American Idol Finale Part 2: You've Got To Lose To Know How To Win

The search for the 2014 American Idol is over! Tonight the winner of a very close race was announced and we were treated to a pretty great finale. We had tons of guest performers, some definite reminiscing with eliminated contestants, and a judges' showcase that I did not anticipate. Here are the highlights in no particular order:

Jena and Caleb opened the show with a medley of Queen's "We Will Rock You" and No Doubt's "I'm Just a Girl." There were no holla back girls, but the duo did have some back up dancers. They finished the opening number with the Bryan Adams/Tina Turner duet, "It's Only Love." This was a fantastic way to kick off the two hour extravaganza. 

Some of the eliminated constants were lucky enough to perform with special guests tonight. Alex and his BFF Jason Mraz performed "Love Someone," and it was really pretty. That's all I've got. And for whatever reason, Sam Woolf was allowed to sing the first verse of Phillip Phillips' coronation song "Home" before P Squared himself took the stage with "Raging Fire." Sam was still there, but the camera stayed mostly on Phillip, which is totally the right call. His stage presence is phenomenal...and Sam is Sam. 

I heart Jennifer Nettles. I mean...I seriously love that woman and I miss Duets like you wouldn't believe. I'm not ashamed to admit it. Jennifer joined us tonight to sing "That Girl" on her own and then "Wrecking Ball" with Jessica Meuse. YES. Jessica sounded awesome and Jennifer completely owned this song. So much sass. I'm going to need her to release her own version immediately. Oh, and take that, Christina Grimmie. Two can play at this game. 

Malaya was lucky enough to sing a duet with John Legend this evening. And by "lucky" I mean I am 100% jealous of how close she was standing to him and his magical, mystical smile. They teamed up for "All of Me" and Malaya was singing wayyyy too high. She just about ruined the whole thing for me. Hell, let MK out there. She was at least on key when she sang this as her "save me" song. On the same token, Darius Rucker's trio of  "Alright" with Dexter and C.J. was just alright. The "meh" portion of the show continued...

Aloe Blacc is the man and he was nice enough to let Sam, Dexter, Ben and C.J. butcher his song with him. Thank goodness Alex and Caleb showed up near the end to save this performance. Demi Lovato was equally gracious as she threw caution to the wind and allowed the Idol girls to share "Don't Really Care" and "Neon Lights." I've become a big Demi fan, so I did cringe when her high energy performed was knocked down 10 notches when Majesty began to sing...followed by Malaya, Erin, Kristen and Jessica. If you only remember half of those names, you're not alone. Jena jumped in with Demi at the end of this performance though and the ladies finished strong.

Our Final 2 had the performances of the night though with two ridiculously amazing bands. Jena started to perform "Decode" at the piano before Paramore joined her with "Ain't It Fun." Oh how I love that song. Hayley Williams is the perfect kind of crazy Jena and her leather pants kept up with the band just fine. The arena was taken over by balloons at the end of the performance and I could not believe how quickly those disappeared when the show came back from the commercial break. Caleb and KISS joined forces for "Love Gun/Shout It Out Loud" and the performance was totally insane. There was soooo much going on...the lights, the fire, the tongue attacking Gene Simmons' face! Caleb did not dress the part but he certainly sounded the part. This was unbelievable. 

Our coaches took the stage tonight as well but first JLo performed solo. She did not make me suffer through another rendition of "I Luh Ya Papi" which I greatly appreciated. Her performance of "First Love" certainly had a ton of...skin and hair. At one point she danced her ass off (okay we know that's not possible) on the judges' table and then did some hands and knees dance moves that could have made Madonna blush. 

The last performance before the big announcement was well worth the wait, as it included all three judges and Randy "The Dawg" Jackson. As you probably recall, he used to play with Journey. While I watched these guys I had a moment of terror thinking about what a judges group performance would have resembled last year... Anyway, this bunch absolutely delivered on "True Colors" and "Go Your Own Way." Harry was going nuts with two pianos, Randy and Keith did their thing on the guitar and bass, and JLo even looked like a tambourine pro. It was really fun to watch and it reminded me how great it was to have judges without drama this year. 

Results! With no screen of safely needed, the winner was revealed quickly as Jena and Caleb took center stage. After a nationwide vote....CALEB WINS! He closed the show with "As Long As You Love Me" and the whole place went nuts. Congrats to both of them though. This ended up being a really good season and I can't wait to see what these two do in the future. We have to wait until 2015 before Idol returns and the rumors are already flying. Will the show only air one night a week? Will all three judges return? Will there be a "you must give standing ovations" clause in Harry's contract? We'll have to wait until January to find out. Til then!

American Idol Finale Part 1: Some Things Are Meant To Be

This is it kids. The final showdown between Caleb and Jena to see which one of them will (hopefully) join the ranks of other successful Idol winners. We can really only keep our fingers crossed from this point forward. The judges have mostly decked themselves out tonight, as Harry is in a tux, and JLo once again gives the audience below the platform quite a show as she walks by. And now on to the contestants. The Final 2 will take on three songs each tonight: one chosen by Simon Fuller, one encore chosen by the contestant, and the song that will be released as the winner's first single. We only have an hour to see if either artist can deliver a knockout punch so let's get to it!

ROUND 1

Contestant: Jena Irene 

Song: "Dog Days Are Over" by Florence + The Machine

First of all, shout out to the dudes on the drums. They're pretty awesome. I wish Alex had come out and joined them. Jena uses this performance to do all of that audience interaction she was talking about last week as she starts the song shaking many hands in the audience. About half way through she takes center stage, unleashes her vocals, and sounds fantastic. Am I partial to the original? Definitely. Do I love Jena's version anyway? Yes, I absolutely do. 

Judges Say: Keith yells Jena's name a few times like he is a fan in the audience hoping for a handshake. He says she owned the stage like a pro. I'm assuming he is not calling her a stripper. He then says Jena is like a Kentucky Derby jockey making her way to the finish line. Well there you go - a much more appropriate comparison. Thank you for clarifying. JLo mentions the insane energy in the room (with screams coming from everywhere) and says Jena might have had some heebee jeebees at the start of the performance. Wait. Is that the correct use of heebee jeebees? I don't think it is, JLo. Harry loved how Jena walked out on stage in time with the beats and then suddenly sped up to get where she wanted to go. He says that's a sign of how much she loves being on stage. 

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Contestant: Caleb Johnson

Song: "Dream On" by Aerosmith

This is a tall order. The number of times singing show contestants have tragically attempted this song is unfortunate. Caleb and his frilled jacket, however, totally nail this performance. Even the "Steven Tyler screech" at the end of the performance is perfect. He uses all of the energy in the room as well as the energy of the band on stage to bring the house down, and he is just a force to be reckoned with. Round 1 easily goes to Caleb.

Judges Say: Keith and JLo had been standing since the middle of the song and JLo tells us "This is the finale!" Yes. Yes it is. She says Caleb really delivered and he should thank Simon Fuller for the song choice. Harry says the performance was phenomenal but mentions that he would like to see the energy at the end of the performance start at the very beginning. Wait. Isn't the point of "Dream On" the slow build to awesomeness? Keith disagrees, saying the arc of the performance was exceptional. 

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ROUND 2

Contestant: Jena Irene 

Song: "Can't Help Falling In Love" by Elvis Presley

YES! If you saw my post yesterday regarding Christina Grimmie's "unique" version of this song on The Voice this week, you'll know that I am clapping and laughing from my couch long before the performance even starts. The first time she sang this I was memorized and moved. I assume it will be difficult to create a moment like that (or like this...anyone?) all over again, but Jena's pulling out all the stops. Instead of anguish in this performance, there's happiness for Jena, and the result is just beautiful.

Judges Say: Harry thinks what separates Jena from other performers is her ability to make songs unique and special. Keith says her performance of this song two weeks ago was so beautiful, it inspired "somebody else" to do it...he emphasizes "somebody else" twice and I assume he is talking about Christina Grimmie. HA!!! That's awesome. Keith calls Jena a trailblazer and a true artist. JLo has goosies (everybody drink!) because Jena's soul comes through when she sings at the piano. 

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Contestant: Caleb Johnson 

Song: "Maybe I'm Amazed" by Paul McCartney

You know, it's going to be really hard for Caleb to follow that first performance with anything else tonight. I truly loved his recent rendition of this song and I think he actually delivers this performance with even more gusto tonight....even though he has that bruised vocal cord...that I had completely forgotten about until just now. Maybe I'm amazed by how amazing he sounds. Yes, you better believe I went there. "Dream On" was his best of the two so far though, and Round 2 definitely goes to Jena.

Judges Say: Keith says "Maybe I'm Amazed" is such an emotional song and he cautions Caleb not to lose the feeling of a song while he is performing. JLo agrees by saying Caleb is such a powerhouse, but at the end of the day his soul is going to give her the goosies (drink!). Harry takes a vote and determines Caleb as the winner of Round 1 and Jena as the winner of Round 2. Yes indeed. 

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ROUND 3

Contestant: Jena Irene 

Song: "We Are One"

This song puts "pop star" Jena on display rather than "Soul at a piano giving goosies" Jena...but I'm totally okay with it. This song suits her and she's once again able to greet her fans in the audience throughout the performance by walking straight past the judges as if they weren't even there. Jena's wearing her not quite Beetlejuice outfit and she's performing the song as if it's already a hit. Such a pro.

Judges Say: JLo liked the song and says it was a nice finish for her. Harry calls the performance strong and Keith thinks the song is perfect for Jena. 

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Contestant: Caleb Johnson

Song: "As Long As You Love Me"

My brain immediately imagines Caleb singing the Backstreet Boys song with the same title. It takes me a minute or so to get beyond that. This song, however, is a total departure from the vibe of Jena's, which is not really a good or bad thing. I'm just happy both contestants received songs that play to each of their strengths. This tune has a more current feel (I realize it's a new song, but that doesn't necessarily mean it's current), and I think Caleb proves here that he is not just a classic rock cover singer. Well done. Round 3...is a tie.

Judges Say: Harry says Caleb will sleep well tonight because of that performance. Keith is dying to see what happens tomorrow and congratulates both contestants. JLo thinks Caleb put it all out there tonight and it's going to be a tough decision for America. 

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The Idol finalists close the show singing Kelly Clarkson's "Breakaway" and I'm really only listening for Jena's voice as the eliminated contestants join the Final 2 on stage. Some highlights of the season fill the screens in the background as the credits roll....and that's it! We definitely have a tight race on our hands, but I think the edge goes to Jena. While Caleb came straight out of the gates as an in-your-face rock star, Jena had a subtle build to stardom throughout the season. I believe she is peaking at just the right time and I would not be surprised if she wins it all tomorrow. That being said, I would be just as excited for Caleb if he is victorious. Both are deserving and both gave at least one "winning" performance tonight. We'll see who takes home the title during Part 2 of the finale tomorrow. Til then!

The Voice Finale Part 2: The New Voice of The Voice!

Well TV viewers, another season of The Voice has ended and we have ourselves a winner. First and foremost, Carson announces that not all of Josh's performances were available on iTunes during the voting period, so in fairness to all of the contestants...the iTunes "votes" were not counted in the tally. Carson also told us that the iTunes downloads would not have changed the results either way. So, really, he just told us who won two hours before he was supposed to. Nice job, buddy. Here are the highlights:

Adam told Christina pretty early on that if she was not the winner, he would sign her to his record label. So clearly he also heard Carson essentially say "the iTunes votes would not have mattered because Josh won anyway."

Jake brought back Kat, Kristen, Audra, Ryan and Morgan to sing Kenny Chesney's "Summertime." Wow. That's a lot of people, but hey, they had a great time and we had a chance to see some contestants that we forgot about weeks ago. Josh brought back Sisaundra, Stevie Jo, and T.J. to take on "Am I Wrong?" Oh Sisaundra, I've truly missed you...and so has my spell check. Christina brought back Bria, Tess, and Jake (Barker) to sing "Team" by Lorde. See what she did there? It's all about teamwork...as a team...to sing "Team." Well played. This was actually my favorite "bring back" song.

The Final 3 also had a chance to perform with some big names tonight. Christina treated us to a beautiful duet of "All Of The Stars" with Ed Sheeran. Their voices are seriously perfect for each other. Jake received what must have been the surprise of his life when he was told he would join Alabama on stage for "Mountain Music." He looked like a kid who just got a puppy and I'm so happy for him. Josh performed "Get Her Back" with Robin Thicke and....is it hot in here? I feel like it's hot in here. I mean, as wonderful as Josh sounded, it's difficult not to be distracted by Robin Thicke's complete and total deliciousness. This was my favorite performance from the "Final 3 sing with superstars" segments.

There were some additional eliminated contestants that had some extra time so shine this evening as well. Delvin, Jake (Barker), Morgan, Patrick and Stevie Jo sang "She's Gone" by Hall & Oats, while The Voice also reminded us that Dani, Deja, Madelyn, Tess and M.J. were once on the show as they took the stage to sing "Umbrella."

OneRepublic took the stage and made me wonder how many times they have taken the stage on The Voice...perhaps just as many times One Direction appeared on The X Factor. More research is required. Justin Moore (swoon) also joined the list of performers tonight, singing "Lettin' The Night Roll." Tim McGraw (double swoon) performed tonight as well, treating us to his new single, "City Lights." For me though, the best guest performance came from Coldplay. Chris Martin can couple or uncouple consciously or unconsciously. I could care less. I wanted to jump up and down right along with him as he sang "A Sky Full of Stars." Awesome.

Remember Jake, iTunes doesn't count.

Results! At long last we found out what we pretty much found out in the first five minutes of the episode. Christina finished third (Wow! Adam is pisssed), leaving Jake and Josh center stage nervously awaiting their fate. And....the winner is Josh! I'm completely happy with this and I think he earned it for sure. Congrats to Josh and Usher on a fantastic run this season.

The Voice will return sooner than you think with new coaches Pharrell and Gwen Stefani. I will miss Shakira and Usher, and I'm definitely still missing Xtina. I think she would have been all over Adam's sass this season and it could have been fun to watch. We'll see what happens with the new blood in a few short months. Til then!