Nicole Ireland

My nerves were shot all day long today while I waited for the finale to begin. I was filled with an anticipation that I could barely contain. I knew it was going to be a huge night, and I was not let down.

As you already know by now Mr. David Cook won this year’s crown, making him the first rocker to win the competition. That, in and of itself, is a huge accomplishment. To get as far as he did in the competition without finding himself in the bottom three is unheard of. To have two contestants from the same season never end up there is astounding, never mind that they were both named David.

From the beginning of the show both Davids seemed destined to make it to the final two. There were doubters out there who thought DC wouldn’t make it that far. They obviously had no idea what the American public wanted. Well, the public has spoken and we want David Cook.

Watching Seacrest announce this year’s winner was a moment I will not soon forget. The emotions running rampant on DC’s face were priceless. I’m sure his family was very proud of him, as they should be. Heck, I’m not a family member, but I was extremely proud of him.

This year has brought many new challenges for me and exciting new experiences. From just about the beginning of the season I covered American Idol for my job. Now that I look back on it all I’m at a complete loss for words. I was granted a unique opportunity. I never imagined it would take me to the place I’m at tonight.

Aside from covering the show and blogging about the performances, I got to watch one of the best contestant’s ever to grace the AI stage grow into someone truly spectacular. I feel blessed to have been able to see his progression. It’s because of him that I picked the pen back up to write again after taking a long break from it. There was a lot going on in my life and I had to take a step back. Thanks to DC, I’m back into it, full swing, and I couldn’t be happier.

It’s because of him that I opened myself, and my work, up to others. Boy am I glad I did. I’ve received some very warm remarks about the things I’ve written. I’ve touched people with my words. This is something every artist dreams of, whether they sing a song, write a book, paint a picture or act in a movie. The ultimate goal is to impact someone, in some way. To reach into the deepest parts of them and draw forth emotions they didn’t know existed. To know that I’ve accomplished that myself is something that I’ve always dreamed of, but wasn’t quite sure I’d ever attain.

Tonight I felt a huge since of elation and accomplishment unlike anything I’ve ever felt before. I owe it to David.

So Mr. Cook, this is my message to you tonight:

Thank you so very much, from the bottom of my heart, for letting me a part of this ride, even though you weren’t aware of it. Thank you for sharing some of the deepest parts of yourself with me and everyone else. If you hadn’t, I wouldn’t have been inspired like I was. It’s because of you that I’m still not giving up this dream. You’ve proven that anything is possible as long as you believe and give it all you’ve got. I know you’ve been an inspiration to me, but you’ve been one to countless others as well. You’ve achieved greatness and you aren’t even aware of how much. You’ll soon see. Keep up the great work. I knew you could do it.

During the first few minutes of tonight’s performance my hands began sweating and it was as though I was the one on the stage getting ready to fight the duel of the year. Both guys looked equally nervous in my opinion, but they were ready to duke it out for the title of the next American Idol.

After last week’s show David Archuleta won the coin toss. He chose to go second tonight, which left David Cook to take the stage first. The first songs sung tonight were chosen by music mogul Clive Davis. His choice for DC was “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For” by U2. I personally loved this performance. It was another shining example of not only can Cook rock out, but he can sing as well. Both don’t always go hand in hand, depending on the performer, but with Cook their synonymous.

David Archuleta’s first song of the night was “Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me” by Elton John. Even I had to concede that he did a fantastic job on this song. It wasn’t hard for me to admit though since my two favorite contestants made it to the top 2.

The second songs of the night were chosen from the songs submitted to the songwriter’s competition. David Cook chose the song “Dream Big.” Although the lyrics of the song weren’t the best — I would have liked them to be more relevant to Cook– I feel he did his best to rock it out and make it his own. The end note was spot on and goose bump-inducing and I liked the musical arrangement.

Archuleta chose the song “In This Moment.” I have to agree that lyrically Archuleta’s lyrics were more related to him then DC’s were, however, it’s not always the lyrics that carry a song. Sometimes it’s everything else, which I believe happened with Cook. He sang his heart out and I had fun watching him, but back to Archuleta. He gave another solid performance. It sent shivers up my spine.

Cook’s last performance of the night was to the Collective Soul song “The World I Know.” I personally LOVED this performance. There was an emotional rawness to it that left me breathless and teary. You could tell he put everything he could into that performance. Regardless of the outcome tonight, David Cook is the winner in my eyes.

And on a side note, thank you Simon for saying what you did about DC. Too many people talk smack about him, but you admitted to everyone that he was a kind and genuine person, something his fans have been trying to make others see for weeks.

David Archuleta’s last song of the night was “Imagine”, which he sang earlier in the season. During his initial performance of it he received rave reviews. This time was no different. He did another amazing performance.

Even though I’m a huge fan of David A., I still love DC to pieces. There’s something so magnetic about him when he performs, but it’s not just that though. There’s been two times this season his eyes have welled up with tears and he was overcome by what he was feeling. Both times it’s touched my heart. There is something so alluring and sexy about that. To me, the true measure of a man is not by how many touchdowns he’s made, or how many girls he dated, how big his truck is, or how many tools he has. It’s not how egotistical he can be. It’s not about keeping his emotions in check. It’s not about being rough and tough. It’s not about how many beers you can chug in a ten minute period. The true measure of a man is one who throws of the constraints that society places on him, who says the hell with how people expect a man to behave, and shows who he really is. That is what David Cook has done. He has allowed his fans to see inside of him. He’s allowed them to glimpse the softer side of his rocker image. It’s a contradiction, but it works, and I believe that is one of the biggest reasons he’s acquired the fans that he has. He’s not worried about how others view him. He seems more worried with how he views himself and how true to himself he stays. From the very beginning he’s shown that he’s not a lightweight. He’s shown he has the capacity for recognizing who he is and what he’s good at. He’s worked extremely hard every week to be the best he can and if he receives less then stellar reviews, he sees the judges’ point of view.

David, you are doing something right buddy. We know it. You know it. I think America is going to see it tomorrow night. As I said earlier, even if you don’t win tomorrow, we are all so very proud of you and all that you’ve accomplished. No matter what, you’ve got an extremely successful career ahead of you. But it is time Idol lets a real rocker win this thing? Are you it? I do believe so. Good luck tomorrow night and keep your head held high. You did a great job.

What better way to give all of you a glimpse into me then by sharing a piece on my favorite contestant on American Idol this year, David Cook. Last Thursday I sat down and began writing and this is what I came up with. I hope you like it.

Here we are less then a week away from the American Idol Season 7 finale. The contenders for the title of this year’s American Idol are David Archuleta, the sweet, endearing 17-year-old, and David Cook, the rocker who can take any song and make it his own. Throughout the past few months Cook has acquired a very loyal fan base who has stuck by him throughout it all, not that it’s been hard to. He’s been one of the most consistent performers on the show this season. Even when faced with negative feedback from the judges he stood tall and took in what they said in order to improve himself for the next week’s performance. He has, week after week, chosen songs that may seem odd at first, but from the moment he starts singing you can honestly visualize it being a hit single. Not everyone has that capability. He epitomizes what a true artist or performer is all about. The ones that are truly talented can reach inside those listening to them and evoke such powerful emotions that their talent is imprinted on the listeners mind and they aren’t soon forgotten. Cook has done just that. He has left an indelible mark on each of us.

With the amount of attention and praise Cook has received, he was bound to receive some criticism as well. Some feel that Cook is arrogant and self-indulgent. I say bull. If being confident, self-assured, ambitious, tenacious, dedicated and thoughtful makes you arrogant, then I must be guilty of it too. I have a dream. I know what I’m capable of and what I’m good at. I’ve been trying to do what I can to see it realized. But I guess those of us cut from the same mold are wrong for believing in ourselves and putting all we can into our dreams. Well, at least we are in good company.
Throughout the history of Idol there has only been one other performer that I felt the need to write about — to show another side of — because there were preconceived notions out there about him. That man was Ace Young. Like Cook, he faced much criticism. Like Cook, he was also considered arrogant. I knew this to be untrue and set out to show as many people as possible that there was a side of him that people had yet to see. I wasn’t alone in my quest. Because of the chance I took to defend him and his character, I faced ridicule. I was chastised on air by my local radio station. I was told I had too much time on my hands. I was told that Ace would never put out an album. I stuck to my guns though and kept believing in him. If you are a fan of Ace, then you know by now his long-awaited album will be hitting the store shelves very soon. So to all those people that said he wouldn’t make it, I guess you were wrong.

During that time I really got to know Ace in a variety of ways and for a short time was a member of Highrollers With Heart, a group started by his fans to support Denver’s Children’s Hospital. I even had the chance to meet Ace during the Idol’s tour. He was very sweet and took time to speak to each person in line, whether they were fans or not. While other Idols ducked out the door with their heads covered, or turned the other way, Young took the chance to thank each person for their support. That spoke volumes, at least to me, about his character. I have yet to meet Cook. I hope to some day, but I truly believe if he were put in the same situation he would conduct himself in the same manner that Young did. I could be wrong, but I don’t think so.

Another thing that has really set Cook apart from the rest of the pack this year, along with contestants from the past seasons, is the fact that he did not use things that were going on in his personal life to push him further in the competition. When Ryan Seacrest tried on live television to get an answer out of Cook, about what was going on, Cook answered it with dignity and grace and without revealing things he shouldn’t have to. His personal life is his personal life. Unlike prior contestants on the show, he has made it to the finale entirely on his own merit. He could have easily told everyone watching what was going on, but he didn’t, and for that I applaud him. He has shown his strength of character and how admirable he really is.

I truly believe Cook has a bright future ahead of him. The amount of talent that man possesses is amazing. There’s no doubt that he is versatile and can sing anything. He’s proven that by the song choices he has made throughout the competition. My personal favorite of the season was “The Music of the Night.” I’m a huge fan of Phantom of the Opera. I’m a huge fan of Gerard Butler as the Phantom. However, when it comes down to who comes the closest to the original, and induces the most spine-tingling effects in me, Cook takes it hands down. It is a truly sensual song and he captured that the night of his performance. If you downloaded the single from iTunes you may have noticed it even more. I, for one, would love to see him perform that entire musical.

For most of this competition, I’ve been watching Idol for personal and work related reasons. Personally, I love the show and I’m a huge fan of David Cook. Work wise, I had to write about the show each time that it aired. Because of that, I was able to watch him grow and develop his craft even more. He was fantastic before the competition and now, he’s even better. I’m honored and privileged to have been a part of this from the beginning. My gut tells me that he will win the competition and go on to be a success in everything that he does.

Before I wrap this up my message to David is this:

Don’t ever let anyone comprise what you believe in. The person that your fans have gotten to know, is one that people have grown to love. Stick to your guns and don’t ever be afraid to challenge yourself. You are capable of many great things. You have your whole life ahead of you, use it wisely. And thank you for sharing your talent and love of music with the rest of us. It has been an amazing ride and it’s only just beginning. I can’t wait to see what else you have in store for us. Oh, and one other thing, you aren’t a combination of Bo Bice and Chris Daughtry. You are so much more.

For those of you that have found your way to this blog and have chosen to read it, I thank you. Writing is a passion of mine and now I’m able to share it with all of you. I won’t say I’m the best writer out there. I won’t say I don’t make mistakes. I do, but I’m constantly striving to make myself a better writer.

I look forward to hearing from each one of you.