With the coveted Canadian Idol crown only a few songs away, remaining hopefuls Melissa O'Neil and Rex Goudie went head-to-head for the top prize on Tuesday night's final performance show.

The live 90-minute singing slugfest featured three songs from each competitor: a personally chosen tune, a judges' pick and the eventual winner's debut single, "Alive".

Determined to duke it out to the very end, the Idols went note-for-note to prove their musical mettle. But after three bouts, the contenders seemed locked in a dead-heat.

The battle of the sexes kicked off with 17-year-old O'Neil's emotion-filled delivery of Juice Newton's "Angel of the Morning." The song, chosen by the judges for its melancholy vibe, seemed to fit O'Neil's evocative style.

"It's just the right touch of vulnerability and maturity. It was absolutely beautiful," said Sass Jordan who also praised the teen for her command of the song's varying pitch.

"When you perform live you're going to have to have big screens all over the stadiums so people can see your eyes and your face. That was really well done," Farley Flex said.

Zack Werner, meanwhile, added some theatrics and pretended to cry into his tissue. "That was really nice," he said.

However, Goudie proved no easy foe. His test run of the debut Canadian Idol single, "Alive," shattered some of the judges' previous expectations and garnered new accolades.

"By far, without a doubt, your best performance ever on this show," Jake Gold told the Burlington, N.L. resident.

Even Werner, who skewered Goudie last week for his "radical inability to sing," was forced to retract his words.

"If somebody in this country isn't smart enough to give you a record deal, my friend, you give me a call anytime, any day," the talent manager said.

Flex, on the other hand, marveled at Goudie's ability to express emotion. "You sang that song as if you wrote it yourself."

O'Neil then followed up with a slow-tempo song from Martina McBride, "A Broken Wing."

The Calgary native had had previous luck with McBride's other song, "Concrete Angel," which helped push the teen past the Top 32 into the Top 10.

The old stick-to-what-you-know approach appeared to work for O'Neil. Her nod to the country-pop star scored high with the judges. However, her song choice drew some concerns.

"I thought that was really good but it's not what you're going to be five years from now when you're selling multi-platinum all over the world," Werner said.

"For me, I thought it was a bit boring but technically, it was good singing," Gold said.

Jordan, however, appreciated O'Neil's "sexy, silky, sultry tones" in her delivery.

The same strategy also seemed to work for Goudie, who chose another Blue Rodeo song to solidify his chances at the Idol crown.

Singing "Bulletproof," the raspy-voiced rocker appeared to impress once again with his laidback demeanor.

"I loved the fact that you picked a Blue Rodeo song as your choice, because in the Top 32 that's what you did and it's one of my favourite moments," said Gold.

"You're one of the only guys who can wear a hat-head really well," he also ribbed Goudie, who went without his trademark white hat during his performance.

Flex, meanwhile, noted the maturity in the singer's persona, which he thought would broaden Goudie's fan base significantly from just the teenage female demographic.

With one final chance to reach out to voters, O'Neil delivered her version of the up-tempo Idol tune, "Alive."

"That's a hit song and you're a hit singer," Jordan said.

Both Gold and Flex, however, mixed minor criticism in their generally positive reviews of O'Neil's performance.

"I would've worked the stage more and things like that, but overall it was a strong performance,' Flex said.

Werner, on the other hand, seemed convinced enough to offer an early prediction.

"In year one we had a waiter boy. In year two we had a little prince," he said. "Thursday morning it's going to say, 'the king is dead, long live the queen'."

But with Goudie still waiting to give his last performance, Werner's suggested headline was still subject to revision.

Taking on Five for Fighting's hit song, "Superman," Goudie received rave reviews for his stirring rendition of the judges' choice.

"You've really risen to the occasion," Flex said. "That's the only mission you had tonight and you did it."

"It's not just about talent," Jordan added. "It's about heart. It's about soul and you've got it."

While Werner thanked Goudie for singing his household's beloved song, Gold had another reason to be grateful.

"Because of that performance, we look really good tonight," he said. "Good job."

Canadian Idol crowns its new champion in the two-hour season finale airing Wednesday, 8 p.m. ET on CTV.