The voters have decided. It’s David Archuleta versus David Cook in the Idol showdown. Syesha Mercado can take pride that she’s among the Top 3. PHILIP LIM recounts the events leading to the all-male final.

THE judges’ comments were like smoke signals over the horizon. Syesha Mercado along with her two male colleagues had to sing three songs this week.

The first was the judges’ choice. Second was the contestant’s own selection and the third was the producers’ pick. Syesha came out smoking with If I Ain’t Got You. Her vocals were like honey on toast. Easily digestible and uplifting for the spirit.

The only girl left standing in the competition was pulling out all stops and was singing like a true champ. Randy Jackson, Paula Abdul and Simon Cowell all gave Syesha high marks for her performance.

Her second song Fever also raised the room temperature and her stage performance pushed excitement up a notch. With a style reminiscent of Peggy Lee who has made Fever her signature tune, Syesha woke up any sleeping heads with her mini-skirt and silky voice. Yes, the fever was rising in Kodak theatre.
Paula fired the first salvo at Syesha by making a not-so-subtle comment, “It didn’t show the Syesha I know”. Simon seemed to sense Syesha’s impending exit when he dropped a bombshell “you may regret your decision (song choice) tomorrow.”

Her third pick was Hit Me Up, a number that was unfamiliar to most on our shores but Syesha gave it as good as it got. But it was apparently not enough because with the grand finale just a week away, the judges were expecting more.

Again, Paula sounded the alarm by saying that it might not be good enough to push her into the final. The general feeling among viewers at home and the audience that the boys were riding fast and furious on the last lap of the competition. Randy said it was just okay for him.

It was more than okay for me but the signs were ominous with two of the three judges giving her the thumbs down. Their critique proved to be crucial and fatal to Syesha’s chances.

David Archuleta, on the other hand, didn’t have to work too hard to impress the crowd with his first number And So It Goes. It was Paula’s choice for most mothers’ darling boy. He sang it beautifully with deep emotion that warmed all our hearts. This one was a winner.

All three judges were happy with Archuleta, although Simon couldn’t resist throwing a little spanner in the works with “a bit predictable”.

His second With You was a dance floor tune. In a rare instance, Archuleta put on his dancing shoes and shuffled his feet. He was clearly having fun and was not afraid to show it. The girls were screaming his name. It was hard to put this guy down when he’s so popular among the younger set.

His third number Longer was just was what needed to push him into the final. It was a song rendered on a high emotional level. With eyes half-closed and vocals lilting and skirting on musical excellence, Archuleta put everyone who was listening to him in a good mood. Longer sealed the deal for this young man, and Simon spoke for everyone when he said “I think you have done enough to enter the finals next week.”

David Cook the third contestant almost blew the competition away with this first song, The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face. It was Simon’s choice for him. Cook’s performance showed that he was master class and when he was in his element, he had few equals. On Wednesday evening with that song, he glorified in his own splendour.

The crowd loved this number. Cook’s dad who was in the audience, gave his son a standing ovation. Even though Randy praised Cook, he cheekily repaid Simon for an earlier remark with “I wish Simon had picked a different song for you.”

Simon was very pleased with his song choice and cheekily said: “Round One goes to Cook and Simon”.

Second song for Cook was Dare You To Move. I seriously don’t know about the pitchy bit that Randy mentioned but most of us remembered the last part when Cook lifted the song just enough to save par.

Cook who has a degree in graphic design pushed the envelope a little further with his final number I Don’t Wanna Miss A Thing. It was one of Aerosmith’s better numbers and Steven Tyler had given it immortality. Cook did a slam dunk with this song.

Simon echoed Paula’s sentiments “David, see ya in the finals” when he followed up with “David Cook wins the night!”

With those strong endorsements, the two finalists have been decided. Next week shall see a 17-year-old pitting his vocals against a 26-year-old singer and songwriter.

At this point, it’s hard to pick Season 7’s Idol even though there are only two left but the younger David is a sentimental favourite for many of us at home. However, Cook’s legion of fans certainly won’t take things lying down.