Will Beckham's Song Choice Cost Him the Title?

Is song choice the driving factor in getting votes on American Idol? The judges seem to think so. Front-runner Clark Beckham got a lot of heat for choosing Josh Turner's "Your Man" as his "gravy" song for his Top 4 performance. To be clear, a "gravy" song has nothing to do with Thanksgiving. It's an artist's "money" song — the song that will guarantee anyone and everyone will love them and all that they do. Beckham's choice of this song as his "gravy" song was definitely a risky choice, but one that he shouldn't regret. His performance was great and won't be the reason he is eliminated from this competition.

Beckham has impressed week after week. His performances are always strong, his vocals are clean, and he's certainly easy on the eyes. While he may not sing the typical Top 40 songs we're used to hearing on American Idol, he's always remained true to who he his as an artist — and that's why tonight's song choice shouldn't cost him the game. The judges and Scott Borchetta didn't think "Your Man" was powerful or emotional enough to be the "gravy" on his time here. But for Beckham the "gravy" wasn't a typical chart-topping emotional or powerhouse song. His "gravy" was more of a modern take on jazz that showcased everything he thinks is great about himself as a performer. While it may not have been the strongest song, he gave an incredibly solid performance and highlighted all the great aspects of his talent. If that's not "gravy," I don't know what is.

Will Beckham's "gravy" be enough to win over the voters? It should be. He's proven how strong of a performer he is and definitely has what it takes to earn the title of "American Idol." Everyone's definitely bringing it now that we've reached the final four, but they haven't been as consistent as Beckham has been this season. It really speaks to an artist's talent to be considered a front-runner week after week, and Beckham has definitely held that title for a while. One song choice should not cost Beckham the entire game, especially when it led to such an amazing performance as he had tonight.

Image: Michael Becker/FOX