Idolville: The Sun Won’t Go Down On Him

When you begin watching American Idol it’s somehow hard to believe that the thousands of hopeful souls who audition, the 24 contestants who start it off, and the 12 who really make it will ever be whittled down to two singers. But here we are: the dark horse David Cook (several weeks ago I called him too paunchy to stand a chance; I stand corrected) and the white knight David Archuleta (whom I, and every other insightful viewer, called out as the winner at the start). They’ve got three rounds to brawl, and the producers can’t help but play up the boxing metaphor, enlisting the “Are you ready to rumble?” guy for pugilistic sake. Let’s not mince words: three songs, three performances, one inevitable outcome. Here’s what happened last night:

Round 1: Clive Davis’s Choice.

Davis is a man who knows what he’s talking about, and he picked perfect songs for the Davids: U2’s “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For” for Cook and Elton John’s “Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me” for Archuleta.

The U2 jewel is the kind of song Cook is perfect for: an emotive wail of radio-friendly masculinity. He’s got a hungry crowd to please, and it must be said, he looked good last night — he’s come a long way from the portly, slightly sweaty, streaks ‘n’ highlight bartender out of Oklahoma. But he can’t quite connect with his songs: he has a small presence onstage, and inviting comparisons with Bono is not a wise move. Love him or hate him the U2 singer is a titan. Cook did a credible job — the judges were pleased, especially Paula. But it’s Archuleta’s round to steal.

And he does. I’ve previously worried that David A.’s sexlessness would get him in the end. One rabid fan is shown waving a sign requesting David’s presence at her prom, but prom night is a single celebration and sex appeal is forever. Archuleta’s take on contemporary romance (see last week’s “With You”) is an embarrassment; he’s much more comfortable stuff like “Love Me Tender” and “Stand By Me.” Elton’s lovely and unthreatening “Sun” is a perfect choice for him: a forlorn plea that speaks to romance without the threat of actual sex. For all Archuleta’s meekness, he attacks his songs vehemently, and this one is no exception: he nailed it. The judges are in rapture, and Simon declares Round 1 goes to David A.

Round 2: Bad Choices

The less said about this round the better. The Davids take their pick from Idol’s songwriting competition; both tunes are awful and called out as such. But once again, we see a shrewd Archuleta and a lost-at-sea Cook. Poor David C., he just can’t fathom that America may be less committed to the canon of Creed-like alternative whine than he is. Each of his choices is an anthem just shades away from Christian rock. His appeal to “Dream Big” is fine, but it’s a wasted number for him, and he only gets three chances tonight.

Archuleta, with an equally lame title, fares far better: “In This Moment” is a diva’s aria, but the singer wrestles it to the ground. David C. has no match for the kid’s presence and control, although it vanishes as soon as the song ends. That may hurt Archuleta’s actual career, but it won’t hurt his Idol odds. Simon declares Round 2 for David A.

Round 3: Lennon Nugget vs Collective Soul One Hit Wonder

The final round is contestant’s choice, and the internet has been awash with rumors and certainties of these decisions right up until the singing started. As usual, Cook chooses wrong and Archuleta chooses very right. Cook takes on Collective Soul’s “The World I Know,” a tune in line with his other choices — but one that barely guaranteed Collective Soul a career. He’s allowed a swelling, triumphant, alt-rock ending, but a redemptive take on a potential suicide is not what anyone needs in the last moments of the last week of American Idol. What we want is a feel-good time that reminds us why we liked Cook and Idol in the first place. (Simon insists that Cook should have chosen “Billie Jean” or “Hello,” his two breakthrough hits, and he’s right — the final number should be about continuity, not novelty.)

This is something that Archuleta understands perfectly, and delivers a spot-on version of his previous smash, “Imagine.” The more things change, the more they stay the same. Ending like this allows us to forget that Archuleta has turned in his share of boring performances and strange choices, that he’s been consistently good but in fact never as good as his first “Imagine” all those weeks ago. Now it doesn’t matter: he’s wrapped it all up for himself in a bow.

Tonight’s Archuleta’s night — tune in to see him celebrate.

–Matthew Schneier

This entry was posted on Wednesday, May 21st, 2008 at 11:35 am