Nick Fradiani : "American Idol" 2015

 Nick Fradiani : "American Idol" 2015

The steady singer won the race.
Earnest Connecticut rocker Nick Fradiani was crowned "American Idol" 2015 winner Wednesday night, besting Tennessee soul singer and season-long frontrunner Clark Beckham for the season 14 trophy.

Fradiani is the ninth male singer -- and seventh in the past eight seasons -- to prevail on the program, and the first-ever northeastern contestant to win.
Upon the announcement, the 29-year-old bar frontman stood dumbfounded before he was mobbed by his fellow contestants.

"I can't even think right now," Fradiani said. "This is the best day of my life."
He began to cry while singing his single "Beautiful Life" and ran over to hug his family as confetti rained down.

The consistent singer's victory is a triumph for underdogs everywhere, considering Fradiani was not viewed as a legitimate contender until a month ago. Beckham and Jersey girl Jax each seemed destined for the finale while Fradiani hung near the middle of field.
He struggled with his stage presence early on, and exhibited some poor song choices in Kenny Loggins' "Danger Zone" and Avicii's "Wake Me Up." But around the Top 6, a switch seemed to flip in Fradiani's mind and he began to turn in strong, textured rock performances week after week.

He hit highs with Tom Petty's "American Girl" and "Because The Night" by Bruce Springsteen, and in Tuesday's finale, the judges raved over his renditions of Matchbox Twenty's "Bright Lights" and Jason Mraz's "I Won't Give Up." And his coronation song/new single "Beautiful Life" was much stronger than Beckham's "Champion." But that was more luck than skill, considering the song was written for him.

All in all, Fradiani's "Idol" journey mimicked season 8 winner Kris Allen, who also peaked at just the right time, and gained enough fans late to overcome a superior singer in Adam Lambert.

Fradiani's newfound followers earned him a recording contract with Big Machine Records, the Nashville label that manages pop deity Taylor Swift and country trio Rascal Flatts. Time will tell if "Beautiful Life" gains any traction on mainstream radio, as season 11 winner Phillip Phillips's "Home" did in 2012.

New Jersey fans can see Fradiani and the rest of the season's Top 5 finishers this summer on the "American Idol" Live! tour, which stops at Mayo Performing Arts Center in Morristown July 22, Caesar's in Atlantic City Aug. 1 and Count Basie Theatre in Red Bank Aug. 2.

NOTES AND MUSINGS

- Well, that's all, folks. Another season of "American Idol" is in the books, and for the first time since Lee DeWyze in season 9, a true underdog won. Clark was the favorite throughout for good reason -- no one had the instrumental and melodic control he possessed. But Nick just picked the right time to win the voters over.

- Comparisons like these are always a little apples-oranges, but in the grand scheme or "Idol" lore, Nick will likely rank near the bottom in terms of sheer vocal ability. Overall, this may have been the weakest "Idol" vocal season to date.

- Too bad for Clark. One would have to imagine that terrible song "Champion" he was forced to sing hurt his chances. Based solely on vocal talent, he probably should have won. And as someone who predicted Clark to win, I fall on my sword.

Cr.New Jersey