Kris Allen (right) reacts with surprise after beating rollicking vocal powerhouse Adam Lambert (left) for the "American Idol" title on Wednesday night in the United States. Allen's smooth vocals and boy-next-door image gave him the edge after nearly 100 million viewer votes were cast, turning the theatrical Lambert into the most unlikely of also-rans. [Mei Lian]

Kris Allen beamed with disbelief, shook his head and doubled over in shock.

The fact that he'd just beaten rollicking vocal powerhouse Adam Lambert for the "American Idol" title wasn't going to sink in quickly for the unassuming underdog from Arkansas.

"I'm sorry, I don't even know what to feel right now. This is crazy," said the 23-year-old from Conway, Arkansas, as he leaned on host Ryan Seacrest to keep from staggering.

Allen's smooth vocals and boy-next-door image gave him the edge after nearly 100 million viewer votes were cast, turning the theatrical Lambert into the most unlikely of also-rans.

When the season started, Allen seemed unsure he had a right to take center stage, let alone stand there and snatch victory from such a formidable rival.

During his "Idol" audition last summer, Allen, hands in his pockets and a newsboy cap pulled down around his eyes, was asked by the judges if he was the best singer around.

"You know, there's probably people who are better than me," was Allen's response, offered in the quiet, low-key spirit he retained despite his growing profile.

Conversely, Lambert's commanding vocal range and stage presence - and the judges' lavish adoration - at times turned "Idol" into "The Adam Lambert Show," with the other contestants mere guests. But it turned out that "Idol" viewers could embrace a gifted performer like Lambert, one who sported black nail polish and bold self-assurance, only to a point.

Judge Simon Cowell tipped his hat to both contestants.

"To both of you, and I don't normally mean this, I thought you were both brilliant ... the future's all yours," he said.

The comments from Cowell weren't necessarily empty platitudes. Past contestants can testify that losing the title doesn't mean you're a loser, nor does winning mean you're a shoo-in for superstardom.

Chris Daughtry and Jennifer Hudson, who finished fourth and seventh in their respective seasons, have gone on to huge success. As for "Idol" winners, they range from blockbuster artists like Carrie Underwood to the mostly under-the-radar Taylor Hicks.

Backstage, Lambert was asked about how his second-place finish would be interpreted online.

"The blogs have a lot of opinions, don't they?" he said, smiling and looking relaxed.

His own interpretation?

"I think Kris won because he's a great artist and I was happy to be runner-up to that," he said.

(Shanghai Daily May 22, 2009)