American Idol 3: The Final Two

By Michelle Tan • UrbanWire

So it's finally down to 2 on American Idol. After 2 months of listening to 12 people sing their lungs out, endless streams of criticism from both the judges and viewers alike, and a fair share of voting botch-ups (read: Jennifer Hudson and LaToya London), America has finally decided for South Carolina lass Fantasia Barrino and Georgia peach Diana Degarmo to be in the prestigious Final 2. The 2 divas will be bringing down Los Angeles's Kodak Theatre in a bid to be the next Idol.

Simply Fan-tabulous
Known for her eclectic dress sense, smart comeback lines and, of course, that crazy signature dance of hers, quirky Fantasia Barrino has most definitely put the spunk back into the competition. Since her very first appearance in the semi-finals, she's given people "Something To Talk About". If viewers weren't commenting about her on-air 'arrogance' or her Macy Gray-esque voice, they're taking jibes at her thick lips (which she's proud of). But through the weeks, she's proven herself to be very formidable, especially since she possesses such confidence, stage presence and superb voice quality. She's even moved the judges with emotional renditions of the Gershwin's Porgy and Bess classic 'Summertime' and Frank Sinatra's 'What Are You Doing The Rest Of Your Life'. So let people talk all they want - Fantasia has got absolutely nothing to worry about.

Di-va In The Making
If there's anyone who should be deemed a 'powerhouse', it's Diana Degarmo. With such richness in her voice, and the power to boot, it's no surprise that she's one of the last two ladies still standing. Diana may be just sweet 16, but take a look at her perform on stage, and you'll think otherwise. This bubbly small-town girl has such an infectious energy; she never fails to get the audience up on their feet to dance along with her. Diana has made a lot of vocal progress, and is able to hold her own so well that she's impressed the judges. Even judge Simon Cowell, who's openly adamant about the younger contestants and the show's 'age factor', retracted his comments after watching one of Diana's stellar performances. A born performer through and through, Diana will certainly go far.

Predictions
Anything goes on American Idol. Look at how 2 undeniably great talents got voted off the show, just like that. The bets may have been off when LaToya left the show, but with the AMI finale just days away, the bets are back on. UW asked fervent AMI viewers for their predictions on who they think the next Idol is going to be.

Ben, 19 - Diana
"Diana's got such a strong, powerful voice."

Reagan, 16 - Fantasia
"She's got that 'Idol' aura about her. She's able to make people think she's an Idol."

Serene, 24 - Fantasia
"Fantasia's got a certain quality and uniqueness in her voice that no one else has. She's getting better as the weeks go by, and she's now more polished compared to when she first started."

Steven, 21 - Diana
"I love her energy - she can really get the crowd going!"

Jiahui, 19 - Fantasia
"Her voice is good, and she's got attitude."

So, who will be crowned the next Idol? In the spirit of Ryan 'you'll-find-out-after-this-break' Seacrest, you'll find out... on May 27.

Catch the final 2's performance on May 26 (Wed) at 10pm, and the finale on May 27 (Thurs) at 10pm, on Channel 5.

Here's your chance to be the first Singapore Idol! Auditions will be held on June 5 at the Suntec Singapore International Convention & Exhibition Centre from 8am onwards. For more information, visit the Singapore Idol website.