'American Idol': Who won the last round?

American Idol may have a fraction of the ratings it did just a couple of seasons ago, but it sure left viewers with a cliffhanger Wednesday.

After three performances each from Candice Glover and Kree Harrison, no obvious winner emerged. Both singers gave strong performances across the board, and both ended with their best.

Each singer performed a song picked by the show's creator, Simon Fuller, then sang what would be their coronation single should they be named the Season 12 winner Thursday. Finally, they picked their favorite song from the season and reprised it.

Judge Randy Jackson, making his last observations since he's leaving the show after 12 seasons, gave the edge to Glover in the first round, praising her for bringing new elements to Adele's Chasing Pavements. However, Mariah Carey praised the delicate beauty of Harrison's rendition of Sarah McLachlan's Angel.

Either Harrison's All Cried Out, a country weeper with a big chorus, or Glover's I Am Beautiful, an inspirational declaration of self-worth, would rank among the better coronation songs Idol has given its contestants (not that that's saying much). Glover had the better performance, but Harrison's may be the more commercial song.

Finally, Harrison returned to one of her earliest numbers, performing Patty Griffin's Up to the Mountain, the same song Crystal Bowersox sang as her potential winning single in Season 9. Glover sang Ben E. King's I (Who Have Nothing), which she also performed during top 10 week. Both singers bettered their original takes, leaving Jackson to declare each of them winning-level performances.

Ultimately, this year's winner may be chosen not on the quality of their performances but by the demographic makeup of the viewing audience. With the numbers Idol has put up this season, that makes a prediction for Thursday nearly impossible.