“Either way, we’re going to celebrate tonight.”
Candice Glover, 23, sings her coronation song “I Am Beautiful” after it was announced that she won “American Idol.” (Photo courtesy of americanidol.com)
No truer words could have been said regarding last night’s “American Idol” Season 12 finale. Both Candice Glover and Kree Harrison delivered stellar performances on Wednesday night, but in the end it was Glover, the 23-year-old South Carolina native who came out on top and earning herself that “Idol” trophy.
Glover’s win marks the first time a female contestant has taken the crown in six years. Jordin Sparks won the title last in 2007. Glover now joins the ranks of the other four female winners: Kelly Clarkson, Fantasia Barrino, Carrie Underwood, Sparks.
Since then, male contestants have dominated the winner’s club: David Cook, Kris Allen, Lee DeWyze, Scotty McCreery, Phillip Phillips.
It seems like “Idol” producers also have felt it was time for a female to take the title again, as all season long viewers were reminded by the judges and video packages that it was the ladies’ season.
Normally, when the show excessively “pimps” out certain contestants, I find it off-putting – It’s the reason why I didn’t vote for Lauren Alaina in Season 10 and Jessica Sanchez in Season 11 – but this year I can’t blame the production team for encouraging us to vote for the five ladies we selected in the Top 10. Each woman brought something new, and there was a hunger in each one of their eyes that said, “I want this. I want this so bad.”
Kree Harrison, left, and Candice Glover, right, are all smiles in “American Idol’s” Season 12 finale Thursday, May 16. (Photo courtesy of americanidol.com)
America couldn’t have gotten it wrong, whether you were rooting for Season 11 Vegas round rejects like Janelle Arthur and Amber Holcomb; the steely-eyed Angie Miller, whose original song in Hollywood has almost 4 million hits on YouTube; Kree Harrison, the 22-year-old country and soul demo singer who lost both her parents before she was 20; or the three-time tryout Candice Glover, whose unique interpretations on a wide arrangement of songs granted her standing ovations week in and week out.
Not that the boys didn’t stand a chance, either. Devin Velez has amazing control of his runs, Burnell Taylor has a tone so warm that you could listen to it all day, and Paul Jolley had a big ol’ voice that was an early favorite. Velez and Taylor even came close to getting the judges’ save when they faced elimination. It’s unfortunate the the boys were plucked from the competition one by one and week to week, but you couldn’t really complain with the Top 5, either.
Both Glover and Harrison – and probably a lot of the other contestants – will have no problems building a career in music. Miller, who placed third, already released “You Set Me Free” and was invited by Jessie J to perform with her in the U.K.
You can already pre-order Glover’s debut album, which is slated for a July release, as well as purchase her winning single “I Am Beautiful” on iTunes. Harrison’s single, “All Cried Out,” is also available on iTunes.