Idol Chatter & Voice Views

Lionel Richie will perform We Are the World with the help of 11 former American Idol standouts on Sunday’s season finale. (ABC Photo)

Every member of the Top 11 and some former favorite Idol standouts will make appearances — remotely, of course — during Sunday’s American Idol finale.

Of course, the night’s main objective will be naming a champion of Season 18, and that will be done at the end of the show.

That means live voting, of course, and Idol has apparently sent confetti cannons to each finalists’ home in case they’re needed to help celebrate.

Seven artists — Just Sam, Julia Gargano, Arthur Gunn, Francisco Martin, Dillon James, Jonny West and Louis Knight Jr. — are still in the running, but two will be eliminated at the start of Sunday’s 8 p.m. show.

The remaining five contestants will each perform twice Sunday, one new song and one previously performed song that will become their official “Idol” single.

Sunday’s episode will also include:

* Academy Award nominee Cynthia Erivo and performing a medley of Aretha Franklin songs with the Top 11.

* Grammy winner Lauren Daigle and performing her song “You Say” with the Top 5.

* Rascal Flatts and Season 18 contestant Doug Kiker performing “Bless The Broken Road”

* Luke Bryan performing his new single “One Margarita”

* Katy Perry performing her new single “Daisies”

* Lionel Richie performing “We are the World” with the Idol judges and former Idol standouts Alejandro Aranda, Fantasia, Gabby Barrett, Jordin Sparks, Katharine McPhee, Kellie Pickler, Laine Hardy, Lauren Alaina, Phillip Phillips, Ruben Studdard and Scotty McCreery.

Idol — unlike The Voice — has always produced a finale with a celebratory feel. It’ll be interesting to see what they can pull off remotely.

Gotta say, though, I am a bit disappointed with the fact that we’ll only hear two songs from the finalists and one of those will be a repeat of a song we’ve already heard.

Disclaimer:
Producers, coaches, judges and hosts on American Idol and The Voice will pretend they are hosting a legitimate singing competition when their seasons come to a close this week. Having blogged about singing shows for more than a decade, I can assure you they are not.

You cannot go from a Top 20 to a winner in four weeks (American Idol) or a Top 17 to a winner in three weeks (The Voice) and call it a fair and legitimate singing competition.

So have fun watching. Vote if you want. Put very little stock in the results because they will mean virtually nothing.

Most of all, support the singers when their time on the show ends. They deserved a better showcase for their talent.