"American Idol": Sparks vs Lewis, who may win · 2007-05-22 10:53
Who is going to win "American Idol"? Jordin Sparks or Blake Lewis? It's thought that Sparks is the clear frontrunner, Lewis is full of surprises.
The "American Idol" crown will be bestowed Wednesday night, May 23, on 17-year-old Sparks or 25-year-old Lewis, Washington Post reports.
Sparks, the 17-year-old daughter of retired NFL player Phillippi Sparks, sits pretty in one corner. The bubbly teen with the killer voice from Glendale, Ariz., is poised beyond her years, yet her girl-next-door goofiness endears her to viewers of all ages.
If Sparks is this year's Miss Congeniality, Lewis, 25, of Bothell, Wash., wins awards for Most Creative and Best Dressed. The stylish beatboxer, who has been experimenting with hair color in recent weeks, has shown talent for choosing songs that play to his strengths and altering song arrangements to inject contemporary pizazz.
USA Today gives the coaches' opinion about the finalists.
Don Waller, Author, critic, DJ: "Jordin Sparks is a crystalline soprano with noticeable breath control problems and a shaky lower register, who has yet to prove she can sing anything remotely uptempo and has all the onstage mobility of a refrigerator. Ah, but she’s a pretty young thing, and her likability quotient is off the charts.
Blake Lewis is a serviceable vocalist with limited range, power and control, who has yet to prove his talent extends beyond retrofitting just about anything into flaccid soul-pop. He dresses like the love child of a geriatric golfer and a thrift-store Dumpster-diver, and he's learned how to do exactly one dance. That's his shtick ??” and people either love it or hate it".
Gene Sculatti, Author, editor, critic: "Jordin deserves the crown. Even apart from the obvious vocal-strength edge she has over Blake, she displayed more range in the material she picked and successfully handled.
Blake has collected props for some adventurous selections, but his reliance on his effects-laden toolbox more often than not detracted from the song he was delivering. But he is young and reasonably cute; maybe all he has to do is show up."
Christina Warren, Entertainment marketing student: "Blake has most clearly demonstrated the wherewithal to take the title. Blake is very current, and that represents something new for Idol.
Jordin has a great voice and is a great talent ??“ but because of her youth, she does not appear to have a sense of artistic vision or identity."
Rona Elliot, Music TV personality: "Jordin is the real talent. She is a no-gimmick, no-nonsense, no-affectation soul singer out of a long tradition of great soul singers.
Blake keeps it fresh and keeps his fans engaged in his process, anticipating what he'll come up with and how he'll make a song his own."
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