American Idol Predictions

And then there were four. After votefortheworst.com couldn't save Brooke White last week and the cheery and peppy songstress went home in a hail of sobs, four American Idol contestants remain: David Archuleta, Jason Castro, David Cook and Syesha Mercado. Votefortheworst.com now has its sights set on Jason Castro and I think they have it right.

For the past three weeks, American Idol has definitely been the battle of the Davids. 17 year old David Archuleta has blasted through the top 24 with very few negative comments from the judges and has never been in the bottom two or three in fan votes. Archuleta's wholesome character (Simon once said that he should have Disney animals dancing around him) and angelic voice has brought him far in the competition so far. The question is: can he crank out Top 40 hits and handle life on the road touring?

David Cook is the "rocker" of the bunch. His voice is edgier than Archuleta's and his material harder. Cook has been praised all season for his ability to choose songs that suit him and rearrange those songs to sound current, including a Dolly Parton song and two Neil Diamond songs. The question with Cook is whether his style of music really reflects the pop style that American Idol winners are known for. Season Five winner, Taylor Hicks broke the American Idol mold and his first album produced dismal results. He is currently without a major recording contract.

Jason Castro is a conundrum. His performances since the beginning have received spotty reviews from the judges. His high point this season was his rendition of Jeff Buckley's version of Hallelujah. Since then, he has not shown any growth in his talent or any branching out into different song styles. Castro is who he is and America will have to decide if that's enough. His voice is pretty and his social awkwardness is endearing, but the dilemma here is whether you could listen to him five times a day on the radio.