talking about how he was too TMTH for the Idol producers on the TV Guide Channel:
Ish!
Season 7 Final 2 Song Spoilers [MJ's Big Blog]
Danny Noriega - Idol Chat (Idol Tonight) 5192008 [YouTube]
I usually don’t chime in with “serious” guesses on the blind-item-y things, but I thought “the biggest star in the world = Bono” yesterday until someone guessed Madonna and that sounded very plausible. A Bono swing-by also gives the producers another obvious way to flog Idol Gives Back again.
And doesn’t it seem like Bono would be less likely than Madonna to think it beneath his dignity and stature to be on the Idol stage and — GASP! — maybe actually perform with one or more of them???
So, yeah, I’m going back to my original thinking — Bono.
Where’s the commentator who always chimes in with “American Idol IS FIXED!! Just like 9/11 with the Masons!!1!” everytime there’s an AI thread? I miss the crazy.
@Rob Murphy: But also consider that the “accuracy” of the “spoilers” this season has been less than ideal. Recall that reports from last week were that Cook would be singing Collective Soul’s “The World I Know” — but he in fact sang Switchfoot’s “Dare You To Move”. Maybe the spies aren’t fully up on their musical knowledge?
Anyway, that preface in order to suggest that Cook might sing not “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For” but instead “With Or Without You”. And “the biggest star in the world” guest star will be Jennifer Aniston, who will come out and say “Remember that one episode during the ‘we were on a break!’ story arc where Ross called the radio station and requested they play that song and now somewhere in the world at least once a day that episode is rerun and Bono and the boys get another royalty and they’ll be rolling in money for the rest of their lives because I’m the biggest star in the world? Good times…”
I believe in 2004 Norway’s Kurt Nilsen won “World Idol” with his version of “Beautiful Day”. Not sure if that counts.
Jeebus, that first song is terrible
@Rob Murphy:
But seriously, aren’t “The World I Know” and “Dare You to Move” the same song anyway?
“Still Haven’t Found” is such a karaoke classic.
For a moment, I thought “Here I Am” was the UB40 song. There seriously needs to be more UB40 in this world.