Departing from the usual three songs for three finalists format that has been used in each one of the Top 3 performance episodes for the past seven seasons, this year's crop will have to settle for two songs only: one picked by a judge (or in one case, two judges) and one personal choice (thanks again Kara!).
The judges' picks for the Top 3 are already common knowledge because each finalist received his respective song choice (or in one case, two choices) from the judges at their homecomings yesterday. Paula picked "Dance Little Sister" by Terence Trent D'Arby for Danny, Randy and Kara chose "Apologize" by OneRepublic for Kris and Simon apparently couldn't decide between "One" by U2 or Chris Isaak's "Wicked Game" for Adam since there is video of him receiving a text with both songs. Right, that's fair...
Anyway, Danny and Kris are really going to have to step it up come Tuesday if they want to advance to the finale, and that key to doing that is picking a good song in the first place. Although this is not a magic solution to the problem, it definitely sets the stage for a solid performance assuming the singer finds his comfort zone in the choice. Therefore, my song suggestions for the Top 3 can be found below:
Adam Lambert: "Rock and Roll All Nite" (Kiss)
Yeah yeah, Rock 'n Roll was last week's theme, but Adam has made a name for himself singing songs from this genre over the course of the season, so why not keep a good thing going? Adam would blew the lid off the studio with Kiss' "Rock and Roll All Nite," a '70s classic that would allow him to be as theatrical as possible all the while belting out notes at the top of his lungs, and it would not be perceived as a mess. A bit over the top perhaps, but Adam's no stranger to being accused of that.
The judges could possibly criticize Adam for picking a predictable song, but the performance would drown out any negativity they might direct toward him. And there are plenty of other songs that Adam could choose since it really doesn't matter at this point because he will be in the finale regardless.
Danny Gokey: "One Sweet Day" (Mariah Carey & Boyz II Men)
Danny has not taken on an emotional, R&B-tinged ballad in a long time, and this is his chance to return to a place that fits his vocal style to a T. Danny has already performed a Mariah Carey track in "Hero" back in the semifinals, so it would not be awkward for him to play that card once more so late in the game with "One Sweet Day." Plus, Boyz II Men help Carey out on the track, which is a group whose material would be totally believable for Danny to attempt.
The lyrics in "Day" are very relevant to Danny on a personal level, and could create just the right effect on the audience to connect with them emotionally, which just might be the edge he needs at this stage. Assuming he doesn't attempt one of Carey's high notes following last week's travesty, things could look very bright for Danny this week.
Kris Allen: "Fire and Rain" (James Taylor)
Kris is in the toughest position this week because he is an underdog. What would not be right for him to do at this point, however, is to take a risk. When risks are taken so late in the game, that don't always work out the way they were intended, so it would be best for him to stick to what he's good at and let his fan base vote its fingers off. Therefore, James Taylor's "Fire and Rain" would be the perfect choice for him.
The performance would work best with Kris sitting on a stool playing along on his guitar, with no other instrumentation and nothing onstage to distract the audience from his singing. If he can excel in this way, Kris should feel pretty confident with himself.
And there we have it. If I had to guess, I'd say Danny's choice is the most likely to be correct of the three, but it would be a big surprise for any of them to end up being picked.
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