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"American Idol" bids farewell and crowns the last idol ever Thursday night.
The final two have been the favorites for awhile: diva La’Porsha Renae and theatrical soul man Trent Harmon. Lightweight pop-rocker Dalton Rapattoni was eliminated Wednesday night.
At this point, Harmon has an edge, but he by no means has a lock.
If anything, Renae is guaranteed a winner and Wednesday night, and both competitors were aggressively fighting for the final crown.
They each performed an original single, followed by show creator Simon Fuller’s pick, then a reprise from earlier in the season.
MJ Santilli, of MJsbigblog, said Thursday's series finale will feature nobody outside the "Idol" circle on stage. No Prince. No Kanye. No Taylor Swift. It makes sense. This is a family reunion and the spotlight should remain there.
Hopefully at the end, they’ll squeeze every single finalist who showed up on stage, along with the judges, producers and crew with lots of confetti.
The judges in their final roles Thursday -- especially Jennifer Lopez -- will be emotional.
Harmon performed his single "Falling" first. It was a bit overwrought, but the song does fit Trent, though it's not terribly memorable or radio-friendly.
Rapattoni's perfomance of his single, "Strike a Match" sounded pitchy at points and the band swallowed him up. It's not a terrible song, but the vessel could be stronger.
Renae's "Battle" is easily the best song and was the best performance of the trio. She started a little tentatively, but picked it up by the chorus.
After Rapattoni's elimination, Harmon and Renae performed songs chosen by Fuller.
Harmon's cover of "If You Don't Know Me By Now" by Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes suited him really well. He brought urgency and depth to this version. The judges praised his performance. "We have a battle going," Lopez said. "You are not going to lay down."
Renae did a lovely job covering "A House is Not a Home" by Dionne Warwick, but the ghost of Tamyra Gray kept me from liking it more. Judge Harry Connick, Jr. enjoyed the performance, saying, "Emotionally, I loved it. Musically, you spoke volumes about harmony."
Harmon blew Sia's "Chandelier" out of the water. After the judges critiques, Harmon revealed that he tracks them all in a diary.
"Diamonds" by Rihanna is one of my favorites from Renae. It's a smart pick. Although the song doesn't have a lot of range, she brings out her emotional arsenal. J.Lo said she can't wait to see her in concert in her final critique.
The finale will be a close call.
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