'Idol' Insider: Showdown
Tuesday night's singing feud between Fantasia Barrino and Diana DeGarmo will seal the deal for one of these "American Idol" hopefuls. And while all of America has their favorite, the two finalists already consider themselves winners.
"If I'm being honest with you," Diana told us, "I will feel happy if Fantasia wins because she, to me, is the 'American Idol.'"
Judge Randy Jackson certainly agreed. "Fantasia does it for me, man," he told us. The "nice" judge, Paula Abdul, added, "She was a dead ringer for us from the beginning. You can't put a price tag on someone who has a distinct voice that you already can recognize."
And although Simon Cowell was proven wrong a few weeks ago when La Toya London got voted off just a day after he declared her the best singer in the competition, he was right about some things: "We knew it was going to be a girls' competition this year, so as usual everything I've said is right."
But nothing is set in stone, and Tuesday night is bound to be a captivating night of young talent. "These two are so different," Randy told us. "It will definitely be interesting to see how the public votes."
"Both of these girls have nearly been kicked out of the competition," Cowell noted. "Up until last week I would have given Diana the edge, but Fantasia was so good last week that maybe she's slightly in the lead at the moment. But there are a lot of people who have been in pageants and we know who they'll be voting for."
Diana and Fantasia have both recorded the single "I Believe," co-written by Season One alum, Tamyra Gray, and the winner will release the single on Thursday. Gray, who admitted, "I'm really pulling for Fantasia," told us, "They've both sung the song in a completely different style. When I was in the studio listening to the finished versions, I was just like, 'Wow!'"
The battle of the divas begins at 8 p.m. Tuesday night on FOX. And after the show, fans will get four, instead of two hours, to cast their votes by phone.
And be sure to catch "Extra" tomorrow for more exclusive
"Idol" coverage as we ride with each of the divas
as they arrive at "Idol" Central for the big night. |
