(Video) David Archuleta wins ‘American Idol’
May 21, 2008
Or so says acerbic judge Simon Cowell.
If it were up to Cowell, 17-year-old David Archuleta sealed his fate as the next American Idol after his “knockout” performance beat 25-year-old David Cook’s.
(UPDATE: Simon’s wrong. David Cook won American Idol!)
Of course, it’s the votes that still count so wait until tomorrow when the actual winner is announced.
In the finale of the top-rated show American Idol, David Archuleta and David Cook each performed three songs.
In the first round, David Cook sang U2’s “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For.” For his part, David Archuleta sang the Elton John anthem “Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me.” Both received equally stellar reviews but all the same, Cowell declared Archuleta the winner.
Cowell also handed the second round to Archuleta, whose performance of the inspirational ballad “In This Moment” impressed the judge more than Cook’s take on the power ballad “Dream Big.”
For the third and final round, Archuleta went back to the song that cemented him as a favorite earlier in the competition, closing the show with a repeat of his unique take on John Lennon’s “Imagine.” Cook, who chose a song he hadn’t yet performed in Collective Soul’s “The World I Know,” didn’t stand a chance against that.
“You came out here tonight to win,” Cowell told Archuleta, “and what we have witnessed is a knockout.”
The videos of the finale performances together with the judges’ comments below.
Video: David Archuleta Song #1 - Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me
Video: David Archuleta Song #2 - In This Moment
Video: David Archuleta Song #3 - Imagine
Video: David Cook Song #1 - I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For
Video: David Cook Song #2 - Dream Big
Video: David Cook Song #3 - The World I Know
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May 22nd, 2008 at 6:49 am
Cowell made it obvious that they have already determined who they want to be the American Idol even before the show started.
May 22nd, 2008 at 10:28 am
David Cook won by a difference of 12 million votes!