I caught an episode of America’s Got Talent the other day. While I think the show is filled with utter ridiculousness, there are some gems to be found in there. But what I find myself watching this show for, is not because of the ridiculousness that I’m sure others just can’t wait to see, but is because it reminds me of a Japanese talent show that I used to watch when I was a child. Kinchan’s Kashou Tashou was a semi-annual talent show, if you will, that showcased various artists to perform in front of a panel of judges. The 100-point scale in the backdrop would gradually go up and up depending on the popularity of the performance.

It was a great show to watch, and I used to love the sound the 100-point scale made as it made its way to the top, and people would wait in anticipation for the top score.

I digress. America’s Got Talent does indeed showcase some talents that would probably otherwise not have been noticed. Like that waitress-turned-Sarah McLachlan, or that sweet little 24-year-old Puerto Rican opera singer that blew all the judges away with his powerful voice. He was actually really good, and nobody would have known it by just talking to him face to face.

I don’t know what happens to all these people after they go to Vegas, but it could be interesting to see. Perhaps. Possibly. If I have time. If I remember…

Oh, and did the show actually tell you? The grand prize of $1 million is actually a financial annuity given out over a span of 40 years. Yeah, that’s really only $25,000 per year. And with taxes taken off of that, you’re not looking at anything to retire from.

But who’s complaining. I’ll take the million any day.

So the season finale of American Idol 9 was on tonight, with its epic 2 hour showing, which also included a farewell to the one and only Simon Cowell. While I was only really interested in the results from last night’s performance from Crystal Bowersox and Lee Dewyze, I did manage to catch some of the farewell clips and “emotional” moments for Simon Cowell. Mildly entertaining I suppose.

Nonetheless, as Ryan read the results in the last remaining minutes of the show, I was still a little lost as to what the American audience would do.

Would they favour a single mother who already considers herself a musician, or would they be more moved towards the paint salesman turned rocker? In retrospect, I can see how everybody would sympathize more with Lee. His raw feelings and emotions were often more accessible than Crystal’s, and that made him more likable and relatable to the masses. And while Crystal did open up near the end of the season, her confidence may have hindered her from becoming too vulnerable, making people vote more towards the guy they can relate to.

Simon did say, after all, that this is what American Idol was made to do: Bring in unsuspecting talents from all corners of the country and give them a chance of a lifetime.

Although it’s clear that Crystal has better command of her vocals, she does have a uniqueness to her singing style that may not have been to everybody’s liking. As Cara once said, Lee has much more of a commercial voice, while Crystal’s is in a league of her own.

I have to admit that I am a little disappointed with the results, as my vote would have gone towards Crystal, whom I pegged right from the get-go during audition week. Her, along with Lilly Scott, and Didi, all had such uniqueness to their voices, that they caught my attention right away. It was just a shame that Lilly got voted off too early in the show (and the judges all knew it), and while Didi continued, she lost her direction and who she really was as an artist and fell apart, leading to her demise.

Regardless, I’m sure that both Crystal and Lee will come out with their albums and both will do well. However, only one will be known as The American Idol. Will Crystal become another Diana DeGarmo, or will she be more in tune with the likes of Clay Aitken and sell more records than the actual idol? I predict neither will happen, but she’ll settle with a record label and produce records that only her true fans will enjoy and appreciate.

Congratulations to Lee. Go Crystal Go!

So I just finished watching the first two days of Hollywood week on American Idol. I have to say, I wasn’t really blown away with anybody… except for the talent of Lilly Scott.

I missed her audition in her hometown so I’m not sure how she faired on that day, but when she belted out that Ella Fitzgerald song, it was pure gold. She carried her vocals so well throughout the entire song, it was a pleasure to listen to her sing. At one point, I was almost cringing hoping that she wouldn’t make a mistake or not hit a note properly. Her audition was flawless, and I’m happy for her.

Surprisingly, none of the judges had much to say about her—although that could be all thanks to the editing room. For obvious reasons I haven’t heard all 181 contestants sing, but I wouldn’t be surprised at all if she made it to the final 24. In fact, I would very much like to see her in the top 5; if she continues to sing like she did during her first round Hollywood audition, I would say she has a very good chance in doing so.

She was fresh with her unique style, she has great command of her vocals, and she is definitely not stage-shy.

Two other girls to note: 29877 (Christal) and Didi were also quite impressive, each in their own ways. Although I felt the former had a typical singing voice that didn’t stand out all that much, she really knew how to control her vocals, switching octaves during her song. Didi reminded me of another artist whom I can’t seem to remember at the moment. But her style was quite unique and I thought stood out from the rest as well.

As to who actually goes through is anybody’s game. The judges are picky during Hollywood week, and although I may not necessarily have agreed with all of their decisions in the past, I have a good feeling that at the very least, Lilly will make it very far in this competition.