The Philippine Online Chronicles

These are the reasons why Phillip Phillips will win.

1. He is the heartthrob of American Idol. Phillip Phillips has got that guy-next-door image down pat so he’s definitely got that “cute boy vote”. The show has also seen a male contestant win for the past four years. That sure sounds like a lot of teenage girls voting in!
2. He is on the WGWG (White Guy With Guitar) winning streak. David Cook. Kris Allen. Lee Dewyze. Scottie McCreery. Phillip Phillips? Let’s not talk about where the careers of these first four WGWG are, though. That’s a whole different story.
3. His name is a verb. “You Phillip Phillips-ed it!”, the judges would shout out after yet another awesome performance by Phillip Phillips. Translated: He can get away with any song because he infuses it with his own style and personality. Hello, We’ve Got Tonight!

These are the reasons why Jessica Sanchez will win.

1. She is a powerful singer. She caught the attention of the audience early in the competition with I Will Always Love You and captured it even more her strong rendition of Listen. Jessica is a tiny girl with commanding vocals. You can’t help but hang on to her every note.
2. She can go slow and go big in her performances. From ballads to songs that rock the house, this girl is made to be a pop star! This is a pop show, right?
3. She was saved by the judges. Obviously they all see great potential with Jessica! Steven Tyler has stressed many times “You could be the one.” Would they have saved Phillip Phillips if he had gotten the lowest votes at the time Jessica was almost eliminated? Hmmm.

So it’s now down to the final two. In a few hours, the American Idol 2012 Top 2, Phillip Phillips and Jessica Sanchez, will be singing three songs each. They will be singing their favourite performance from the season, a song picked by American Idol Executive Producer Simon Fuller, and the song they will release as a single if they win. Considering that the singing styles of Jessica Sanchez and Phillip Phillips are on opposite ends of the spectrum, it would be very interesting to see how they make it their own. Shades of Carrie Underwood vs. Bo Bice come flashing back. We all know who won that season!

American Idol Executive Producer Nigel Lythgoe shares that Jessica needs “a song that’s going to have a magic moment in it, that she hits that note, that she grabs us.” Phillip on the other hand, “needs to find a song that people know, because again he does find unusual songs...” To overcome Phillip’s cute guy vote, Randy Jackson shares Jessica needs “the right song choice and that OMG moment in her final performance.”

Remember American Idol alumna Hailey Reinhart? She’s rooting for Jessica! In an interview with the Hollywood Reporter, Haley said of Jessica, “(I’ve) been rooting for her since day one... She’s definitely a powerhouse, and she’s only 16.” Pia Toscano, one of last year’s hopefuls as well, is standing by Jessica. She mentions in her interview with Wetpaint Entertainment that Jessica “...is my little Beyonce. I’ve never heard her sing off-key or off-pitch. She’s literally spot-on every single week. She looks so comfortable, which is so important. I think she’s a phenomenal performer. She’s got that style, and that’s so important. She’s got the entire package.” Even Steven Tyler predicts Jessica will be the last one standing! Phillip doesn’t have much to worry about though as it seems like he’s captured the hearts of teenagers everywhere, as well as their Mothers.

Who will win – the soulful artist or the pop star? Stay tuned!

Image credit: Hollywood reporter