<p>I voted for Crystal. It was time to act</p>
<p>The show was the lamest ever! It was boring and out of key for Lee and Crystal gave her all, but she is too folky for our generation. Compared to last 8 finals, it couldn’t have been more boring. Neither one of them will be the greatest talent. No Daughtry, Carrie or Kelly there!</p>
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<p>I’m afraid Multitasker is right. I just can’t believe how many people don’t seem to hear Lee’s off-key notes. I counted 3 last last night.</p>
<p>I don’t watch AI. But can someone post whether or not the final winner will be decided by votes or by the judges?</p>
<p>Winner always decided by votes.</p>
<p>(if they keep it honest. 
)</p>
<p>I bet Lee will win, but IMO Crystal deserves it. However, a 2nd place not so many balls and chains finish for Crystal may allow her to do more what SHE wants rather than what THEY want.</p>
<p>And I have to say, though I like Lee a lot and his dreamy eyes, he is going to be one boring interview! It seems his conversation doesn’t offer a lot of substance. Crystal seems to handle herself better in front of the camera and has a compelling story.</p>
<p>Susan, the winner is chosen by the voting public. </p>
<p>I’ve found this season very boring. Crystal and Casey were both more talented musicians, and vocalists, than Lee but Lee seems to have the voting demographic covered, so he’ll probably win. None of them is even in the same ballpark with talented kids from previous seasons.</p>
<p>Well, coming in second is not a bad thing. In some years, the second place winner has fared better professionally than the winner. Take Clay Aiken and Adam Lambert. </p>
<p>My D is currently working with Clay Aiken’s musical director/arranger.</p>
<p>That’s cool! ^^^ We were big Clay fans “back in the day”. New album coming out I hear - though I’m not a fan of the oldies I hear it’s going to be.</p>
<p>I didn’t think anyone this season was that good. If you listen to Jennifer Hudson’s version of Let It Be from the Haiti concert or Carrie Underwood or even Kelly Clarkson they blow Crystal and Lee out of the water.
I work at a place where we pay $150 a night for live music. Acoustic, guitar stuff. Both Crystal and Lee fit in that category for me. If I heard them in a coffee house or wine bar I would think they were good but would I buy their album or itunes stuff? Nope.</p>
<p>Lee’s studio versions of his songs are better than his live performances. I think that will bode well for him and songs sales.</p>
<p>Also, at least for Crystal (again, being from her hometown and reading lots of interviews/info locally) I’m not sure that Carrie Underwood status is what she wishes anyway. Success can be measured in varying degrees and to various desires. </p>
<p>If music can be their “career” I think both Lee and Crystal will be happy. A lower profile (i.e. not in the National Enquirer and tabloids for the famous) would probably suit them just fine.</p>
<p>"the winner is chosen by the voting public. "</p>
<p>But numbers can be manipulated. I’ve always felt “votes” were somewhat dubious. Should I come out of the closet as a Constantine fan?</p>
<p>I agree with everyone else that last night was boring. This whole season lacked the talent of previous AI seasons. With Simon gone after tonight I don’t know if I will be watching next year.</p>
<p>I think Lee will be the winner because of the young girls that will vote for him not because he is the more talented one. I didn’t like either of the covers that will be their first singles.</p>
<p>I watched last night, after skipping the last five weeks or so. Is there really a chance that Lee will win? He simply could not have been more mediocre – he made last year’s nonentity (Kris?) look vibrant and talented. He also got worse over the course of the show. His “Beautiful Day” was like a wet washcloth, and served only as a primer on the many little things that make a difference between a compelling performance (Bono) and karioke (Lee). Crystal hardly knocked my socks off, but I wouldn’t walk out of a bar if she were singing there, and I wouldn’t talk through her performance, either. And she got more compelling as the night went on. And I liked it when Randy called her “MamaSox”.</p>
<p>abasket: agree with you. When he was asked yesterday a simple question such as “what do you feel in this moment” he answered"“it’s great”, and no substance followed. I would have said something like" the whole competition was a humbling experience, and I would like to thank the judes for their insights, and to the public who voted for me, for which am grateful, etc…" Interviews are going to be completelly numb with him. At least Lambert knew what to say, he was fabulous!</p>
<p>Really mediocre this year. I haven’t even watched most of this year. The couple of times I did decide to tune in I tuned out again pretty quickly from a combination of boredom and pain from listening to bad singing. My favorite year was the David Cook year - a whole group of good singers and charismatic personalities and I love David Cook. Enjoyed the Adam Lambert year too though I think a lot of that was wondering what Lambert’s performance would be like each week. Although my feelings about Lambert himself were mixed, I loved some of his performances - Mad World just took my breath away - but I didn’t, and still don’t, enjoy his screechy falsetto performances. But at least he was never boring!</p>
<p>The whole evening was like the Mikey commercial for Life cereal. </p>
<p>Crystal: I don’t want it, you take it.
Lee: No, you take it. I don’t want it.
Crystal: I’m not getting stuck with this American Idol moniker. You take it.
Lee: C’mon Crystal. You take it.</p>
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<p>Doesn’t make any difference. They will both be signed to recording contracts with 19 Recording and Simon Fuller’s team will ultmately decide what they do, just like the label does in every recording contract. Those are parameters of every contract with a six-figure advance. Just because they’ve appeared on a karaoke talent show doesn’t give them the leverage to re-write the rules.</p>
<p>As a practical matter, the singers who come off Idol with a clear, commercially-viable artistic vision have no complaints with 19E. Adam Lambert has had nothing but effusive praise for the support of 19E and 19 Recording. Same with Carrie Underwood. The friction comes when these karaoke kids don’t have the first clue about the music business and the expectation of a music label that has just handed them a six or seven figure advance that must ultimately be recouped with sales.</p>
<p>If they are uncomfortable with the restrictions of a major label contract, they can always go “indie” and sell copies of their self-produced CD out of the trunk of their car after their coffee house gigs. Of course, those “indie” deals usually don’t have six figure advances.</p>
<p>The day after American Idol ended, Clay Aiken should have moved to Vegas, a signed lifetime contract with a Vegas casino, and carved out a nice career as Wayne Newton 2.0.</p>
<p>He was put on earth to sing stirring renditions of “My Way” in a Vegas dinner theater and the pay is good.</p>
<p>But Clay Aiken ain’t hurtin’. He has several albums, a tour, has been on Broadway, etc. Not everyone wants to be in Vegas. :D</p>