Kris Allen is a terrific Idol winner. Those of you who want to stick to your limited ''Kris Allen is a mediocre singer!'' scripts, feel free to skip this section. But then, of course, you'd also probably dismiss Karen Carpenter, John Lennon, and Jim Croce for not having big enough pipes. (Hat tip to Miss Jody Watley, whose recent blog about Idol made mention of those three artists, specifically their simple, distinctive, and totally praise-worthy voices.) And while you're at it, let's write off Bruce Springsteen, and Dusty Springfield, and Erykah Badu, too. My point being that just because someone's voice isn't huge, or octave-scaling, or range-y, doesn't mean it can't be fantastic.
And no, that's not a dis against Adam Lambert. Nor is it my attempt to put Kris Allen on the same level as Carpenter or Lennon or Badu. It's just an acknowledgement in the superlative-driven world of Idol discussion that there are all kinds of voices worth getting worked up about. And Kris, who hails from the less-is-more school of singing, has put down some stellar, show-stopping performances this season: ''Falling Slowly,'' ''She Works Hard for the Money,'' ''Heartless,'' ''Ain't No Sunshine,'' ''To Make You Feel My Love,'' and even ''Come Together.'' If that's not an Idol-worthy résumé, then my iPod has been badly duped, people! What's more, Kris' lovely duet tonight with Keith Urban, to the strains of ''Kiss a Girl,'' show the kid's got as much charisma, and as strong a voice, as one of the best-selling country stars of the decade.
Maybe a runner-up finish is the best thing that ever happened to Adam Lambert. If you're still sniffling into a tissue (in sadness, not with allergies) or trembling with fury about Glambert's runner-up status, please go directly to your iPod or the official American Idol site and treat yourself to a repeat performance of one of the following: ''Mad World,'' ''Black or White,'' ''Ring of Fire,'' ''Tracks of My Tears,'' ''Whole Lotta Love,'' or ''Feeling Good.'' (Yes, of course, the ''Slow Ride'' duet with Allison is also more than acceptable.) Now riddle me this: Do you seriously think the likelihood of Adam Lambert becoming an international singing superstar will be affected in any way by his failure to attain a title that would've been bestowed on him by the head of Fox's reality TV programming department?
The truth of the matter is, Adam's voice is insane, over-the-top, unbridled, and not quite like anything residing on Billboard's charts today. His performance tonight with KISS drove home the fact that Adam could (and I think should) begin the movement to bring hair metal back to the mainstream after a too-too long absence. Of course, what's most fascinating about Adam is he could also choose to use his powerhouse voice in a half dozen completely disparate musical genres — yet look and sound equally comfortably in each of 'em.
Glambert Nation cardholders: What's important to remember as you curse American Idol tonight is that, without it, you probably would have no idea who Adam Lambert is, or what he sounds like. Your glam god would be a faceless session singer in a Los Angeles recording studio or a chorus member of a touring Broadway show, still looking for some uninspired, robotic record exec to take a chance on him. But now, thanks to his Idol run — one in which only he and Kris Allen got to perform for 11 consecutive Tuesdays — you'll be lining up to buy his major-label debut album in about six months' time. And perhaps, as a second-place finisher, he'll get to cut a more daring debut than he might otherwise have. (See Blake Lewis' sadly underappreciated Audio Day Dream as an example of where and how runners-up are allowed to roam creatively.) In my mind, Adam's ''sound'' will be eclectic, driven more by where his voice can take him than where his voice will be led by a team of hit-hungry producers. And without the weight of the Idol franchise's hopes on his back, maybe he'll be allowed to carry out that mission.
