Idol Chatter & Voice Views

So, American Idol bloggers, including yours truly, have come to a conclusion.

Candice Glover should be crowned the Season 12 Idol tonight.

But will that happen?

Candice Glover with Ryan Seacrest on Wednesday’s episode of American Idol. (FOX Photo)

Don’t assume so.

Just think back to Season 9. Crystal Bowersox sang rings around Lee DeWyze all season. She sang rings around him in the finals.

By a far wider margin, as a matter of fact, than Candice outperformed Kree last night.

We all know who won Season 9. It wasn’t Crystal.

Kree has a very loyal country voting base behind her. Not to mention a touch of Idol mystique.

As I reported earlier this week, the singer who would be listed first alphabetically Idol style — meaning by first name — has never enjoyed a confetti shower at the end of the evening.

Anyway, this will be the live blog for this evening’s proceedings. Simultaneously, I’ll be updating a photo blog.

And check back tomorrow morning when I’ll helpfully provide 10 tips Idol should take between now and Season 13.

Hey, maybe someday, the show will hire me as a paid consultant.

In the meantime, on with the finale …

And we kick off with an upbeat group performance of “I’m Glad You Came” with the Idols decked out fashionably, all in white. Of course, it looked like that was being lip synched.

Kree and Candice show up on stage, seeming more exhausted than anything. Kree vows they’ll celebrate regardless of the outcome.

Now, for some performances …

Janelle Arthur and Kimberly Perry perform on the American Idol season finale. (FOX Photo)

The Band Perry and Janelle Arthur: The Band Perry rocks out to their latest hit, “Done.” And just as the song kicks into high gear, they’re joined by Janelle Arthur. Hey, who knew Janelle could head bang right along with Kimberly Perry? Look at the blond hair fly. Really like this song and really like this performance. Wow, a few more performances like this surely would have been welcome in Season 12.

The Idol guys, joined by Frankie Valli: You didn’t think we were going to stick with current music, did you? The Idol guys — after a hilarious segment about the grand conspiracy to ensure a female winner, launch into a medley of Frankie Valli hits. And, of course, they’re then joined on stage by 79-year-old Frankie. They wind up the medley with “Grease.”

Mariah Carey medley: Mariah, looking splendid in white, is taking us on a really quick trip through her hits. Pretty sure this must have been pre-taped. And it sure looks like the entire thing is being lip-synched. Another wonderful contribution to the Idol season by the judge who never should have been. OK, this has to be lip-synched. Her voice is suddenly auto-tuned on “Beautiful,” that new single where Miguel sings almost the entire song and Mariah giggles.

Amber Holcomb and Emili Sande: They’ll sing “Next to Me.” Thanks for joining in, Emili. Amber doesn’t sound any better on this than she did on many of the performances the judges praised in Season 12. Emili sounds great, but this was not a duet made in heaven. And I’m pretty sure it won’t be the musical highlight of the night.

Now, we have an extended Ford commercial.

Psy performs on the American Idol finale.

PSY: He’ll sing “Gentleman.” OK, this isn’t in the wheelhouse of any of the Idols given the steady stream of ballads they’ve served up over the course of Season 12. Who’s going to be the lucky Idols to join PSY on stage? Turns out no one joins PSY on stage, except for a very large squadron of dancers. Oh, well, it’s probably better that way.

Keith Urban: It’s Keith’s turn to take the stage. He’ll sing “A Little Bit of Everything.” Hey, does this mean all the judges will take the stage tonight, Nicki included. Anyway, back to Keith. Nice song, but it would be so neat if Kree joined him on stage for this number. You know, the way the judges and the contestants do on The Voice. But it ain’t happening. Who knows? This might have been pre-recorded too.

Candice Glover and Jennifer Hudson during their duet on the American Idol finale. (AP Photo)

Candice Glover: She’ll sing “Inseparable.” And she’ll be joined by Jennifer Hudson. Very neat. Jennifer looks great. But it also sounds like they’re trying to outsing one another, which isn’t working wonderfully for me. Though that ending where they took turns singing glory notes, then came back together at the end was pretty special. And judges loved it. They’re on their feet.

Angie Miller and Adam Lambert: This should be nice. Angie is at the piano playing “Titanium.” And she’s joined on stage by Adam Lambert. Sorry, Kree fans, I still think Angie should have been competing against Candice in the final. This is really really high for Adam, but he’s nailing it. And Angie is hanging right with him. Very nice.

Angie and Jessie J.: This is a dream come true for Angie, she gets to sing with her musical Idol, Jessie J. They’re doing “Domino.” What happened to Jessie’s hair? And, please, gal, be careful how you move in that dress. And they take turns singing at the end, too. I liked the Adam-Angie duo better, but nice to see Angie get to sing with Jessie J.

More good news for Angie. Her single, “Set Me Free,” will be available on iTunes tonight. And she’s going to get to sing the show in the UK with Jessie J.

Kree Harrison with Keith Urban and Randy Jackson (on guitar): They’re going to sing “Where the Blacktop Ends.” Good, glad to see Kree get to perform with Kree. Hey, she can rock out a little more than she showed us on the Idol stage. Maybe she just needed company on stage. Another nice performance.

Aretha Franklin and the Idol girls: OK, Aretha is in New York, singing “Natural Woman,” and the Idol girls are on stage singing harmony, with Aretha on the big screen behind them. Someone should have nixed this idea. It’s a little tough to sing harmony when the lead singer is on the other side of the country. And it’s showing.

Jennifer Lopez and Pitbull: Yep, the pimp spot goes to the former judge, who sings a song that amounts to “let’s get it on.” Please don’t bring Jennifer back as a judge. The only thing she accomplished as an Idol judge was promoting her own career. Idol can do better.

Candice and Kree: Gee, they’ve been almost an afterthought tonight. Finally, they’re back on stage, together. Singing very well. And embracing at the end of the song.

And, finally, the time is here. The winner of Season 12 of American Idol is …

And the winner is … Candice Glover.