We've reached two of the best episodes in American Idol history in our lookback at Kris Allen's 2009. It's top three week and Kris, Adam Lambert and Danny Gokey visit their hometowns and duke it out for the chance to be a finalist for the title of American Idol 2009. Let's get right to it, because this post is going to be JAMPACKED with videos and mp3s!
Performance episode:
We're down to our "three amigos" as Ryan Seacrest refers to them. Get on your feet for the top three! They show a peek at the hometown visits we'll see on the results show (and I plan in this post to show you lots of Kris' visit). Tonight they'll sing a judge's choice song and a personal selection.
First we go to Milwaukee where during his hometown visit, Danny receives a text that Paula chose Dance Little Sister by Terrence Trent D'Arby for him. That's a song that Danny should've slayed and it was a good choice by Paula. Unfortunately, he chooses to shout the whole song, although he does give an energetic dancing performance. Kara didn't like his gyrations, LOL. Paula was fine with them. Simon reminds the ladies that it's a singing show and he didn't like the fun part with the saxophone. Whoa tonight each guy gets three numbers for voting! None of this wimpy 2019 10 votes per app nonsense.
Kara and Randy are picking for Kris. They went with Apologize by One Republic. It's a good pick for him and the recorded Idol single was fantastic (I'll link the mp3 below). Live during this show, he sounds a little tense.
Randy gives Kris good advice about how he should direct his future musical career. Kara didn't think he hit it out of the park. Kara wanted him to make Apologize more his own and take more chances. Paula thought Randy and Kara made a good pick and that Kris really hit one bum note (true) but is worthy. Simon calls out Paula and Kara for their lame comments then brags about how he helped Adam work out the arrangement for his pick. Randy didn't know they were allowed to do this. KRIS VOTERS DULY MOBILIZED. Ryan asks Kris about being humble and Kris says he'll always be who he is.
Simon chose One by U2 for Adam Lambert. It's funny because you don't hear about this performance much after the years, but it is a good one at first and credit to Simon for the arrangement. Adam chooses to take it into screechy loud singing territory though about halfway through. Randy agreed with me on that but liked it overall. Kara liked Adam's screechy change-up. Paula hates that Simon is about to gloat and found Adam's performance brilliant. Simon thought Simon made a "brilliant song choice" and that if Adam's not in the final, it would be a huge upset. Hmmm, I bet that was a little hint to glamberts to get to voting. The song ended up peaking on the Billboard charts at #82 on June 6, 2009. (By comparison, Apologize also peaked that day at #66.)
We interrupt the performances for an important update on Idol Gives Back. I was sad that the Idols of season 8 didn't get to perform as those in seasons 6 and 7 did. We see a visit by Carrie Underwood to Angola for charity work.
Now it's time for the personal selections, and spoiler alert, all of them are better than the judges' picks. Danny is up first and feeling the pressure. He went through a bunch of songs with mentors and finally selected You Are So Beautiful by Joe Cocker. He showcases his vocals and does some runs with it, but thankfully no gyrations. Randy thought he nailed "mad vocals" and Kara thought he was "stunning." Paula was left breathless. Simon didn't like the arrangement, but reminds us it is a singing competition and he thought Danny gave a "vocal master class."
Time for the highlight of the night! Kris is going to pull off Heartless by Kanye West. Ryan clearly thinks he can't do it. Guess again Ryan! Kris pulls off one of the best performances ever during the 17 years of American Idol!
My favorite part is the little smile right before the last chorus, when he knows he nailed it. Randy realizes that there's a three-way competition and that Kris sings the best version of Heartless ever. Kara thought it was bold, brave and fearless! Perfect! Paula thinks Kris is brave for singing a song about Simon. Lame. She likes that he sang a relevant song. Simon thought Apologize was a lame choice and had written off Kris but Kris wrote himself right back in with that performance. Ryan realizes there's a three-way competition and reads off Kris' numbers. Speaking of numbers, the Idol single of Heartless ended up peaking at #16 on the charts.
We finish up with Adam's choice, the Aerosmith song Cryin'. Hmmm, another one that didn't really make the list of Adam's greatest performances. The backup singer is drowning him out in parts and that's saying something because Adam is letting the vocals go! It's kind of screechy for me, for you. Randy reminds us that Adam is one of the best, more charismatic rock stars Idol has ever had. Kara lauds his note-hitting and does the "see you at the finals" thing. Paula thinks Adam set the bar really high. Simon, who has seen results and iTunes sales, reminds the viewers not to assume Adam will be there and to vote. Adam praises Kris and Danny and "we'll see what happens." Cryin' did not make the Billboard top 100.
Watch the performance episode here.
Before we get to the results and the hometown visits, the top 3 were asked about their favorite audience signs. Kris liked one that referenced Simon's dumb eating ice remark.
Results episode:
Ben Stiller introduces ... the American Idol set. He's promoting the addition of the American Idol desk to the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History.
Kevin Bacon is in the audience. Ryan Seacrest comes out and reminds us we saw Danny, we saw Adam and we saw Kris! Over 88 million votes were cast! I'll bet American Idol 2.2 doesn't come close. Speaking of close, only one million votes separated the top two after this night of voting. Jordin Sparks and future American Idol 2.2 judge Katy Perry are there.
Ford music video time. I didn't like the Ford music video this week, mainly because of how they blow up Kris into someone unrecognizable.
But Kris likes the idea of avoiding traffic via animation, and he loves driving the Fords in each video because at this point, it was his only chance to drive.
The guys are on the couch and we greet Alicia Keys to explain things to us about Idol Gives Back. She introduces a young man from Rwanda who performs.
It's time to look at hometown visits... here's Danny's (Milwaukee). He got to see his friend Jamar Rogers who was cut early in the season (but later would do really well on the Voice). His segment is set to Starlight by Muse, which is funny because Adam would later slay that song on the tour. He's got a lot of hometown folks happy to see him and does some radio interviews. He gets a parade (joined by Jamar) and is clearly moved. The mayor of Milwaukee tells him to "scream all he wants" in front of a large hometown crowd. Ryan pretends to give us Danny's results, but nope, he and we will have to wait until we see the other two's packages.
Now it's Kris' turn! This was so exciting to watch. The studio audience crowd was clearly behind him.
He got Stoby's cheese dip for life on his visit and couldn't believe 20,000 people came out. The hometown video produced by Idol had such a positive edit, set to Everybody Wants to Rule the World (Perfect!), that as an experienced Idol viewer I knew immediately that Kris had made final two. The part with his parents will just touch your heart. He plays Falling Slowly at his college and several songs at the Little Rock riverfront. There's a ticker tape parade and a concert in Conway. I've put more hometown visit content in this post.
Back to the show, Ryan recaps his performance night and then says he's nervous. Kris doesn't seem so nervous. In his Reddit AMA, he said this was the one week he knew he wasn't going home due to nailing the Heartless performance.
Time for the winner of Season 6, Jordin Sparks, to sing her very apt hit Battlefield.
With that performance done, it's time to recap Adam's hometown visit. He's kind of lived in different places, so they go with San Diego. Oh hey, the rest of the top 13 are in the audience! Adam says it was a wake-up call and a lady went topless to greet him. Set to Born to be Wild and Baba O'Riley, here's his visit. He appears on the morning news, signs autographs, does radio interviews, appears at the AT&T store (LOL), visits his childhood theatre group and old high school and sings the anthem for the troops. Ryan sends him to join the other "amigos' on the couch.
Time to watch Katy Perry perform her latest single! Danny told Ryan during the ad break that he just wanted it to be over. Oh, he didn't mean Katy Perry. Wait, yes he did, because he just wants the results. Adam wants to see Katy Perry. You'll see why:
I was so unamused by her outfit here and generally am not a fan of her music. But I surprisingly enjoy her now on American Idol 2.2 and she sometimes gives the contestants good advice. Anyway, back to the results!
First one of the top three into the finale is.... KRIS!
The judges have some varying reactions to this. Ryan rubs it in to Adam and Danny by saying Danny never was in the bottom 3, Adam has been (he makes a rare face at this) and some thought they'd be the final two. Kris is grasping his knees as if having an attack at this point. Ryan doesn't drag it out anymore and announces that Adam is the other finalist. Danny graciously congratulates Adam and Kris, and we see his goodbye package. On to the final two! Asked to sum it up, Simon says "this could be a real ding dong coming up next week."
Watch the results episode here.
Mp3s!
- Heartless live Idol performance
- Heartless studio performance (the Idol single version) - Peaked at #16 on Billboard, June 6, 2009
- Apologize live Idol performance
- Apologize studio performance (the Idol single version) - Peaked at #66 on Billboard, June 6, 2009
Past Kris Allen on Idol recaps:
Audition in Louisville
Hollywood Week, rounds one and two
Making the top 36
Group 2, aka the Best Idol Group ever and the one where we get to see him sing Everything
Top 13 week (Michael Jackson songs)
Top 11 week (Opry songs)
Top 10 week (Motown songs)
Top 9 week (iTunes downloads)
Top 8 week (Year contestants were born)
Top 7 week 1 (Movie week)
Top 7 week 2 (Disco week)
Top 5 week (Rat Pack)
Top 4 week (Rock week)
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