Who would have guessed that Crystal Bowesox and Lee DeWyze had so much in common? Thanks to Ryan Seacrest, we learned that both auditioned in Chicago, both are 24 years old, and both are in it to win it on American Idol!

 

Brilliant, Ryan. (Not.) But aside from inane judges’ comments about “This is what the show is all about!” after virtually every performance last night, the far-stretching comparisons end. As far as I’m concerned, the title fight ended with a knockout before a crowd of 7,000 at the Nokia Theater.

 

On a bittersweet side note, we witnessed Simon Cowell’s final night of critiquing on American Idol. The show will of course work in a touching sendoff in the massive Results finale tonight. But in my mind, it’s less the end for Simon (tune in to X Factor, fall of 2011) and more likely curtains for American Idol as the show loses its greatest asset.

 

Back to the match at hand, our two Finalists each performed three songs: a favorite performance from the season, a selection by Executive Producer Simon Fuller, and a pre-selected single which will be played on the radio depending on the winner. That last one was a pleasant surprise, given that previous years traditionally featured an overly saccharine, banal piece of treacle foisted upon the Finalists. This year, the producers simply picked a previously released song for each contestant, and the results were much more pleasant (at least for one of the singers). I’d personally be surprised, though, if both songs weren’t released as singles, regardless of who wins.

 

Losing the coin toss and forced to perform first, Lee DeWyze kicked things off with his rendition of Simon & Garfunkel’s “The Boxer.” I wouldn’t necessarily call it his best of the season, but he and the producers seem to think it’s the one he’s most emotionally connected to. You almost get the impression from the way Lee’s performance has been touted that he somehow revived some obscurity rather than one of Simon & Garfunkel’s most recognized hits. But in the context of last night’s final showdown, it came across improved from the original performance weeks ago, yet lukewarm, lacking energy as Kara and Randy noted. The “li di li” chorus sounded great on Lee’s voice, but if this is all the emotion that Lee can muster in a performance, then in all honesty, it ain’t a lot.

 

It was no surprise that Crystal Bowersox revisited her cover of Janis Joplin’s “Me and Bobby McGee.” And I’d have to go back to the previous performance to see how this one compared, but it probably didn’t differ too significantly. The song is a natural choice for her rootsy pop style, and though it starts off a little routine, Crystal really lets loose at the end. Randy made the same observation as if it were a critique … but dude, that’s the song, aight? Plus, Crystal seemed a thousand times more invested in the performance, her “la di dah” chorus far more passionate. No question: Round 1 goes to Crystal.

 

Lee returned to the stage with R.E.M.’s “Everybody Hurts,” and in his defense, it seems a little unfair that he would be saddled with another folksy anthem—it didn’t complement his choice of “The Boxer.” On the other hand, it’s a more contemporary sounding song that suits his vocal style rather well, even if the arrangement with the strings and backing vocals sounded like, well, pretty much every other over-the-top lite rock arrangement Lee does (shades of “Hallelujah,” anyone?). At least the guy seemed more emotionally connected to it, wailing over the chorus, and yet the judges were right in noting that Lee also seemed restrained … which I say is typical for him, but I guess we were all hoping he’d knock one out of the park. This one came close for him, but whether it was nerves or simply an inability to emote more, Lee fell just short of greatness here.

 

Crystal, meanwhile, was handed a gift with Alannah Myles’ “Black Velvet,” which as Simon Cowell observed is one of the most overdone songs during the early auditions and Hollywood Week. Ah, but I’ve always secretly wanted Crystal to perform this one, and much as I want to surprise you all and say I’m really Simon Fuller in disguise, I tip my hat to the executive producer for making a perfect choice with this one. It really shows how Crystal’s sometimes overly rootsy sound can be quite commercial. The selection also gave Crystal an opportunity to lose the guitar and let her vocal shine—which she unfortunately failed to do, becoming a little shaky when trying to engage the fans and overreach some high notes. I was afraid Cowell was going to try and blame her for the song choice, but he got it right in the end. She nailed it with an overall strong performance. Crystal takes Round 2 by a narrow margin.

 

So imagine my surprise when Lee took the stage not to sing a crummy pop anthem, but U2’s driving rock anthem “Beautiful Day.” Something different for Lee at last, it was an opportunity to perform to the audience with his guitar. Call it a missed opportunity. Lee showed zero energy, uncomfortably standing behind the microphone stand for most of the song rather than playing the role of rock star. The dude simply doesn’t know how to own the stage. And on the chorus, he completely paled next to the unavoidable memory of Bono’s soaring vocal. It wasn’t awful, but this was literally the kick in the butt Lee needed to step out into the spotlight and engage … and he failed.

 

My curiosity was piqued: what would Crystal sing as her single? Another superb choice with Patty Griffin’s “Up to the Mountain,” a song I’ve secretly been hoping she would do all season. Kelly Clarkson did wonders with this one on Idol Gives Back years ago. I’m not sure this performance was better, and I would have loved to hear more gospel vocals and rock oomph in the arrangement rather than the subdued folk approach. But as far as I’m concerned, this was finally Crystal’s “Idol moment” at last. She gave it her all vocally, and it was a breathtaking way to finish up the night. Oh, and Simon's final critique on Idol? "That was outstanding." Enough said.

 

So who won? Without trying to be coy, does it really matter at this point? We’ve seen runner-up Clay Aiken outsell winner Ruben Studdard a thousand times over. There’s room for both to prove themselves winners as evidenced by Kris Allen and Adam Lambert. And both could just as easily fail, as demonstrated by Taylor Hicks and Katharine McPhee. The point is that both Lee and Crystal will win recording contracts and time will tell if they deliver the goods for a long and fruitful career.

 

But as far as last night was concerned, as much as I like Lee, it’s gotta be Crystal in terms of artistry, vocal prowess, and yes, even personality. For all the talk of Lee’s growth as a performer over the season, let’s not forget the range that Crystal has shown as a performer or the fact that she’s become more personable and likable as the season progressed—I love that she was already making shout-outs to the back row last night. It was no contest last night if performance is all that matters.

 

Unfortunately, I have a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach that Lee is going to pull the upset because he’s the cute, shy performer that the young girls will text their votes for. And let’s face it: he’s probably the more commercially viable of the two. I just think it would be a shame for Lee to receive the honor of being “the next American Idol” without really earning it. But if you think of an American Idol as a pinup idol taped to the inside of a girl’s school locker or bedroom wall, then maybe he deserves the title.

 

As I said earlier, does it really matter? Tell the world who you think the winner should be below.