‘American Idol’: Kree & Candice Sing Final Songs, Carly Rae Jepsen Premieres “Take A Picture”
This is it guys, the final week of American Idol. On Wednesday night, finalists Candice Glover and Kree Harrison gave it their all before America’s last opportunity to vote for the next American Idol. And no matter what the outcome, a lady is walking off the stage with the title tonight. But even more exciting is the debut of this damn Carly Rae Jepsen single they’ve been jamming down our throats all season.
The ladies sing three rounds of songs. The first is a choice made by Idol executive producer, Simon Fuller. The second is a selection from the singers, the single they would release if they win. And the third and final song has Kree and Candice choosing their favorite from this season. So first, we take a look back at the girls’ journey to the finale.
We start with some vintage footage of Kree. Wait, what? Kree was on Rose O’Donnell‘s talk show when she was little? I’m loving her zebra-print cowboy hat. And we see Idol audition footage from when Candice tried out two other times before and she wonders, is the third time the charm?
Ryan Seacrest descends down the stairs of the finale stage at the Nokia Theater at L.A. Live. The judges have really turned out tonight, with Randy Jackson in a light lavender blazer, Mariah Carey and Nicki Minaj look beyond elegant in their cleavage-bearing gowns.
The final two contestants are introduced and both step out on stage looking quite lovely, with Kree in a sparkly white dress and Candice in red and black. They hold each other’s hands during intros. And now we sing!
Having won the coin toss, Kree performs first with Sarah Mclachlan‘s “Angel,” the selection chosen by Simon Fuller. Even though I would have normally thought this was too sad of a choice, it does give Kree a great opportunity to maximize those country yodels she does so well. When she’s done, I suddenly want to adopt a three-legged puppy.
Next, Candice sings “Chasing Pavements” by Adele. She sounds effortless and has the audience clapping along with the beat. I’m going to have to say she takes the first round, and not just because I love her sparkly boots. And, that wraps up the Simon Fuller round for the two ladies.
After she leaves the stage, Ryan throws it to Mariah and Randy. She is a superlative factory and gushes aimlessly about how talented the ladies are. It’s very positive and confusing. Randy called these song selections “kind of sleepy,” but agrees with me that Candice just edged out Kree.
After the commercial break, Carly Rae Jepsen performs her super-generic new single, “Take A Picture,” which I’m guessing was written by cobbling some Tweets together over a bottle of Coke. At least she has the good sense to throw in a little wind machine. Mercifully, it ends relatively quickly.
Next, is Kree for her second round. Ryan gives a fan from the audience, the experience of a lifetime with a kiss on the cheek and pulling her up into the aisle to walk with him.
Kree sings “All Cried Out,” a Lisa Lisa & The Cult Jam jam. She pretty much kills it and looks gorgeous doing so. As for Candice, her choice is “I Am Beautiful.” She’s unsurprisingly good as well. Nicki weighs in by saying that she felt Kree brought more emotion in her performance than ever. Keith Urban agrees. They both gush in vague, abbreviated terms. However, back from commercial break, Nicki thinks Candice took it.
For the third round, Kree reprises “Up to the Mountain” in a gorgeous red dress and surrounded by smoke. With the gospel vibe, I definitely think she picked her best song from this past season. I get goosebumps from her for the first time in a while. It brings all four judges to their feet.
Keith raves, “That was beautiful, Kree.” Nicki calls it “uplifting” and “rich.” Randy calls it a “winning counter performance.” Mariah calls her “lady in red.”
When we return, Candice whips out her last selection, a surefire crowd-pleaser, “I (Who Have Nothing).” For the first time, she shows off her legs in a short dress. Now, I know they wanted some serious ambiance for these last songs, but I feel like these two ladies were practically drowning in smoke at certain points. Once again, Candice slays on stage, and her hair looks fantastic. And with that, I think she may have just won this whole thing.
Again, all the judges rise to their feet. Keith calls Candice “just such a powerhouse singer.” Nicki asks her with a smile, “Are we seeing your legs tonight for the first time?” She is dubbed a “superstar” by the “Superbass” singer. Randy makes a grand statement, calling it “a winning performance.” Mariah calls her “an undeniable talent.”
And tonight, we finally find out who the next Idol will be. I hope you were all good Americans and remembered to vote for your favorite!
