News: David Cook's performance last night was pretty killer. Rickey has a full write-up of the performance with video, and links to iTunes where you can buy the audio and video of the performance. Cook's version was actually a take-off of Chris Cornell's version of Michael Jackson's song.
Analysis: My cynical guess right now is that American Idol judges or producers will now start pushing hard for David Cook to win. They know that rocker Chris Daughtry (who lost a couple years ago) has sold more albums than every Idol contestant except Carrie Underwood and Kelly Clarkson. After last year's winner Jordin Sparks's slow album sales, American Idol is desperate to find the musician who can sell millions of albums. AI is so desperate it even cut out the "worst Sanjaya-type singer" from its typical selection, the old ploy that used to help them get TV ratings by throwing in someone who really couldn't sing. This year, Idol is focusing heavily on finding someone who can sell music, as is apparent by its decision to allow contestants to play instruments and to even have had recording deals in the past. The show is so transparently predictable, it may no longer be accurate to call it a "reality" show.
