Australian Idol - Final 2

Jessica or Damien? Damien or Jessica?

Traditionally, the only time I'll cast a vote on the outcomes of shows like Australian Idol or Big Brother is when it comes to the final week (the only except was with Big Brother earlier this year, when my vote alone successfully saw Katie evicted).

And I'm unswayed in my opinion from last week (and the weeks before). Damien would make a better Idol because he'd sell more albums than Jessica (sorry, Jess), and his version of the winner's single was far better than Ms Mauboy's.

Jessica is an exceptional singer and performer. I want to stress that point again, because my vote for Damien is not meant to imply that Jessica is by any means sub-par. She isn't. She's great, and I hope that in time she'll develop her own style which will highlight the strengths her singing voice can muster. I know that once she's found the kind of niche she wants to fit into, she's going to go very far.

But for the moment at least, she's a bit of a flash-in-the-pan kind of performer. She does 'diva' well, but many, many females can do that. There's nothing special or different about it, I'm afraid. She'll establish herself in time, I have no doubt.


Image stolen.

Damien, meanwhile, has already found his style (although to be honest, he still seems to be settling on a precise style - but that's okay). He has a remarkable falsetto range, can sing ballads beautifully, and can add a bit of a Celtic/Irish flavour to many of the songs he sings.

And his version of "Night Of My Life" (not to be confused with the Patrick Swayze number!) was amazing. Not run-of-the-mill, as both Wifey and I found Jessica's version to be, but stand-out brilliant. A much better song.

And boy, is he marketable to the mothers of the country! He seems to 'do something' for the slightly older set, and that's probably an area Idol promoters never thought they'd have a chance of breaking into!

Nah, for my money, it's a done deal. Vote for Damien. If you're in Australia, SMS the word 'DAMIEN' to 19 10 10.

(However, if Jessica gets the votes - which she may do because I reckon 'Team Dean' will probably throw their support behind Jess rather than Damien - then I won't exactly feel robbed. It's not going to be the kind of travesty we witnessed last year or the year before. The difference this time is that both finalists are top quality performers, instead of the winner in the previous years being far weaker than the runner-up but more popular for extraneous reasons, so there are far bigger injustices in the world.)

Still ... may the best singer win.

And at this point in the contestants' lives, that's Damien.


Image stolen.
(But at least this time I cropped it myself.)

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