EXCLUSIVE! Blake Lewis Was Ready For You To Be Crowned The New ‘American Idol’ Last Night, Crystal Bowersox!

Crystal’s performance during Inspirational Week was so touching that it even gave Blake goosebumps!

Hot damn you’re good, Crystal Bowersox. SO good, in fact, that HollywoodLife.com’s own personal Idol judge, Blake Lewis, was ready to name you the newest ‘American Idol’ after watching you perform Curtis Mayfield’s “People Get Ready” April 20 during Inspirational Week. “I got goosebumps,” the 28-year-old Season 6 runner-up tells us. “With a performance like that, I was just waiting for [Ryan] Seacrest to come up and say: ‘THIS is your American Idol.’”

Who else did our judge dig last night? Take it away, Blake!

Highlight 1: ‘Idol Gives Back’ has to be one of my favorite shows out of all the episodes each season of American Idol. Alicia Keys was the guest mentor last night, and they picked the right person for it! She is incredibly talented and such a passionate performer. Her notes for each of the contestants were spot on; I just wished they showed more of her.

Highlight 2: Casey James opened the night with “Don’t Stop” by Fleetwood Mac, and it was a great way to start the show. He does really well with these bluesy types of songs. Now all he has to do is work the stage. I suggest he get one of those headset mics, like Garth Brooks used to wear. I think it could help with his performances each week.

Highlight 3: Michael Lynche took a risk by singing Nickelback’s “Hero” and he did a great job with it. He’s a pro, and keeps showing us every week why he is on this show.

Highlight 4: Crystal Bowersox can do no wrong, and tonight was proof of that. She sang “People Get Ready” solo, without her guitar. By the time her epic ending was finished, she was in tears. Randy stood up for a “standing O” and I got some goose bumps. It’s the first time this year that any contestant’s performance has done that to me. With a performance like that, I was just waiting for Seacrest to come up and say: “This is your American Idol.”

Lowlight: Tim Urban. Ellen said, “You’re like the soup of the day: sometimes I like it, sometimes I don’t. Tonight, I didn’t like the soup.” I laughed.