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Justin Guarini & Kelly Clarkson - "Timeless"

Okay, so I promise to cut out the American Idol stuff now (at least until season 3 is over), but this is a great song, perhaps the best to come out of the AI experience thus far.

It has the unfortunate distinction of being featured in the stinkbomb film From Justin To Kelly (which I saw in the theater...how many people can actually say that?!). Actually, I think its inclusion in the movie is one of the reasons I like it so much, but I'll get to that soon.

First off, I hated Justin on American Idol. I thought he was cheesy and pandered to the crowd. He seemed like that guy at work who will do whatever it takes to get in with the boss. He seemed shady. So I shed no tears when I heard recently that he was dropped from his label. But I won't deny that he has a good voice.

The song itself is a passionate dramatic love duet, the likes of which we haven't seen in ahwile. The art form flourished in the '70s and '80s, and continued through the Disney movie ballad trend in the early '90s, but since then has been neglected. Had the movie been a hit, this song might have single-handedly resurrected it. Both singers are in rare form, and their voices sound great together.

The lyrics are all about a timeless love, and not letting the moment slip away, holding tight, baby, not letting it fade out of sight, etc. In the movie, this song was performed at a crucial moment when Justin and Kelly were on a sailing date. While they sing, he's piloting the boat, and she's sitting on the bow with her back to him. I believe he was wearing some sort of sailor's cap at the time. It was priceless, let me assure you.

So when I hear the song, I picture that scene, and I can't help but smile. I don't know if that was the intention, but it works for me!

Album: Justin Guarini (2003)
Fave Moment: Justin sings with intense conviction: "Don't let it fade out of sight!" In the movie, his face twists up and looks almost menacing.

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