Backstage Pass

Blake Lewis is no longer on Arista, after the label declined to pick up the option for his next album. It's another sign of the deepening problems of the record industry, one where artists -- even ones that arrive with millions of already-passionate fans -- don't get a lot of time or resources if they don't start producing smashes right away. Lewis, runner-up on last year's "American Idol," lasted less than a year on the label. His exit leaves Clay Aiken, and this year's David Archuleta, as the only Idol runners-up with major-label deals.

"No biggy," Lewis wrote on his MySpace page this morning. "I'm still with 19 Recordings and I got a tour and new record on the way. Now, I'll I need is a home for my music. Some place warm and tropical.... seriously though... Got to be a place where they actually respect my craft and electronic music."

Lewis' announcement comes at an odd time. He played the Canal Room last night and his single "How Many Words" is currently climbing the dance charts. However, Lewis said the song's success wasn't really due to the label anyway. "Getting RCA to do remixes for my record was like pulling teeth AND I had friends do the mixes for next to nothing," Lewis wrote. "They turned out great and are rising on the Billboard charts. .. So freaking pumped. People been shakin there booties to some electro Brake.. hehe."

PHOTO: Blake Lewis for Arista

The weirdest thing about David Cook's
sudden smash success after his "American Idol" win isn't that he landed three songs in the iTunes Top 10 -- the coronation song "The Time of My Life" at No. 1, his pick of the original songs "Dream Big" at No. 7 and his cover of U2's "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" at No. 10 -- it's the ones that America has chosen to embrace.

Most would say his take on Collective Soul's "The World I Know" was his best performance, but it is the weakest chart performer of his songs, currently at No. 18. Is that because people realized that they don't really like that song, even if he did do a good job with it?

And can anyone explain the strong showing of "Dream Big," which was an also-ran in the songwriting competition and pretty much as bland as they come as a power-pop anthem? Many of Cook's own pre-"Idol" songs are way better than that.

In related "Idol" news, cast-off Josiah Leming, who really could have given Cook a run for his money, has signed with Warner Bros. and is currently working on his major-label debut. He also calls the show "glorified karaoke."

The recorded version of David Cook's coronation song is up now on AOL's Popeater blog and probably on every pop radio show station by now.

The live version video:

Even though I've had all day to get used to the idea, when David Cook was named this year's "American Idol," it was still a shock.

David Archuleta really did outmaneuver Cook in last night's show. But apparently Cook had built up so much goodwill during the season that his fans stuck by him. And the overwhelming support of Archuleta by the judges last night only served as increased incentive to support their man. That support also probably gave Archuleta's fans a false sense of security, making them feel that his victory was a foregone conclusion.

Cook seems poised for a successful career, his duet with Archuleta on Nickelback's "Hero" shows exactly the direction he's headed. And his take on the coronation song "Time of My Life" is likely to become an insta-hit when it's pushed to radio tomorrow morning.

It's always a surprise when artistry beats out pandering, when the best man -- not the richest, or the most connected -- actually wins. Hopefully David Cook will live up to his potential, making a record that matches the inventiveness of his "Hello" reworking and the passion he conjured up for "Billie Jean." And hopefully David Archuleta will get to discover what kind of artist he really is,   

And the winner is... David Cook.

Wait! What?

It seemed like little David Archuleta and his tailor-made act had the "American Idol" final all-sewn up by picking songwriter John Lennon for his team instead of, um, the Collective Soul guy.

But the generally accurate prediction site DialIdol.com says Cookie had a definitive lead over Archie in votes last night and now it's apparently not a done deal.

Could "Idol" producers have gamed the DialIdol system in order to generate some suspense for tonight's finale? Could "Idol" fans really gotten so weary of Archie and his aw-shucks persona that they went for Cookie just to spite the young one? Or could fans have watched the entire season and picked the better contestant?

Um, yeah, I'm leaning toward the first answer too. Guess we'll find out soon enough.

5. David Cook, “Billie Jean”

Underwhelmed by last night's "American Idol" final? Yeah, me too.

And unless there's some sort of neo-grunge miracle on par with a Kurt Cobain resurrection, David Cook is sunk and David Archuleta will be crowned this year's American Idol tonight. Then he'll sing that terrible "In This Moment" song and we'll move on with our lives.

Of course, we did get cheated out of anything resembling greatness last night, so the timing seemed right to revisit some of the best performances in "Idol" history.

10. Carrie Underwood, “Bless the Broken Road”

Um, is Clive Davis reading the Backstage Pass?

The record industry legend picks U2's "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" for David Cook, something we suggested during Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Week. He did fine, but never really caught fire the way he should.

Davis picked Elton John's "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me" for David Archuleta, who fared only slightly better. His rearranging was minor, but the small changes worked to his advantage.

Still too close to call. On to Round Two. 

For all the talk about interest in "American Idol" slipping this season and what the causes for that are, folks apparently still want to see David & David and the rest of the gang.

Ticket sales for the "American Idol" tour stop at Nassau Coliseum on Aug. 4 went so well this weekend, promoters quickly added another show on Aug. 5. Tickets – between $42.50 and $68.50 -- for that show are on sale now through Ticketmaster, 631-888-9000.

So for the record which David do I think will be victorious tomorrow night? Well, my heart is with Cook, but my head says Archuleta. And barring some sort of breakdown from "Gaspy," I foresee young Master Archuleta taking the prize and singing "A Moment Like This, My Now, Proud, Proud, Heaven, Proud, Love You Dad" as confetti rains down. I also foresee Cook's album outselling Archie's 2-to-1.

PHOTO: Americanidol.com 

Fantasia, "Bore Me (Live)"

Forget David vs. David. The most talked-about moment from last night's "Idol" show was apparently Fantasia's amazing performance of "Bore Me." Sure, it wasn't great singing exactly, but it was definitely memorable, given the kinda-predictable shows recently. Will it boost sales of her underappreciated "Fantasia" album from 2006? Hopefully, though maybe "Bump What Ya Friends Say" would have resulted in a less split verdict.

It's the battle we've been expecting since the finals began: David Archuleta vs. David Cook. But the stakes will actually be higher than expected -- not because the difference between winning "American Idol" and coming in second is all that important, but because the winner may determine the show's future.

See, if Archuleta wins, which seems likely at this point, it will reveal why the future of "Idol" is in trouble. It will show that the people who presumably pick the next big music star don't actually buy music. It means that the star-making machinery doesn't actually make stars. Nothing against him -- or his tween and Grandma voting block -- but a victory for him will solidify the idea that "Idol" is no longer cool and that changes need to be made.

If Cook wins, "Idol" can point to how it still turns nobodies into somebodies. Then, if Cook goes on to live out his Daughtry-esque hit-making destiny, "Idol" can shake off the problematic sales records of Taylor Hicks and Ruben Studdard. And though he's not exactly edgy, he is compared to Archuleta.

So which David will win? Time will tell. 

Uh oh. The coronation of David Archuleta – who some blogs have started to call “Gaspy,” which I admit is kind of funny ‘cause it’s true – has hit a snag. No, it’s not because David Cook is actually a better singer and musician, even though he is.

It’s because Archuleta basically struck out this week. Not only did he not sell the Grandma-friendly ballads he’s known for very well, but he tried to sing an age-appropriate song and failed with that as well. His leaden version of Chris Brown’s “With You” prompted Simon Cowell to say it was “like a chihuahua trying to be a tiger,” which was true, though it was Paula Abdul who nailed the problem, saying he was dragging out the notes, which he was.

Cook, on the other hand, handled everything the judges and producers threw at him, including “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face,” which, let’s face it, could have sunk Archuleta or Syesha Mercado (who was, once again, passable, but not quite great), but Cook took it in stride. And he saved his best performance for the end, hitting “I Don’t Want To Miss a Thing” out of the park, closing out the show with a memory of his dominance.

He may still end up losing to Archuleta, but that will be because of “American Idol” demographics, not because of actual skills. And that, more than anything, will explain this year’s ratings fall-off and problems for the show going forward.

THE RANKINGS

David Cook, “I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing”
David Cook, “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face”
David Cook, “Dare You to Move”
David Archuleta, “And So It Goes”
Syesha Mercado, “If I Ain’t Got You”
Syesha Mercado, “Hit Me Up”
David Archuleta, “Longer”
Syesha Mercado, “Fever”
David Archuleta, “With You”

WILL BE CUT: Syesha
SHOULD BE CUT: Syesha
ACTUALLY CUT: ???

Jason Castro clearly wanted to go home.

It seemed "American Idol" had stopped being fun for him and, let's face it, he wasn't going to win. He didn't really apply himself for a few weeks, no longer trying to come up with ways to showcase his talent as he did with "Hallelujah" or "Over the Rainbow."

So America gave him his wish.  They voted for someone else -- apparently Syesha Mercado, since Ryan Seacrest said that only a million votes separated the Top 3.

There's a growing anti-Davids movement, but an Archuleta vs. Cook showdown seems inevitable, no matter what happens next week.

Will Castro have a great post-Idol career? Hard to say. The Jack Johnson model may look laid back, but it really does involve a lot of work. At this point, it's not clear that Castro wants to put in all that work.

This is a big week for the "American Idol" finalists, not just because it’s usually a week of surprises (when LaKisha Jones, Chris Daughtry, LaToya London, and Tamyra Gray have gone home in the past) but because it’s also the last of the theme weeks. This week, The Davids, Jason Castro and Syesha Mercado tackle songs from the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum’s list of the 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll.

So what should the Final Four sing tomorrow night?

Billy Joel, "Just the Way You Are" (what David Cook should be singing)

Maybe America's just a week behind. Or maybe people really do vote to counteract Simon Cowell. (His warning to Syesha Mercado about being in danger was as wrong as his compliments for Carly Smithson last week.)

Brooke White really should have gone home last week instead of Carly Smithson for her start-stop-start-again version of "You Must Love Me." And she really should have been safe this week considering Jason Castro's bland performances and the power of her version of "I Am I Said." Yet, somehow, this is the week she gets eliminated.

Does this mean Jason goes next week?

Sometimes, it's funny how predictable the "American Idol" voters can be.

They felt bad about Brooke White messing up a song for the second week in a row. They continue to find Jason Castro, as Simon Cowell explained, "charming." And the Davids are just way too good at this point.

So that leaves Syesha Mercado and Carly Smithson, who both had decent nights (for them), up for elimination. And though Smithson was better, she just doesn't have the ability to connect with fans the way the others do. It's something that, despite her great voice, she still hasn't been able to work out yet.

Maybe she'll eventually get it. 

With all the talk about the falling ratings for this season’s “American Idol,” Andrew Lloyd Webber week couldn’t have come at worse time.

Great songs? Sure. Ratings bonanza? Um, no.

When David Cook has to hang up his neo-grunge stylee for a week to knock out a powerful version of “Music of the Night,” that’s really not going to bring in loads of viewers. Neither is David Archuleta turning the “Phantom of the Opera” song “Think of Me” into what sounds like a Backstreet Boys hit. That move may be good in “Idol” terms, but kind of iffy outside that bubble.

And after Brooke White messed up “You Must Love Me” and pretty much sealed her fate. (Or will the sympathy vote save her and send Carly Smithson home?) Either way, there isn’t really much suspense for tomorrow’s show, which means bad ratings again.

By the way, Smithson should probably stuck with her first choice “All I Ask of You,” which I suggested for her, though I guess it is hard to tell Andrew Lloyd Webber that he’s wrong to his face. If she gets kicked out, though, for her weird version of “Jesus Christ Superstar,” she’ll know that’s exactly what she should have done.

David Cook, “Music of the Night”
David Archuleta, “Think of Me”
Syesha Mercado, “One Rock and Roll Too Many”
Carly Smithson, “Jesus Christ Superstar”
Jason Castro, “Memory”
Brooke White, “You Must Love Me”

BOTTOM THREE: Brooke, Jason, Carly
WILL BE CUT: Brooke
SHOULD BE CUT: Brooke
ACTUALLY CUT:

With Andrew Lloyd Webber as this week’s celebrity mentor, “American Idol” will be all about the drama tomorrow night. And that means if Carly Smithson doesn’t hit it out of the park, she’s probably done for since Webber’s music suits her best. (Sure, it’s a gimme-week for David Archuleta as well, but, let’s face it, unless he takes to smothering puppies or doing Jack Daniels shots onstage, he’s not going anywhere.)

The big, broad showtunes could spell disaster for Brooke White, who was already teetering with Mariah Carey songs, and Jason Castro, who will have to search hard for a Webber classic that works with his laid-back vibe.

Or, of course, he could just follow our advice.

What should the Top 6 be singing?

Madonna, "You Must Love Me" (what Carly Smithson should sing)

Kristy Lee Cook's Houdini-like escapes finally came to an end -- and, fittingly, it was kind of unexpected.

She had been improving and her version of "Forever" wasn't half bad, especially when compared to Brooke White coming unglued in the middle of "Hero."
(In fact, Kristy's countrified "Forever" could probably make a run up the country charts.) 

So when they ended up in the bottom two, it seemed like Brooke would be over and out, but somehow she was saved. But for her to survive Andrew Lloyd Webber week, she's definitely going to have to adopt Kristy Lee's Houdini-like abilities.

In a minor "shock," Aussie Michael Johns, once signed to Madonna's Maverick Records, got eliminated from "Idol" last night, ahead of the resurgent Kristy Lee Cook and the increasingly stumbling Carly Smithson.

Smithson, like much of America, seemed sure she was heading home after her iffy "inspirational" version of Queen's "The Show Must Go On."

Johns initially seemed like an early favorite to win the season, but as the show went on, he fell into a predictable, not-so-exciting pattern, getting surpassed by the inventiveness of David Cook and the juggernaut that is David Archuleta.

Did he exit a little early? Sure. But he probably would have struggled with Mariah Carey week anyway and be gone soon enough. And Carly shouldn't worry because she's in a similar predicament. Shouldn't they know by now that for "Idol" voters being boring is even worse than being bad?

So Jordin Sparks has picked her favorites from this season of "American Idol" and, like pretty much the rest of America, they're all guys.

"Now that you bring all the instruments with everybody, it makes everybody so unique," Sparks said this afternoon in a teleconference about her upcoming tour with Alicia Keys. "David Cook with 'Billie Jean' -- that was amazing. I like Jason Castro. I think he’s really cool, I like his different look. And I like David Archuleta. He’s so sweet and he’s got such a huge voice."

Sparks will appear on "Idol Gives Back" next week, singing her hit "No Air" with Chris Brown for the first time in public. And she hopes to make it to the "Idol" finale to see who will take over her reign as "American Idol."

If all goes well, Sparks also hopes to make it to her high school prom, but that's another story. She already knows she's going to probably miss graduation, seeing as she won't end her tour until June 18 at Madison Square Garden.

Pretty much every expectation was confounded on "American Idol" country week with Dolly Parton.

Country was supposed to be Kristy Lee Cook's strong suit, but she didn't pander and fell flat, probably sealing her early exit. David Cook didn't do the White Stripes doing "Jolene" and also fell a little flat, though that may have had more to do with the health problems that had him briefly hospitalized last night.

Syesha Mercado landed "I Will Always Love You" and sort of did it Whitney Houston style, but as Simon Cowell pointed out a few weeks ago, her voice really isn't as strong as she thinks it is. So even though she has probably be singing the song for years (unlike most contestants who had probably never heard the song they sang before last week) Mercado couldn't really turn it into something special. No matter how much she shouted.

That said, Michael Johns surprisingly commanded "It's All Wrong, But It's Alright" and Carly Smithson's ability to Celine Dionify "Here You Come Again" was interesting, though not as entertaining as the original.

The rankings:  

Dolly Parton week starts tonight on “American Idol,” though apparently the definition has been stretched to include any song she has recorded, which results in quite a big list. Hopefully, they’ll keep it to songs she’s known for.

Two pre-show dramas are pretty obvious. First, who gets to sing “I Will Always Love You.” Does it go to producers’ pet David Archuleta? Does it go to Whitney Houston devotee Syesha Mercado? Does it go to someone unexpected? The second one: Will David Cook do “Jolene” in the style of the White Stripes? Will he continue his run of outsmarting the judges and much of the American public by following in the footsteps of various alt-rockers? (I’m gonna guess yes.)

So what should the Top 9 be singing tonight?

Dolly Parton, "Why'd You Come in Here Lookin' Like That" (what Carly should sing)

You gotta hand it to the Cooks. They are the brainiest contestants left in this “American Idol” season.

David Cook’s version of Michael Jackson’s “Billie Jean” via Chris Cornell’s recent dirge-like cover showed that he’s going to continue to position himself as the risk-taker, the “edgier” candidate.

But Kristy Lee Cook’s decision to take on Lee Greenwood’s “God Bless the U.S.A.”? That was sheer genius. Appealing to the cross-section of country fans and all those red state voters with their fingers on the redial button was brilliant. She’s a better tactician than whoever was running Hillary Clinton campaign before. I was half-expecting a Drudge Report call-to-arms, but don’t worry I’m sure Kristy Lee will get one next week.

If she keeps positioning herself as traditional-values girl (over the intensely religious Brooke White, no less), she’s going to stick around for weeks to come. If only she could transform this gamesmanship into actual, you know, talent.

So what does this mean for the rest of the gang? Well, Chikezie and Ramiele should be worried. They may not deserve to go this week – especially not Ramiele, whose “Alone” was pretty strong – but Kristy’s power play will likely take one of them out.
Also, someone needs to help David Archuleta besides his stage dad, who Simon Cowell was clearly calling to the carpet this week. Poor lil’ David got saddled with an up-with-people-ish David Foster track instead of doing something popular or, well, entertaining. I’d say he should hire Kristy Lee, but she’s going to be around for a while.

David Cook, “Billie Jean”
Michael Johns, “We Will Rock You/We Are the Champions”
Syesha Mercado, “If I Was Your Woman”
Carly Smithson, “Total Eclipse of the Heart”
Ramiele Malubay, “Alone”
Brooke White, “Every Breath You Take”
David Archuleta, “You’re the Voice”
Chikezie, “If Only for One Night”
Jason Castro, “Fragile”
Kristy Lee Cook, “God Bless the U.S.A.”

BOTTOM THREE: Chikezie, Ramiele, Carly
WILL BE CUT: Chikezie
SHOULD BE CUT: Kristy
ACTUALLY CUT: Chikezie