American Idol 2009

Last year I stopped watching American Idol. I pretty much boycotted the whole season almost unintentionally. The year before, I was as disinterested in the final as I have ever been. I did not like either of the two choices, and did not watch either part of the final. Due to the lack of interest for me, I did not watch in 2008. Then this year rolled around, and I watched the week where the top 12 or 13 or whatever it was were on. I decided I liked Kris Allen the most out of that group and his singing made me want to keep watching. I did not watch as regularly as I have in the past, but I kept cheering for Kris. This year is the first year that my favorite from the start has actually won American Idol.

The amazing thing to me is that people are complaining about Kris winning all over the place, and blaming it on the fact that Adam is gay or Kris is Christian or other reasons not related to music. However, there is one blog I read that I think gets it right on why Adam did not win, and it has to do with music. Adam might be talented, but not everyone likes the screaming, edgy rock that Adam brought to the table. Kris, however, has a more mainstream style that can appeal to anyone. Kris' style of singing is closer to the style of Danny Gokey, the third place finisher, than what Adam's style is. Since Gokey was not in the final, Kris and Adam were (in some ways) singing to the Gokey fans to convince them to vote and to vote for them. To do this effectively, Adam needed to sing one of his performances from the season that showcased his voice more than his dramatic side. Instead, he chose one that involved way too much screaming and that overly dramatic. Kris needed to sing a performance that was close to Gokey's style. Kris accomplished this. Therefore, Kris, through song choice and talent, was able to pull off the upset.

I personally think that Kris has more talent than Adam even though Adam might be more of an entertainer. It will be interesting to see what happens with both. I may actually buy the CD of the American Idol winner for the first time ever. The only other idol participant whose CD I have purchased has been Chris Daughtery's CD. I have a CD that has a song on it by Mendisa as well, but that is not why I bought it (although she is talented and I liked her on Idol). Anyway, I am not used to my favorites winning the competition, so this is a nice change!