Entertainment

Who Will Win 'American Idol'?

by Jessica Molinari

In a surprising turn of events, Nick Fradiani, 29, and Clark Beckham, 22, were announced as the American Idol finalists on night one of the show's season 14 finale. The guys gave all three of their performances tonight their all and it's a tough call as to who will take home the title tomorrow night. The judges couldn't seem to pick a winner — although they were totally just playing coy to remain unbiased — and it's definitely going to be tough for America to do the same. So who will take home the season 14 win? Will it be the Beckham, the early favorite with the soulful vibe, or Fradiani, the underdog rocker? America will decide — but based off tonight's performances, it seems like Fradiani could take the whole thing.

Until a few weeks ago, Fradiani seemed to be coasting through this game. He was good, but he didn't stand out as being amazing. He definitely knew what he was doing, though, because he started to bring it in the Top 6 and has stood out as a front-runner ever since. Though all of Fradiani's performances tonight were amazing — it was his single that really stood out. According to the Connecticut native, the style of "Beautiful Life" is a combination of Fun., The Goo Goo Dolls, and him. But, after hearing the song, it's definitely a whole lot of him (though the influences he's referencing are extremely clear). The lyrics themselves were fun, but they also had a strong meaning behind them. The best part? It was a song that people would actually want to listen to — and that's why he should win.

Beckham has been a favorite in this competition since the beginning, but he's seemed to fall to the background the past few weeks. I was honestly shocked that he stayed instead of Jax — which was probably the biggest upset of the entire season. He had a lot to prove tonight and he certainly tried — but he just didn't show off as much as he needed to. He chose to sing songs that were all pretty similar. And though his original single, "Champion," was definitely in his style, it's just not flashy or relevant enough to win. Beckham has had an incredible run on this show, but he hasn't shown off his versatility and originality enough — and that could cost him the win.

So what do you think? Is Fradiani going to take it? Or am I the worst singing competition predictor ever (which I'm starting to believe is true)? Tune in tomorrow night to find out!

Image: Michael Becker/FOX