IdolHeadEd.com - Kris Allen's Unlikely, Unbelievable, and Un-pimped journey to #1

IdolHeadEd writes
Two Idols were given little chance at doing well this season. One of them won. The other one may have as well

In my voyages around the net I find there are many sucky, funny, appropriate, wrong, wise, stupid, profound and profane articles and comments. But occasionally a witticism that is so on the money it should be Pulitzer Prize worthy. This last week I came across such a thing. It describes the designation of Allison and Kris in this year’s Idol season. They have been correctly dubbed “The Accidental Finalists”. In the beginning no one knew who they were. For all we knew they were some of the cannon fodder we get every season. The Idol powers weren’t expecting either to make much hay of this opportunity or they would certainly been showed at least a little. But since this is about Kris I will leave Allison for another article soon to follow.

The only pre top 36 exposure we got of Kris was his 6 second stint with “White Chocolate” Hollywood week. And had it not been for Matt Giraud, one of the season’s major pimpees, in that group we may not have even gotten that. For me Kris did shine in his 6 seconds and I did at least remember who he was when the top 36, group 2 came around. But I was not so impressed with his version of Michael Jackson’s “Man in the Mirror” in the semis. While it wasn’t as fodder worthy as other performances that night, we certainly saw no aspirations of the season 8 title. At the end of the night, I and everyone else fully expected Allison and Adam to move on but not too many if any picked that cute guy with the torn pocket smile as number 3. I thought Mishavonna should have garnered a top 13 spot instead. But the judges put the kibosh on that with their wet comments. And since Matt got the early pimpage he looked like the next most likely candidate even though he muddled through “Viva La Vida”. On top of that the judge’s comments weren’t nearly as harsh as Mishavonna’s were. Kris was certainly the surprise pick that night as was Michael Sarver the week before.

It would be two more weeks before we would hear from Kris again in the top 13. As luck would have it Kris would again need to sing a Michael Jackson tune. His pick of an obscure “Remember the Time” and inconsistent version made me think he was certainly the fodder we all thought he was. But his first stroke of luck came with the poor performances of almost every other contestant. From Meagan Corkrey’s “Rockin’ Robin” (Caw Caw), to Jasmine’s weak delivery of “I’ll be There” to Jorge’s “Never Can Say Good Bye” (he did anyway) and Anoop’s dreadful “Beat It”. The amount of just plain bad performances saved Kris from the homeward bound. This was his first lucky step in the journey.

Earlier in Kris’s pre-package we got to meet his lovely wife Katy. And I will admit I agreed with Simon when he told Kris it was too early to bring out the wife. This could rock the bopper base. You know the group. Thumbs that are faster than the speed of light. And to date no Idol has ever won that was also married. The closest anyone came was Bo. Jasmine and Jorge got sent packing with no chance of the save being used.

The following week is the week we actually stopped looking at Kris as fodder but at the very least in the mix. It was Country week, a week few ever really shine. The pimped few made their case with Adam’s unusual love it or hate it “Ring of Fire”, Danny’s “Jesus Take the Wheel”, Matt’s “So Small” and Anoop’s comeback with “Always on My Mind”. But it was Kris’s “To Make You Feel My Love” that was the surprise standout performance of the week. On a night where the good performances outweighed the bad, Kris picked a good night to be great.

On results night it was surprise bootee Alexis Grace not Michael Sarver, which also played a part in Kris’s luck. This is of course pure speculation but I believe had Alexis weathered that storm she would have been a very formidable force throughout the rest of the competition. Her bottom 3 appearance would have lit a fire and she would never have taken for granted her place on the show nor her fans. And I whole heartedly believe had she not taken the judge’s advice and “dirtied it up” she would not have been that night’s bootee. I fully believe we would have had two girls in the top 5 had she not gone that week. In truth, this would have made Kris’s journey a bit more difficult.

Motown week was next and again Kris pulls out the guitar and gives a stellar performance of “How Sweet it Is”. On that night some of the mighty pimped pull up lame. I know I am trying not to mention Allison much but this night she was the other un-pimped star with her “Papa was a Rolling Stone”. Kris can thank Megan, Michael, Lil, and Scott and to a lesser degree Danny whose “Get Ready” wasn’t. On a night custom made for Lil, she really dropped the ball and Kris picked it up. I think this is where America really started noticing Kris and Allison. Ooops, there I go again.

If last week America started noticing Kris, this was the week they started loving him. iTunes download week Kris picked “Ain’t no Sunshine” and had the performance of the week. He was far and away the best of the night. On top of that going last virtually insured his safety. Although on this night he could have sung first and it wouldn’t have mattered. Even the mighty Adam and Danny couldn’t hold a candle with their “Play That Funky Music” and “What Hurts the Most”. This night Kris showed that “Artistry” Kara always talks about. His moving on the following night was a given.

Kris took a step back with his “year you were born” pick “All She Wants To Do Is Dance”. This is clearly a case where the audience still had “Ain’t No Sunshine” ringing in there heads. It’s one of those rare cases of the previous week saving him from the present week. This is also the week Allison and Adam gave two of the season’s best with “I can’t Make You Love Me” and “Mad World” respectively. Coincidently it was also the week we had two of the season’s worst with Lil and Scott’s “What’s love Got To Do With It” and “The Search is Over”. Even though this was a bad week for Kris he was going no where. And one more guy, Scott, hit the road.

On “songs from the movies” night Kris knocked another one out of the park with “Falling Slowly”. Allison had one of her weakest with “Don’t Want To Miss a Thing” but Lil hit the bottom with the song Allison should have sung “The Rose”. Her pimping stopped weeks before and she looked to be gone. But another pimped one, Matt, hit an all time low with “Have You Really Ever Loved A Woman”. Pimpee #3 Danny also hit a bump in the road with “Endless Love”. Smooth sailing for Kris on a night when the anointed struggle, sans Adam. But this is the night the vaunted save was used and one of the pimped, Matt, was saved. I always wondered if it has been Kris would the save have been used. I’m not so sure it would have been. But since he was best of the night it didn’t matter. Kris earned his way to the top 5.

Another night one would expect Kris to struggle, Disco, he wins the night handily with a unique arrangement and incredible vocal of “She Works Hard For the Money”. Allison and Adam had the only other great performances. Everyone else bombed especially Lil. Two would leave the next night because of the save and oddly enough Lil who sang first and Anoop who sang last went home with and undeserving bottom 3 recipient Allison in the mix. Kris had made it to the top 5 unscathed. Never sitting in the stools of doom even once sharing that distinction with Adam and Danny. So three of the top 5 had never been in the bottom 3 marking and idol first. That would change the following week.

The top 5 is where the worm turned like never in a season before. Standards, always a good week on Idol, this time would become a season’s turning point. But this week was especially good and especially important in Kris’s trek to the win. Without it, he finishes no better than 4^th. This is the night Kris Allen won although he would not be crowed for three more weeks. And the oddest thing…..he didn’t have much to do with it.

It goes something like this: Kris starts off the show with “The Way You Look Tonight”. It was good but not on the level he had been the past three weeks. Allison sings second with “Someone To Watch Over Me”. It was perhaps her best of the season but for sure best of the night. Matt follows Allison’s brilliance with jut a lukewarm version “My Funny Valentine”. It wasn’t bad but on a night like tonight it did not hold up and we could see the writing on the wall. Danny sang 4th having his best in weeks with “Come Rain or Come Shine”. Rounding out the night….again…..was Adam singing “Feelin’ Good” and doing great. So, only Matt’s lukewarm kept the night from being a virtually perfect one but it still ranks as one of the all time best.

Wednesday rolls around and we all think we know who’s going home and we are right. It was the rest we weren’t ready for. It is for nothing more than dramatics, pure and simple, that the following happened, upsetting the apple cart for good.

Splitting up four contestants into two groups, Allison/Danny and Kris/ Matt, Adam is asked to choose with group he belongs. He chooses Allison/Danny. And I just wonder if that choice itself changed the outcome of the competition. Because if Adam had chosen Kris/ Matt, Ryan may have said “No you belong over here” that is out bottom 2. Instead we for the first time ever have a bottom 3 on top 5 results night. Also for the first time ever, Adam and Kris are in the bottom 3. I have no doubt Adam was in the bottom 3 but I also have no doubt he was not in the bottom 2. This was done for dramatics only. Ryan never said “This is our bottom 2” after sending Kris to safety. With Matt and Adam standing side by side the results of Matt’s departure came as no surprise. Now Danny remained the only contestant not to be in the bottom 3. It looked like we had a winner but no……..

Top 4 night was Rock night. We got another Idol first; Duets. Here is where Kris had the luck of the Irish on his side. This is certainly the night Kris should have gone. His song choice of “Come Together” was a weak one and was killed last season by Carly. His performance was one of, if not his weakest, of the season. And his duet “Renegade” with Danny was average at best while expectantly Adam and Allison killed their songs “Whole Lotta Love” and “Cry Baby”. Danny murders, that’s different than killed by the way, “Dream On” putting his fans on notice. Ending the show, Allison and Adam give one of the greatest Idol performances ever with their duet of “Slow Ride”. It truly looked like Allison and Adam had locks on the final 3. It also looked like Kris had sung his last on Idol. There was no way Danny was going anywhere. But last week is what dictated this week’s results. Adam’s fans were rocked to the core with the results so the vote splitting between Allison and Adam ended abruptly and the fervent Adam voting was in full speed. Danny’s disastrous last note of “Dream On” had his fans dialing for dollars. Allison on the other hand had a hard time building a fan base the entire season for whatever reason and I’ve heard them all. Kris’s dis by Simon had his fans up in arms. So on a night either Danny or Kris should have gone home it was the rocker chick leaving on Rock night.

Top 3 started with Danny’s choice, not his by the way, “Dance Little Sister”. Not a good way to start off. It was not one off Danny’s best. Kris followed up with “Apologize” and a few notes were missed. It garnered faint praise from judges who actually picked the song. Again it was looking grim for the modest one. The night seemed to be going Adam’s way as he ended round 1 with “One”. Praises all around. Danny had a better outing with his second song “You Are So Beautiful”. Simon proclaimed it a vocal master class. But then a miracle happened. Kris pulled a Bo Bice. He with his guitar sang a rearranged acoustic version of Kanye West’s “Heartless”. It was nothing less that brilliant. Even Adam’s last performance of “Cryin’” wasn’t able to wash away the memory of it. I’m sure Kris picked up some votes with that. I thought Randy was going to sign him right there.

On results night Kris indeed did win some vote because he was the first into the final. Talk about some scared Adam fans waiting on the decision. Knowing either Danny or Adam would be singing next week and Danny had never seen the bottom 3. But Danny’s luck ran out and it was a Kris/Adam (Kradam) final.

So we know Adam is going to win because he’s been pimped all season long and has been pretty much spectacular all season. Right? Well three little things got in the way of that outcome.

1st: Both had to do a song they had done earlier on the show. Adam of course chose his best “Mad World”. It was also good that it was sung so long ago. But he did little to change it up from his first performance and it clearly lacked the impact of the first time. Kris picked a song from even earlier on the show he did well on but he not only changed it up by playing the piano, he did it way better than the first time, officially killing it for Idol.

2. As Kris ducked away from the microphone afterwards, he looked for his wife in the audience. She was standing and clapping nodding her head approvingly to him as to say “Yes, you did well.” A great moment not wasted on the voting audience at home. This just made Kris even more likable.

3. Last but not least, Kris got virtually all of Danny’s votes and that’s more than a bushel. And I’m not so sure Danny would have gotten all of Kris’s votes had he gone a week earlier.

The other two final songs didn’t mean anything and were a wash. Even after winning Kris resorts back to his humbleness of his first audition that put Simon off in proclaiming that Adam should have won.

But one little thing made it all possible, Allison’s exclusion in the top 3 so I guess we can blame Adam’s fans for his defeat…..right?

All props to Kris. He fully earned his way to the top. He refused to compromise and was an artist as well as a singer every week. There aren’t too many Idols that can make that claim. Here’s to you Kris Allen and I’ll see you in Disney World.

Is it season 9 yet?

ed@idolheaded.com