Michael Becker / FOXLast week, I thought I had it all figured out. If you're a preteen, you vote for David Archuleta. If you're a teenage girl, you love Jason Castro. And if you are a full-grown adult, you are all about David Cook.
But tonight, sitting in the live audience at Idol, I came to the realization that no matter who you are or what your age, when you hear David Archuleta in person, it is hard not to admit: He is so undeniably talented—with a voice so flawless and dynamic and pure, it actually resonates in your soul—that he probably most deserves to be the winner of this year's American Idol. (It would explain why he got the only full-audience standing O's of the night—and two of them, at that! He is that good.)
Still, here's the truly ridiculous thing you can clown me for (and I know many of you will): The 13-year-old girl in me weeps for Jason Castro.
Not because he has the strongest voice of the remaining four (he of all people will tell you he does not) and not because he deserves to win (he does not), but because Jason is so much better than that unfortunate catastrophic display we saw tonight, which would be a pretty bad exit. I can tell you that in rehearsal, the guy was good—really good. And so obviously, his nerves got the best of him, and now it will be a huge shock if J.C. doesn't get the boot tomorrow night.
Archuleta has a huge fan following (see: two standing O's). Ditto for Cook and rightfully so. (On the way out tonight, I nearly got run over by a shaking and crying fan who was screaming about David's "blue eyes" that "looked right at" her as she jumped up and down and called everyone she knew on her cell.) And Syesha Mercado seems to be getting stronger and stronger each and every week—not to mention, the heartfelt tears tonight will certainly win her a few extra votes.
And so, unless Simon's harsh words motivate a surprisingly large number of my fellow 13-year-old-girls-at-heart, it is probably time to say goodbye to this season's resident charming-but-awkward dreadlocked cutie. (In preparation, I will be listening over and over to my favorite Idol downloads so far this season—"Somewhere Over the Rainbow" and "Hallelujah"—and prepping for my eighth-grade geography test tomorrow.)
But let's be honest. It has to be David versus David in the end, right? They are both crazy good, and all the more impressive in person.
Who do you think most deserves to stay around another week? Feel free to vote and comment below.