Alienhits loves... Adam Lambert!

American Idol is one of my favorite shows on TV, including all of its various iterations around the globe. One of the most exciting aspects of the show is when a contestant comes on and does something completely different. It happened with Blake on AI, Rhydian on X-Factor, Jenny Gear on Canadian Idol, Johan on Swedish Idol, etc etc. These types of contestants rarely win the entire show, but they make things interesting.
Adam Lambert is the most unique performer American Idol's seen yet. And we're only two weeks in. Better still, he actually has a chance to win the whole thing. The reason? His uncanny, do-those-notes-even-exist vocals. It certainly doesn't hurt that he's willing to experiment with genres and think outside of the box. Not only would he be America's first openly gay idol, but he'd also be hands down the most interesting. I've included a link at the bottom of this post to the studio version of his middle eastern take on Johnny Cash's Ring Of Fire. If hearing this doesn't give you chills, then I'm sorry because you're completely missing out. The performance has more similarities to respected artists like Muse and Darren Hayes' solo work than to the typical copycat karaoke we're used to with idol.
The American public worries me when it comes to Lambert's chances. There's a reason artists this interesting are relegated to cult status in the US. When it comes to popular music, we're just not that open-minded as a whole (well, it's not just popular music, actually). There are a number of things that could stand in Adam's way to victory, though I'm happy to see that he's established quite a base on the American Idol messageboards. That's what these types of artists usually do best: polarize and amass a fringe, highly obsessive fan base.
So please, America. Do not go with Danny Gokey, easily the most annoying contestant of the season. Didn't we learn our lesson with Taylor Hicks? We do not need the sequel to that. Ditto with Lil' Rounds, who sounds like every other Mary J Blige wannabe on the radio. Go with something original this time. Please. We got the whole, admittedly more important, Obama thing right. We can do this too.

Adam Lambert - Ring Of Fire