We can all stop kidding ourselves here and now, this is no longer a competition, it’s a coronation.
Adam Lambert will be the winner of A-I Season 8. End of discussion.
He would have to lose his voice to lose this.
Fair, unfair, however you would like to categorize it with his theatre background, he still is going out there week in and week out and making a shambles of the others.
Everything he does is rather magnificent – song choice, interpretation, style, dress, lighting, arrangement. In fact, it was so much so on Tuesday night when he performed “Mad World” by Tears for Fears that even Simon was moved to give him a standing ovation.
I don’t know that Simon has ever offered up a “standing o” to anyone other than himself.
All that said, can Lambert sell a record, can he sell tickets on a tour, will he relate to a young audience, a college audience, is he a composer? Don’t know the answer to those questions.
Right now it would appear that the theater beckons and that wouldn’t be such a bad landing spot for young Lambert.
Just seems hard to picture him on tour like last year’s Davids.
Time will tell.

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So, here are the rankings after Tuesday night:

1 – Adam Lambert
2 – Allison Iraheta
3 – Matt Giraud
4 – Anoop Desai
5 – Danny Gokey
6 – Kris Allen
7 – Lil Rounds
8 – Scott MacIntyre

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Here are some of the judges comments:

Danny Gokey – “Stand By Me” by Mickey Gilley

RJ: “I didn’t love the arrangement, but you made me love it.”
KD: “You turned it on it’s head and you made it your own.”
PA: “Everyone else who follows you is going to have to run to catch up.”
SC: “The beginning was good, the middle was lazy and the ending was good.”

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Kris Allen – “All She Wants To do is Dance” by Don Henley

KD: “That kinda felt like jazz-funk homework-it lost a lot of it’s youth.”
PA: “You did change it up, you are likable.”
SC: “It was indulgent, boring, forgettable-but then so am I.”
RJ: “That was a stupid, stupid song choice.”

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Lil Rounds – “What’s Love Got to Do with It” by Tina Turner

PA: “You look hot-you’re a brilliant vocalist. But that was karaoke.”
SC: “Ghastly copycat performance-we have lost you-you have got to start becoming original.”
RJ: “It’s almost like, you aren’t listening to us-it’s not clicking.”
KD: “You got to find your power in your lower range.”

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Anoop Desai – “True Colors” by Cyndi Lauper

RJ: “You pulled it back-that was a very nice vocal-props to you. You can actually sing.”
KD: “You controlled the song, it didn’t control you, congratulations.”
PA: “Great choice of song, flawless-fantastic.”
SC: “One minute you’re down then you’re up-that was very good, but I don’t think it was fantastic.”

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Scott MacIntrye – “The Search is Over” by Survivor

KD: “I got to commend you for playing your guitar-.it’s a difficult song-there were parts I like, parts I thought were over ambitious.”
PA: “You showe dyou can step away from the piano. It was good but it had its off moments.”
SC: “You need to go back to the piano. That song was horrible. You are trying to be somebody else.”
RJ: “It was just all OK-it didn’t show you as a star.”

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Allison Iraheta – “I Can’t Make You Love Me” by Bonnie Raitt

PA: “You just hear one note, and it’s undeniably Allison-you gave all of your heart in this song-same arrangement, but you made it your own.”
SC: “I thought that was very good-I don’t think your personality is going over-you’ve got to lighten up, make yourself a bit more likeable.”
RJ: “You remind me of season No. 1 winner (Kelly Clarkson). Dud you can sing your face off.”
KD: “Let’s go make a record right now.”

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Matt Giraud – “Part Time Lover” by Stevie Wonder

RJ: “Vocally one of the best of the night.”
KD: “Incredible on every level.”
PA: “Two words – standing O.”
SC: “A million times better than last week, well done.”

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Adam Lambert – “Mad World” by Tears for Fears

They ran out of time for judges comments so only Simon spoke and he simply gave Adam a standing ovation.