A local songwriter could be behind the next “This is My Now.”

You may remember that piece of trifle from last year as one in a series of dismal “American Idol” finale songs. This season, as in last year, “American Idol” is reaching out to the public to pen the finale song in its online “American Idol Songwriter” competition.

The 20 songwriting finalists include St. Louis pair Lauren Dion, a singer/songwriter, and Phil Minardi, a keyboardist for the band Plastic, who wrote “All You Will Need.” Ewing, Il. man Mark Holman is a finalist for his song “Overcome.”

They’re competing against songs such as “You Believed in Me,” “You Can Do Anything,” “Dream Big” and “Here I Am” — songs with cornball titles instantly letting you in on the fact they’ll get under your skin for all the wrong reasons. At least “Overcome” and “All You Will Need” aren’t the worst of the lot, and to these ears even sound like potential winners.

Online voting ends April 23. Go to www.americanidol.com.