Can a girl win American Idol?
After tonight’s outcome, I’d respond with a resounding “no.”
Not unless Idol can round up a female singer named Zuri Zirka.
And maybe not even then. (More on Zuri later.)
I mean, if it didn’t happen this year, when is it going to happen?
This year, it looked like girl power was on the rise on Idol.
After all, we had four girls in the top six for the first time since Season 4.
Contestants named Hollie Cavanagh and Elise Testone advanced farther than I ever imagined they could on a show males have dominated for so long.
And the protests against another white-guy-with-guitar winner seemed to be getting louder and louder.
To the point where the term carried a dismissive tone and you got an inkling their might be a backlash against contestants of that ilk.
Then there were the contestants themselves.
Jessica Sanchez, the little girl with the big voice. Just 16 at a time when Idol seemed to be trending toward younger contestants.
With that remarkable range, that magnificent maturity for her age.
That ability to handle a wide range of songs, from “Stuttering” to “Proud Mary” and everything in between.
In the other corner, singer-songwriter Phillip Phillips.
A guy of admirable character, who wanted his music, not flashy clothes or flashy anything else, to do the talking.
But as a a singer?
Wow. There were at least five better on the show this season.
Want names?
In addition to Jessica: Joshua, Elise, Hollie and, probably, Skylar Laine.
Anyway, 21 times, Jessica and Phillip went head to head.
Sixteen times — 76 percent — I scored Jessica the winner.
And if that didn’t convince anyone Jessica should win, how about Wednesday’s performances?
That brilliant solo on “I Will Always Love You?” That fabulous duet with Jennifer Holliday?
The fact that she hit notes Phillip couldn’t come close to when they sang “Up Where We Belong?”
But when Wednesday’s show ended, confetti was raining on the head of Phillip Phillips.
After last year, when Scotty McCreery won though Pia Toscano was probably the best singer and Haley Reinhart the best Idol contestant.
After Season 9, when Lee DeWyze won over Crystal Bowersox in a travesty of Idol injustice.
After Season 8, when Kris Allen won, though it should have been Allison Iraheta standing alongside Adam Lambert in the Idol finale.
Five straight male winners.
With no end to the trend in sight.
Meanwhile, so continues another very bizarre trend on American Idol. A trend I heard about a couple weeks ago.
Idol alphabetizes contestants by first name. In 11 seasons, the contestant who would be listed second alphabetically in the season finale has won every time.
Really. Check it out.
So, Idol, please find a female singer named Zuri Zorilla.
If she can play the guitar, that would be a plus. I think.
Because this is getting monotonous.
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6 Comments
its going to be really difficult to watch, and i wanted be surprised if i tune out around top 5 week just because this season ended so poorly
ugh i am so upset jess didn’t win, she was my fave!! and yes i was very upset about adam in his season, he deserved the win too.
but jess will be a superstar anyway =)
and her duet with jennifer H was INCREDIBLE!!! one of the most powerful things i’ve seen in 6 years of watching idol. unbelievable. i could not believe what i was seeing/hearing. just mindblowing. and, her reprise of i will always love you. and her reprise of the prayer yesterday. and everything else she sings is wonderful too! the fact that she didn’t win makes no sense. oh wait, it’s because she’s not a cute guy. that’s the reason!!
Nice job on the article Mark. It must be nice to know it all. Maybe next year, the “fix” should be to have no judges and no voting. You, the purveyor of all things right, should just decide. After all, you are the omniscient one. Idol doesn’t need voters. You know it all, they (we) don’t. Jessica is a great talent. But, face it genius, America preferred Phillip. To stay consistent with your borderline conspiracy theme, maybe the voters of white males have advanced computer systems that generate millions of votes. Or, maybe there’s payola involved, guaranteeing that they get the more suitable last song. It was fun reading your article though. Sometimes arrogant, know-it-alls can be entertaining.
Jessica’s duet with Jennifer Holiday should go down as pne of the best, if not THE best, duets and performance in the ENTIRE AI history! I think it’s just to show people a taste of what to come Jessica’s way..
And anyway, and I said this tons of times too, I learned that it’s not who WINS the crown, but who LANDED the most lucrative offer! Good luck to all of them!