Image Credit: Frank Micelotta/FOX/PictureGroup
Now that we’ve debated which contestants have been the strongest final two in American Idol history, it’s time to watch the youngest-ever Last Teens Standing — Lauren Alaina and Scott McCreery — fling themselves at the feet of the three Fates… and then gossip about ‘em!
Chat here about American Idol‘s performance show, then come back later for EW.com’s full recap and a detailed on-the-scene report from Adam B. Vary. (Note: The incredible, edible Kate Ward is stepping in to write tonight’s performance recap because that pesky Dancing With the Stars finale airs simultaneously, but I’ll be back to write tomorrow night’s Idol finale recap.)
This. Is the homestretch. And THIS! Is Entertainment Weekly.
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why is seacrest in a tux?
It is obvious that Scotty is going to win. Lauren is too close minded. Tomorrow wont be a surprise.
Now there is stuff online about Lauren having laryngitis. Lauren is full of crap. Did she eat something on purpose to get sick so that she gets sympathy votes.
an un-disclosed source from inside Idol today released that teen heart throb Scotty has had only eyes for one person and has been romantically involved with Jacob Lusk since moving into the Idol Mansion a couple months ago
lol, ozzman
I don’t believe that crap. Good try though ozzman.
Is Lauren-Miley Cyrus going to beat Scotty-the young little version of Johnny Cash?? I hope Lauren doesn’t win.
Not even Stevie Wonder could fall for Jacob. LOL
I wasnt a big fan of either of these 2 but went into the night thinking Scotty would take it easily, and he still might. But producers obviously want a girl winner and pushed that REAL HARD! And I must admit, for me, Lauren had the better performance night…but thats based on songchoices. Scotty won round 1 easily..I think Lauren won round 2 and 3. Her ‘single’ song was much much better than his (even though it is on Kristy Lee Cooks album!) and she had the emotinoal moment with her mom. Little girls will vote for her and parents will do becasue of that…Also Scotty shouldnt have let her go last. I still want him to win but I think its now gonna be alot closer than it woulda been and Lauren stands a good chance for the upset (although I wouldnt have picked her top5 while Scotty was highlighted incommericals before season ever began!!! remember?))…. Also luckily I wasnt on the internet before the show started; w ho knew that they actually considered replacing Lauren with Haley cuz they thought she wouldnt be able to sing. Thats some doctor
I’m surprised that they didn’t put the sickness mouth mask on Lauren again.
Hello. My best friend ,she just has announced her wedding with a millionaire man who is the CEO of a MNC !they met via ——Mix edPass ion.C óM—..it is the largest and best club for wealt’hy people and their admirers to ch’at on’line. …you don’t have to be rich there ,but you can meet one ,maybe you wanna check it out or tell your friends ……..
—–. Also luckily I wasnt on the internet before the show started; w ho knew that they actually considered replacing Lauren with Haley cuz they thought she wouldnt be able to sing. Thats some doctor
Everyone in the world already knows who is going to win…Scotty. Even Simon told New York Magazine that Scotty was the only memorable contestant when he watched one episode.
Please fire Jimmy Iovine. He likes Lauren too much. You bloggers shouldn’t blame Nigel for the problems. It’s Jimmy’s fault.
Lauren will NEVER make as much money as Taylor Swift, so just get over her Jimmy. Taylor is a good songwriter, that is why she is rich.
What I will watch on TV tonight: The awesome show The Voice is at 10:00.
My dream top 5–Haley, Casey, Scotty, Paul, James.
How is Lauren close-minded??
First they gave Haley a bad song…and now Scotty gets a bad song too. Jimmy and the judges suck.
News from earlier today: “We’re told Haley just finished rehearsing, and if she does compete tonight she’ll sing 3 songs ** “House of the Rising Sun,” “I Who Have Nothing” and “Bennie and the Jets.” ”
Can you imagine a finale of HOTRS, I Who Have Nothing and Bennie and the Jets! OMG! The place would’ve rocked! That would’ve such an insanely EPIC finale holy smokes! My God.
As it was I didn’t watch.
COntry isn’t my thing and I can’t reward them for having their machinations just finally gone too far this season, they are gonna put the shown on road to ruin and have it lose all credibility. Ironically they thought they had a plan to save it and be pushing it so hard they killed the beautiful story that was forming right before their eyes that really may have brought back Idol in a big way.
superstars -”My dream top 5–Haley, Casey, Scotty, Paul, James.”
Mine too. My order would be different, and I would expand to add Naima in 6th place because she was darn entertaining.
Favorites were, in order:
1. Haley
2. James
3. Scotty
3. Casey
(tie)
5. Paul
6. Naima
scotty deserves the win, he earned it for her performances and character all season. The show was biased toward Lauren tonight and gave him a somewhat silly song to sing — but hopefully, all will align properly and he will get the win he deserves — with no manipulation!!
SCOTTY !!!
Lady Gaga
Kah Kah Kah
Didn’t watch.
and geez…they are STILL dressing Lauren like she’s on an episode of Dynasty.
Haha!
She has the right to say no. I’ve talked to the shows workers. They only make suggestions for the contestants
The contestants pick their outfits. Notice how the other girl contestants dressed a billion times better than Lauren. She picks her outfits.
She-crest should have shared the disney princess dresses with lauren tee-hee!!
She has the right to say no. I’ve talked to the shows workers. They only make suggestions for the contestants.
Do you always believe everything you are told by total strangers?
@Rachel, the stylists pick the contestants clothing. They may give them a choice of a couple of outfits, but they have to choose from what the stylists pick.
Even Melinda Dolittle said the same thing – the staff makes suggestions but the contestants have complete control over what they wear. Sorry, but Lauren just has REALLY bad taste (as the clothes in her audition proved).
Paul McDonald said earlier this season that NO, the contestants do Not have to wear what the stylist Suggest for them.
Last year, Siobhan was the one that drove the stylist crazy. Models body – rarely wanted to exploit her looks. Dressed herself 80% of the time – her own style choices to success and occasional trainwreck.
When she let the stylist dress her or had to get glammed up in the same outfit in a group number, she looked very hot.
But while Siobhan “proved” that the stylist and producers cannot force outfits and looks on someone save group numbers…she might have been better off with using the stylists more. Jury’s still out on the whacky but fun stuff Magnus did.
Certainly the stylists have done huge, wonderful makeovers that augment a contestants appeal, even success odds.
Clay Aiken was the oddball gay fashion disaster.By the end, he was slick stuff.
Jordin Sparks and Carrie Underwood had amazing makeovers.
Crystal Bowersox and Allison Iraheta looked like they crawled out of skid row dumpsters with barely reeking new castoff rags to wear.
By the end, both “ladies” were prsentable looking.
Still…worst styling evah??
Easy. Sanjaya.
Yeah, guys… it’s obvious Lauren chooses her own clothes. Does *nobody* remember ‘Boysenberry Square Dance Barbie’ when she was told she would be in the top 24? That was all her. In fact, she said it was made for her. I can just imagine the subtle ‘suggestions’ the show’s costumers have probably tried to give to her…”Are you sure you don’t want to go with something a tad less….ummm…sparkly? Maybe something *without* a petticoat?”
She looks like a mandrell sister circa 1985.
Well at least she’s moved up from the Lennon Sisters circa 1960!
ha!
Perfect description…
She looks like an older living John Bennett Ramsey. It creeps me out how they dress them up.
She looks like she’s going to appear in a kiddie pageant with her cupcake dress.
That’s EXACTLY what I said to my husband. I thought she looked like a teenage version of a Toddlers & Tiaras contestant.
Tragic.
And the creepy thing about that is Steven saying she looks pretty.
Yeah, the tutu was a bit much!
Scr*w you jHO. Tomorrow I’ll watch, but not tonight.
Why tomorrow and not tonight?
Because I always watch the results show finale for the celebrities and the top 12. Not watching tonight because of the judges. I will read blogs to see how Scotty did and there is youtube. I hope Scotty wins.
Message to J-No: Those who can’t do, judge; those who can’t judge, judge American Idol.
I dislike Lauren’s hair, but she looks like a star. Scotty looks like a dude off the street.
Lauren is going to age BAAAAADDDDDDLLLLLLYYYYYYYY. You could fund a third world country with the equivalent cash of the amount of make-up they slather on her each show.
That actually was not too bad by Scotty
He is not my cup of tea, but he did good.
Scotty Scotty Scotty!
great Scott!
Yes, Scott, the best picker-upper!
Sorry, folks, I’m a bit punchy!
Scotty DESERVES to win.
Scotty EARNED the win.
Scotty INSPIRES me, a baby boomer, and my senior mother.
And yes, I voted for 4 hours, something I have only done 1 other year. Scotty is an amazing young man, it would be an honor to have him as a son. He went through this season with no fanfare, no manipulations or mishaps. The show was biased toward Lauren tonight because all the sudden they decide they might like a girl to win. So they TRY to throw Scotty under the bus with “Love you This Big”. Well, perhaps it can be a hit all around the grade schools and parents can sing it to their children. Scotty did very well with it – but JIMMY, you should be fired. You are messing with the careers of these young people when you throw them these songs, and to give Lauren that sappy moment with her mom? So contrived, so contrived. And the drama at the beginning about her voice. I’m a singer, so I understand, but it’s not like it was the end of the word, so they try for the sympathy vote, the Carrie Underwood vote and the emotional vote with the song at the end. All the more reason Scotty should win because of the crap he had to put up with tonight.
And he took it like a man. A man WHO SHOULD BE CALLED OUR NEXT IDOL.
Amen!
Why was the band following him?? whatevs!
I think scotty is going to win tonight and he is so cute.
Hidden Gem: Idol borrowed the DWTS staircase. I know ….wrong show, but I couldn’t resist.
So what network programming genius decided to air the performance show on Wednesday all season long and then move it up a day for the finale?
Because May sweeps end tomorrow and they want to get the numbers.
I know, a lot people won’t remember it is today and miss it!
May sweeps ratings month ends Wednesday…that’s why
They wanted to put the Glee season finale up against the first hour of the Dancing finale. They also wanted to have their So You Think You Can Dance season premiere Thursday night.
missed it what did he sing?
round one was the contestant’s fave from the season….Scotty did “Gone”
I have nothing against Lauren’s singing, but her hair and makeup has been straight out of Toddlers and tiaras all season. Shes a pretty girl , why bury her under all the hair and cake?
No clue. She looks much nicer with straight hair and less makeup.
It figures Lauren has to have something wrong to boohoo about. Dam this finale sucks.zzzzzzzzz can’t wait til tomorrow for the real talent
Yeah they started the symphony violins early didn’t they .
I agree – why is it that Lauren always feels the need to have a backup excuse in case she doesn’t sing well? First she had a cold and made a big production about wearing a face mask and losing her voice, then she vocally worried about not getting votes because of the terrible tornado hit the south states, now she’s recycling the sick thing again. Can’t she just go up there and sing like the other contestants do? It’s almost like she’s trying to pre-emptively excuse any weaknesses in her singing by blaming external factors or trying to gain sympathy votes.
Actually Lauren said she was fine and didn’t want to discuss the voice, Ryan is the one who pushed the issue. She looked embarrased that he brought it up.
she didnt whine or excuse anything. Ryan mentioned it and she said she was fine and was singing. Idol made a big deal out of it because they want her to win, as they should.
what do you mean ‘as they should’? Scotty is just as competent a singer as Lauren is plus he is more professional, self-assured and humble. If you mean that AI “should” want Lauren to win because she’s a female and they want to break the running male winners streak then please shelve your sexist views.
rightttt… just like how she was all embarrassed when the producers gave her that little pantyhose incident last week to play on right after Haley fell down. And like how Lauren was so embarrassed and fake-self-deprecating the first time she sat on the stools with Ryan and went on and on about how she’s sick but oh don’t worry about me, i’m fine. She (and the AI producers) are so blatantly manipulative it’s actually replusive.
To Anon: Yes, of course she would look embarrassed… even a naive, not-too-bright 16-year-old can see when she’s being pimped.
tmz.com reporting that lauren not performing due to laryngitis? I am in the west coast….
Shes performing. It’s a little rough, but she sang.
I see. Hmmm…
Whaa? Then what is she going to do, lip synch?
Bring back Haley!!
^This! Yes!
AMEN. WHERE THE HELL IS HALEY, AND WHY AMERICAN IDOL TURN INTO COUNTRY-BEAR JAMBOREE?
I heard that too. They said they had Haley in wardrobe “just in case.” I think it’s probably just a ratings ploy. Not watching tonight…will watch tomorrow.
Haha. In “wardrobe”?! What is this, Narnia? Get that girl out here!
It’s just gossip and nothing more.
Awww. Ryan’s to blame, I’m sure.
I think Scotty did great. I hope Lauren will too in spite of her strained vocal cord. What bad luck!
I must have missed that announcement, but I definitely noticed Lauren’s voice was a little rough.
Lauren blew out one of her vocal cords in rehearsal. She is on plenty of medicine but will sing. She did great. Some rough on some of the big notes but she did well. Scotty did well. But I like Lauren better just because of her sound!
haha Stacey is full of sh*t.
How would you know that she blew out one of her vocal cords?? Sounds like BS to me.
Blew out one of her vocal cords? Doctors would not allow her to sing or speak if one of her vocal cords ruptured.
I and Mags – it was on the show. They said what happened on the show. Maybe you should watch the show before you come on here and make stupid comments.
I KNOW they said it on the show. I just don’t believe it. She may have had a sore throat or even a bit of laryngitis, but if she ruptured her vocal chords there’s no way any doctor would let her sing. And there’s no way she would have been able to sing. It was just hype to invent some drama.
Why didn’t they talk to the judges? If they aren’t going to comment, what purpose do they serve other then sitting in people’s way?
They want to make sure the contestants get to sing all three songs without hearing that they both sang “beautiful”, are “In it to win it” and gave JLo “goosebumps”
Lol….good point!
They haven’t served much of a purpose all season.
how come the judges are not judging?
why start now
Word.
lol. This.
My feeling exactly! Waste of time.
Probably making it look like a concert. Or having the judges wait until later…to comment because really in the finale. Judging is useless because people will vote for who they want…
They’ve judged this song before this season.
Why would you question the best decision Nigel has made all season?