Rihanna, from one extreme to the other: Rihanna is best when her dance songs unfold like she's trapped in some sort of futuristic cyber-heist. Her performance of "Where Have You Been" started with the star caught in a "Tron"-like teepee, but once she broke free of the lasers and the video game imagery, the song -- and the production -- went south. The clothes came off, circus performers came into view and the svelte electronics were drowned out with an army of needless percussion.
Full coverage: 'American Idol'
A lil' country: "Idol" contestant Skylar Lane was best when she didn't hide from her big country voice. Yet Reba McEntire showed the power of restraint -- a trait that's on rare display during the run of "American Idol." There's a little bite in McEntire's "Turn on the Radio," and Lane barked it. McEntire, on the other hand, sang like she was conversing, just dropping a bit of scorn and grit wherever she pleased.
Jessica is out of her element: Tackling "I Will Always Love You" was a mistake, especially this year. Jennifer Hudson -- yes, an "Idol" veteran -- rose to Whitney Houston's level when she sang the Dolly Parton-penned ballad on the Grammys, but the teen-aged Sanchez was simply dwarfed by its power.
More Neil Diamond: Just when you're ready to completely write off the show, especially after the "Idol" boys were bouncing around singing "I'm A Believer" like they were in a Chuck E. Cheese commercial, Diamond gracefully entered the stage and stoically sang "Sweet Caroline," showing that his voice is in as sturdy good shape as ever.
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Someone named Ace Young proposed to someone named Diana DeGarmo, and the two apparently have never grown out of "American Idol" tackiness. "Will you," Young said to DeGarmo, as he paused dramatically, "marry me?" DeGarmo said yes, screamed and shouted, "Wow, babe, you picked a good one!" But she knew what was coming.
Prior to the big moment, Young wasn't so much a suitor as he was a car salesman. "We have conquered Broadway together, we have created new music together, we have an amazing group of people around us and," Young said, "with the help of [the jeweler he plugged is omitted by Pop & Hiss], I have a way to make this fun last forever."
Tinkerbell? We could only be so lucky. Seacrest reminded viewers that Hollie Cavanagh was given the nickname of the Disney character by will.i.am. Yet the tiny fairy surely would have had more fun with the classic show tune "You'll Never Walk Alone" than this cautiously direct rendition from Cavanagh and Jordin Sparks.
Need a holiday after this. Tony Award-winning Jennifer Holliday took the lead on the "Dreamgirls" cut "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going," but the song also offered a glimpse into the future for the young Sanchez.
She's been a professional belter all season, hitting all the right notes with passionless precision. Sanchez has been compared to a host of divas all season, but it's been impossible to get a read on her musical heroes. That's because Sanchez seems groomed for "American Idol," a vocal purebreed whose mission in life was to compete on this show. Who knows, maybe it will lead to a successful music career, but more likely it will work OK on Broadway.
Aerosmith advertises its tour. With tickets to sell for a summer tour, Steven Tyler's Aerosmith performed two songs, including new song "Legendary Child," which was far from embarrassing and stood up quite nicely to an oldie such as "Walk This Way." The gossip pages, however, will obsess over Tyler's shout-out to fellow coach Jennifer Lopez. "I want to keep that team alive," he sang, pleading for his chair-mate to sign on for another year of judging. Perhaps we'll find out Lopez's plans before "The X-Factor" begins.
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-- Todd Martens
Image: Phillip Phillips, Jessica Sanchez and Ryan Seacrest appear on the 'American Idol' finale. Credit: Mark Davis / Getty Images
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