I'd kind of lost interest in American Idol after Sanjaya got voted off - I actually wanted an awful performer to make it all the way to the end.  But Blake's performance of You Give Love a Bad Name this week was *unbelievable* - just blew me away completely.  Easily the gutsiest move I've ever seen an idol contestant make, and I think he locked himself in as final two or the winner.  The boy's got some serious hip hop / turntableism chops.

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Word.

I wasn't all that excited about Bon Jovi night. Yeah, I dug the guy in the 80's but I've long since been over the 'Bon'

Then the final 6 stepped up. Most of them managed to make the tunes their own (which I dug) but Blake stood out.

It was a smart move, not just a gutsy one. He's been in the bottom 3 twice now. I think this may have something to do with the fact that he has been playing it straight and safe the last few weeks. He didn't want to be known as the "beat box" boy and I don't blame him. This isn't that kind of competition. What he did was establish himself as a decent singer, then blew everyone away with his gutsy personalization of that classic Jon Bon tune. Well done, Blake.

It will take a miracle or a deaf America for him to be Melinda, though.

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Caleb Denison
Home Theater Guru
Aperionaudio.com

Yeah, but Sanjaya had hair, man. You can't teach that.

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Matt Putnam
aperionaudio.com

Awwwww

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Word.

So wrong, Alex... but so right!

So.. it's pretty much Blake vs. the Soul Divas... projections?

For me, it comes down to Melinda and Blake. Melinda is a pro... even the dimwitted judges can hear that but Blake has some serious originality and will be getting the tween vote. Whacha think?

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Caleb Denison
Home Theater Guru
Aperionaudio.com