Clark Beckham, Jax and Nick Fradiani are the last three artists standing! (Photo property of FOX, 19 Entertainment & FremantleMedia North America)
By: Jacob Elyachar, jakes-take.com
For the past 13 years, I always look forward to watching the American Idol finale.
The final stage of the FOX singing competition (which ends its course on May 2016) always delivers impeccable milestone performances. Kelly Clarkson’s “A Moment Like This,” Clay Aiken’s “Bridge Over Troubled Water,” Fantasia’s “Dreams,” Adam Lambert’s “A Change Is Gonna Come” and Candice Glover’s “I Who Have Nothing” have played an important role in helping Idol define its place in 21st Century popular culture.
Tonight, the show returned to the Dolby Theatre, where Idol crowned four of the show’s most recognizable champions: Fantasia, Carrie Underwood, Taylor Hicks and Jordin Sparks. Out of the thousands that tried out, only three artists (Clark Beckham, Jax and Nick Fradiani) proved themselves worthy to make it to this stage. However, by the end of the night, only two of them would be competing for the title!
Who was tragically cut on this important night? Which two artists faced off for the title? Read on to find out…
Before anyone could sing one note, Ryan read the crucial results and we had to say goodbye to Jax! Let’s remind people that Casey James, Adam Lambert, Jennifer Hudson, Kellie Pickler, Chris Daughtry and Clay Aiken did not win the competition and look how their careers turned out. Thank you for the memories, Jax!
That meant that Clark and Nick would duke it out for the title! Clark kicked off round one (Contestants’ Favorites) with Ray Charles’ “Georgia On My Mind. I loved hearing his velvet vocals on the Peach State’s anthem and I am finally glad that Clark got his groove back on this crucial night! A
I have Nick Fradiani go from AGT reject (wrong decision: Howard Stern and Mel B) to American Idol contender! He perfectly delivered another impeccable cover of “Bright Lights.” Nick definitely rocked the Dolby Theatre and delivered another quality performance, while the audience felt it…I could not connect with him. B
While Jennifer Lopez stated that Round One was a tie, whatever song Idol creator Simon Fuller decided for the guys would determine which artist broke the tie. Mr. Fuller chose Bill Withers’ classic, “Ain’t No Sunshine,” for Mr. Beckham to sing. Even though this song was sung multiple times on this show, Clark Beckham “Signed, Sealed & Delivered” was way better than any other performer who tacked the song in the past! A+
Simon Fuller chose Jason Mraz’s “I Won’t Give Up” for Nick to sing! In my humble opinion, it is a great song…but Nick completely blew it! If you need to listen to a great cover of “I Won’t Give Up,” go watch Peter Hollens’ outstanding cover! F
Before we got into Round Three, we want to congratulate Jennifer Lopez on her upcoming Las Vegas residency at Planet Hollywood. While the “Let’s Get Loud” singer figures out what songs she is going to perform, it was time for the Coronation Round!
Clark Beckham’s coronation song, “Champion,” is a great anthem. I got chills all throughout my body as Clark performed this song. This reminded me of Jordin’s “This Is My Now” and Adam’s “No Boundaries” and it definitely inspired me. Bravo, Clark! A
The final performance of Season 14 belonged to Nick Fradiani! While I admire Nick as an artist, I could connect with his single: “Beautiful Life.” I wish that Scott Borchetta chose a better single for Nick to perform. C
Tomorrow night, either Clark or Nick will become your next “Idol” as an all-star group of performers including New Kids on the Block, Jamie Foxx, Pitbull, Andy Grammer and former judge Steven Tyler are among the performers that will take the stage!
I do not own the clips that are featured in this article. They belong to FOX, FremantleMedia North America and 19 Entertainment.
