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By Ricky T. Gallardo, Entertainment
Editor
There were no surprises in
yesterday’s American Idol, Season 7.
Syesha Mercado ended her
so-called “miracle stint” on the popular reality show for
amateur singers, paving the way for the expected showdown between
wonder boy David Archuleta and former bartender David Cook for next
week’s grand finals.
Mercado, who hails from Sarasota,
Florida, was voted off after being in the bottom two or three of the
contest for eight out of the 10 weeks going into the finals.
Although she considers herself as a power-belter, the judges have
always doubted her vocals, saying she simply didn’t have the voice
to match those of the two Davids. Neither David ever experienced
being in the bottom three of any eviction night.
Music critics are saying that
Mercado should already be more than thankful that she landed on the
top three, considering that she was far inferior in both stage
presence and vocal capabilities than the likes of Carly Smithson,
Brooke White and Michael Johns, all of whom exited earlier than
Mercado.
On her last performance night,
the usually safe and sweet judge Paula Abdul thought that
Mercado’s version of the song “Hit Me Up” was simply “not
good enough to get into the finals.”
Cook, a 25-year-old resident of
Missouri, shows maturity and confidence in his every performance,
but fans say they simply cannot discount the fact that Archuleta of
Murray, Utah, has the rare X-factor. When the younger David, 17,
opens his mouth, people stop, watch and listen, fans have said. Even
when it wasn’t one of his best nights, Archuleta still got raves
from the judges after he sang Billy Joel’s “And So It Goes.”
Abdul said it was a “pure and stunning performance.”
After Cook performed Roberta
Flack’s “The First Time I Ever Saw Your Face,” judge Simon
Cowell couldn’t hide his adulation. He remarked, “This is what
makes you brilliant. You are original and you take risks. I thought
it was one of your best performances.”
Archuleta’s dad has been banned
from attending rehearsals reportedly because of his annoying
behavior and some say this move will give his son the focus he needs
to come up with the greatest performance of his life in next
week’s finals.
For now, the only thing certain
is that the winner’s name will be David.
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