haha... that's because the finale is to "showcase the contestants" - please, folks, it is all about the stars, the only reason they appear is for their self promotion and I hope Adam is no different. I really DO NOT WANT ST. ADAM on the finale ...
Idolator is just picking up what Shirley Halperin reported on May 6. No one from Idol has confirmed this -- it was a leak and may not be accurate. All we know is Adam is doing a duet.
Of course artists perform for self-promotion. But there are three types of performances on the Idol finale.
1. The group + Star performances so that all the finalists can perform on the show. (usually boy + star, girls + star)
2. Solo performances by big stars -- sometimes an old hit, sometimes promoting a new single. The Mariah and Keith performances tonight will not involve finalists.
3. Top finalists solo or duet performances -- designed to promote the finalist. For the past 4 years (as far as I looked) no star has done a duet of a new song or an album track for the duet. The songs are either old hits by the star or covers of hits. And all of these performances were about the Finalist.
Here are the duets for the past 3 years -- none are promotions for the "star".
Here is the recent history of duets and the release dates of the singles if released by the Star:
AI11
Jordin Sparks & Hollie Cavanagh "You'll Never Walk Alone" (cover)
Jennifer Holliday & Jessica Sanchez "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going" (1982)
John Fogerty & Phillip Phillips "Have You Ever Seen the Rain?" (1971)/ "Bad Moon Rising" (1969)
Fantasia Barrino & Joshua Ledet "Take Me to the Pilot" (cover)
Reba McEntire & Skylar Laine "Turn On the Radio" (2010)
AI10
Judas Priest & James Durbin Medley: "Living After Midnight" (1980) /"Breaking the Law" (1980)
Jacob Lusk, Gladys Knight & Kirk Franklin "I Smile" (cover)
Jack Black & Casey Abrams "Fat Bottomed Girls" (cover)
Tony Bennett & Haley Reinhart "Steppin' Out with My Baby" (1948, T. Bennett version 1993)
Tim McGraw & Scotty McCreery "Live Like You Were Dying" (2004)
Carrie Underwood & Lauren Alaina "Before He Cheats" (2006)
AI9
Siobhan Magnus and Aaron Kelly feat. Barry Gibb and Robin Gibb: "How Deep Is Your Love" by Bee Gees (1977)
Michael Lynche feat. Michael McDonald: "Takin' It to the Streets" by The Doobie Brothers (1975)
Crystal Bowersox feat. Alanis Morissette: "Ironic" (1996)/ "You Oughta Know" (1996)
Casey James feat. Bret Michaels: "Every Rose Has Its Thorn" by Poison (1988)
Lee
DeWyze feat. Chicago: "Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?"
(1970), "If You Leave Me Now" (1976) and "25 or 6 to 4" (1970) by
Chicago
Lee DeWyze and Crystal Bowersox feat. Joe Cocker: "With a
Little Help from My Friends" (1967/ J. Cocker single 1968) by The
Beatles
With one exception, they are hit songs singles by someone. The exception:
"I Smile" which was a Gospel hit and is frequently covered by Gospel
artists.
There are no laws that say Idol cannot do something new, but that would be unusual on the finale and for these producers. They have a formula they follow for most things.