American Idol News Today 5/14/08

‘Idol’ final seems a lock to be battle of Davids
With just one week to go until the “American Idol” season finale, Ryan Seacrest made it clear that it’s anybody’s competition to win. Each contestant was reportedly within a million votes of each other a week ago, so it wouldn’t take much to make a difference.

The judges gave everyone both compliments and criticism Tuesday night, but by the end of the hour it was clear who they were hoping for. They’ve talked about a David Archuleta-David Cook final for weeks, and if Syesha Mercado crashes the party, it won’t be because Randy Jackson, Paula Abdul and Simon Cowell tried to sway the jury on her behalf. via MSNBC

The High School Student, The Actress or the Bartender–Who’s Going Home From American Idol?
In which we try to predict whether or not Randy’s dubbing Syesha “No. 3″ of the final three American Idol contestants was some sort of astrological prediction written in the star-chart shirt he wore last night—or another piece of the mounting pile of evidence that the producers have been gaming the system for a David/David finale since the night Chikezie was eliminated. For anecdotal purposes, DialIdol ranks the hopefuls Cook-Archuleta-Mercado, while the top Idol-related search term on Google Trends is (ugh) “Switchfoot,” at No. 57. America: It can’t get enough of that post-millennial grunge! Vote after the jump. via Idolator

Nigel Lythgoe on Jeff Archuleta: It’s about taking “some pressure away here”
ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: There have been reports that Jeff Archuleta was banished from backstage, but then David’s vocal coach gave a radio interview in which he said that wasn’t the case. What light can you shed on this?
NIGEL LYTHGOE: “Banished” is a terrible word, isn’t it? It sounds like we’re in some far-off kingdom. He has been asked not to participate in the choice of music with David or be in the room when David is working out his routines that he wants to sing. He’s fine to be in the studio — nothing wrong with that. We just want David to be able to be free like everybody else to get on and do what they want to do. via Hollywood Insider

‘American Idol’ Recap: David Cook Continues To Sizzle; Syesha Mercado Finally Fizzles Out
Tuesday night’s penultimate “Idol” performance show reminded us that after three long months, the seventh season crown will go to either “a high school student,” “an actress” or “a barrrrtender.” (Considering who we started with this year, it’s a good thing America voted the way it did, otherwise Seacrest would have had to refer to a male stripper, a sushi waitress, a horse whisperer, a Rastafarian, a failed major-label pop star or a bald failed pop star instead.)

The remaining contestants each had three songs to perform: judge’s choice, contestant’s choice and producer’s choice. (I hope Nigel Lythgoe allowed executive producer Cecile Frot-Coutaz in on the conversations. Going by her name alone, I bet she has a lot of spunk.) via MTV

Many Roads to the Final 3
Just two months ago, twelve strangers stepped onto this stage, bearing the weight of a multi-gazillion dollar entertainment powerhouse on their collective shoulders. Eight weeks later, the crowd Tuesday in the Idoldome was no longer swooning for mere firmaments in the franchise’s galaxy, but as the fans of three individuals who have sung through fire and earned their places among Idol immortals.

Ultimately, what was quantified by this column as the most talented season in Idol history, has produced a Final Three worthy of the name, and three individuals worthy to stand with the Final Three of any season. Along the way, giants have fallen; the loss of Michael Johns and of the greatest performer in Idol history (also most electrifying) Carly Smithson, still sting. And the lights still shine bright from the supporting cast - Chikezie Eze, Ramiele Malubay, Jason Castro, Kristy Lee Cook, David Hernandez, Brooke White and Amanda Overmyer, still with two months hindsight, not a forgettable talent amongst them. via LA Times

American Idol Banter: Who Are They Really
In the climactic moments of what should have been a thrill-inducing semi-final, the three most dutiful finalists ever to dominate “American Idol” fulfilled homeroom teacher Ryan Seacrest’s opening descriptions so perfectly, one suspected the producers has slipped in animatronic replacements for the nervous wrecks we’ve seen the past couple of weeks.

Not that Seacrest’s tags were that creative. He called David Archuleta “a high school student,” Syesha Mercado “an actress,” and David Cook “a bartender” — that last one got a mortified guffaw from the Missouri rocker. But in a show devoted to song choices from the judges, the producers and the contestants themselves, the singers’ most memorable performances mined the truth behind these simple labels. via LA Times

‘American Idol’ Front-Runner David Archuleta Speaks Out About His Dad: ‘I Don’t Really Care What People Say’
“American Idol” front-runner David Archuleta has spoken out in support of his father, amid reports that Jeff Archuleta has been banned from the show’s backstage.

“I don’t really care what people say, but I know it’s affected him and stressed him out,” the younger Archuleta said in the newest issue of TV Guide, according to UsMagazine.com.

The final straw appeared to be a lyric change Jeff Archuleta reportedly insisted on during last week’s performance show. Despite being warned against it, David’s father is said to have requested alterations to the lyrics of Ben E. King’s “Stand by Me” in order to slip in a verse from Sean Kingston’s “Beautiful Girls,” a move that reportedly cost the production additional song-clearance costs. via MTV

Idol Syesha finds her soul and a change is gonna come
Never underestimate the value of a Halle Berry moment.

Berry, of course, is the Hollywood actress who — accepting the first best-actress Oscar ever awarded to an African-American for her performance in Monster’s Ball — visibly teared up, invoked the country’s divided racial history and turned her acceptance speech into a pop culture tour de force. via The Record