The American Idol 2014 Top 2 Caleb Johnson and Jena Irene battled it out Tuesday night and one of the two will be crowned the winner of American Idol tomorrow night. And either is deserving, but One person, to me, came out just slightly on top.
Round One: Producer’s Pick
Jena Irene, “Dog Days Are Over.” That was a little rough at first, but it got better as it went on. I feel like she could have shown a little more intensity with it, but it was still a very solid performance. I liked it. Performance Grade: A-
Caleb Jonhson, “Dream On.” Now that was a finale song. That might be his best performance of the entire season. And now is the time to deliver such a performance. That was the right amount of energy, the right vocals, the right everything. Great. Performance Grade: A+
Round One Winner: Caleb
Round Two: Fans’ Favorite Performance
Jena Irene, “I Can’t Help Falling In Love.” Hmm. This was a great performance, but it was too recent to do it again. I’m not sure the right things are happening for her tonight. I mean the arrangement was beautiful and her vocals were amazing. It was good, but will this benefit her in the end? Performance Grade: A
Caleb Johnson, “Maybe I’m Amazed.” OK, so maybe Jena will have the edge in this round. I just find this song so boring after seeing it done on here so MANY times in the past. His vocals were strong, but the rest of the performance gave us nothing new or exciting. Performance Grade: A
Round Two Winner: Jena
Round Three: Potential single
Jena Irene, “We Are One.” This is a great single for her. It’s not exactly “Home” for Phillip Phillips, but it was right up her alley. She really took ownership of the song. And it definitely has a component that makes it good for the radio. I liked it. Performance Grade: A
Caleb Johnson, “As Long As You Love Me.” Another song that matches the singer, but it’s not a good song. That backup chorus is awful. The words of the song are weak and yeah, I’d turn it if it came on the radio. Performance Grade: A-
Round Three Winner: Jena
So in my opinion, Jena slightly edges out Caleb. Will that be what happens tomorrow night? Who knows. How would you rank the Top 2 performances from the night?