‘American Idol XIII’: Hear Jena Irene, Caleb Johnson’s prospective winners’ singles

On Wednesday night, Caleb Johnson and Jena Irene are going to perform their winners’ singles for the first time on “American Idol” … and then hope that some people out there actually like them. Overall, the history of these songs is not good. Most of them come across as a pile of cheese, and are forgotten about weeks after they are recorded. Phillip Phillips’ “Home” and Kelly Clarkson’s “A Moment Like This” are the only real exceptions, and we’re pretty sure that Kelly’s would be extremely cheesy if it was released today.

Luckily, both of these two finalists were actually given songs that are actually decent. Both are upbeat for a change rather that drippy, and there is a hook to each one of them. With all of that being said, one of them is still better than the other.

Who has the edge? To us, it’s clear that Jena’s “We Are One” beats Caleb’s “As Long As You Love Me,” mostly because it feels far more modern and could get some play on pop radio. Also, it feels almost like nobody else could sing the song. Given that Caleb’s song has been around for a while, though, and has even been a coronation song on a South African version of the show, it’s better than we expected. He has an excellent voice, but it’s not something that really caters well to the modern music market. Anytime that he can get something out there that at least has some crossover appeal will be a victory for him.

Check out the audio to each one of the songs below, and let us know now which one you think is the strongest of the season. Also, click here to find out more about what Alex Preston’s winners’ single would have been, or here to get some further TV updates now via our CarterMatt Newsletter.

Photo: Fox