Paula Abdul and Simon Cowell -- Together Again on American Idol!

Lots happening with the American Idol final!!

First, there will be the highly talented vocals by Crystal Bowersox and Lee DeWyze. Just that would be plenty enough!

But former judge Paula Abdul, who is slated to host "Got To Dance" next season, will show up for judge Simon Cowell's farewell -- Christina Aguilera too! Simon and Paula delighted fans during past seasons with a weekly comedy routine -- of playfully giving each other jabs back when Paula sat right next to Simon on the judges panel.

There has also been speculation that best friends Simon and Paul might work together on Simon's "The X Factor" next season. Cowell has been vocal in admitting that he has missed Paula on Idol -- and opined that at least part of the reason for American Idol's drop in ratings this season is Paula's absence.

What a team -- Simon and Paula. Next year could be quite a year with American Idol returning -- and Simon and Paula with shows too! Sphere: Related Content

The Soul Singer vs. the Gritty Rocker -- Crystal Bowersox vs. Lee DeWyze in American Idol final

Head-to-head competition -- The American Idol final 2010 promises to be one of the most powerful and exhilerating battles in the show's history.

Lee DeWyze, straight from a goosebump inspiring semi-final performance of Leonard Cohen composed "Hallelujah", seems the front-runner as the competition nears the finish line.

But how can powerful Crystal Bowersox -- seemingly a reincarnation of packed-with-soul Janis Joplin -- be counted out! During the competition Bowersox indeed wailed the Joplin mega-hit, Me and Bobby McGee -- and did Joplin proud.

One has to believe that a Bowersox performance of Joplin's "Cry Baby", if she should perform it, could illuminate the studio audience and voters equally as much as DeWyze's powerful "Hallelujah." Certainly, short of Joplin, no one could sing "Cry Baby" better than Bowersox!

Indeed, Bowersox and Joplin not only exude that gritty and bluesy "soul" in their style and their performances, but at the very heart of their music they seem "soul sisters." Even without sound, their faces clearly display the emotion of songs -- love, heartache, sorrow or happiness. Their intensity and edginess cannot be matched.

But Bowersox will need to be at her best next week, taking every risk and pulling out all of the stops, to overtake DeWyze, already labeled by many as the season winner.

DeWyze's task will be to remind fans of his finest "moment" -- his performance of Hallelujah -- by following it with equally impressive compositions. He has the talent -- and he has the edge. So for him a win will come easier than for Bowersox to has to overtake his lead in the stretch.

The American Idol final next week should be a once-in-a-lifetime battle of two equally talented performers. Both Bowersox and DeWyze have shown their willingness to pour heart and soul into their numbers -- and it promises to be entertaining and interesting to see who will capture the coveted American Idol crown.

The only thing that is clear today: no matter who wins -- Bowersox or DeWyze -- either has the magic to sit on the American Idol royal throne and be counted among the most talented artists in American Idol show history!

Let the battle begin! Sphere: Related Content

Crystal Bowersox, Holy Toledo

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Lee DeWyze -- Gritty Rocker American Idol finalist

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Crystal Bowersox. American Idols' "Soul" artist, American Idol finalist

crystal 2 @ Yahoo! Video

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Curtains for Casey James on American Idol

Did anyone think that Casey would survive this week's American Idol cut? Notes posted around the Internet overwhelmingly opined that it was time for Casey to leave -- and, indeed, the Idol judges seemed to be ready to lead him to the door.

But what a run it has been for North Texas' Casey James!

"I'm so thankful for the opportunity," smiled James -- even after his elimination. "It's been an amazing, amazing journey and I'm so thankful that I'm here.

As with departing contestants, James got to sing a farewell song. He chose John Mayer's Daughters -- which had been judges Randy Jackson and Kara DioGuardi's choice for him in this week's competition. Confident, smiling and seemingly still happy, James delivered the song with ample tenderness and style.

There was a sense that Casey may have expected that it was his week to go -- and that he was ready to move on to the Idol tour and showing America that he deserves to be a star.

Indeed, elimination from the American Idol competition often signals less about defeat and more about moving ahead in a career. Runner-up Adam Lambert has become a super star -- as has Chris Daughtry. And how about Jennifer Hudson, Katharine McPhee, Clay Aiken and Kimberley Locke -- none of whom won the American Idol coveted crown!

“I never thought I'd get this far,” Casey admitted to host Ryan Seacrest. “But to me, it's like winning $10 million in the lottery and $100 million in the lottery. It's so much more than I expected, so it can't be bad.”

As the Dallas News reports: "For a guy who doesn't own a TV — and drove all night to auditions in Denver at the urging of his mom, who lent him her truck because there was no way his would make the trip — landing in the semifinals of the world's most popular talent show proved a bit overwhelming. As James Casey watched footage of last week's screaming-filled visit to North Texas Dallas/Fort Worth and his hometown of Cool, he fought back tears." Sphere: Related Content

Ellen's song choice for Crystal Bowersox -- a song meant for a man to sing to a woman!

Singers often opine that it is important to "feel" a song, to relate to the lyrics.

It was probably a bit difficult for Crystal Bowersox to relate to the words of the song that judge Ellen DeGeneres selected for her to sing on this week's show -- a song composed by Paul McCartney for his wife Linda and meant to be sung by a man to a woman.

But Bowersox, the ultimate artist, was unflappable.

She belted out "Maybe I'm Amazed" -- and was so powerful and "amazing" that she rose far above any difficulty with the words. Good for her!!

Words to the chorus:

“Baby, I’m a man, baby, I’m a lonely man who’s in the middle of something
“that I don’t really understand,
“Baby, I’m a man, baby, you’re the only woman who could ever help me,
“baby, won’t you help me understand.” Sphere: Related Content