The Comet’s very own Idolholic, an industry insider who chooses to remain anonymous, offers us analysis and insight. Who is going to take home the gold? 

As with all of the talent competition shows, it doesn’t really matter what you’ve done in the months and weeks leading up to the final judgment. It’s definitely a “What have you done for me lately?” scenario as it all comes down to the last few performances and the impression you make on the judging panel, the live audience and the viewers at home.

If the contest was based purely on singing talent, this one would be a complete no-brainer…and frankly The Idolholic still hopes that is the case. But here are my thoughts about the battle to the finish tomorrow. 

First off, whose idea was it to have the three finalists duet with “superstar” artists? That’s appropriate for the results show tomorrow night, but not as part of the judging. All three were obviously uncomfortable and did not sing up to their potential. Not surprisingly, they were overshadowed by their celebrity partners. Hopefully this is not an idea that will be repeated next season.

Josh Krajcik:
Going first is a tough position on this last night of competition. And being joined by Alanis Morissette on one of her biggest hits, “Uninvited,” was nothing short of cringe-inducing initially. Josh did get into a groove about halfway through the song, but it was nevertheless not a shining moment for him at this pivotal time. He certainly redeemed himself on his second solo performance of Etta James’ “At Last.” Most everyone knows that Etta is gravely ill right now and this was a fitting tribute to her incredible talent. Without much production or theatrics, Josh simply let his guitar-playing and vocal character do the work…and it paid off. It was nowhere near the standout showcase I was hoping for, but it was strong and solid.

Chris Rene:
Oddly paired with Avril Lavigne on her chart-topper “Complicated” seemed like a very ill-advised choice. When Chris took the stage and began singing, it was awful. When Avril appeared and all but drowned out Chris, it really sounded like his mic was turned down almost completely. Maybe they actually did him a favor. When Paula tried to smooth things over by inexplicably saying, “You know it’s not about note for note perfection to win this competition…”  Seriously?  Chris has made it all this way on his compelling back story as the underdog who has fought his way back from rehab, the teenage girl-attracting guy with cute yet edgy looks (and one amazing acoustic performance of an original song). But he is simply not a singer worthy of a victory here. Now, that has not stopped countless numbers of others from making it in this business, so who knows. Returning to the stage for one of his self-penned raps with his branded swagger reminded us of his appeal. Simon even thought it was a $5 million performance. Me, not so much.

Melanie Amaro:
Since proclaiming her true heritage and finding her voice (or accent), Melanie has done more than a few songs with a message about what truly believing in yourself can do. Can she fly off from this competition and take the music world by storm?  Maybe…it’s such a tough business after all.  But with R. Kelly by her side, she did do everything in her power to convince us what is possible if “I Believe I Can Fly.”  However, in what would have to be considered one of the best performances ever on any of the growing list of talent competition programs, Melanie stole the show (and if there’s any justice the top prize) by reprising one of her early audition songs, “Listen” from the film version of Dreamgirls. She delivered the song (which The Idolholic is still annoyed did not win that year’s Best Original Song Oscar) with such commitment and conviction that it gave me goosebumps.  Not a frequent occurrence for The Idolholic, trust me.

Who Should Win:
Melanie should become the first female winner of a televised talent competition since Jordin Sparks won American Idol almost 5 years ago.