Like any competition, there will be only one winner of Canadian Idol. Wednesday night will determine the fate of two young Canadian singers. Chosen out of thousands by the four judges and Canada, Melissa O’Neil and Rex Goudie have come so far in the past few months. They are ordinary people but this Tuesday they were given the opportunity of a lifetime. Rex and Melissa sang with passion, emotion, and conviction. They both gave fantastic performances, even under the pressure of knowing all of Canada was watching.

After a few videos commemorating the journeys of Melissa and Rex on Canadian Idol, last year’s runner-up Theresa Sokyrka performed her song “Turn My Back.” Theresa was then presented with a gold award for her record sales across Canada. Special guests Debra Byrd, Sass Jordan, Kalan Porter, and the Barenaked Ladies will perform tomorrow night!

Melissa was first to sing, as determined by a coin toss. Her first song was the judges’ pick- “Angel of the Morning.” Although this song itself is rather dull, Melissa sang it with energy and emotion. She sounded good technically and the judges loved her performance. Farley said, “That was really well done.” Sass told Melissa she had “just the right touch of maturity and vulnerability?”

Next, Rex sang the Idol single “Alive.” Idol singles tend to be very cheesy so it was surprising to hear this year’s tune. Rex’s interpretation of the song was absolutely fabulous. He was so honest in this performance and his rock style embellished the song perfectly. Jake gushed, “By far, without a doubt, your best performance on this show.” Zack took it one step further, telling Rex, “If someone in this county isn’t smart enough to give you a record deal, you give me a call anytime, any day.”

Melissa’s choice for the night was “A Broken Wing.” While Melissa sang well as usual, her song choice was dull. She consistently chooses very similar songs and while she perfects them, she seems to lack dimension. Melissa is without an edge, which may very well be her downfall in this competition. Sass said, “It was absolutely beautiful,” while Jake told Melissa, “For me personally, it was a bit boring.”

“Bulletproof” was Rex’s choice this Tuesday night. Rex was smooth and rhythmic in this one. His tone was great and he was very involved in the song. Zack said, “You are exactly who you are and you’ve never made any bones about it.” Farley agreed, adding, “There is a sense of maturity about you.”

The Idol single was next for Melissa. She sang with conviction and charisma. However, I found her interpretation significantly weaker than that of Rex. She seems to understand the songs that she sings and she is able to emote that understanding, but she is unable to immerse herself in the music and discover it for herself. The judges loved the performance regardless. Farley told Melissa, “Overall, it was a really strong performance.” Zack spoke candidly, saying, “Thursday morning it’s going to say: ‘The King’s Dead, Long Live the Queen.”

Last but most definitely not least, Rex sang the judges’ pick “Superman.” Rex stepped up in this song. Although the tempo was a little fast, Rex pulled off the ballad with grace and unbelievable stage presence. Farley told Rex, “You’ve really risen to the occasion.” Zack was emotional, saying, “I love you truly and I appreciate how you sang that.”

It is impossible to be certain who will become Canada’s Idol this week. I think Rex will win because Melissa’s song choice limited her appeal to undecided Canadians.

Wednesday night will be pivotal as Canadian Idol will come to an end and one more person will join the Idol royalty. Tune in the watch the competition unfold and see who will be this year’s Canadian Idol!






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