American Idol 2011: Top 8 results show recap – A guy finally goes home

For the first time since the Top 13, a guy was sent home on “American Idol.” And unfortunately it was Paul McDonald, the only contestant with real charisma and a comforting stage presence. And for the record, I think James Durbin has good stage presence too, but it’s just a bit intense. Paul might not have been the absolute best singer, but his star power is undeniable. But the voters have spoken and lucky for Scotty McCreery, teen girls aren’t too into older guys (or females as we’ve learned the past six weeks).

The show opened with a duet between Lauren Alaina and Scotty, meaning they’re once again doing the duets and small group numbers instead of the painful large group number. I like the smaller groups so much better. Lauren and Scotty again sounded great together. I’m surprised they paired them together again though since “American Idol” does very little that makes sense.

Speaking of doing things that don’t make sense, they show us a detailed behind-the-scenes look at the Ford music video BEFORE they air the video, thus spoiling the zombie makeup surprise. Seriously, why does American Idol do things like that? Makes no sense.

Next up is a duet with Casey Abrams and Haley Reinhart. Another good pairing. And that coming from me means a lot because I’m so not a Casey fan. But it really worked. I mean it was sort of loung-singerish, but still entertaining. Good job, “Idol.”

So that gives us Casey, Haley, Lauren and Scotty together for the first round of results. Scotty is sent to safety first, of course. Then Lauren. Then Ryan tells Haley she’s back in the bottom 3 and that Casey is safe. Thanks once again judges for throwing someone under the bus who really didn’t deserve it. But anyway…

Next we get more dumb filler and a good performance from Kelly Clarkson and some guy in a cowboy hat (I got distracted because I don’t watch this show for filler, sorry).

Paul, James, Jacob Lusk and Stefano Langone are paired up to take on a medley from “The Graduate.” It was a pretty good performance. “The Sound of Silence” sounded awesome and it was nice to hear Paul sing “Mrs. Robinson” since that was the song I picked for him in my Tuesday blog. I’m surprised they got Jacob to sing “Mrs. Robinson” though. I thought he’d want no part in a song that hints at adultery with an older woman.

So out of the four of them, James is first sent to safety. Then Stefano is put into the Bottom 3. Then Paul joins him. Jacob is safe.

After Rihanna’s performance, we get the not-so-surprising news that Haley and Stefano are safe and Paul is going home. I felt last night that this would be the outcome. I’ll miss Paul and the fun he brought to the stage.

What were your thoughts on Thursday’s Idol show and results?

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811 Comments

  1. It's a shame Paul was voted off, I thought Stefano was actually going to go home this time.

    • No offense Jean, but I wanted Paul gone. I liked the classy way he took it, and enjoyed Maggie May. I think he might be a bit relieved to go because I don't think he would have enjoyed "a Stefano-like moment" after Pia was booted. That wouldn't have happened tonight, but had he been there with anyone other than Stefano or Jacob . . .

      • Funny, because I was thinking he looked a little relieved to be done too. I don't know enough about the show to say this with authority, but I think some of them don't care as much about winning it all. I think some just want to make the tour for the exposure, get their name out there, and then do their thing.

      • To say they didn't want to win would be wrong. Relieved wouldn't be a great word either. I would say accepting. Some people are just better at accepting their elimination than others and moving on. Doesn't mean that they didn't want to win.

      • I think Paul knew this was coming . . . and that his niche wouldn't be celebrated on this show. I think he was done with it, myself.

        I like him, too, and I really liked how Branden handled Paul's ousting in his piece.

      • i personally believe that Paul wanted to get out…His band is pretty good..I heard a few of his songs on youtube and i was quite frankly thrown off at how good it sounded… His band already has the talent and now he has the exposure…I personally think he'll be a great artists if he makes it.

      • Paul was on a TV show for comments and he (jokenly) said he might start a business for his suits LOL

    • While Paul wasn't my favorite, Stefano definitely should have been gone before him. I love how they keep making Stefano sweat it out until the very end…this was the third time.

      • But we don't know if Haley was the second to the last. The producers do change up the order of the bottom three to fool the viewers. I honestly don't think Stefano was second to last. He might have been third from the last.

      • I agree Solo. It just ststes bottom three. Does than mean there is a choice? If the judges get to opt for one from the bottom three, favorites would win out

    • I am a big idol fan except for this season. This season is a joke. First the judges stink. Second, the fact Scotty got past the auditions and is now in the finals says it all. An as for Jacob??? Oh my god, when he sings it makes me want to go number 2's, cos that what he looks like. Cant wait for this season to be over!!!

      • OK. That is the last comment I will read posted by Dan. You just put yourself in the skip that loser bin. There are better, and more PC ways to get your point across.

      • Dan don't you think that's a very callous remark to make n very politically incorrect??? I wonder how you walk around all day…. seeing as there re alot of Jacob look alikes all over this country of ours… Hope you get proper discount at ur pampers store!!!!

      • Hey Dan, I have great news. I called the show and they said you don't have to watch anymore – they're okay with it. And then you don't have to post here anymore, since you're not watching anyways. We'll miss ya Dan.

    • is is a shame man what wrong with america maybe i am done with the show he was the best for me i am fed up i cant believe

    • I agree I thought Paul was going to be in the bottom 3 because the song choice was more of a fun performance rather than a "here to win it performance" as J-Lo says BUT it really was either time for Stefano or Jacob to leave. In my opinion Paul & Haley still have a few more weeks in them…..oh well

    • I liked Paul and he seemed like a fun guy, but Stefano has been so maligned by the judges I was glad he didn't have to leave. He and Haley can do no right as far as Randy and JLo are concerned. Once recently Haley was praised but even when they start saying something nice about Stefano it ends up being a slam.

    • He could hold a note, you just didn't care for his style..I am sorry to see him go, I well miss his shine.

      • I liked his style. the "chicken dance" was unique. but he couldn't hit the notes. He was like having this sore throught for ever

    • billy, Alot of people said that about Rod Stewart as well, in the beginning. Coments like "big nose", "can't dance", "awkward on stage", but in the end he was doing all thos things running to the bank. Paul was not my favorite, but I certainly enjoyed him over Jacob.

      • Whyyy is everyone so down on Jacob? He sang a really beautiful rendition of Bridge Over Troubled Water last night, and he has an incredible range. Maybe he doesn't always pick the best songs but the guy can sing anything, and as he has shown in recent weeks he doesn't always have to scream it out, the Jacob hating is out of control.

      • I am so sick of Jacob singing his ballads and tired of looking at his tongue. He is not an Americal Idol – He can sing but he needs to go!!!!!

      • why everybodys putting down Jacob for personal reasons? I'm going to start voting for him bigtime..

      • Well Haley deserves to be there and so did Paul..So now instead of watching someone that was very entertaining, we will have to deal with Jacab and Stephano, who basecally do the same stuff over and over. Paul was great, and what a gentleman. He went out with some class which is more than I can say about some of you on here. Sad to see Paul go.

      • I do not think Red Soxx is a very "insecure person" like others have stated. I just think he/she is no more than a typical younger person with little in the way of musical knowledge. Go gack to your room and listen to your Lady Gaga and Justin beiber CD's, before I call you Mommy and tell her what a bad child you are here Redsoxx.

    • Are you kidding? She's the prettiest one there and she's being creative and she's got a good voice. Has anyone else ever done done yodeling in AI before and stayed on? I enjoy watching and listening to her.

      • Can't stand her, why? She is a great singer, performer. She is a very pretty girl and mighty brave to sing in front of such harsh critics. Sounds like you have issues because how can you not stand someone you don't know. I feel sorry for you.

      • Amen to that!!Haley is a jewel, extremely talented. Hey Redsoxx..You must be a very insecure person.I agree with ya Terri, Glad there is some big Haley fans out there!!

      • i think judges' comments shall be fair and balanced. haley's Growling is one kind of genre just like scooty's Country Music. Why judges only picked on her growwling and never said anything about the country ballads. go hailey go all the way to the end.

      • Haley's voice is not well trained for pop or country but so what, I like her style for the songs she has done for the most part and her stage presence and looks makeup for some of that.

        Pia likely had training in an opera style, while Lauren was self trained in country/pop. Give Haley 6months to two year with the right vocal coach and watch out, the tones are there put not the right type of training.

      • i do not think you know what yodeling is listen to some yodeling from country singers she grows that all

    • I'd much rather read about who someone LIKES and why. The hate business is really boring and usually petty.

  2. now all that needs to go is stefano,jacob and casey. haley i dont like or dislike. i will be really disappointed when lauren, scotty or james gets voted off. i cannot even pick who i like the most of them three. it is odd cause i really dislike country but i love metal.

    • My feelings exactly, except for loving the heavy metal part. But I do love James. Scotty needs a cowboy hat! Lauren needs to belt it out more. I love both Scotty & Lauren I just want to see/hear them push it to the limit. They are both young however, & I know that Lauren was especially down this week over her friend Pia. I'm sure the up-coming week will be better for her.

      • I'm not sure I'd agree about Scotty wearing a cowboy hat. Those killer blues are part of the reason the teen girls are going loopy for him. That would shade them and lessen the impact.

    • Scotty sounds the same all the time – never anything different. Cannot take the heavy metal with James – and Lauren just needs experience. T

  3. Branden, you seem to hate this show so much, I wonder why you watch and put in the effort you do to blog about it.

    I think the bottom three were for sure the right ones. It didn't matter to me which one left as long as it was one of them. Paul was dreadful the last two weeks and really needed to go.

    • Most of Branden's blog was positive AND constructive. The Ford stuff is always just a commercial, so it doesn't really matter what he says about that part.

    • I'm going to defend Branden on this. If he hated American Idol, he wouldn't be the one blogging. Now he may disagree with other people's opinions and have different thoughts on who should and shouldn't go home, but that doesn't mean he hates it

      • I agree, I like Brendan's blog and apparently so do about 40 thousand others. And for all intent and purpose he is pretty mush fair and balanced. Keep up the great work Brendan!!

  4. Will miss Paul. He was certainly fun to watch-so carefree and seemed to be honestly having FUN.I think he was actually having fun as he was singing out.

    What a 'class-act" exit,too.

    No boo-hooing,

    judges pitching fits and disbeliefs,

    audience disapproving.

    Just an up-beat farewell song from a carefree guy with a great big smile!

    Way to leave. I'll say it again—class act!!

      • You are totally right. Paul was definately a "class act". Can't wait to see him on the Tour!

    • That's exactly what I thought. While Paul was not my favorite, he was fun to watch. He seemed to always be having fun.

      • i agree. paul was not my favorite but i loved watching him perform. i give him kudos for how he accepted being voted off.

    • Did anyone but me think Paul's last song was the best he's ever sounded? He actually sang, instead of the funny whispery sounds he usually makes. Maybe 'cuase he knew he wasn't being judges and no votes were involved. Classy way to leave.

      • That last performance was my favorite performance of his as well. But I still think it was his time. If he had made it past this week and the next week that means someone else who didn't deserve to go home yet went home early, which I would rather not have happen

      • I really wanted to hear Paul sing "The first cut is the deepest" before he left Idol. Any Rod Stewart song (just like Maggie May) would have suited him well.

      • I agree that Paul was very cool about leaving. What a sweetheart. Plus he gets a bit of relief from all hoopla before the tour starts, and a nice little windfall for doing the tour.

      • Bunny, First Cut is the Deepest is a great song. I would have liked to see Paul sing it too, but Maggie May was much more upbeat and it was a good way for Paul to say goodbye. Paul excited out in a very classy manner. I wish him the best.

  5. I was never really a Paul fan. He just didn't do it for me. Though, I can't believe he went before Stefano and Jacob, both of whom should have been gone a long time ago. But I have to say, Paul's a classy guy and was well poised. When he was eliminated he really handled it with grace, which was such a relief after last week's ridiculous closing. Instead of all the ridiculous drama we saw with Pia (who I was glad to see go before Paul), it was great to see a real class act closing the show the way Paul did. I hope he does well in his career.

    • Classy yes because Paul is a guy. If it's a girl who is going home then expect some crying & emotional scenes… and i guess, Paul is a strong person… i like his personality.

    • I agree with your statement 100 percent! Personally, I have enjoyed each ofthe top 11 contestents, some I feel more talented than others. Each one had something different to offer and worked hard on their presentation. I say congratulations to all of them. Of course I too have a favorite and hope to see Scotty as the next American Idol.

    • I think the big difference is that Pia was always being mentioned as being in the top 3 and it came as quite a shock when she was voted off.

      Paul, as far as I can tell, was never a top 3 finalist and I believe he kinda knew it. He definitely handled it extremely well.

  6. I think something happen with the votes for Paul. I actually voted 3 times for him and I never got a reply like I did when I voted for the rest of my favorite ones. Something was definitely wrong so that's why he didn't get all his votes counted. I think he is awesome and a very unique singer. So sad that this happened!!!

    • Interesting observation. Makes one wonder if their vote-counting is correct. I don't agree with voting three times for anyone – unless you didn't think the first vote was counted.

      • every week i vote 5 times for scotty, 5 times for lauren and 5 times for james. then i vote 5 more times for whomever i thought did well. the last 5 votes are spaced out.

      • people like "secondchance" voting more than once for someone are the main reason we see the wrong person being voted off the show. This is why AI needs to change the voting rules. Can you imagine what chaos we would have if this practice was allowed in our elections?

    • The polls and bottom three this week are fairly close so likely right. I would think that Jacob and Casey only have a few more votes so one of them likely in bottom 3 next week.

  7. There is nothing wrong with Stefano's voice, he needs to choose better songs and connect with the audience, i expect to see him for a while, his last performance was definitely a step in the right direction and if he has another stellar performance he will be back in the race.

    • I wonder how many times they're going to make him be in the final two. This was the third time…and all three times I'm sure he was thinking he was the one who would be leaving. He should have left the first time.

      • I agree he gives it 100% and is trying to improve. But I disagree about his voice. I don't think he can really carry a note. And I think that drama form of singing is getting old…you know, where he sings like he's pissed off at everyone. But I also think some of the others who are still there should have been gone by now too.

      • Stefano CAN sing. He may not be your favorite and he certainly is not mine, but he can sing. "I Need You Now" when he was fighting for a wild card slot was really good. However, the others are better than him, especially in making an impact with the audience, and it's why he keeps landing in the bttom 3.

      • Stefano's voice is very good for his style but his pronunciation due to his accent is more the problem. A good vocal coach could easily fix that but not in a few weeks the show has left, maybe by the end of the AI summer tour since he has improved each week so far.

      • i think he has a very whiney voice. it really bothers me. this last week was the only time i could stand him.

      • If he wants to stay around longer, I think he should get away from the love ballads. I think he did Stevie Wonder once before and he was quite good.

  8. Am I in the right section? What a difference between this week and last week – last week I would have been on page 4 by now! Has interest died now that Pia is gone?

    • I was thinking the exact same thing. Maybe people don't have much to say since Paul made the departure palatable…none of the ridiculous drama that happened last week. So not as much to write about.

      • Pia was such a shocker, that is why there was so much drama. She is unbelievable, she is beautiful and has an amazing voice. America definitely got it wrong. Hopefully someone will get it right and we willhear more from Pia in the future.

      • I don't think Pia was anything spectacular, but we all have our tastes. No offense, but I'm tired of hearing "America got it wrong." I didn't like it when everyone did this with Casey either. Just because your favorite was sent home, doesn't mean the tens of millions of votes cast were wrong. People voted for who they thought was the best…and that wasn't Pia.

      • Kl u r rlly some really stupid guy. She was one of the f****** best. Even the judges said so. She was the full package.

      • @jugos, no need to call people names just because you're disagreeing with them. really say something about your own intelligence

    • Interest isn't gone. Less replies here this week because this one was more or less expected whereas Pia going was a complete shock

      • Plus, the blogs were posted rather late, weren't they? It seems so, anyway. And heck, on the east coast we should all be asleep by now.

    • i agree with KL on pia. it is actually the voters fault she did not make it, not the judges. the judges are the ones who got her as far as she got. we cannot be mad at anyone but ourselves if our favorites get eliminated 😉

  9. Duets piss me off as putting Lauren in a box would never listen to a song wrangler of country crock like scotty tho he seems like idol shoe in horrible….Paul like better than all the guys tho still a bar band guy…Dont like any of remaining guys tho the duet with Hailey sounds like genius cant wait to see that. OK Lauren and Hailey my fave front runners take heed hailey chin up…but lauren like allison krauss and emmylou harris alittle alt and respected for pure talent and golden bell beauty and will have respect longevity and a shining staar but dont put her in stupid box with scotty every time and package her like kelly clarkson she is not kelly clarkson effortlessly better but all good performance not effortless alot of work to do so good Lauren my fave.

    • She (lauren) needs the help in order to not the ax. You should Thank Scotty and keep your country crock

      • Agreed. Lauren has more confidence when she has Scotty with her. And this duet, even he seemed more comfortable than the last duet they did. I loved it. I'm not a big fan of Casey and Haley, but they were great on their duet, too.

    • I think the judges put Lauren into the country music genre, she didn't audition singing country, but later they all said she should do country music. I think it just because of her southern accent. I would like her to be more middle of the road. I like Haley a whole lot more but Lauren is good, too. Ready for Jacob to exit, next Casey, and then I guess Stefano. I don't see or hear anything too great with James. There are lots out there who are much better. I am not into country but I guess Scotty has a unique voice for that genre, and I look for him to win. Haley really is the most talented and unique singer of them all.

  10. It is very very sad to have Paul leave so soon….What a pity!!!

    You all really wanted to see Stefano and Jacob competing together with the Haley, Casey, Scotty, Lauren and James????????

    Pity, Pity, Pity……..Paul left so soon!!!

    • Agree 100% Paul left too soon. He was a lot of fun. Not my favorite but had a good time and all class upon his departure. Stefano needs to be gone. People need to vote for Haley she is awesome. It looks like Scotty is a shoe in to win it. All those country folks are loyal voters it seems.

    • It's interesting Rd that you and your ilk would want to see Jacob and Stefano squarring off against the rest. I wonder what informs the segregation. I am curious what criteria you have applied to arrive at the 'competition' you are suggesting. Paul, a nice guy, has seen many a superior singer live the show and he must be very happy for having lasted as long as he did.

      • I disagree. The only times I liked Paul's SINGING were with Maggie May and the Blackbird duet with Kendra. His time with AI should have ended weeks ago. But on a personal level, he seems to be quite a pleasant and likeable guy.

      • Race maybe a part but more to style of music they like. More Whites into country or hard rock and more Black into R&B or rap, then Hispanics have Tex/Mex sung in Spanish mostly.

        I listen and play it all except the Rap and proud to be from Texas.

    • i hate country and i vote for scotty everytiem. he is amazing. he is such a nice kid and lauren is a real sweetheart too. i dont think fame would go to either of their heads, haley i think would become so stuck up it would be unbearable.

      • secondchance…I think it went to Scotty's head already……just watch him when he sings to the camera……

      • i agree w/ phyllis…the fame has already gone to the heads of scotty, haley AND lauren..im backing james all the way.he reminds me of my fave past contestants, adam, david c & daughtry 🙂 those guys r idol legends and james has the potential to join them up there!!

  11. I still don't understand how Jacob and Stefano are still in. Both of them are terrible and should have been sent home weeks ago. I'm also not a fan of Casey. I couldn't believe that the judges used their only save on him! Otherwise Pia who actually has a beautiful voice would still be in……well at least she would have been until possibly tonight.

    • Pattie, I think I can help you better understand why Jacob and Stephano are still her. Jacob has a loyal following of ultra religious voters and a few black voters. Stephano has the pre teen girl and the cougar Mom votes locked in. Unlike the others who vote more on talant. I hope that helps clear it up for you.

      • That is my thoughts exactly. Jacob has gotten worse each week and is so full of himself. I resent his comments last week…..just who does he think he is God? Nope if he was he could perform a miracle and make him talented LOL.

      • Jacob is talent personified, he may not be the sexiest guy in the show, he may not hold trendy metro-sexual views but he cannot be accused of not having singing and performance talents. The inverse of Steve Fox's comment is simply that: the non-whites should not be in the show.Period!

      • Jacob's voice may be a wonderful instrument, but he oversings a lot and seems to be so full of himself. I think the standing ovation he got during Hollywood week and the overpraise from the judges have really gotten to his head. Can't stand looking at his facial expressions when he performs.

      • Linda, I don't know how you turned what I said into meaning "non whites should not be allowed on the show". Maybe it sounded better in your mind than it did printed out, is all I can fanthom.

      • Linda, Steve Fox made a logical analysis to agree or disagree with, but YOUR bias twisted it into something it was not. Be More Careful Please!

      • Uh, Steve . . . I'm going to disagree with you. There probably are people who vote along party lines – not saying there aren't, but the cougar moms are in James camp. Stephano has a superior voice. He's had some issues with choosing the right songs – but man, he could be Frank Sinatra or a performer of that ilk. So careful where you're throwing together partisan voting. I do agree with iurqal that Jacob is oversinging. He'll hurt himself if he's not careful.

  12. I think America should pick the bottom three each week and the judges should be able to pick the one who will be sent home from the bottom three. This would give the judges a chance to put their experience and expertise to good use and not leave it all up to a bunch of inexperienced teens.

    • The judges don't even know what they want, and they are extremely inconsistent with their reviews. If the bottom three were put in their hands, all they would be doing is saving their personal favorites. I think the voting should be more similar to DWTS, where callers can only call X number of times. Then callers would be forced to think a little more about how they want to cast their votes. Could include the judges scoring in the math too, but then I think they should be required to publicly show a score after the performance. All things DWTS does.

      • If they picked three the one that could have the most votes of the 3 could be knocked out because of a judges fav

    • All good ideas. Something should be done because Pia shouldn't have left last week (I'm missing her more now than before).

      • Get over what? Pia or the voting improvements needed? I'm really over ALL of it – it's only a show. When people are voting more than once for someone they like, then the results do not really reflect who is better or even which performers most of the audience really like. Pia being voted off is a prime example of what's wrong with the voting system. As long as people can vote as many times as they want, we're going to see it happen again AND we're going to be discussing it again. Whether you like it or not, you're going to read about Pia the rest of the season.

    • I liked that idea last week, but this week I would've hated it. The judges would've sent Haley home out of those three and that would've been wrong

    • Good idea ! or do it the way "Dancing with the Stars" does…..the judges vote AND the public vote!

    • Stefano should be voted off next! Judges should just sit & watch.. no need to say even a word

    • I read an articale a couple days ago and thats what there planning to do for next year AI

    • I don't think Steven Tyler and JLo would be able to do that.. They need somebody like Simon

    • NO, no, no, not with the judges AI has this season. They hardly know anything about music. Jlo cannot sing, Randy played a guitar, and Steven is out of it most of the time and thinks everything is "beautiful."

  13. I think also putting Lauren with Scotty again was bad taste, but I don't think it hurt Lauren at all. Scotty doesn't belong in a duet, he doesn't know what to do as far as body language. I think also it would have been better if he was on the other side of Lauren, because it wouldn't have looked so awkward with both his hands still by his mouth. Lauren did great though. Haley and Casey's duet was awesome. They both did very well and sounded good together..I would like to hear her do some more of Janis. James is good but not my favorite, Stepano is getting better and do not care for Jacob that much..My favorite went home today so now I need to pick someone else..It well probably be Haley. I will miss Paul he was fun.

    • Haley & Casey duet was really good… duets let you now who sings better… and i must say that Haley outshined Casey, Casey has hard time hitting notes sometimes and he growls it just to get it going & quite obvious when he does that… Haley is a better singer than Casey, IMHO.

    • Scotty did great, at least he seems like he was enjoying it, Lauren needs to loosen up…

  14. Ugh..how come America voted off Paul before Gaycob?! Next week he should go home! Please America,he’s definately not an Idol we’re looking for!

    ROCK ON JAMES!!

    • Wow, Gaycob? Really? How old are you? Such a lame and ignorant comment, Ray. So what if he's gay? He's NOT the first and he WON'T be the last gay contestant on AI. Get over it cause it's not that deep! This is 2011 NOT 1102! Maybe Jacob is not the idol you're looking for, but speak for yourself and not for America! FYI…Jacob has gotten MILLIONS of votes each week so he must be doing something right….TEAM JACOB!!!

    • Even if you don't like a person, it's no reason to call him names. There are several things I do not like about Jacob as a contestant as well, but his gender preference is his to make and should be respected.

      • I've been debating this with my partner for weeks now — I doubt Jacob identifies as gay. Even if he were, I wouldn't be surprised if he was seriously in the closet based on his religious & racial background, plus it would probably turn off a significant percentage of his voting base. Supporting him as a possibly gay contestant is a non-starter, unlike out-and-proud Adam Lambert or Brett earlier this season. I also suspect that most of Jacob's effeminate mannerisms could be attributed to strong influences of his mom (per previous interview) and other women who shaped him performance-wise.

        All that aside, I am mourning the downhill trend in the quality of his performances since "God Bless This Child" with the exception of "You're All I Need."

      • Do you like the fact he is a criminal? Check it out. And he preaches to the viewers like he is so, so Holy.

    • Keep talking up the gay thing Ray & you'll be getting all the gay activist groups in the world voting.

      • Ray and Paul. Both are proof that too many guys are immature as hell these days. Do they really think calling someone Gaycob remotely comes across as sounding witty, in this day and age. If so, you are what some might call a moron.

    • Why do you feel it necessary to define someone by the sexual identity? why aren't you referring to Haley as Strailey? You sound ridiculous. Discrimination is bad enough without you adding to it. Who someone else sleeps with has nothing to do with you or your life. Please move into the 21st century.

      • I got to look up "Strailey" now! Or is that new slang? How about Trailey (trailer trash). Easy folks, I'm trying to lighten the mood here!–but I do need to study up on some of these dialects I guess.

  15. What was with the judges asking Kelly what she thought of Casey? Four guys just sang and they single out Casey? It's like they're his pimps…trying to justify their stupid wasted save.

    • Because he is awesome has real talent and is not a cookie cutter pop singer.His creativity and innovation is awesome. Buy a jukebox if you want to hear the same cookie cutter version of a song over and over!

      If it wasn't for Casey and James I would not be watching this year. And Haley has won me over too.

    • Casey is a joke. I think the contest is fixed for him to win, there's no way he could sing as awful as he did on Wednesday and not land in the bottom 3.

      I can't believe that he was going to go out #11, is saved without even having him sing, and suddenly all these mystery votes turned up for him.

      • Casey is not a joke. Personally, I didn't think he sang "awful" on Wednesday – I LOVED it! Casey is versatile, creative and not your typical "cookie cutter" – a great jazz musician and I like that. It's all a matter of opinion, huh!?

      • Yes, Casey IS a joke. I sure wouldn't pay to sit in an audience for over an hour to listen to him.Boring, Can you imagine HIS reaction if/when he gets voted off? He will probably collapse.

    • Oh, you're so right about that, Nancy. I remember wondering if I'd missed something . . . it was odd.

      • They asked her what she thought of him because earlier in the season Ryan mentioned on the show that Kelly had tweeted that he was cute. They were just having a little fun with them.

    • Wheather you like Casey or not. Wouldn't have been great if she came right out and accused the judges of wasting their one save, on national TV. That would have been what we call a classic moment in television history.

      • Ha, funny Steve and Cat! That'd be over the top for sure, but I could see her saying (in the format Randy did), "Loved the way he sang 'background' in that Haley Scat duet"! And then pan over to the contestants' expressions! LOL

      • I have to agree the judges are pimping Casey. I believe they are trying save face for saving him in the 1st place. Now they fawn over him and praise him to death.

        The judges know they screwed up using their save so quickly.

        Casey does have musical talent, he is just not a very strong singer. He's decent, but nothing great.

  16. It was time for Paul to leave, I would like him to leave after Stefano and Jacob.

    My favorite is Haley, she has the greatest voice. I'm certain she won't win though, I've seen a lot of people hate her for some reason.

    My list is:

    1. Haley: awesome singer, great control over her voice and really original vocal style.

    2. Casey: A real artist, great voice and plays bass xD

    3. James: Entertaining, not a big fan of his voice but he's a good performer

    4. Lauren: good voice but really common and nothing special. I'm sure with her age they will turn her into Britney clone number 112341234

    5. Scotty: He's becoming more boring each week. Makes weird expressions while singing.

    6. Stefano: Boring and Common.

    7. Jacob: Am I the only one who listens to his off tune notes every time?..plus he is really exaggerated when singing

    • You use the word common a lot and watch facial expressions a lot. Arent we lucky you are not a judge?

      • I only saw that word used twice. What is wrong with that? When people have nothing intellegent to say, they sometimes say the silliest things.

        Did you notice I used the word "say" twicw as well. Opps, my bad.

      • @BettyB: You used 2 'yous', 2 'lot's and "a lot" of 'a's (3). Even worse, you failed to put the apostrophe in Aren't in your blatant attempt to avoid using 2 'not's. Bad girl!

  17. I don't see why everyone wants Jacob to go next week.You's say his voice is terrible,but he's got one of the strongest vocals in the competition.I don't understand..

    • He has a strong voice in the sense that he can reach really high notes, but he doesn't have control over his voice and is too exaggerated.

      • It's called a strong vibrato. Gospel-type singer. Like him or not is one thing, but lets be truthful here. He has great control and is not exaggerating anything. He just has that gospel style of singing.

      • While I am not a big fan of Gospel music. And I doubt he will sell many CD's. I agree with Adam. There is noting wrong with Jacobs voice that I can see.

    • everyone complains when Stefano closes his eyes when he hits the high notes, and I see the same with Jacob.

    • I'm just not a fan of that exaggerated style at all. If I had to choose between a whispery Paul and an overblown Jacob, it would be Paul every time.

    • I agree, bella. Technically, He's the best singer in this year's show. IMHO, he's second only to Adam Lambert of the last three years. His version of the Elton John song was the best reworking of a standard this year.

      He should probably lighten up and have some fun on the stage – he may be the funniest in the group.

    • I don't want him to go next week. I wanted him to go this week. As already stated he is just not idol material.

    • Some of us don't like that kind of over-singing, he sounds to me like an opera singer, and I do not like opera.He is also painful to watch. Everyone has their opinion.

  18. I was watching Scotty holding that microphone while singing with Lauren and it seems kind of odd the way he positions that mic…makes me kind of wonder…

    • what is with this obsession over how Scotty holds the mic? I'm not picking on you; I just keep reading it over and over.

      • I read on another blog that the reason Scotty holds the mic that way is because he's on a baseball team and that's how he holds a bat, albeit a little less closely.

      • Maybe because it's on television.. you know, a visual medium of entertainment. I never said the kid couldn't sing, but when he's in front of you on a 57" big screen television holding his mike like that, it does get to be a bit distracting. As for your condescending bedtime remark, well, I will just let your inability to understand that televisions project images as well as sound be the tell of the tape here corky, I mean stevie.

      • And I'll say it again, his signiture is goofy looking. If I was him, I'd just let that deep ol voice of his be the signiture not holding the mike like a flute.

    • Pray tell what does it make you wonder??? Do wonder if you are a nit-wit? Or just twisted in the head? There is nothing 'wrong' or 'indecent' or 'provocative' about how he holds the mic. Get your mind out of the gutter!!

      • Yeah I didn't get anything suggetive from how he holds the mic. I just thought it was a bit different, is all.

      • I'll agree here though. It's goofy looking, but it's not indecent or anything… just… weird.

  19. Once again, I have to think it's rigged. While I'm not terribly shocked that Paul went out, the fact that neither Jacob or Casey was in the bottom 3 was completely ridiculous, given their god awful performances on Wednesday.

    Jacob actually had a good song choice this week, but proceeded to butcher it. I can understand if the guy has trouble singing rock songs, because he's a gospel singer. But when he sings a gospel song like Bridge over Troubled Water and manages to screw that up, it's time for him to go.

    Casey is always terrible, but he managed to surpass my expectations and redefine awful with his last perfomance. And yet… the judges don't blast this guy? He makes a mockery of the show every time he sings. It seems no matter how terrible he is, he won't land in the bottom 3 anymore. Enigmatic that ever since he was saved, he hasn't been in the bottom 3 since… I can't explain it without assuming that foul play might be involved.

    Also… I have to say… poor Haley. I've never been a Haley fan, but I found her last performance of Blondie's song by far her best. She sang great and it was enjoyable for me to listen to and a good performance. Yet she's singled out by the judges as the only bad performance? Not Casey, Not Jacob… but Haley?! What's the deal this season with the judges having nothing but compliments for everyone and then singling one person out to bash? More enigmatically, typically it comes after a great performance… it makes no sense. They did the same thing to Thia too.

    The judges never seem to have dissenting opinions. They pick one person and gang up on them and in all cases I've seen it, it's been totally undeserved. Yet when it's time to review Casey or Jacob, they never have anything bad to say, even when they totally sucked… I just can't believe it.

    • And yet, it seems way too many people on this blog praise the Judges this season. Give me Simon back as a Judge, please. He was much more honest and sincere if you ask me. I seldom disagreed with any of his comments, nor was he swayed by what other Judges had to say.

      • @ Steve Fox. Perhaps this was true in the past but not so much anymore…I still like who is on the panel of judges but I do feel thay have been a little over zealous with their praise…these contestants are being given a sense of false security…being mean and critical is one thing aka Simon but being honest with constructive critism is another. Every single performance is NOT wonderful. beautiful, "in-concert" material…etc. The judges really need to step it up and tell it like it is….all of the voting America is not tone deaf~!!!

      • Steve, I totally agree. Simon had his own mind. He told it how he saw it whether anybody liked it or not.

        He may have been rough, but it is a competition and you knew that going in.

        JLO is a joke as a judge, constantly interrupting and screaming her opinion.

        I really like Tyler, but he needs to be a little more critical at times.

        Randy tries at times, but sometimes I wonder if Randy is hearing what we are hearing.

    • Oh my, i agree everything you said here. i think the judges made an standing O on Casey the other night just to let the public know that they are right with the SAVE thing. they criticize Pia & Thia for singing ballad all the time, but they don't criticize Jacob when he sings ballad all the time, too. with the gospel-like singing everytime. Same thing with Scotty, they don't criticize him when he sings country all the time. The judges are inconsistent. It's just that they really have favoritisms. Even if their favorites is getting boring, they still praised him/her good… IMHO.

      • IMHO country music is a kind of music that you can just sing that and go very far in the music bussness but where if you sing ballads all the time you wont go far in the music bussness

      • Christina…..You might want to tell Celine Dion that!!!!! Even maybe Barbara Streisand!!!!!! Country can get very boring at times….not saying Scotty is not good, I;m just saying he can be boring too!!!!!!

        Whereas James can sing ballads, pop, rock and heavy metal…..JAMES FOR THE WIN…..

    • Jimmy Iovine should jump over and help with the judging as well. I think he could be honest with them. Randy doesn't have a problem with disagreeing with the other two, but Jennifer and Steven do. I've never seen an instance where Jennifer or Steven disliked a performance while the other two liked it

    • Eveytime the judges single Haley out like she wasn't good, she landed in the bottom 3. And the reason they praise Casey & give him standing O (for a sucky performance)is because they want to justify their "save". It's like "YES, see we told you that we made the right choice by saving Casey!" It's SO transparant, anybody should be able to see it.

      • There could be some truth to this. Haley's "Call Me" rocked the socks right off of Casey's "Natural Boy". It was not his best performance at all. I thought Haley's song choice was WAY better than they gave her credit for. She took a big-time rock classic and made it her own. I can honestly say I've never heard the song "Natural Boy" and if I did I never recognized it. Judges are up to something here – they're playing up Casey too much and just HAMMERING the girls. I think there might be a little "direction" from the producers… just maybe.

  20. Unfortunately I was unable to watch this weeks results, so thanks for the recap. I was out with some friends and when I got back I tried to find it online somewhere but realized I would have to wait until tomorrow to get that and I didn't want to do that. I'm actually sad to see Paul go after his great performance last night, but I would be much sadder at seeing anyone else go but him, so I'm glad he went. And after seeing that Haley made the bottom 3, I'm almost glad I missed it because that would've made me real mad seeing her in the bottom 3 and not knowing if she is safe or not. Thanks to the judges for throwing the best contestant of the night on Wednesday under the bus when she so didn't deserve it (yes, that was sarcastic). But at least she's safe. And I'm so glad that this week's elimination was more predictable. No more sending contestants home until it is their time. And I'm glad a guy finally got sent home.

    • Ok, I repented and watched the show tonight and I just became a huge Paul fan! What class! I've never seen such a classy exit. He knows he had a good run. He knows that he has a bright future. There was probably a bit of disappointment inside of him, but he's good friends with all the contestants and is happy for everyone in making it. Its like when Clay Aiken lost to Rueben Studdard. Clay wasn't sad. He became Reuben's biggest fan that night. Same with Paul. Classy dude. I look forward to his music.

      Now about the rest of the show. That Casey and Haley duet was absolutely stunning. I love Haley even more after that and Casey redeemed himself in my eyes from a bad song choice Wednesday night. The Scotty and Lauren duet was a bit creepy. The way Scotty held his mic and looked at Lauren made it feel like he was alone with her in a hotel room. Yuck. The Simon and Garfunkle quartet by the other 4 guys moved me and Paul singing Mrs Robinson completely sold me. He did that very well. The Ford music video would've been awesome, but it was boring because they showed the behind the scenes first. I new everything that was going to happen. They should've flipped that order. And Kelly Clarkson and Rihanna were good, but I decided that they should only have one special performer per elimination night. And I like them brining in old Idol contestants, so I enjoyed Kelly Clarkson, but I'm sorry Rihanna, having you was pointless. And the whole thing with the director guy was dumb. They should take that part out as well. Too much filler. Let the idols sing their duets and what not, have one special performer, and leave the rest to results. Cut this down to a half hour again. The only results show that I like to be crammed with stuff is the finale

      • Well said Adam. Especially agree regards the class Paul exit. I hope the others can learn from it–yes, you're a little bummed to leave; but part of show business is making your audience happy and feel good (instead of wallowing in your sadness and forcing the audience to commiserate with you like I picture Casey doing). Paul did it the classy way and won even me (as one of his critics) over to his side, as he did many others in previous comments here.

        Was also glad to see him portray himself well on Jay Leno's show earlier tonight. Pia exited well also, and I hope my fav Haley will also if and when her time comes.

  21. scotty and james plzz goooo!! dont understand why they have so much fans..but we all know after the idol they will be vanish and music industry wont really gonna hire them….oh well..your lost america

      • yeah…because american people have alot of low minded teenage girls that vote for them..

      • The country demographic is people from 1 years to 101 years old. That's why country is so strong – it attracts fans of all ages. Boy bands attract teenage girls. Metal bands attract young adults. But country fans come in all ages – so it's the sheer age diversity of fans of that genre that gives Scotty a definitive edge. But if he starts to bore his fans…. LOOKOUT!

    • Er…don't call adults who voted for Scotty low-minded. Calling someone low-minded only lower yourself when you do not know about them enough to judge.

    • okay..sorry..im not supposed to say the are low minded..coz obviously american people have a lot of geniuses..i think SHALLOW is the perfect word coz they choose looks over music and the real talent

      • But that's just YOUR opinion of talent. Scotty & James will be in the top 4 at least. Goodbye Jacob & Casey. PLEASE! (My opinion)

      • And again, I would say that you sound like the shallow one for not recognizing that talent comes in many different packages and genres. For most Genres of Rock for example James is an amazing talent. As a straight dude that doesn't give half a rats butt what a rocker looks like, I would say that James is a rare talent. I cannot wait till country week (hope they have one soon) because as somebody that has heard some things, I believe James would shock some folks (some Scotty fans might even be a little bit amazed and won over once they hear it should we be blessed with that theme week)

    • LMFAO im sorry but trust me when AI is over Scotty and James EXSPECIALY SCOTTY will make it in the music industry

    • banana…..they said that about Adam too…..He is HUGH today….In case you didn't know…..He is doing concerts around the world…..Where is Kris A.??????

  22. Yo authors!! Eat That!! Casey didnt get booted!! YOU MEDIOCRE TASTELESS PEOPLE!! As i said 3 weeks before,Hailey is in the Top 5!! As for all of u mainstream people… Casey & James are REVOLUTIONARY in this mainstream world!!! Earth to Templar & chris127 or whatever number are… Casey didnt get booted.. what do u think huh?! he's not even in the bottom 3… blehhh

    • Melinda DooLittle said "I love him. I absolutely adore him. I think he's so innovative. The end of that song made me get up off my couch and throw my blanket at him."

      and "I want to make sure that when the show is over we can go on tour together. I need to work with Casey. I think he's fabulous and he is bringing something new to the show." – im sure alot of artist n musician in this world feel the same way too. And

      Doolittle said she didn't come into "Idol" as a jazz singer as Abrams has. "I love jazz music and love to do it, but I came in as a soul singer. He has a lock on that jazz thing," she said of Abrams. 🙂 REVOLUTIONARY

    • The "Macarena" is the 5th best selling song of all time on the Billboard top 100 historical list. Just because a bunch of people like something, doesn't make it good. Hmmmm… the Macarena, who knows maybe Casey might try that one sometime in the next couple weeks, and it'll still suck, and the judges will praise him for being different and spend their time perminantly attatched to his junk.

      • dang, that's quite a statement if that macarena statistic is true! makes me feel ashamed to be a human if it's true! lol. Still, I give kdub props for making his point!

    • Casey wouldn't even be here if the judges wouldn't have saved him. I am not saying that Casey doesn't deserve accolades, but he was the first of the 11 voted off.

  23. Finally thought of this week……bottom three should have been Jacob, Stefano, and Casey!!

  24. I usually like Scotty, but he is kinda getting on my nerves the way he stands and holds the mike. I am now turning my votes to Lauren, but she better do better next week. She should not have sang "The Climb" so overdone . Not sorry that Paul left considering the choices in the bottom 3. Only wish it had been Jacob in that spot instead. Absolutely cannot stand him, and I like Black gospel music too. Just something about him that erks me.

    • I think he's not taking it up a level every time. His last performance was a snoozer and a setback IMHO. It was quite safe and quite boring. Haley's "Call Me" and James "Heavy Metal" made me forget all about Caseys safe snoozer… I don't even remember the name of the song.

  25. Does anyone know what in hail Tyler is forever looking at to his right? I thought it was just the audience, but maybe it's a monitor…a mirror…Haley???

    It's not important, I guess, it's just that Randy and JLO are looking straight ahead and wonder-boy has his chin cocked over his right shoulder. Just curious.

    • OMG, that is so funny that you mentioned that. My guess is that he really needs to wear glasses and won't, so he probably has a monitor nearby so he can actually see what is going on. Also, have you noticed he rarely applauds–no matter what is going on? It is really obvious because JLo and Randy always clap when appropriate.

      • That's it, Pup—-

        You're genious!!!

        He simply has "Eye/Hand Coordination" problems.

        He can't see what's going on,

        and he can't coordinate his hands enough to clap!!!

        You're my "Go-To" for any further problem solving from now on.

      • Steven's glasses are always there on the desk. He puts them on and jots notes during the performance. Then he refers to the notes when it's time to critique. He's had 40 years of listening to audiences go nuts, mostly in appreciation of him and his partners, so he's conditioned to not applaud because he's generally on the receiving end. Leave him alone. The 70s and 80s were Real good to him. He's functioning very well, all things considered.

      • Whoa, lighten up, Templar.

        Just having some fun. Try it some time.

        I've never heard of being "conditioned not to clap". People a lot bigger in the biz' for a lot longer than Tyler still applaud talent or merely something they enjoy. Guess their "conditioning" didn't take…Tyler's either, for that matter, as he DOES applaud.

        Have a FUN day!!!

      • i been in love with steven tyler since i was 11 years old. i have never watched AI until this year and i only started watching it cause tyler was on it. now i admit i am totally addicted to the show. i dont even know who simon os. bit i have heard a lot about him. give steven tyler a break, he is 62-63 years old. i hope i look that good when i am his age. aerosmith is still one of the best groups ever.

      • second chance—

        You got it off kilter a bit about me. I too could never be bothered to watch AI until this season due to long work hours and raising my boys on my own. No time for T.V. but NOW THERE IS because of my Stevie-T. I'm hooked-won't answer phones or the door during Idol. When some were saying to send the judges home, I was the one saying, "I get dibs on Steve". (Why am I justifying myself to a stranger?)

        As a fan to another, maybe you'll give me a

        "secondchance"

      • april i am getting this posting all wrong. i hit the wrong reply or something. sorry. i agree with you totally. i was disagreeing with the people bashing steven tyler. lol at what you said cause i even worked friday and saturday and switched with the other manager so i could be home to watch it. the name secondchance is my snakes name. her old owner beat her so bad that she onlt had a 10% chance of survival. i nursed her back to health, that was 10 years ago. she beat all odds and her name is secondchance. she is the sweetest, nicest animal i have ever had. spoiled rotten she is.

      • Wow!

        What kind of psycho beats up a snake?

        Secondchance is lucky to have you.

      • Secondchance, how many cute mice has your lady snake eaten in the past 10 years?! Did the old owner get mad 'cause she ate his son's hamster, so he beat her? And since we're on a music show blog, have you ever heard the Whitesnake (?) song, "Once 'Beaten', Twice Shy"?

        Take it easy now Haters! I'm just kidding! All pets should be loved. No pet should be beaten (unless they eat another pet). And heck, I'm a meat eater myself–got two burgers on the burner as I type!

        Now Admin, don't censor me right away. Let me have my Bully Beatdown publicly right here!

        Seriously though to secondchance or any other amateur herpetologists out there, are all snakes carnivorous (even a bull snake kills rattlesnakes I think, but does it eat them or just eat vegetables in the garden–or is that the garden snake and what does it eat?)?

        And just for the record, what was Secondchance's first name?–not sure if you know or remember from 10 years ago. I'll freak if it was Coondog!

      • @ Debbie's two cents: I knew you were just teasing! And you WERE funny! I got a good laugh.

        I find Steven Tyler a little weird, but can't help it, I still enjoy him. He sure does add to the interest level on the show . . . wondering what he might say or do next–or if he will need a jab to wake up.

        I am not a fan of his sleazy remarks to the girls. But he has shown he can be a genuine sweetheart.

        There was a period back just a bit when he just seemed oblivious and disinterested. Hey, I am his age, and I HOPE I don't appear that disconnected at times. Gotta be his past catching up to him. Nevertheless, not gonna throw the baby out with the bathwater. So, foibles and all, taking him as he is. Doesn't mean I don't have a slap or two up my sleeve if I think it is warranted.

    • coondog, chance did not have a name before i got her. the old owner beat her because she use to throw live rats in the cage with her and chance would back away from the rats. she never struck or coiled the rats.the rat ate part of chances eye away. a snake does not attack if not hungry. the owner beat chance cause she got a snake to watch the thrill of the kill and chance was the wrong snake for that. i have done rescues and have had snakes for 10 years now. all my snakes get rats from rodent pro that come frozen, my snakes since in my care have never got any prey that was alive. it is an awful way for the prey to die and most of my rescues are from serious rat bites. many snakes eat worms and fish, to my knowledge i dont know any that dont eat some form of meat.

      deb, i feel i am the lucky one for having chance. she is a wonderful pet and i love her to death 🙂

      coondog, chance has had 3 major surgeries to her head. as for snakes eating kids pets…the owner would have to be very irresponsible for that to happen. i never even had a large snake till my kids were grown. all my snakes are in man made cages (no aquariums) no chance for getting out unless i let them out.

      people would be amazed at what wonderful pets snakes really are.

      funny thing is you can see me (5 foor tall, 103 pounds) carrying around a 13 foot snake and a tiny spider crosses our path and you will hear me screaming and running with the 13 foot snake like a bat out of hell! lol

      • You are an interesting person, secondchance. Now that I know the meaning, the words in your name will always remind me of you and your story about Chance! How touching!

        I am thinking it takes a special person to love a snake, but for you (and all others who do that) to do rescues–well, you've earned a place in heaven, that's for sure. Kudos to you!!!

      • thanks pup, that means a lot. how hope my special place in heaven has chance right beside me 😉

      • @secondchance: I have to give you props for not launching a cheap attack on me–even though I kind of invited it with my macabre curiosity. I appreciate that you kind of explained to "outsiders" like myself that pet snake owners are actually similar to other pet owners in that there are two basic kinds–caring, loving ones and those that are cruel or uncaring as you described. My curiosity at you was because I just 'assumed' that all reptile owners did it for the shock effect or morbidness like Chance's first owner. I guess we can't get mad at the rats (yucky as they are) as that is just their nature also. Thanks for the Lesson!

        I'm glad that Chance seems to have recovered in your care. In the event Chance has some babies, I don't suppose there's any chance of naming one Coondog? Take care, and stay clear of spiders!–I do and I'm 6' 180! and I sometimes scream as loud as James! (figured I'd keep it partly related to AI, keep Admin happy)

      • —–Pup—–

        Glad my play on words wasn't lost on you.Didn't mean to tick anyone off-especially secondchance.

        Hail, she has a 13-foot frikkin' snake with P.T.S.D. I'm gonna be her BEST FRIEND!!!

        Loved your "Wake-Up-Jab" jab you took at Stevie T. I suspect too many late nights for the lad. Wish I could take the credit for that!! (coondog understands).

        And, no don't throw my baby OR his "foibles" (you made me dust off my dictionary for that one, thank you) out with his bathwater. Don't like my Stevie T. "foible-free".

        Gotta say, "YIKES"! First there's secondchance with "Bunny-Munch" her mile long anaconda sporting "rat-popsicle" breath and now you with your "crowd-control-sleeve-slapping". What a rough crowd on line. I'd best be careful.

        With that, I should elucidate.(Reaching for your dictionary, Pup?) JUST HAVING A LITTLE FUN.

    • coondog, i promise i will name a snake after you someday 🙂 now back on topic. lol. cant wait to see who gets eliminated this week. sure hope scotty, lauren and james makes it through.

      i wanna hear james do avenged sevenfold. or breaking benjamin, zepplin would be cool too.

      i like the idea of scotty doing 'in the ghetto'

      i think lauren should do shania twain 'still the one'

      ithink haley would sound cool doing 'crimson and clove'

      i wish jacob would do 'the sound of silence' literally. lol

      • Thanks secondchance. Thus begins the legend of the coondog-snake! Good idees on Scotty and Lauren, but I especially like the crimson and clover for my fav Haley–I love that song. And I too hope that Jacob becomes as the Silent song promises. Catch ya on the new week's pages!

    • Gotta say, “YIKES”! First there’s secondchance with “Bunny-Munch” her mile long anaconda sporting “rat-popsicle” breath and now you with your “crowd-control-sleeve-slapping”. What a rough crowd on line. I’d best be careful.

      roflmbo!!!!! 'bunny munch'lololol

    • Above, in the picture? Are you being funny (and mean Jacob?) or do you mean Haley (who is in the shadows off to the left)?

      • no i mean the one right behind james…she doesnt look like haley at all…im guessing one of the backup singers…honestly i havent seen the show last night, maybe she's rihanna…?!

      • Sephyr, it is Haley! She had her hair done up, not all fluffing around like usual. That's why you can't believe it's Haley. And like they said above, if I hadn't seen that night's new hair look on Haley, and how the shadows make her look the complexion of Hale (close name there!) Berry. Good question tho'!

  26. WTH is with all the Hailey haters.. She is amazing, has a great range, she is connecting to the audience, and did you hear her TONIGHT.. WOW..

    I was surprised to see her in the bottom 3 again.. hope some voters wake up and see the talent she has.. thinking that the girls are not voting for her because.. I don’t know maybe because she is gorgeous.. 🙂 but that only adds to the total package.

    So Hailey haters… enough with the hurtful and mooronish comments.

    Sorry to see Paul go he was unique..

    Scotty got a voice that only comes along once in a life time

    Casey…. I don’t get him but the kid is talented

    Lauren… amazing voice and gorgeous eyes.. she connects to the audience in her own special way

    Jacob…. great set of lungs.. hate his facial expressions but sings like no other

    James… He is like another person when he steps on stage.. goes to his “star” place and rocks it every time. he is like a kid in a candy store

    Stefono…. love his energy, sings great but reminds me of some boy band member…

    Top 3 Scotty, Hailey, James

    middle Lauren

    bottom three *now*

    Jacob, Stefano, Casey

    just my thoughts.. 🙂 hope everyone is enjoying AI as much as I am.. 🙂 take care

    • Finally i found somebody I agree with! Haley is my favorite Idol to be. Everybody talks abot Jacob's facial expresions and i believe they'r as natural as James's blinks. I'am enjoying the contest this year…so full of fun and really like this blog!

  27. Paul's elimination not a huge surprise like Pia last week!

    Haley and Lauren should make the final Three with Stefano.

    • It didn't suprise me when Pia left. She had a good voice , but zero fun. You have to bring more to the table than just a voice. There is alot of performers out there that know how to move a crowd. Once she starts moving she will do better.

      • Hey we have the same username!! aND I WAS SURPRISED TO SEE PIA GO SHE HAS AN AMZING VOICE WELL GUESS SHES BETTER OFF NOW

    • Paul's elemination is not a surprise at all. He was in the rock bottom in the poll here for three consecutive weeks.

    • Brick, buddy. Long time, no see! But are you from the Northwest (Seattle)? Otherwise, why Stefano in top with Haley and Lauren instead of James or Scotty? Stefano's OK with me (cause I think it'd help Haley's chances!), just curious Bro.

  28. i think it would be funny if scotty would actually drop the mic when he is singing he holds it as if it is burning his hands or something. LOL he is such a dweeb and he does look like that character in front of the mad magazine god i wish he would be the next to go he is getting so predictable. When i heard it was movie week i told my friend that dork scotty willl probably sing a George Strait from "Perfect Country" watch and sure as hell he did. Typical predictable boring country singer. There is not wow factor in him at all. and don't even get me started with stephano and all of his sappy love songs give me a break dang i wish he would have been the one to go home lastnight and not paul. Ugh i cant stand hearing his sappy love song voice anylonger LOL.

    • A lot of people dony care what you think. Turn off your TV and go to bed with your binkey. Your favorite song must be Three Blind Mice

    • you need glasses he does not look like that guy on mad magazine and you need to watch the other the use the mic different to so shut up and grow up

      • I think he DOES look like the Mad magazine guy.But that shouldn't affect the voting, right?

    • ares, Pure Country was the name of the movie. Typical, Boring country singer??? There are a lot of us who love country music and do not find it boring.

      Scotty can't help how he looks, and to call him a dork is ridiculous. All of these contestants have a lot of courage to get out there and perform.

      I have a musical background and I can tell you I would be scared shitless to be out there.

  29. I am a big idol fan except for this season. Firstly the judges stink. Second the fact that scotty got past the auditions says it all. I mean the guy is a joke. And as for jacob, every time he sings i want to go for number 2's cos thats what he looks like he's doing. I cant wait for this season to be over to stop the misery.

    • heyyy… the same comments here, u posted the same ooo same oooo comments… duhhh… boringgg…

    • Dan, there is a way to stop the misery, stop watching the show. Your bill is $300.00.

      Scotty has a great country voice. He definitely deserves to be there.

      The one thing I will agree with you on is the judges, especially JLO.

  30. Paul should have gone home along time ago, let's face it, he maybe entertaining but he can't sing. Stefano is always in the bottom three, why? I don't know, he is consistent and has a beautiful voice and he tries hard, he deserves to still be here, same with jacob, he is talented, they are not exaggerating when they say he is Junior Luther…as for Lauren and Holly still being in there, come on now, they have no talent, just your average karaoke style singers, but americans always like the dumb bimbo show all your body type of girls…everyone knows with america, sex sells and the skimpier the outfits the more they vote for them….at least Pia went out with class and stayed true to herself…classy…it's her voice that got her there not wearing skimpy, might as well go naked outfits….and I am glad she has scored herself a record deal…Scotty is a talented country singer but he doesn't deserve to win americal idol…and Casey is an artist in the true sense of the word…James is like a wanna be Adam lol…some of the others that went home earlier should of stayed because they truly had talent…sometimes one has to wonder if the show is rigged by the results….

    • u r soo right, finally someone that agrees with me, stefano is great and does not deserve to be in the bottom 3, he is class.

    • @ nia2myheart. Where are you from, a country where the women must be covered from head to toe? I find your remarks about the female contestants truly disturbing.

  31. America you made a big mistake voting Pia off she has a beautiful voice and the whole package. Wish we could vote in New Zealand. Lauren is great also so please keep voting for her and out of the boys James.

  32. Yeah, i agree, i reckon the note should say "VOTING ONLY FOR NZ AND IS NOT AVAILABLE IN THE USA"

    If that was the case, scotty and jacob would be long gone, pia would have won already – J Lo and Steve Tyler would have got sacked and drinking woody's with tau henare

    • Pia was the best, the no one cares factor about the rest is proof by the sheer lack of interest in this forum about last nights elimination.

      • I agree, Pia had the best voice. I always voted for Pia, but I think where Pia went wrong was in song choices.

        She didn't connect with most of America, or at least the ones that voted.

        It is unfortunate, because Pia was light years better than Haley and some of the other guys.

  33. I agree with Mike almost exactly. I would put Casey in the middle and Lauren in the bottom three. I think he is more talented overall. I love music in general and listen to jazz as well as rock, so I do get Casey. I like all of them at this point though and would hate to see any of them go. We are to the point where every week a good performer will have to leave. I do love the classy way Paul left, telling everyone not to cry and smiling the whole time. All of their performances were awesome for me tonight. This is the first year I would like to go see the American Idol tour concert and buy the CD. They are all good singers with a great variety of styles. I do not vote officially and at this point if I had to vote for one I would have a difficult time deciding where to cast my vote.

    • Whaaaaaaaaa? Don't you like…hate Casey? aren't you the same cat who kept on saying how boring Casey was? If you were…then you need to go back to that….you complimenting casey is too creepy….:P

  34. Cant believe Paul was voted out before Jacob…will miss him.im sure he will do well out there.

  35. ok for someone that claims to know a lot about music, you dont seem to know anything about country. Jason Aldean is one of the best performers in the country business. i just dont get how you can judge scotty and lauren but know nothing about country music….that is all

    • i agree with you meghan some of these do not know country and they should just shut up i know little about hard meltal but i do not run it down or rock

      • Country is a very big biz with a very large following in USA and Canada. Anyone who doesn't know that has a very narrow view of the world…

    • I like Aldean. Other good young country artists include Billy Currington, Dierks Bentley, and Gary Allan. If you get a chance, listen to Gary Allan, he is underrated, but his music is outstanding.

  36. Scotty is starting to piss me off- what song does he sing… wait 4 it…. a song from the movie….COUNTRY, suprise , suprise, he needs to go.

    And I dont think stefano deserved to be in the bottom 3 he sang amazing on wednesday. It should of been: Paul, Haley and Jacob.

    • LOL… because it's a great song… what's up with that… all of the girls melted when he sing this song… get it !!!

      • Young Girlie Whirlies are a fickle little bunch. One more boring song and they might get fed up and do something drastic – like vote for James or Haley!

  37. COME ON?!?!?!?!?! :((((( PAUL WAS MUCH BETTER THAN JACOB AND STEFANO!!!!! WHAT THE F!!!! :(((( COMEON?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?! GRRRRRRRRRRRRR WE'LL MISS YOU PAUL! DEFINITELY ONE OF THE MOST UNIQUE VOICES IN IDOL!! GOODLUCK ON YOUR CAREER!

  38. Am I the only one that thinks "artist" is being overused this year. James, Stefano, Jacob and Casey, even Scotty got into it with the Grandma thing. All of them think they know more than SUCCESSFUL RECORD producers

    I really think Scotty needs to put on the cowboy hat to help his stage look. His Oppie looks get in the way. Voice seems to be growing a bit. Loose some of those cheesy looks into the camera.

    I know Casey is talented but just not my bag and certainly nothing I'd want to listen to on the radio. I agree with producers.

    Lauren seems the most genuine and humble along with a great country voice. Country music is really exploding and I think she would of done a great duet with Jason Aldean. Is Kelly Clarkson trying to make a cross over??

    Jacob way to GOSPEL.

    James….really??? The judges just add to his inflated ego EVERY week. Doesn't anyone else notice the exaggerated drama in his performances?

    Hailey is really starting to shine. Hopefully she'll heed the producers advice and continue to grow.

    Stefano…really wants to be Mark Anthony. Yeah he can sing but not my ting..the latino accent throws me off. And the whole "artist" lecture was over the top for me.

    • Thank you Gigi re James. He is arrogant showoff and offers no talent unless you like screaming

      • Your asseement of each performer is "exactly" how I feel as well. First time that has ever happened. Maybe you can apply for the job as American Idol judge. As I think we need someone who is a bit more honest than the three we have this season.

      • I also agree Gigi. They need to fire the music producer (Jimmy… the one in the baseball cap, glasses) becaue he has not done anything to help the contestants. He always has crappy arrangements and does not help with the song choices. Haley is a gem. In my opinion, if you can play around with your voice like that, then you deserve to win. She's not a favorite… even the judges turn deaf ears when she sings.

        And Stefano, they praise?!? It's not Latino accent Gigi. He has diction problems and sings word-for-word!

        Jlo and the other judges are "protecting" him because they messed up when they saved him the first time.

        I also agree that the wailing and the screeching and the screaming should stop! If it were not for excellent metal guitar being played… all we would hear is irritating screaming!

    • Yeah GiGi—That's what so much fun about JAMES–He mixes it up and is a real artist — loves the audience and shows it!!!!!

      • Exactly, I guess they prefer performers that aren't having fun. I guess they prefer their "artists" to stand there, look constipated, hold the mike weird, and toss out gang signs during their songs. Somebody that enjoys what they are doing… completely unacceptable. LOL

  39. FYI that "some guy in a cowboy hat" was Jason Aldean a top country recording artist. Check out "My kinda party" and "She's Country".

  40. Paul never deserved to be in the top 12. He simply CAN'T SING. The only things that kept him there were his manic on-stage performances (dancing chicken), his costumes and his goofy smile. Stefano can really sing and deserves to go all the way. So do Jacob and James. Casey is a great musician who is always creative and the remaining two girls keep getting better and better. Don't see a loser in the group now that Paul is gone.

    • seriously? Half the time Stefano is off key. plus the "sultry eyes, closed eyes, sultry again", the lack of diction? Whats that about. It's not artistic it's just plain bad. I am afraid there is not an ounce of creativity in his body… He would be good in a boy band adored by 13 year old girls.

      Jacob is a good enough singer I'll grant you that but it's soupy and preachy. Over and over again. I'm sure he is great singing in a gospel choir but would you listen to an entire CD of that? Hi Robin Studdard! Welcome back.

      Casey is great and creative no doubt. But so was Paul. He had that unique voice a la David Gray and Rod Stewart with a dose of quirky and a stage presence that puts Stefano to shame.

      Which begs me to ask, what is this Stefano guy doing in this competition?

  41. oh for god's sake America!…..I'm in East Timor (almost the end of the earth) and even I can see Jacob and Stephano have the personalities of wet dish rags!!!!!!!!!. Paul wasn't my favourite but at least he had some spunk! You got to be kidding me, get rid of them before they completely ruin something that considered worth watching on a Friday night in a !@#$% little country off the cost of Australia.

    • You are right. Paul was the most popular among the contestants, and it was shown when they crowded around him at the end. He was a good singer, nice looking and well liked. Don't blame the American voters. The judges on the show have the last call, and I firmly believe they want Casey Abrams. Why, I do not know, because I think he is the worst.

      • Jacob can sing but if I want gospel I will watch Sunday morning TV. He is arrogant and insulted America a week ago, I am waiting for an apology.

    • Dear Polly in my concept American Idol is no longer a talent contest it changed for a popularity contest, so be prepared to have the most boring IDOL EVER!!! Only James can save this 2011 edition, but thousand of Scotty teenagers fans will make it no possible.Naima, may be pitching every day but had the guts to make different things instead of the risk and was fun to se her,nice girls, pitching but nice and I can name at least 15 great singers pitching a lot. Now Paul, may not the best voice but also very nice guy and amuse to see. Next is Haley, Randy hates her, but I like so really I believe Haley will be the next if not Stephano.

      • Antonia, I am not a young teenage girl and I love Scotty. He not only sings well, he is a genuinely nice young man. Remember during Hollywood days, he admitted he should have stepped to defend the very young boy that no one wanted in their group, no one else manned up. And Scotty is only 2 years older. AI is strictly an opinion on what type of music you like and how well the contestant sings. Personality definately come into it also. I think James is very good, however I would not listen to him, purchase his CD, etc. I would purchase Scotty's.

        i

      • Mary I like Scotty as a person I agree he is a decent young man, his voice is good, but for me is bore, always the same performance, always in the confort zone. Good boy, good voice….hopelly…good bye

      • Well said Mary. I dont purchase many albums cause I can down load a lot but I wouldnt take an album of James if it were free

      • Elise, you are right about the top 4 but then you are wrong about top 3.top 3 will be Scotty, Lauren and James. Winner will be SCOTTY. Mark my Word! Teenagers are voting for him, yes, but so are country music lovers all over this nation. I happen to be one of them. I love his voice. I love the person that he is and I am not a teenager.

      • I pray that it will be Haley..I am so very bored with her ego…can sing as they say karoke like…loved duet with Casey though. BTW Casey is good…He is an old sould in a young body…I see James, Casey, Laren and Scotty in top 4 then to be realistic James, Casey and Lauren top three…I do not want to go any further because I love all three…

      • Elise Scotty has fan base of all ages..James appeals to mainly hard rockers, which is screaming out at the top of their lungs lyrics that are not able to deciper. That is the difference and I think James will shock everyone when he is voted out

    • @Branden — Thank you once again for a most excellent recap. While I think Paul is very entertaining, it again all comes down to song choice. He did not sing Old Time Rock 'n Roll well at all and at least he went home on a song he deserved to go home on, unlike Pia. I was very pleased he sang Maggie Mae once more for us at the end. I think had he sang Mrs. Robinson as you suggested, or, as someone else suggested the other day, Everybody's Talkin' from Midnight Cowboy, he would have done much better.

      Actually, think Everybody's Talkin' someone had suggested for Scotty, but I think Paul would have really done well on that. His voice is just not quite gruff enough to pull off Old Time Rock n Roll. Casey could have rocked that song.

      Thought Kelly Clarkson looked so much better than last time she was on. Always happy to see her. And, of course, Rhianna was awesome.

      I honestly wanted to hate Stefano's performance of End of the Road, my fave Boyz II Men song, but he absolutely killed it! He totally deserved to stay, based solely on that performance.

  42. Sorry to see Paul go,one bright spot in show,always

    made me smile.He was different from the same old cookie cutter idol. Still can't believe that Jacob is

    still in running,can't stand to look at him when he

    sings,My idol veiwing is over.

    • Agree. Jacob gives me ill feeling every time i watched AI.

      Im not against gay people since i love adam lambert but just his style too much !! weird just sooo weird

    • Fox news reports Jacob was arrested before idol and begged the judge to let him off of probbie to be on show. He was riding LA Metro with no ticket

      • I agree Elise…Let It Go…:-)

        Also in response to Lee above…I am not a hard rocker but I love James…He can sing and he does not achreech…just saying. 🙂

  43. Loved Paul's smile – and I really liked him, too! He was fun. Sorry to see him go so soon. Glad it was not Casey. But, Oh, please Lord, take Jacob next !!!!

      • I absolutely can not believe Paul is out and Jacob and Stephan are still there? What the hell is wrong with everyone? But I too and very glad Casey is still there. He is the most talented all around musician they have ever had! I will miss Paul's gorgous smile!!! 🙂

      • Oh, and I cant even stand to look at Jacob! Im not sure what it is other than the clothing that is completely too loud or completely too small, but he needs to go asap!!

      • Casey is that a good musician, not an actual good singer which is what AL is about singing and performance. Paul has a beautiful smile, yes he does but not a good singer either.

      • Paul has beautiful teeth, a unique chicken dance and a suit with flowers.. glad he went home. No he can work on his pitch

  44. Bummer… i love Paul so much. The imperfection is just the interesting point. Perfection is boring. Paul's voice just so distinctive and if you hear that voice in the radio you will suddenly knowing him. I personally think he is way much better and interesting than Jacob, Stefano, Pia (all those with perfect voice, but no style, no individuality and no personal signature)…I love Paul's stage performance…you just hate it or like it 🙂

    But im glad he wont be american idol winner since he just need popularity to be a finalist and he can set the record deal outside with his band and his own songs…nobody will dictate him if he is a winner of AI.

    Cant wait for his record come up !

    • I agree, and have to at least praise Paul for going out with that smile and his head up, no tears! I think of all the contestants, he and Scotty have the most distinctive recognizable voices and the best chance of a long lasting career. It's tough for any singers nowdays and face it–not that many Idol winners have lasted too long. Scotty will because he's just "born with it." That to me is why it's worth keeping Idol on TV. Someone like Scotty can come along out of nowhere and setting foot on a stage with so much exposure is all he really needs whether he wins or not.

      Oops, I was supposed to be talking about Paul. Wish he could have stayed longer since there were only a few of his song choices I wanted to download. Hopefully there will be a CD available someday! Don't give up Paul!!! You've got what it takes!!! I'll miss you!

      • He already does – check out Amazon – Paul McDonald and the Grand Magnolias. really be impressed with him doing original music vs. covers

    • He is from Nashville, you better believe someone here will pick his up, but as you know, it will have to be after the tour. That one good thing about it, they will all be back together for the tour. And in my opinion this will be the best tour ever.

      • I didn't expect him to win, but I am not ready for him to be gone already. I am so mad that Paul went before Stefano and Jacob. Please check out his band, The Grand Magnolias on iTunes. If you liked him on Idol, you will love his original music 🙂

      • Actually he is from Huntsville, Alabama…close enough…FYI…last week an article came out that he was dating Nikki Reed of the Twilight series fame…wondering if this had anything to do with his lack of votes…read an article on him today that said he is still dating Nikki Reed (officially) and she was happy he got eliminated so that he would be able to work on his creativity. He also plays the piano. I am glad for him and it was nice to see his gracious exit…I don't really think he is too upset with the elimination.

    • Idolfan, I totally agree with everything you said. I will purchase his music. Also will purchase Scotty's music.

  45. WOW totally surprised that Paul got sent home last night he was so outgoing and really knew how to get the crowd going he should have never got voted out. WHO IS VOTING FOR JACOB, CASEY AND STEFANO cause those 3 NEED TO LEAVE NO-WAY can they be the next American Idol. Jacob needs to try out for broadway or something cause his boring songs and his faces make me want to barf. Casey what were they thinking when they saved him he isn't good at all and he is DRAMA I mean how many more times is he going to pull the "Im about to faint" card geez stand up. Stefano yup has been in the bottom 3 how many times YA there is a reason for that YOU AREN'T GOOD!!! On a good note…Lauren and Scottys duet last night was AMAZING!!! Lauren has a REALLY good chance on winning the whole thing!

    • what surprise Paul out! Since day one I thought he sud hv gone instead of Thia or Pia. Wonder, what people see in him, dressing was terrible, his movement, so irritating… Glad he s out.

      • He's unique, knows how to give a good show, is his own person, makes each song his own and is an awesome jam. Unlike Pia and Thia who were a couple of snores.

      • You read my mind. Not the strongest vocalist but the best performer by far. He got the crowd into every song, was so fun to watch. This season just lost a lot of it's entertainment value with Paul leaving.

      • Paul makes the song of his own because he can't hit the right notes…He would have left two weeks ago

    • It's about time Paul got sent off.. He has unique abilities but he cant sing. I am voting for Jacob you else has pipes like that… how do u think Kelly Clarkson or even Jennifer Hudson won???

      • Lily, what does that mean how do u think Kelly Clarkson or even Jennifer Hudson won???Are you saying that they weren't talented? And by the way Jennifer Hudson didn't win, she was voted off. She won an OSCAR sweetheart……..

      • Lily, Jacob needs to go. I don't particularly care about his holier than though attitude.

        And he isn't that great vocally. He may make an average gospel singer, but that is about it.

    • if one of the contestants are beside sthepahno in the bottom two sthephano is saved and the other is screwwed, look at casey eliminated beside sthephano(casey then got saved), pia eliminated and now paul, so if james is beside sthephano in the bottom three james will be goig home as you saw what happended to pia, paul and casey

    • TaraMN I ask myself every week "who is voting for Jacob, Casey and Stefano"?

      Jacob makes me leave the room. Barf? Yup for sure. Drama Queen with a lecturous attitude.

      Casey. I just don't understand this at all. One more growl or ummmmmm and I think I'll hurl. Looks like AI is trying to clean his looks up a bit. Each time I see him the hair is shorter or darker and parted or not. The "Wolfman" look is gone but the growls and umms still remain. Drama Queen

      Stefano. Can sing and tries very hard to give the judges what they want. Still just not memorable for me. Just my opinion. At least I don't want to "barf/hurl" when he sings or the camera is on him.

  46. Obviously you are not a Country fan since the guy in a cowboy hat was nominated for best new artist this year at the Country Music Awards. You probably didn't recognize American Honey by Antebellum that Scotty and Lauren sang either?

    • I am not a country fan either and just in case you did not know not everyone in America is into country music. Thank the Lord for diversity and for choices..

    • JW, I recognized Jason Aldean whose song with Kelly Clarkson is #1 on CMT and on Billboard County. I love the song and I also love Scotty and Lauren's duet. For the record, also loved Casey and Haley's duet. I would like to see more shows like this from American Idol…..awesome show. Will miss Paul.

      • Dd any one else think that Scotty sounded off-key in his duet? I'm not sure he's as good as everyone thinks. The country twist he puts on songs is getting too familiar sounding.

  47. Paul was fun and a real gentleman — handled his departure with grace and style.

    James, Scotty, Haley and Laura all have legitimate star power and all in completely different ways (as did Pia who could have been saved but for a wasted exercise of the "save"). Predict (hope) departures in the following order: Jacob, Stefano, Casey. That would lead to an exciting and potentially very competitive "final four" — Scotty has been cruising and the consolidation of votes in favor of others could make for some real fun.

      • Yes, go go James right out the door! Ahahaha, jk. That's mean. Lets not be bullies, however, shockingly, I would rather see Jacob and Stefano leave before James.

    • pretty sure James will be down to final 3 or 4. I may be mistaken, but James, Scotty, and Lauren have never been in the bottom 3, they'll most likely be there till the end. I'm hoping Haley passes up Lauren, but I can't speak for everyone.

      • I think Haley is an absolute fox. But, she is not a singer I would pay money for a CD from. She screeches way too damn much.

  48. Buenos Dias a todos.

    Es sorprendente el desprecio que sienten por Jacob, sigo esta pagina todos los dias y me quedo con la boca abierta de como odian a una persona que solo hace eso cantar en este reality, que si es bueno o malo ya se decidira, pero para sacar elogios de Randy, que ha visto artistas de cualquier talla alogo tendra este muchacho, por primera vez veo un comentario sobre su sexualidad esto no trata de eso es de cantar y creo que este grupo de chicos y chicas es lo mejor que ha pasado las ultimas temporadas.

      • Mauna. Learn another language!

        Yes, this is American Idol, isn't America full of Latin Americans??!!!

        Te escribo en inglés para que entiendas!!!

      • "American" doesn't just apply to the United States. Get a map. Canada, Argentina, Columbia,Brazil ….REMEMBER, there's North America, South America, Central America. The US is only a PART of America, just like the rest.

      • Mauna & Jose In this post have written people from different parts of the world Japan, Australia, Venezuela, Argentina etc, etc. American Idol is seen worldwide not only in USA And with great success indeed. So should be grateful that people with different languages ​​ give their opinion here.

        Be smart please ¡¡¡¡¡

        And if you want to know what they are saying go to the translator LOL

      • I think "US Americans" (To quote South Carolina's Miss Teen USA 2007) should be quite proud that people from all over the world are watching their young people in this contest. Instead of having contempt for other places, perhaps "US Americans" should welcome others. Maybe that's why when Americans travel abroad they're not treated so nice. I have American friends who put Canadian flags on their bags when they travel so they don't get as much spit in their food. Just sayin…

      • Don't split hairs. The show is USA American. And our sibling Canada is also English speaking. If you want to blog in Spanish, go to a spanish speaking site.

    • @Nelson Daza: Estoy totalmente de acuerdo con Ud. Aunque Jacob no es mi favorito no es razón para hacer comentarios ofensivos sobre su persona.El chico canta extraordinario solo que no seria un buen American Idol

      • For America: Nelson Daza I totally agree with you Although Jacob is not my favorite is no reason for making offensive comments about him. The boy sings extraordinary just not to be a good American Idol

        btw Gooo James he is awesome I just love the performance last nigth in group

    • Nelson Jacob es terrible!!! Hace unas caras espantosas, abre la boca como una lata de atún horrible. Voz tiene nadie duda y Randy ve eso pero la verdad no pagaría un céntimo por ir a ver a Jacob, ni regalado el ticket voy, ES SUPER FASTIDIOSO.

    • HuH???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????

  49. UNFORTUNELY PEOPLE ARE NOTVOTING CORRECTLY THE TOP 4 SHOULD BE CASEY, JAMES, LAUREN AND PAUL, WE ALREADY LOST PAUL. I HAVE STEFANO BUT I KNOW HE WILL MAKE IT ON HIS OWN AND ALSO JACOB BECAUSE THEY ARE BOTH AMAZING. BUT HALEY CAN'T BE BETTER THAN ALL OF THE ONES ABOVE I'M SORRY. SCOTTY I LOVE YOUR STYLE AND VOICE BUT YOU CAN DEFINELY DO BETTER. GREAT JOB AND MAY THE BEST WIN.

    • Scotty is the best talent but you are right he needs to jazz it up a bit but dont dont start screaming lot some

      • Scotty does NOT have the most talent, are you kidding me? Casey is talented, however, not an American Idol…Its a singing competition, so unfortunately Casey's talent isn't going to do anything for him…Which is upsetting…Vocally, Lauren, and Jakob can sing, I just can't handle watching Jakob. Top 4 will be Lauren, James, Casey and Dammit, it will be that Scotty, but not because he's talented thats for sure….

      • Hi hi Scotty's talent in question, lets see the outcome to me he is already the AI with Lauren, and Stefano or James.

      • ugh, Scotty needs to be more exciting if he expects majority of people to sit through his songs. He does have a plurality of the votes which is enough I guess, but still I fast forward through him most of the time now.

        Oh, and Haley is amazing stop being a hater! Just because her vocals aren't as strong as Pia's they are on par with Lauren's for sure and she actually knows what she's doing.

      • Yes Marilyn Scotty has talent, was born with it and expresses it in a professional way. I guess that was hard for you to understand.

    • If they are matching up the contestants number with the contestant they want to vote for then, yes, I am afraid they are voting CORRECTLY. Now, voting for the singer YOU want to win, that's a whole other matter!

  50. I can see it now! AI finale featuring the trip of Lauren, Scotty and Carrie. I would love hearing them. Their Lady A was amazing last night….While I think Scotty is better now, I would love to see Lauren win and blossom like Kelly and Carrie.

    • I think the duets and trios are a great improvement and hope that trend will continue. Group numbers are always awful, but WOW, Scotty and Lauren sound like they were meant to record together. Casey and Haley sounded well together two, I'm just not too much of a Jazz fan. I though that was Hayleys best performance yet. You've got to admit she is imroving!

      • A lot of people (myself included) think Haley has been improving a lot for the past three weeks now. I think she could very well be this years dark horse contender and make into the top 3.

  51. Stage performance is one thing, but voice performance is another and Paul's version of "Ole Time Rock & Roll was really, really bad and off key. The judges were apparently tone deaf Wed. night. Glad he is gone!!!!!! Stefano next.

  52. Scotty is just OK because he only sings in one style. Lauren and Hailey are both getting better every week. James Durbin has been my favorite from the beginning. He has an outstanding stage personality. I was sorry to see Paul go because he had the best smile and a distinct stage presence. Casey shouldn't have been saved and Pia should have been saved instead. Jacob has a great voice but he over emotes on just about every song. Stefano belongs in a boy band. I miss Naima!

  53. Sad to see Paul go but his latest performance as a singer warranted it. While others were predictable Pauls weak vocals could not capture Seeger's music. I'd like to see a Jimmy Iovine pick their songs week and how he could really mentor their voices for the remaining crew.

  54. Paul's exit from the show may have been the classiest ever. Paul gives off a happy vibe and I can't help smiling when he performs. He's professional, likeable, has great stage presence and, while his voice and style are unique, he's definitely marketable.

      • I agree as well…thought Paul was a truly likable young man..and his stage presence was energetic. I will miss the spark he brought with him. But, I really think he "wanted" to go…jmo

    • The man showed big time class, thanked the audience and AI for the experience, and sang a pretty good rendition of Maggie may despite the crushing news. Like him or not, you gotta give him credit for his classy exit. The other contestants came and gave him a group hug. The kids this year – they're just too much. You gotta love em.

  55. Jacob should have went home, then Stefano before losing Paul. I know we needed to lose a few guys, but who keeps voting for Jacob??? Not me! I'm predicting the finale to be an upset similar to Season 8 (I think that was the AL/KA season) Final 3 will be James, Scotty and PROBABLY Casey, but it would have been nice if one of the ladies got into the top 3. Votes will be fierce between James and Scotty, but Mr. All America loves you Scotty will edge out James by a few votes. Both will go on to have solid careers, but Scotty will most likely be selling CDs long after American Idol finally fades away…..

    • I agree that Scotty will have a career that will out-last American Idol. And it doesn't hurt that country music is his field of expertise. As love it or hate it … it is hard to ignore the fact that country is one of the few types of music that is actually selling music these days.

    • How was Season 8 an upset? Maybe it upset YOU, but it certainly was no upset. David Cook is one of the best American Idols to walk off of that stage.

      • Loool, boo Simon, boo. Season 8 was not the battle of the David's but what most people see as Kris Allen stealing Adam Lambert's idol crown. Personally I liked Adam more, but I can see how he might not have connected with mainstream America. Adam is probably better off anyway, nice to know you are just some guy pretending to be someone else.

      • Kris Allen is doing Christian Rock stuff which nobody listens to but that's where he wants to be. I think he could've gone a little more mainstream and a lot of people would hear about him. David Cook has been moderately successful with several releases similar to Adam Lambert.

      • David P…..Adam is on a world wide concert tour….David Cook is ok but no Adam thats for sure………Adam can carry an entire concert for 1 1/2 hours and the people wanting more….All age groups are represented…..I know, I was at one…..Better on stage then even on AI…..

      • I was only comparing their successes. In ranking of most successful Adam is just before David, hence them being similar (didn't say exactly). People kept saying they don't hear anything from him when he actually is doing quite a bit.

  56. Scotty doesn't just appeal to teenage girls! My bunch of friends are 30 somethings and we are all Scotty Fans!!!

    • His so called "sexual appeals" to majority to teenie boppers & minority to the cougars like u….lol!

    • Amen to that, I am in my mid 40's and I love him, so does my mom and all her sisters. They range 68- 82.

      Also my son is 24 years old and never was a big country fan, but he actually really likes Scotty and he thinks everyone this year is really good. He has a hard time picking a fav because he likes them all. Each one brings something different. We have a little bit of everything. Country, pop, rock, metal, jazz, R & B. It's just comes down to who and what music is most popular. I'm a country girl and I first started to listen to country because of Randy Travis, I love the throwback voices of country, traditional, that's why I love Scotty and his voice. I can listen to him all day long. I find it extremely soothing and completely enjoyable.

      • Even now I plan to buy the 1st CD's Scotty cut, Don't laugh, I'm 60 yrs old, and some other folks older than me loves him, his songs are so soothing… even if America doesn't vote him.

    • well put im 40 years old and im a guy ,but love his voice,and people keep forgetting he is just now 17,with that voice already,it is only gonna get better and more country,josh turner admitted that scotty is far along more than him at that age….

    • Any country fan of any age will like Scotty. Clearly, country is a larger demographic than people thought!

      • Absolutely!!! Everybody I know is pulling for Scotty. I am a southern girl and where I live, everyone loves Country Music, although we appreciate other music as well. If you go to the doctor's office or the grocery store, etc., what you hear is country music for everyone to enjoy. Go Scotty. You have a lot of fans.

      • I'm a 50 yr old female – definitely not in the demographics everyone assumes is primarily voting for Scotty. I'm not even a huge country fan, but I followed him from his first audition. I think he has tremendous upside. Remember he's only 17…he's only going to improve. I guess I think he's what American Idol should be: a discovery of someone with real talent and potential even if it's primarily in one music genre. This whole group has talent.But in my opinion Scotty stands out…I think it'll come down to Scott and Lauren..

      • WOW!~!

        Scotty not only can sing but can also do something else—-make everyone volunteer there age! What a hoot! I love it

    • Before I get a correction, I know-their, not there. My fingers move faster than my brain.

  57. OOOOOhh GOD…

    Hey america r u kidding me or whattttttt???!!!!!!!!!!!!

    whats in your mind when u r voting??!!!!!

    Stefano again in bottom3 and Paul elimination????!!!!!!whatttttttttttt!!!!!!!!!!

    JAckob should went home…

    THATS NOT FAIR…

    O GOD i will miss Paul he has a really nice soft voice and great characteristic and Performance…he has full package..

    my top3 is still: Stefano,James,Paul/Casey

    ps: I AM REALLY SAD FOR DEAR STEFANO…:(

  58. Scotty is good, but his range is limited and he sounds the same every week to me. I hope Jacob is the next to go home. Or Casey. Casey makes me cringe with his evil stares.

  59. Greetings from Spain.

    This is the 1st time I've watched American Idol.I watched the 1st episode just because Steven Tyler, but me & my girlfriend got addicted, we didnt expect seeing so many different talents!!

    We are very sorry Paul is gone, we wished it was Stefano instead (nothing wrong with him, nothing special either).

    However, Paul didnt need AI any further, so the sooner he gets his cd out, the better, we will love to see any of the last 11 in europe some day!

    We may even go to see the live tour in one of the dates… we're saving money!…

    Finally I think producers have ruined some of the contestants, they try to polish them too much, and sometimes that is not good…

  60. I love Casey's style. Scotty is a shoe-in. He is who he is. He'll be a strong country singer for years to come. James is an inspiration. Having Asperger's Syndrome and Tourette's and he is an American favorite. Casey and James put their all into their singing. James gets the whole audience going. Yay – James.

    • You are right. Scotty doesn't depend on flashy clothes or wild hair do's or any of the other glitter to get your attention. He doesn't need to. He is just what you see and that is enough. He isn't the best singer, but close. He doesn't have the wide range voice but has more than enough. He does have the best voice in the crowd and doesn't have to shout and yell to make his music. But most of all he is adorable and that with his voice is his biggest asset.

      • Sorry that James has those medical problems, which should have not been raised in a contest, for the pity factor. Those problems do not affect his voice or his demeaner

      • Lee. If pity was a factor then Chris Medina would still be in the competition.

        If people paid attention to the four of the guys singing on Thursday, you would have heard what a great voice James has. He just prefers to rock the stage….

  61. Casey is the best musician, and frankly, it is nice to think during his performances, they can be pretty complex. His career will be interesting to say the least.

  62. It was time for Paul to go. He is a fine singer, but his schtick was getting old. Now, lets get Jacob, Scotty, and Lauren off.

    • I'd say that's wishful thinking, Randall. Can't see Scotty going anywhere anytime soon other than to the top 3 and most likely right to No. 1!!

  63. Any guy that sings Ryan Adams "Come pick me up" is all right with me. That song is actually laced with profanity and they still let him do it . . . changing key words so that if you're not familiar with the song, it still sounded good. Granted, I am talking a few weeks ago, but Paul had me with that performance. Great song and he sounded great doing it.

    Agreed – take Jacob next. Or Haley. Or even Stefano. Stephano keeps dodging that bullet. But honestly, take Jacob next.

    It is interesting because I was initially excited that there was online voting because I won't vote if I am being charged from the phone company. But now I think I am realizing that I actually don't like online voting that much. I feel like people that aren't really that passionate – or 8 year old children with Facebook – are able to get on there and screw up the results for the people that are really passionate about it. Granted, I just admitted I am not passionate enough to be charged by the phone company, but you get the idea. If only passionate people voted, I don't think Pia would have left last week and I don't think Haley would have made it through this one.

  64. Jacob needs to go next week, should have gone last week. Can not look at him. weird looks. Final two should be Lauren & Scotty. Also do not like Casey. He is phony all the way.

  65. Paul was doomed to go but I am surprised he left ahead of Jacob, Stephano, and Casey. All the talk last week from the Pia fans that AI was going to lose fans. According the votes it was business as usual. My final three is Scotty, James and a toss up between Lauren and Haley. Unless Scotty misses a step I think he will the next AI winner

  66. The bad thing about this show is that it gets boring when your favorite leaves. In my case, i don't want Haley to be voted-off. I like her song choices, and honestly, the songs i listen too after the show (on AI albums) are from the ones that are leaving, like Pia, Ashthon… yeah… just these 2… but still, i want to watch Haley's performances till the finale. But i know she won't make this far anyway. Sad…

  67. James will win this competition! Jacob, Stefano, and Casey should be eliminated! I want to see a Scotty vs James showdown in the finale! Give metal a chance! Vote for james! 😀

  68. Stephano is like a mosquito that never dies despite being smacked several times.

    Scotty – I think he might just win it because, we really don't have an AI male country singer yet.

    James – My fav. The guy can sing any song. I root for him.

    Jacob – I can do without his over singing everything

    Casey – I think he is playing it safe with the "I'm an artist first" excuse. The Phil Collin song that he refused to sing required a lot more vocal talent than the Nat King Cole song. Seriously dude, the inverted bass is getting old.. you are not "Sting"!

    Haley – OK. She sings good but is not the fav.

    Lauren – Isn't it obvious that she is only come this far because she LOOKS good? Come on now..

    • Al, I agree with everything you said with one exception. I doubt Lauren has got this far based soley on her looks. As frankly her looks are average at best and nothing more.

      • Ali, we seem to have a different viewpoint on what is considered good looking when it comes to women. I can except that. But, since when is making it in the music business with average looks considered and bad thing? And why is my saying she looks average considered "harsh" to you?

      • I agree with you Steve. Lauren is cute and a bit on the chubby side. If looks kept someone on the show, Pia would still be there.

    • Lauren Looks good?? she got a pairs of biceps (or even her figure!) look exactly like Serena Williams…lol!

    • No no, Haley's fan base is growing pretty quick. The haters want to make it like it's not. Out of the top 7 she is the only one that is really evolving as an artist. You have to be able to evolve unless you are a country singer because country fans are like sheep that just go wherever the country music is. How did people have decades of success in the music industry? They evolved into better artists, like Haley. Vote for Haley people!

      • I love Haley as I loved Paul. They both have a damn good time performing and I have a damn good time watching them. Haley is the most versatile, she can do anything, but I think James will win.

    • Lauren is not a skinny minnie but she is just a little darling. She's so young and innocent – she tears all up when people leave. She's very pretty and it shows when she smiles. Her voice is not the most powerful but she has very nice tone and very good pitch. If she put out a country album, I know my wife would buy it – and I would surely listen to it.

      • @ Northern Guy…awwww…that is sweet. My husband is pure country…from what he calls the Hank Williams, Sr, Mele Haggard, Tom T. Hall, Johnny Cash, Loretta Lynn…and on and on…I am the Rocker in the family…He thinks that "Garner boy" (Scotty) sings real country. I say James sings "real Rock"…we just have different tastes in music…I have my CD's in my car and he has his in his truck… 🙂

    • Stephano is like a mosquito that never dies despite being smacked several times.

      OMG!!! roflmao!!!! that was great!

  69. The great thing about James is that he can sing the rock songs where you really don't hear the sweet quality of his voice as you hear when he sings a ballad or as he song last night with the sounds of silence. I am so glad for him that he can immerse himself so completely into his singing and I thought it was so sweet when he cried one night with the passion he felt when he was performing. He always seems to have such a good time being on stage. Bravo James.

      • @Phyllis and Rose: I've decided it's in Haley's best interest to get you two on board the Haley train due to your insane passion and go get 'em attitude. So I'll make you a deal. I'll vote for James if you guys vote for Haley. We'll have a flippen awesome James/Haley finale that will knock your socks off. How's that sound? 🙂

  70. Also, I wish the bloggers were more like the present judges. Forget about putting down the singers you don't care for and instead write about the singers who move you , inspire you, are great performers, or are, just plain cute. I always write about the guys, but among the girls I think that with more experience Lauren can be a great country singer. She's already very good. I wish they wouldn't put so much makeup on her. She's one girl who is a natural beauty.

    • Okay Deb:

      Now THAT's what I'm talking about!

      You're IN IT to WIN IT!

      Wow. Beautiful! Just beautiful!

      I got goose pimples all over!

      You really connected with the audience!

      Okay, I'm getting queezy.

  71. Heavens please for mercys sake – someone teach Jacob how to use his voice!!

    Paul was the right choice to leave- he's lovely but out of tune singing gets a bit old after a while.

    I'm really fed up with the way the producers are trying to influence the voting with extra bits of of screen time for some. And while I'm venting for goodness sake get rid of those 2 "expert" mentors -who is it william and jimmy – their advice is rubbish no wonder half the singers are ignoring it.

  72. Stefano shouldn't go. My picks for bottom are:

    Jacob

    Scotty

    Haley

    How Jacob lasted this long is beyond me. Sotty is just a flute and should not have been saved. Haley, I am sick of her growling!

    • Stephno can sing – he just needs to get some style. Blue jeans and a t-shirt are cutting it.

      Scotty will do well in country circles but he needs to turn loose of mic. He always has two hands on it with his head cocked, it's annoying.

      Jacob can sing I hate to watch him because his mouth gets bigger and bigger and bigger…

      Haley is good, a little Janis Jopplin mix but don't think she will make it to end.

      Casey is OK but not great will soon go

      James will hang in there till the end – he actually can sing along with Lauren and Scotty.

      • Are you KIDDING me stephano can sing?! He needs to go home ASAP. His departure is LONG over due. His best vocal came in on a backstreet boy song. Like seriously. BSB!!! who can't sing BSB?! The ONLY reason he's still there, because teenage girls think he's cute. He's lucky for that.

    • shouldn't go because you think he's cute. admit it. honestly, compared to the rest, he's got no talent. The diversity of the other contestants leaves him wayyyyy behind the pack. how he is still there is beyond me. PIA should of been there and stephano gone that night. Obviously some ppl are lucky and some aren't.

  73. The country vote is big and loyal and will make Scotty and Lauren do battle for AI

    cheers frpm Australia

      • I love reading comments from other countries. I am totally amazed at how many viewers there are from other countries!

  74. estoy triste por la eliminacion de paul mc donald;

    el tiene carisma, voz, personalidad…

  75. I have been cheering for Casey-Scottie-and Lauren-they are my personal favorites-butI think James is very good-just not my cup of tea kind of music-as for the rest-Stephano and Jacob so need to go home-and Haley is doomed even though she is a pretty good singer-she is not consistant-I originally liked Paul but he just got too off the wall for me-It was time for him to go home-Love Idol this year-alot of really great singers

    • I believe the top 3 will be Scotty, James and Lauren with Scotty winning. Casey is so dramatic (cry baby) and weird, Haley is arrogant, Jacob is very arrogant and Stefano is a nice young man with a beautiful voice however he is boring.

  76. For all of you who love Scotty so much – come to Nashville at any time. Walk into any karaoke bar in this entire city. You will dozens of people who sound just like Scotty – some even better. He has a great voice, but it is nothing unique.

    And who keeps voting for Stefano? This kid can NOT sing. Listen to him. Really listen to him. He has a whiny pitch, he sounds like his voice will crack at any moment. His song choices are beyond boring and predictable.

    I am so sad to see Paul go. He was quirky, unique and very entertaining. Every week, his performance was the one that I was most excited to see.

    • I TOTALLY agree with you!!!! who the heck keeps voting for that guy?! he'll be good as a boy band but not an american idol.

      • It's all the little girls that have never been to a bar that vote. It's always about the 13-15 y/o girls.

      • It's not just about the voice. Sure there are some good singers in Nashville without a record deal. Half of them look like 40 miles of bad road, and have no charisma. Nowadays, singers make their money touring not from CD sales. Scotty is young, fresh, cute and has charisma and stage presence. And he's clean cut. That's GOLD in Nashville.

    • You are so wrong about Scotty. I have been to many of these honkytonks and there are some good singers but not good enough to cut records. The problem with country today is there is too much crossover music and not pure country like Scotty sings. He has a unique voice and AI will give him a big boost to become a Country star.

      • Yes, he does have a very pure country sound, but is just a good singer or is an artist? I haven't really heard him put his own unique spin on any song this season. He sings each song very well, but if he is the winner, I feel that he will become a "puppet" and just sing the songs that are given to him. I wonder if he will be able to contribute to his own career by writing his own songs and adding something truly unique – other than the strange way he holds the microphone! 🙂

      • The problem with your "grow up" comment is this: AI stopped being a singing competition a long time ago. Even the judges say so. Performance, stage presence and look is clearly very important to the judges, so beth commenting on the way he holds his mic is relevant, because its part of his stage presence.

      • And that stage presence has obviously captivated millions of people as Scotty is the front runner. He can hold the mic like a flute all night long if he wants and it is fine with me.

    • I have been to a karaoke bar in Nashville and you are right! There is alot of talent out there. I loved Paul's uniqueness. I will miss him. But since he is living in Nashville now let me know when he performs and I'll come up there to see him.

    • Yep. He's good but highly over-rated. His Itunes song sounded mediocre at best. He's not the next make country legend by a long shot – if anyone is guilty of karaoke performances it's Scotty. But he did do a great job on Elvis night. He's got great potential, but his voice needs some work. If he had some vocal training to add that last bit of polish on his voice, he could go a long long way.

  77. This has certainly been the best qualified lot of finalists on the show. The styles are all so different. I think each of the remainders has the ability to hit a home run at any given moment. Haley does need to find a niche because she has what it takes but is hard to nail down (I like that actually), so her fans scatter somewhat. Casey is fun but his rope is getting short. Stephano lacks elements of comfort in his showmanship but can sing; he is also getting short and has been lucky. Scotty shares the country vote with Lauren and once one slips up, the other will be a tough contender (I expect Scotty to win out if delivers a low register country swoon power hit to the ladies). Jacob's gospel roots are growing as tired as Pia's pageant persona did; he's not going all the way. James is an Adam Lambert'esque metal rooted awkward but charming wonder boy. He's hard to figure in this. It's all about the song choices from here on out. I pick Haley, Scotty and James in the top 3 barring a total screw up. For the record, none of them owned the stage like Paul; he was the most comfortable up there I've seen.

  78. It should have been Jacob or Haley that went home last night. Paul will be missed – and Stephano should have been in the bottom three. The Scotty/Lauren (who looked great) was wonderful – have them sing together every week! Casey/Haley – ugh. "The Graduate" medley was terrific. WHY IS HALEY STILL IN THIS COMPETITION?? The Final Three will be 1) Scotty 2) James and probably 3) Casey. Interesting!

    • She's still in because she's awesome. And the duet with Casey was fantastic. You can say you don't appreciate her style, her voice, her awkward walk, you don't get it or w/e but you can't say she shouldn't be there because she deserves to be there. Only reason Paul, as much as I like him, was there for so long was he had the VFTW pick.

  79. My assessment, judging by the comments on here, is that James fans find Scotty anoying and Scotty fans find James anoying. But if everybody was being honest with themselves they would realize that it is because they're eachother's closest competition. It will be a Scotty vs James finale (really a country vs rock&roll finale).

  80. Hi All – here is my summary on last night, and Wed night, since I didn’t write anything yesterday. Overall I thought the performances were fairly good. They all sounded decent.

    Before that – I do have a growing issue, what happened to the Idol, picking the song? What is with Will.I.am and that producer on every show? Telling them this or that song? Get rid of them! The half-way arguments are almost annoying me more than anything. What happened to the contestants taking a song, making it their own as an artist? All of them are basically singing the song, AS IS. That is a big change from prior years.

    “That was kind of karaoke dog” Come on Randy, where are you??

    On to the talent, I personally thought James, Stefano, Lauren and Haley in that order, did good jobs on their songs, others so-so. Scotty sang it well, but boring for me. Casey, I love him, but thought that song was boring, terrible and poor bad choice. In the Air tonight, also poor song suggestion for him. Look at the list and even the suggestions on this blog, MUCH MUCH better ones out there. Jacob, has range and a style, but man it’s really hard to listen to, it’s almost exactly the same every week. I think I know where votes are being funneled to, I just don’t get it. Paul did not pull that song off at all and was correct to go. He has a specific vocal style, yes, and I like him, but it was time.

    Last night, I do like the pairs more than group songs, because basically they don’t know how to harmonize, in the least. Most are too young to know how is my guess. When they do the pairs, they can highlight the vocals at least. Overall, it’s time to make the show a little more fun, stop with the boring songs on Thursday’s. Rihanna included, at least she was better then Iggy Pop. I thought Idol show on Thur did not do justice to Movie songs. AT ALL, so many ways to correct that, even a medley of songs that would have been cool. Songs that absolutely remind you of a movie!

    I am very much pulling for the “show” Idol to step it up coming into the home stretch!

    I have one massive concern, I feel like we are one step away from this show is going to an Idol on camera doing sabotage comments about other Idols, trying to steal and win more votes more like reality tv. Please stay with your very close to Disney innocence of a show, friendly, upbeat and yes with tension/drama of leaving ok.. All the disagreements with producers and I am fearing the worse…

    • Nice summary Dan, pretty much agree with you.

      Of course your biggest understatement was saying , "at least Rhianna was better than Iggy Pop"! So very true!

      How come there wasn't a bigger outcry unleashed by the youngsters and oldsters alike about warning of the danger of being in the same room as a '70s survivor of psychedelic drugs who somehow appeared live on tv strung out on crack cocaine while having an LSD flashback?!

      And all you can say is, "at least Rrhianna was better than Iggy Pop"?!! C'mon People!!

      But, otherwise, I agree with your summary.

  81. Jacob is really maturing as a singer. As a matter of fact, I'd say he is singing like a man possessed…..by at least 7 different personalities. Pick a range Jacob.

  82. I loved Paul and his attitude…he brought such class to the show. I will miss him. He was fun to watch and a real class act. I do also, like the duets and the contestants doing the singing. I can do without all the guest spots. Good luck Paul. With your personality, you will go far. I hope Jacob and Stephano are next to go. James for the win

    • @ Kathy from PA…I totally agree with you on all counts. James for the win is right~!!! 🙂

  83. OMG I CANT BELIEVE PAUL WAS OTED OFF SO EARLY I THOUGHT HE SHOULD OF MADE IT TO THE TOP 5.

    I really thought Jacob should have gone home this week hes peformances are really getting anoying he can sing but hes anoying.

    I thought the top 5 would of been Paul, Lauren, James, Casey and Scotty

    This was my top 5 because i know these 5 can actully sing and can bring it far in the music bussniss and plus These 5 always brought the most fun peformances AI is just getting boring because america keeps voting of the fun people

    I will miss Paul but now that Paul is done hes just goingto be like Hedley the lead singer Jacob was on canadian idol but didnt win and now his band Hedley is making it huge in the music bussniss and so will pauls band

  84. Lets face it, inorder for any of these contestants to have made it this far they have to have a good voice. What it comes down to now is everyone's individual preference and who takes the time to vote. There is a very wide variety of talent and different styles. If someone sings gospel, hard rock, jazz etc… just because you don't like it doesn't mean they can't sing or are bad. Blaming the contestants that are continuing on each week when your favorite is eliminated is just plain stupid. They are all working hard to stay and shouldn't be insulted just because they made it through. It must be tough having all that pressure, working day and night to fulfill your dream and watching people you have become close to get sent home each week. People need to grow up and not act like sore losers and stop looking for excuses.

  85. on a completely different track……am I the only one who thinks that Scotty and Casey have weird facial expressions while singing?

    • Well, I saw here once a comment where the writer was pointing out how weird facial expressions Scotty has – while his/her favorite was Casey .. haha, made me laugh. But I do share your opinion, they both look funny!

    • You girls (?) should try listening to the music and save your funny faces for the mirror

  86. I don't post much on here, but it kind of shocks me that so many of you can't see obvious talent. Casey has got to be one of the most brilliant musicians ever on AI, if not the best. That's why they praise him. That's why they saved him. And if there was ever anything shady in the voting, it was Casey being voted off in the first place. In my opinion, that was all rigged so that the judges could use there save and get it out of the way. I am sure alot (if not most) of you will dissagree with me, but that's ok. The opinion of all the Brittney/Beiber/Miley ect fans out there is an insult to real music anyway. I kinda hope Casey gets voted off, that way he can get away from the influence of AI sooner and go on to make grammy winning albums.

    • Can you even name me a popular jazz performer of today? Somebody the average person may have heard of? Come on, educate me. While I can't deny Casey's talent as a musician, I just don't see how he could ever be considered an "Idol."

      • Yeah – if James is a stretch doing rock and metal, then Casey is a super-stretch being the first Idol jazz artist. He's neat, and talented and genuine, but I just don't think America will WANT a neat, talented and genuine Jazz artist as their next idol. I could be wrong, but I think Lauren, Scotty and James will all outlast him – definately the latter two.

    • Oh I agree he wont win. But that does not mean he isn't one of the best. As far as popular jazz of today? omg man, Nora Jones? Sade? (pronounced sha-day) I agree its not the kinda music that most AI watchers listen to, but that does not mean it's not good music.

      • I agree with Northern Guy- Casey is unique , but I don't see him outlasting James Lauren and Scotty. And say what you want about the Brittney/Bieber/Miley fans out there, they have an impact and shape the trends because they're the ones listening/voting/buying as much or more as anyone else. Who is to say that their taste is an insult to music? People say that about every young generation.

    • Esperanza Spalding who won a Grammy for Best New Artist of the Year on February 13th 2011 beating Justin Bieber is a Jazz artist and her instrument is an up-right bass like Casey… 🙂

      • That's because Esparanza Spalding is a real artist! She'll be around forever like Sarah Vaughn and Ella Fitzgerald. Beiber is just another face with fancy hair, he'll go the way of all baby faced teen pop stars.

      • on and btw,my reply above about Esperanza is for Tim329 comment ><

        And maybe its time for hard metal too in the wave of Tenacious D movie (although i just cant take their lyric seriously but their tunes is classic!)

      • In music business, at the end of the day, the most sought figure is not the trophy you won but the number of sales of your album. Justin Bieber is far better in this figure than Esperanza…

      • all the artist that be considered in the Hall of Fame is those who gets a Grammy… Its all artist dreams to won a Grammy (whatever category) because its a recognition among fellow musicians / artists :). except for the artist before the Grammy exist. They will be considered amongs the musicians panel 🙂

    • Casey could be a good artist, but to consider him as the most brilliant artitst out there is kind of absurd when you see more talented singers out there such as Scotty, Lauren, James… Also, how could someone consider him a brilliant artist when everytime he gets out of tune, he growls, and then clears his throat many times just to get back in tune… very obvious sense of disguise…

      • when is he out of tune? please clarify… if u know jazz,theres is no way u will say that he is "out-of tune" 🙂

      • jazz and blues is a complicated genre note wisely. When other genre play at D /G/A or any other note they will sing at the precise note they play. But jazz n blues different, they sing at D/G/A/ or whatever notes but they arrange it with a complicated notes at the beginning with either mayor or minor notes and then it will combine beautifully at the note they sang. Its a complex notes if ur not uses to hear with pop or any other genre. Just like Classic soneta. Its a complex of tunes. At 1st its sound weird,but the more u heard it its harmonize beautifully 🙂

      • thats why jazz artist sometimes scats when they sing to make people to realize that the truts is they're not out of tune 🙂

      • Nah, LOLOL. Scats are extemporaneous rifts–which really helps make jazz what it is–unique and wonderful.

  87. What is this people? One by one leaves everyweek and the last one left is told to be won the idol..then he/she also disappears…

    A very few people who left in the middle becomes more successful.

  88. I was never a Paul fan, but I was won over by him last night, he showed true class when it was announced that he was going home. He told everybody not to be sad and I read his exit interview and he said he's looking forward to performing his own songs again. I really wish him luck in the future.

    Now looking ahead. I'm glad that a girl did not get eliminated. I see Lauren making it to the top 3, Hailey might be around for the top 4 or 5. Next week I think it might be Jacob and Stefano's time to go, and Casey after the both of them are gone. The top three will be I believe Scotty, James, and Lauren, with Scotty and James facing off in the finals. Not sure which one will be declared this years winner though.

    • Good predictions Shawn, but I think anything can happen and nobody is safe. But I get your line of thinking. I think Scotty versus James is likely – but maybe Haley and Casey and Lauren will end up duking it out for a spot in the top three. Song choice for everyone is very critical at this stage – and they need to BRING it – vocally and performance wise.

      • @ Northern Guy. @ Tina Mary. I agree with both of you. I think it will come down to the Rocker versus the Country Star…and…Shawn, yes, Paul did handle his exit with a lot of class. He was extrememly likable and energetic. I truly wish him well. 🙂

    • i feel the same as you do. i really think one of them 3 will win. i just dont know which one. love all 3 of them.

    • I agree with you Shawn regarding Paul. Not my favourite either, but his "Maggie Mae" was great. A very classy exit for sure.

      Jacob, Stefano and Casey would be my guess for the next to go as well.

  89. I like Casey but agree he has to stop fainting whenever he gets praise. Did you see how lost he looked when Haley got all the praise after their duet?

    • Casey is immature for his age. He is also extremely emotional. I am not sure he would make a very good representative for American Idol.

      • Casey is the only son of a couple who had him after their mid-forties… he is probably as spoiled as it gets.. poor little baby with so much stress (yeah right…)

    • No, missed that. How did he look? (But heck, I would have felt the same way, I'm sure.)

    • I totally agree….so much drama from Casey & Jacob….hard to watch it. My wish is that these 2 go home in the next two weeks.

      Don't have a real favorite after Pia & Paul….probably Haley.

      Please just stop all the dramatic acting! Sickening to me!!!

      • Glad you said it Suzie. The dramatic acting is getting sickening.

        As for Haley, again not my favourite but what's with just critiquing her and no comments to certain others about bad timing, pitchy and breaking out of their comfort boxes. Fair's fair judges. What you do for the goose you should do for the gander!

        Have to give Haley credit. She takes a lickin and keeps on tickin.

        Wish the judges would tell the "drama Queens" to give it a rest. This is after all "American Idol" not a soap opera.

    • I loved his dumbfounded look Lindy! It was as classic as the ending of an episode of "bully beatdown" when the jerk that's high on himself gets taken down!

      I commented elsewhere that when they asked Kelly what she thought of Casey, I was hoping she'd say something like, "Just loved his 'background' harmonics during Haley's Scat Duet"! Would've been a Classic TV moment!

      • now now now…Coonnie…Dont go all hating Casey…give the poor guy a break….I know you got a mad crush on Haley and that you despise the caveman's paws on her but come on…:D. Maybe Haley be freaky. Maybe she like a little bit of growling and screeching and shouting..btw to completely change the topic..did ya see Rihanna's guitarist checking out her pom poms (ass) like every 5 secs…That dude be crazzyyyyyy…. he's playing the scales, then checking out her ass, then playing the scales and then checking out her ass…In the end she just walked away… That guitarist be crazzyyyyyy….

      • Grrr! Gautham, you playing on my weakness. Yes, I got it bad for Haley–and I can't stand the thought of Grizzly Adams making her squeal. I blame Casey for her being a bit hoarse on her "Call Me" the same night as he was clearing his throat as he sang–ironically–"Nature Boy". Grrr!

        But I'm not sure if you be stalking Rihanna or the guitarist?!

      • hahahahahahaaaa….I be stalking her pom poms too which kinda coincided with the crazy guitarist look at the pom poms…I be likey Haley too…[Get a little bit o snarling and growling and screeching and screaming (Said in a pitch perfect Arnold Schwarzenegger accent)].

        I am ninja pom pom stalker…i am..i'm like an angry panda..with furious fists of hell fire and feet of molten steel…i breather fire and check out pom poms…

    • he looked normal..stop reading into stuff that just isn't there… 😀

      Both Haley and Casey are so into each other…You could literally see sparks forming on the stage… Casey might look like a caveman but he's a player…First that Julie chick and now Haley… Hot chicks with musical taste like him….

      • Well..eww or not..he took that Julie Zorilla something chick to the prom…Remember her..she was in the top 24…She was hot…:D

        Is it the beard or the talent? i wonder?

  90. I just want to put in my two cents. From this point on, on Thursday nights, there are going to be some tears and some cheers when someone leaves. All of the top 11 are very talented and deserve to go on tour. All this bashing on this site is really poinless in my opinion. All of the contestants have worked hard and I think they all deserve what they have gotten. It doesn't matter who leaves next week; they'll still all be just as amazing.

      • Agree. I have enjoyed all of the top 11 and hope to see them on tour. I enjoy some more than others but appreciate their talent and hard work they did to get where they are. Of course, I have a favorite I would like to See Scotty as our next Idol but if not I hope I have more control than the judges did when Pia was voted off by the viewers.

      • Pointless? Where else can you go and kick the dog without actually kicking the dog?

    • @ Jessica…I agree. These contestants are working so hard. Not only do they have to memorize all the songs for their individual performances but for the duets, small groups, then have the Focus spot every week, plus what is planned for them and I believe Scotty and Lauren are still in school so they have "homework" on top of everything else. This must be a grueling schedule for all of them. I admire all the contestants for their level of professionalism. Great talent this year. 🙂

    • Yup, this is the best group of American Idol finalists. They are all great. Every week of elimination is always a pain to guess because there is no one you consider as the worst one. The Idol tour for the 11 finalists will definitely a blast. Worth to watch…

    • I think this is an extremely talented group. Each one has there own niche country,blues and jazz, soul, rockers, and heavy metal. It's been great entertainment and they will all benefit whether they become Idol or not. There are a lot of very important people in the audience every week and don't you think for one minute that some are not producers so if these kids are really hungry–they will go far.

  91. well i think that jacob should have left before paul but paul was def gone by next week. i wish him well, everyone is very talented and i see all of them doing something with there voices…

    TOP THREE WILL BE: JAMES,LAUREN,SCOTTY

    Even tho i do NOT like james he just has the fans for some reason

    I do like haley a lot and she is starting to get a fan base but it is not a big one she prob is improving the most out of all of the singers in this competiton… Casey i like him but i like him for him not his singing, he should go do his own thing not american idol. stephano… well he is doing better but i just dont see it he reminds me of a justin beiber r&b singer and thats cool i guess but its not me and not my taste im to old for that i am 22 and i would buy lauren, scotty and haleys cds.

    🙂 Haley should make it to the top five, stephano and jacob need to go like NOW! MORE JACOB THEN ANYTHING… WHO IS VOTING FOR THIS KID??

    • That's what I've been asking since the beginning – who is voting for Jacob??? Who are the demographics that like his weird singing style and nasal voice??

    • Your probably right because those are my bottom 3 and I never pick the Idol. Last year I voted for Krystal, year before, Adam.

    • @ Amy: Well, I have to disagree about anyone saying how much Haley has IMPROVED. I say she didn't need any improvement. I swear I loved her from her first yodel to her last jazz performance. That girl has had it all from the gitgo!! She takes the stage by storm!

      Uh, I like her a little bit, can you tell? 🙂

      • I love Haley too, and I have from the beginning, and I've never gotten how rough some people have been on her. People, go back and listen to her "Blue" and "God Bless the Child" and others. They're some of the best individual performances of the season. Gorgeous voice control, fantastic range, terrific power, and she's just never off-key. She may be getting better, but from a sheer vocal standpoint, she's been fantastic from the beginning.

      • Totally agree, her God Bless the Child was am-a-zing!! She most likely won't be in the top 3, but I'm hoping for top 5 or 4. But a James/Haley finale would be waayy more awesome than a James/Scotty finale or a Scotty/Lauren. Scotty/Lauren would be such a snoozer.

      • People jealous of Hailey. She have a perfect melodic sensibility, sexy all about her (her skin,eyes,body,growl,etc). Because the girlfriends n wives doesnt want their couple swooning over her LOLOL hahahaha jk 🙂

      • I totally agree about Haley..I really don't undestand why the judges have been so hard on her, but she's a class act and I hope she makes it to the final 2. Listening to Scotty the other night, I counted 4 times he missed up. Don't get me wrong, I think he sings good, but I feel the judges are hurting him by not giving him some criticism. I really don't see that he has grown any. I really hated to see Paul go. He was very entertaining and a class act. I'm sure he will be scouped up by some record producer..He's one of a kind..

    • paul was damm good and was my favourite, he deserved at least top 5, i am sad of the elimination, hop0e he has a great future

    • Amy, I agree with you that James, Lauren and Scotty will be in the Top '4' (not 3). However, my hope is that Haley will also be in the Top 4. Then, Lauren and Scotty will split the votes for "Country" and "All American Boy/Girl" (no offense meant, nice blocs of votes to have), so that only Lauren OR Scotty joins James and Haley in Top 3.

      Stay with me here. I hope it's Scotty, because if Haley can squeeze out James (and that's the longshot part of my theory, because James is as diverse in talent as Haley), then it'll be Haley and Scotty. At that point Haley will get most of James' voters, allowing her to be the New American Idol!And prettiest one since Kelly, Carrie, Fantasia (prior to the eating disorder)Sorry!

      Otherwise, your top 3 will revert to James and Scotty (post Lauren). Scotty would pick up Lauren's voters, James will have gained Haley's Blues and youth/middle-aged men admirers. But, it's still 50-50 at this point.

      Stay with me. The difference will be that while most of James' voters will vote vociferously multiple times, that 25% of Scotty's 'Granny Groupies' will only vote once ("like properly finished folk should") or not at all due to unfamiliarity with newfangled gadgets like I-phones and push-button phones that beep.

      In that case: American Idol–James!

      Two scenarios–James or Haley: Which is correct? I'm going with the dark horse Haley!

      • It's too early to discuss the finale. There are still 7 finalists out there. And don't forget… more shocking results are instore for the public.

    • You got me about who is voting for Jacob. I thought contestants couldn't have arrest records but he does. And he had to throw himself on mercy of the court so he could appear on AI and not be on probation. I guess the probation will be after AI ends. He's like those lying televison preachers who cast aspersions on others morals and lack of love but all the while they are doing bad things. I hate looking at his tongue week after week. Let go and serve his jail time or whatever it is that he needs to do.

  92. The judges made a mistake on saving Casey. Casey is an average artist who really does not stand out nor appear to be a likable. Casey is actually just as boring as the J Lo Show.

    • Scotty is boring. Casey's music is full of color and rhythm but I'm sure you wouldn't understand. I'll take this time now to say GO HALEY cuz she's the best!! 😀

    • I agree — was VERY clear who the better jazz singer was: Haley! And that's Casey's best category, whereas Haley does other stuff great too. She finally has her swagger back, and good moves, and is playing to the camera. The only thing she needs to do now is get voted off, since that is the definition of COOL on AI and the ticket to a record deal (reference Pia). No problem there — she's female and super talented, so she's prolly only got a week or 2 left. Hang in there, Haley — America will get you out of there soon!

      My question for Casey: What on earth does growling have to do with the song "Nature Boy?" Listen to the words, man. Should be sung entirely contemplatively. Nat had it. And — did you know that when you growl and moan you go all nasally? S T O P ! (I mean that in the nicest way.)

  93. I had to work this week and could not see AI – thank Branden for a great summary – I checked all the performances on you tube and loved that Moanin duet – Hailey and Casey – better than Scotty and Lauren – liked their first performance better. Paul had it coming for a while and Stefano is still hanging in there… At leat the voting this week was not as bizarre… I think top three will be James, Scotty and Lauren with James winning it this year…

    • @ Marta. I definitely agree. I think it will be James and Scotty for the #1 spot and James will win….I am sure Nasdhville is just waiting in the wings for Scotty…He really does not need to win Idol JMO

    • Basing on the trend of winning American Idol, the best usually doesn't emerge as the winner. Scotty might be in top 3 but will not win it. Anyway, he doesn't need to win to get a record deal. Based on the results each week, top 2 will probably be Lauren & James, even though my favorite is neither one of them….

    • I agree with you, unfortunately, because there is a lot of inmature people out there voting not for the best singer but for the "cutest"(Mad-magazine-face)

      • Very immature remarks… Hey, Scotty is cute that is why he's always safe… Stefano is cute that is why he's always in the bottom 3… Paul is cute with white teeth is gone… i would like to believe your "cute" remarks but I'm confused now.

      • Scotty is sincere and humble and he made all the girls love country music with his voice. That`s the reason why girls are voting for him every night.

      • Scotty has been safe and in his element the whole time up to now. He hasn't had to take chances but only stay consistent. That is about to change. He must break out of his comfort zone and branch out 23-25% of the vote was enough up until now. It will not be soon. IMHO

  94. I am going to go off the subject here abt Paul leaving and who really should be staying or leaving next or even be the AI in the end.

    What I have found over the years is that I have really looked for the one who had the best voice, the best stage presence and someone whom I would want to buy thier CD or see in concert and in all those years the only idol winner I choose was David Cook. He is a phenomenal singer!

    That aside the other ones I have loved were Chris Daughtry, Adam Lambert and Casey James and we can obviously see what Chris and Adam have made so far with thier carreers and I know Casey is on his way to making his 1st CD and I think he will do very well! So for me all of these people have had a great opportunity to "be discovered" and there will be a few from this season who will not win it, but will get the same in the end! So if my favorite of this season doesn't win, I will be ok with that because he has a great future ahead of him already! 🙂

  95. Okay, here is my two pennorth for what it is worth…

    Love and adore the sound that comes outa Scotties mouth…compelling. Also just wonderful to see how he has blossomed and relaxed into it knowing we are loving him. Something special there and puts me in mind of the greats of yester year, Jim Reeves et al.

    As for Paul… Sadly I think Paul was drowned out by bigger and more overt personalities, There was a subtlety about him that didn't stand out from the crowd. Would buy his cd though and his teeth must be the envy of Simon Cowell for whiteness and perfection, so there is a consolation!

    The big over emotional religious guy? Sorry, I don't get him. At times it has seemed the judges have been exercising tact when they used adjectives that appeared flattering but seemed to be saying, "What was that?!" I really am no musical expert but it doesn't always sound tuneful to me!

    Great pipes on James and yeah I enjoyed the Heavy Metal. I do worry for his back when he over arches though! Please!

    Chubby, angelic Lauren that seduced Stephen when she first sang for him… cute. Nice voice but doesn't excite me, I do have to say. Not in my final three, however adorable.

    Haley. Growl~ly sexy voice and dead interesting at times, probably more

    a boy thing l reckon but l think those bits of excitement don't cancel out the general ordinaryness of the rest. For me, that is. Undoubtedly a looker though and l reckon if she hadn't been that fab looking, she woulda been gone ages ago.

    Stephano? What a gorgeous lad and what a fab voice, real shame he has not managed to connect with the audience much sooner. Possibly shyness and a lack of confidence I reckon, though in trying to mask that which he does so successfully, manages to come over as almost arrogant which I am sure he is not. Has not deserved to be in the bottom three at all so far. So chuffed he is now feeling and showing the emotion in the songs. Last couple of weeks super duper.

    Is Casey that great? Too right he is. He has a stunning voice which incidentally we haven't been treated to for weeks because he is too busy show casing his weirdy alternative side. I get that he is a musical smart arse and I am pleased for him but now l want him to just cut the party pieces and let that sweet and powerful voice do the talking for him. Did he deserve the save? Certainly he did. But if he wasn't chubby and bearded l am certain the judges would have told him to stop showing off by now! It is like they feel he needs bolstering up, but he is doing just fine. The judges weren't slow to criticise Stefano for show casing himself but then he is very good looking and fair game for bringing down a peg or two in the judges eyes, perhaps?

    Well there it is folks. Make of it what you will.

    • That was quite a long post. Out of all of that the only thing that stood out to me was "The big over emotional religious guy?" You named every other contestant by their proper name. Whether you like Jacob or not that's your choice but at least give him the same respect you give the others. Seems eo be some undertones in this comment….

      • Alot of what you said I agree with, but was it really necessary to comment on Lauren's weight? I personally think she looks great and think your comment was rude, showed arrogance and was definitely not necessary. It has NOTHING to do with this competition.

      • To Cathy

        Chubby and angelic is rude…i'm sorry Cathy but you're the one who is ignorant.. She is chubby and so there is nothing wrong with saying it. What does it have to do with the competition? Excellent question but in a blog where more than half of the people write about how stupid, ugly or annoying or educated or self righteous a contestant is, saying one is chubby hardly seems to be the most inappropriate comment. I am not disagreeing with you but come on Methuselah did not mean any offense whatsoever…

      • Cathy, I agree. I think Lauren is a beautiful young girl…and she is a young girl. Shame on you methuser.

      • Sigh!, as much as it pains me Cathy and Mandy, I have to defend Gautham–who needled my Haley infatuation in #2Lindy above–and Methuselah (no pain). The Meth-man was simply describing contestants in an accurate, nonconfrontational manner. The description of Lauren as chubby, angelic, cute and adorable was classy.

        Another Sigh! I will grant you ladies this though. I'm sure you ladies recall the scene in "The Karen Carpenter Story" where a newsclip raved a long generous article about the up and coming Carpenters, but all Karen Carpenter could see amongst the thousands of flattering words was one phrase that mentioned "a slightly chubby girl with the voice of an Angel". And she went on to greatness, but died tragically of cardiac arrest brought on by anorexia.

        So, let's not overreact ladies, please!

    • I have to say that comments about a contestants weight, or obvious insult by leaving out one contestants name is uncalled for. This is a talent contest not a beauty contest anyway. Lauren is adorable. Jacob, while not my favorite deserves to be called by his name. I love them all, but my vote goes to Scotty.I think he is not only a very talented young man, but a real all-american kid that would be a great rep. for American Idol

    • Why no mention how chubby James looked when in a sleevelss tee shirt talking to the advising mentors

  96. If Simon was still here he would love James! He reminds me soooo much of my fave past contestants who have all gone on to be bigtime artists: David Cook. Adam Lambert & Chris Daughtry!!! I Miss those guys on Idol! 🙁

  97. Just for a little background – I sing professionally and have been vocally trained. I'm not a youngster and I'm not a fortune teller. The judging has been really unfair to Haley, and I'm kind of tired of hearing people mouth the judges opinions. Stephano connected with me plenty — I don't need a performer to moon over me through the camera — I need him to sing his heart out. Haley hits notes and performs great, plus she's cute and good spirited. Lauren Alaina has one hell of a voice, but the country twang is heavy, stealing some of her latitude. Jacob can wail and carry a tune — big deal. James has one of the sweetest clearest and best-pitched voices on the planet. If you haven't visited him on youtube – do it. I love rock and roll, but he could balance that out. Scotty – I like Scotty, but he's a one trick dog. The saddest thing of all is that Pia went out so early – visit her on youtube, too. I admit that I'm not a fan of Casey's, though if he wasn't doing that affected jazz thing, I think he can sing.

    I had to miss last season so I didn't see the Ellen judgements. This season I think the judges just agree with each other too much. Surely these three people with their different backgrounds could find some advice that would be really helpful. All in all, I'm loving the singers. A good bunch this year. I hope Stephano and Haley make it to the top three. I'm betting on James for first or second. The country singers do not need to win this thing. They'll have contracts in a week.

    My advice to all of them that are left — listen to Jimmy and quit being arrogant teenagers. These people are here to help you. And that goes for you, too, James. Do not think for one minute that you're going to get a recording contract where the producer just says, "sure, you can do whatever you want." Acting that way shows your immaturity.

    Final words: Good Luck to each and everyone of you.

    • An excellent analysis Deni! Do keep checking in to comment or summarize periodically. Well done!

    • Hi…Written well…But may i ask why you state Scotty as a one trick pony. Just wondering. I have heard this a lot but have never understood the reason..Most people just write down things they have read here and there but you seem to be an intelligent and insightful chap..so why? Also while i agree with almost everything you have written, i have to disagree with the Jimmy comment you have made…I am not saying that he's a commercial pig or anything like that. He certainly is good(maybe even great) at what he does..But don't you agree that in a singing competition mostly targeted at a pop music audience, artists of other genres might find it a tad bit unsettling at times to stray from their genres every week. I personally don't think that Casey and James were wrong in choosing to sing the song they want to. Honestly speaking as a metal fan, i was shocked that James sang a Bon Jovi song..

    • I agree for the most part but I like to judge on two criteria, how well they are currently trained and polish, against their basic raw talent.

      Paul was the most polished performer but lacks vocal range, while Pia was the most trained singer but little stage polish.

      Scotty and Lauren how the most natural voices with James not too far behind but ahead in stage presence.

      The style of training they have had whether self trained or with a vocal coach seems to defined them and in some ways limits them too.

      When I was in school we had a great chorus club with a excellent voice coach, but sadly my son's school only has band training due to major cut backs the last few years. This may leave many with the only cheap option being church training, which is very good but limited in styles.

      • Are you implying that kids who learn music through a band instrument have less of an understanding of how to perform or what music is than those that sing? What a narrow minded pov.

        I'll disagree until the cows go home about James' vocal ability. He's the worst in the top 13 as far as singing. The dude can perform (a bit over the top) and he knows when to scream so people can say 'oh look at his range' but that's about it.

        Lauren has a great voice but her age is really showing. She lacks experience and it really shows in her performances, same with Scotty. Scotty can be down right creepy sometimes

        For the remaining contestants the strongest performers are James, Casey, and Haley. The vocalists are Stefano, Lauren, Scotty, and Jacob. Who's going to win? The ones with exciting performances the audience can connect with.

        I think it's crazy that just because Casey and Haley are not necessarily classically trained people say they can't sing. People are always saying this is AMERICAN Idol. There's really not many genre's of music that are more American than Jazz.

      • No, I think band training(music theory and sight reading music) is very important even for a singer but it doesn't train them to use a singers instrument, their voice, for that you need a vocal coach to tune their voice and learn to project safely. Would a musician play a untuned instrument if he had a choice?

        I like Haley but I don't think she there yet but she is improving quickly so maybe.

        James as a very clear strong voice and I can understand the words he is singing but has trouble with a few notes still, so he has to works around them.

    • Deni, I'm happy for your good words for Stefano and Haley. Both are my favorites. Hope they will make it far. And lastly, your sweet advice to listen to Jimmy is super. I like Jimmy Iovine. His advice is totally genuine. I'm glad, Stefano is a good listener.

    • My opinion America got it right when Pia left, she is a one trick pony, ballads only,even though I do think she has a great voice for that kind of singing, she couldn't sing or perform the fast song very well. She has no personality and was stuck on herself. American voted the right way, she stated on the Today show that she thought they should change the way that they count the votes that the judges should have a final say. Well this has went on for over 10 yrs now and no one has questioned how America voted, so why change it now. American voters said it all!

      • Hail Mary!!!!!

        …………..

        Wow…that just came naturally…i completely agree..I was watching pia's last performance on rock n roll night…Oh my freakin god..It was so boring so boring.so so sooo boring…i actually felt sleepy…I kid you not..i actually slept for 5 hours…She isn't going to be very successful in my opinion..Maybe she'll ride high on the American idol wave but it wont last…

    • I wish Deni to be one of the judges, You`re better off than Steven and Jlo, and can somebody pls tell Jlo to stop talking while others are still talking..

  98. Branden, love your recaps! Will miss Paul, a classy exit! But glad the girls are safe. I agree with Deni's comment "listen to Jimmy". Song choice tres important & execution needs to be perfect. Curious about theme next week-B'way hits? Anyone's guess?

  99. be in bottom 2 with Stefano is the kiss of death, the contestants must fear being next to him. Stefano and I are bottom 2, I'm going home tonight.

    • Stefano must be a real fighter… remember, he survived that fatal accident. God really saves those who deserve to be saved…

    • Well, Haley has been in the bottom 3 more than once, too. So, maybe it's like predicting the winners during baseball season: Good to be ahead, but not really an indicator who will be the champs. Screw-ups –and life—happen.

  100. Jimmy Iovine should go next! seriously – he adds nothing to the show whatsoever his advice isn't good either. What a travesty that paul has gone; he had more charisma than everyone else put together and though not the most powerful voice he certainly had one of the most interesting and memorable vocal qualities. Bottom line – you'd pick Paul's voice out of a million – it is that distinctive. Stefano – although he can sing – his voice like his performances is so forgettable…here's hoping I only have to listen to Stefano for one more mind-numbing week of the Idol season with the most useless judges feedback ever!!!!!

  101. After Pia and Paul were eliminated, it is time to say bye bye to American Idol…..the remaining ones are just as boring as the judges.

  102. Paul should never have made Hollywood. He was rubbish in every aspect. Good riddance. There is a god.

    • That's an awful thing to say. I was listening to some HOT TUNA tonight and I said to myself, wow, this is Paul's sound. (If you don't know who HOT TUNA is, you're a young'un.) There most definitely is a market for his kind of sound, as there has been in the past.

      And, hey, when you get tired of hearing the same old sound on your CD player, you may just find one day that that the different sound hits a spot in your head and heart you didn't think you had!

      • Paul a nice guy nice soul, easy to listen to unlike a lot of todays so called commercial music and to say rubbish is harsh, he beat thousands of others to get this far.

      • Sorry Pup, but when you highlighted Hot Tuna (twice!), all I could think about was Haley!

        Now, cut me some slack all you Coondog Haters. I'd just been defending Haley against some Haley-Casey-Love agitators above, so I was all hot and bothered.–(and I suppose it didn't help that once again I had been nipping a li'l O' the Blackberry Brandy!)

        So forgive me, and can somebody loan me one of those after-post cigs that Debbie's Two Cents lights up after seeing Stevie T's boots under her bed!

        She said it herself–not me! ask her!

      • Connieeee….Whenever you mention Casey, there i will be.I am like Al Gore who hears the plight of whales and runs off to rescue them. The beard calls me..

        Sigh! Though it pains me (:D) especially after you referred to me as "Casey-Love agitators above," i come in peace to say that Coondog haters are all idiots.. Cigs are for wussies…take a cigar…

      • Ditto! It sounds like all the comments I am reading from extremly talented and experienced in the music genere. For your information, television tends to make people larger than they really are-very unfair to judge people on the physical appearances in my opinion.

    • The real top 3,

      Pia, Haley and Stefano.

      My new top 3,

      Haley Stefano and Scotty or Lauren.

      Unfortunately the likely top 3 based on the younger gals votes that seem to rule AI,

      Scotty, James and Lauren

  103. Casey and Haley should totally start a group together… They will kick everyone else's ass….

    The Beard will rule us all…..

    • you mean the Bored.

      Kidding! Casey is entertaining, though I thought Haley got the better of him on the duet. No doubt he could have taken advantage also, he just played it the way producers had them rehearse it. I thought their duet beat Scotty and Lauren's that night, but equivalent of S & L's first duet.

      • Hahahahhaa…. Bored would have better if it was Pia and Haley….just kidding…She's great..just not my cup of tea…I agree..Their duet kicked ass…Haley owned it..undoubtedly but here is what is amazing.. It took her to do a duet with casey to bring out this awesomeness…I mean she showed this side before when she sang "God bless the child" which i thought was one of the three best performances this season (all three sadly were during the Hollywood week for me). But after that she just lost herself..I do hope that she picks the right song next time…I do not want to see her or Casey or James go…

        Sexy Metal Beard…Go!!!!!!!!(Wow that was awkward to say)

      • good points on the duet Gotham. and Aha! Next time you try to get me riled regards Haley, just remember your Sexy Metal Beard faux pas!

      • Yes, Haley got the better of Casey in their duet… if I were to choose now who's the better singer between the two… I will choose Haley, she has a far better range. Casey has no range and clears his throat most of the time just to get his voice in tune… so awkward and yet he gets a standing O… duhhh!

      • OMG Randi,let me explain it again 😉

        when is Casey out of tune? please clarify… if u know jazz,there is no way u will say that he is “out-of tune”

        jazz and blues is a complicated genre note wisely. When other genre play at D /G/A or any other note they will sing at the precise note they play. But jazz n blues different, they sing at D/G/A/ or whatever notes but they arrange it with a complicated notes at the beginning with either mayor or minor notes and then it will combine beautifully at the note they sang. Its a complex notes if ure not used to hear other than pop or any other genres. Just like Classic soneta. Its a complex of tunes. At 1st its sound weird,but the more u heard it its harmonize beautifully.

        thats why jazz artist sometimes scats when they sing to make people to realize that the truth is they’re not out of tune.

        And about Hailey n Casey duet. Besides the fact that Hailey sings n look beautifully,but i give a prop more to Casey. Casey is a kind of artist that can bring out the best of other artist talent. His scatting that makes the audience starts to feel the groove 🙂

      • @Randi : and the last 3 notes of Nature Boy is justttt soothing n beautiful… not many singer can sing like that. If u dont believe me just try to imitate him and u know how amazingly hard those note he sing. Dont have range? now where did u get that? 🙂

      • Yo Lolol…

        hmmmmm..your name is so simple yet so strangely complicated…hmm..gotta think about this for a minute…..hmmmmm?

        Ok..so what i was saying was that there is really no point in trying to convince people the talent that Casey possesses… Seriosuly even if you do, they wont understand..They'll just go to wikipedia and read up on a few things and paste them here saying that they get it and that they're a fan of jazz and all that..Let them be.. These people (excluding coondog of course, i respect the guy) are all bieber and kaka people who will forever hang on to their ignorant and limited music thread for the rest of their magnificent lives…They won't get Casey and you explaining it won't help the matter either. Let them complain all day and all night…Let us simply vote to keep talents like Haley and Casey around..

        Shakalaka from beyond…

      • Hahaha,it make sense Gautham. Standing O for u dude ;). The 1 thing that make me shock is how the author of this web that call themselves a professional didnt understand it? Really 100x surprise me LOLOL 🙂

      • oh,and David P too. He/she is definitely know talent 😉 (sorry,i dont know if ure a man or a woman,not to be rude ><)

    • Not in the USA they won't. Screeching and howling at the moon might work in Transylvania, but not here.

      • Not everyone in the USA is as closed minded as you Frank, 🙂 (a smile always makes it better, right)?

      • Frank…that's an idotic name….

        Sorry for getting off the point… My apologies… From your comment i am assuming that you have not heard of this genre of music in America which is so popular called Metal… You should check it out..you might be surprised. 🙂

      • Frank dont like a complicated Genre such as jazz,blues,metal or even HipHop. What do u think of HipHop Frank? probably u will say that HipHop artist sing out of tune LOLOL. well,heres my answer : they are in fact in tune.

      • You are all entitled to your opinion. I have no problem with metal, I think James does an outstanding job. I admit, I do not care much for Jazz, but I have heard some very good Jazz singers.

        I am not a fan of the screeching that comes from Haley or Casey. Again, just an opinion.

      • Wow..Frank..I gotta apologize..Your reply was very mature…I thought you were one of those annoying kids…So please accept my apology…

        P.S- You are very calm…in fact too calm…. are you a robot sent back from the future to write clam and mature thoughts on the AI blog???

  104. Loving the Scotty-Lauren duet. They are fun to watch. One thing though. Could someone tell Scotty to sometimes hold the microphone with one hand only, especially on duet. 🙂 I still love him though.

    Poor Paul. I believe he's a good performer. Same goes to Thia and Pia. I believe Lauren and Scotty will fight it out this season. And please, America, vote out Casey and Jacob, they're just annoying! 😛

    • Stephano should go… He is so boring…I loved his audition song..the grapevine one..but after that its all zzzzzzzzz….I really hope that Lauren goes too..not next week but perhaps later….I dont know about Stephano…but i am sure that Casey, James, Haley, Scotty and Lauren are gonna have brilliant careers ahead of them…I mean their careers are gonna overshadow all of the previous idols…if they work with the right producers…Jacob…i have no idea if he'll be successful or not…he's an amazing singer..but i don't know…

      • Stefano's had 2 really awesome performances and last Wednesday was one of them. He might have saved himself for a week or two.

      • After landing bottom 2 thrice, I have high hopes, Stefano will step up and surpass his latest performace. He is a real fighter i should say…

      • Well, sounds like another shallow teeny bopper (it's worst if you're not!) "trying" to be an expert here! But unfortunately, your shallow comment only proved that you're a joke!! Hope others scottyfanatic are not this shallow!

      • You are correct in a lot of your assessments Gautham, but I think it will be hard to overshadow what Carrie Underwood has accomplished and she is still going strong.

    • Scotty holding the mic the way he does is just his signiture. I would prefer that the producers uphold the tradition of "women with character on the right side of the man". To those who recognize this tradition having Lauren on Scotty's left side was an injustice to her character. Further more, having her on his right side would have solved the mic issue.

  105. Thanks to my dvd recorder…so I can fast forward most of the "boring" movie theme night & the "even worst" result show….Zzzzz!!

    • you could just stop watching american idol…:D

      Like…thats always an option…never forget that…

  106. OK, so I feel a long post coming on, and so I'll apologize in advance.

    First, I think that this is a great Top 11 — Idol's best ever. When this season gets down to its final 3 or 4, there probably will have been other seasons with better Top 3s or 4s, but no season, IMO, has ever had a top 11 this talented. And the beautiful thing about it is the VARIETY of vocal styles of this top 11. The fact that those voted off so far (Naima, Thia, Pia and Paul) have such passionate fans who will "never watch the show again" is a testament to the talent level, I think.

    But here's what I think about when I watch Idol every year, and I would challenge you all to do the same: Which one of these kids could I easily sit through a concert of 12 to 15 songs to see?

    My answer this year: Possibly James and definitely Haley.

    I love all kinds of music, but country is my favorite overall. Lauren and Scotty, the two country singers, are talented, but far from unique. Lauren has a beautiful voice, very sweet (and she did Miley Cyrus' "It's the Climb" way better than Miley did), but she seems so young and immature and not "Idol" material YET.

    Ditto for Scotty, who can sound LIKE George Strait or LIKE Elvis or LIKE Josh Turner or whoever's song he's singing, but he's very unoriginal. And the way he wallows around on every word of every song, as if to emphasize, "hey I'm country, hey I'm country" seems like overkill, and it's starting to feel phony. (We get it, Scotty; you're country.) The curled lip and the cocked head and the sideways microphone have become part of his schtick, and he's wearing on me, as you can tell.

    Stefano, like Lauren, is a "sweet" singer, but he really does not have any POWER in his voice, and he really strains to get into upper ranges. In a song with a small range of notes, he's good, but overall … not an eventual star, I don't think.

    Jacob? When I first hear him in the preliminaries, I said, OK, there's your winner right there; it's over. But like Scotty, he's wearing thin on me. Oversings every song, strains mightily at times, and the last two weeks, he's been downright pitchy, yet these judges refuse to criticize him. The drama and the odd stage movements don't help him.

    Casey? Like Paul, unique, interesting style. Charming. Good overall MUSICIAN, but a great singer? Certainly not. I could listen to 4 or 5 consecutive songs of his, but by then I would've had enough.

    That leaves James and Haley, the two singers, IMO, with the best range, the best power, the best vocal control, the best comfort level on various kinds of songs. Even James' screams are totally on key.

    I would encourage people to spend just 8-10 minutes on YouTube with a search on Haley Reinhart and watch her do country ("Blue" was pure perfection), blues, jazz and rock (wow, her Janis Joplin). And her "God Bless the Child" during Hollywood week is certainly one of the best 2 or 3 performances of the season. Then come back here and post the song and the "pause time" where she hit an incorrect note. There just isn't one that I can find from the entire season. And her scattin' duet with Casey this week? Jaw-dropping good, and very difficult!

    I've thought for weeks that we were headed for a James-Scotty final, and I still feel that way, partially because there's nobody like diehard, loyal country fans once they decide they like someone.

    But I think that's a shame. With 7 weeks to go, I could change my mind, but right now, I think the best performer, the one I could comfortably watch a two-hour concert by, is Haley.

    I wish she would sing some sweet but powerful, non-gravelly song next week where she just caresses every word, and people would be slayed by its beauty, I would imagine. I don't think she'll do that, but she's sure capable of it.

    OK, that's my two HUNDRED cents!

    (And as a 50-year-old male, I love watching the show, but I'm not even a voter. Even with all these opinions!)

    • WELL SAID!!

      same here!

      As the weeks gone by, I'm rooting more n more to Haley, especially after the duet with Casey!! Everything was just PERFECT!!

      I've come to realize that she has the best range, technique, stage act….. everything runs smoothly!! Such a waste of talent though because sadly not many people realize it. I really hope she will go far, even if she doesn't win AI!!

      I'll surely buy her records!!

      • The problem with Haley is that she sounds good sometimes, and other times she sounds like 2 cats fighting.

      • 'mon Frank, man up. It's when she's growling moaning like two cats in heat that she's REALLY good!–and contributes to her walking 'funny' (sexy) like a few of the "don't get-it"s mention sometimes.

      • coondog, I will tell you this, when I first heard Haley, I absolutely hated her sound. More and more now, I am leaning toward her as being in the finals.

        She has the look, the style, the sexiness to be an American Idol.

        It's just sometimes, I feel she doesn't need to howl or screech, or she does it at the wrong times.

        My opinion.

      • fair enough Frank, fair enough. And I'm 'manning up' that even ol' Coondog's super sensitive ears didn't think Haley hit the high notes correctly on "Call Me",–but it was a fun song! I only wishes that I had caught the undies shot one of her Haters accused her of! Don't worry haters, on Brandens new post for song selection, I'm advising her to wear pants. (the tighter the better!)

    • I've listened to "Come On" a few times and I can't help but feel she missed the first note. It's the first time the whole season I've felt that way about anything she has sung though. If you want to talk bad notes go watch Scotty a few weeks ago. That low note he ended on was so off key it doesn't matter if he hit it dead on.

      And Frank, Haley always sounds amazing. Haters gonna hate.

      • David P., I think Haley sounds amazing sometimes, just not all the time. There is a reason she has been in the bottom 3 on more than 1 occasion.

        To each his/her own though. Just my opinion.

    • To be honest, I did not like Haley since Top 13. As she performs after that week, I begin to like her… and my liking has positively confirmed after watching her jazz duet with Casey. I was blown away… and the suprise thing is, she outshined Casey by a mile… IMHO.

    • With their respective large fan bases, I see Scotty and James in the fianal two. But, Holly Molly Haily is comming on strong and getting more fans each week, So, you never know … She could be a darkhorse winner.

    • of track with this one: "Casey? Like Paul, unique, interesting style. Charming. Good overall MUSICIAN, but a great singer? Certainly not." a great singer is a great musician. not just a voice. and the guy has a voice. close your eyes when you hear him.

      "I could listen to 4 or 5 consecutive songs of his, but by then I would’ve had enough." but there four or five songs would blow you away and inspire you like great legends have.

    • Not2Old4rIdol RIGHT ON!!!

      You have said exactly what I feel.

      I would like to see Haley win it rather than James as I dont like the screaming of hard rock.

      I did like Naima,Thia and Pia but did not think Paul was good.

      I am many years past 50 and I thank you for telling it like it is…

    • Both Scotty & Lauren need to leave taken along their goat roping songs.

      Jacob needs to go for sure,this is AInot the Ted Mac geritol hour.

      Heley needs to b on an after school special.

      stefano needs to make a move with AL Pacino.

      Casey needs to join the Jerry Lewis Telethon.

      James & steven need to end the show.yea!

      • i think you do not know country music goat roping songs are songs by cowboys i bet james could not sang coutry but kill it he rock only and should learn that only he cannot sang

  107. Well if I can leave my two cents as well.

    I can't vote because I am one of those "abroad" people.

    But here's the thing. When I watch AI I am looking for someone who is going to be surprising, entertaining and a good singer.

    Every week, I get to see James screeching heavy metal (so i switch the channel). No offense to heavy metal fans but for me it's the same thing over and over with a lot of painful yelling. Scotty is cute and has a nice voice but heck country country every week. Can he do anything else? Or try anything else? Any range? At all??? And yes, he sometimes misses notes…

    Stefano is a one trick pony who can't seem to connect and has a diction problem. The "when a man loves a woman" reendition was soooo painful to watch and listen to! No offense to the fans out there but he ends up being off key when he hits the high notes and really can't carry an emotion.

    Casey is always surprising, love it or hate it. Hailey carries a tune, is full of charisma, has a strut. Wonderful lady!

    Lauren, honestly I keep forgetting her. Yes she has a very nice voice but I feel there are so many just like her out there.

    As for Jacob, he's a choir guy and his songs are always so preachy. Great voice but not much presence and really he can't carry a note or a show. He looks like a really nice sweet guy with not a mean bone in his body, but gosh I cant listen to another one of these choir songs. Hey Jacob, let lose! Do Kanye or something!

    I loooooved Paul because every week, he brought it. Every song he sang felt like his own. He had stage presence, a dazzling smile and a real personality.

    Guess I am left with rooting for Hailey…

  108. casey is going to be legendary. this show is not for him. but because of it, we now know who he is, and can look out for his soon to come ground breaking music. again, this is not idol material, so i can understand the criticism. but for those of you who criticize, be proud. this guy is all american music. jazz is the only contribution to world art, and this guys is all jazz. big jazz. and if you can remove yourself from the drama, and stop projecting, i think casey is a very cool guy. i'ld love to have a drink with him.

    haley. baby. wow. what a voice. i hope she pairs up with the right producers in the future, and i think she is smart enough to know that she needs the guidance. i really look forward to hearing the her music in the future. i just hope she doesn't %$#@ it up and turn too commercial.

    i hope one of these two is in the final three. just because they really have unique gifts.

    jacob is an incredible / enormous voice. but unfortunately, i think no guidance will help. i think he will keep making the wrong song choices and will end up making the wrong music in the future. he needs to be more honest, not just emotional. and need to be daring, not just controlled.

    i can understand the excitement in most of the other contestants, and i can see the james gaining even more momentum. just like adam lambert, but he is not gay, and pathetically that will bring him more votes. but that music is not something i can deal with. its cool to play with, but the screams are too many too loud.

    as for the rest… scotty is a big voice. but also needs major guidance.

    lauren is a sweet voice, but no match to the big heavyweights this season. stefano too, but he is h.o.t. STEAMING! and he seems like a really nice guy.

    and on a final note, since i am rambling, i might as well, if we r talking about a global audience, again, casey. haley. hat's off. keep it real!

    • i would also like to add a small note to the author of the blog. dude, seriously, stop criticizing everything because of ur personal opinion. i know that this is ur blog, therefore your opinion, but it is good to see people being objective about art and talent. it was very annoying to read you hardly give recognition to the BIG performance duet of casey and haley… if you can not spot this big of a talent… you really should not be voicing too many opinions. no disrespect dude, we all have opinions. but we also need to give credit where it is due. peace.

      • yupz, this authors dude know nothing about music or talent wakakakak 🙂 just kiddin..dont kick me admin 🙂

      • and the last 3 or 4 notes of Nature Boy is justttt soothing n beautiful… not many singer can sing like that. If other dont believe it,just try to imitate him. U will know just how amazingly hard to sing like that 🙂

      • and try to imitate Casey scat of Moaning. If any of u can do it, i’ll give prop to u 🙂

    • Casey, Legendary?! Are you kidding?

      He's not going anywhere musically. Maybe there are a few diehard jazz enthusiasts who like him, but it's always going to be a minority. His vocals are terrible and his songs just don't sound good. Everything about him feels amateurish.

      Sure, he's different and he has a unique style, I'll give him that, but his style isn't good. Different for the sake of different doesn't get him any points as far as I'm concerned. The grunting and growling during his songs is getting old.

      He deserved to get kicked off number 11, when America voted him off.

      I wouldn't pay a dollar to hear him sing.

      • yuupz,u wont pay a dollar for him.. but u know what,a people who like Louis Armstrong,Frank Sinatra,Nat King Cole,Norah Jones,Alicia Keys,Michael Buble and so on will pay dollars for him LOLOL 🙂

        u will probably pay more dollar for Justin Bieber than the names i mentioned above LOLOL 🙂

  109. I just read on the internet that there could be a Latino American Idol show, and then next will be a Black American Idol show. And because the rest of us are American Americans, we will have no show!!!!

  110. Long post coming. Apologies and thanks. AI is a sum of all it's numerous moving parts. Factoring into the equation it's (in no particular order & not limited to) some parts:Entertainment/ Production/Marketing/Drama/Judgmental/Voting/Subjective/Objective/Theatre/Drama/Performance/Art/Preferences/Likability/Attraction/Connection/Competition/Talent/Skill-set etc. Now, add in your own background, thoughts, emotions (or category) etc., and this all equals what exactly?? It's personal opinion. Yep. Flaws? Sure. Tweaks? Ok! I sucked at math and equations? Yep. Conclusion? FUN! Oh, and I pick James. Guess I should've just said that at the beginning. Best regards to all.

    • Sheldon, Leonard, Raj and Howard are waiting for you at the comic book store. Go now.

  111. Can somebody please tell me who is voting for Jacob? He surprised me he didn't make it to the bottom 3 last week.

    • He's an imposter who has been arrested at least twice and had to beg for mercy not to had to be placed on probation while Idol was on. Idol won't let convicted criminals on the show. And there he is every week singing Godly songs and preaching to the audience. It's one he!! of a note. He's a freak. when I first read the story I was afraid he was going to be a child molesting creep, but it was something else.

      • Jacob is the biggest form of a hypocrite. He won't sing a song that is suggestive, yet he will thrust his hips like a horny dog in heat.

        Then he will try and preach to me and all the viewing public.

        Jacob does need to go home. He is not an American Idol.

  112. I'm happy that so many of these blogs are finally singing the praise of Haley. She has been my favorite since the start. She chooses very difficult songs each go round and nails them. Some of the top contenders choose pretty easy songs in their comfort zones. I've spoken with rock musicians that say "Call Me " by Blondie usually gets butchered by most singers that take it on. It is a very difficult song to sing, as Randy said "Not a singer's song". Haley nailed it. Her diversity and raw talent is remarkable and as mentioned, she never misses a note or sings off-key. Her stage presence is stunning, her attitude is alert and present and she always looks like she's enjoying herself when she sings. She is stunningly gorgeous to boot. I have no doubt that she will be a super star. She doesn't have to win idol, I think she already has impressed the folks that need to be impressed for an amazing career. The duet with Casey should easily keep her out of the bottom three. As for the Haley Haters, probably mostly jealous girls. It does take all kinds to make the world spin.

    • i agree about the Haley sensation…but still wonder why the judges screwed her for signing blondie's song…she definitely sang it well…

  113. Although I have also enjoyed many other AI songs (Pia I'll stand by you, James Maybe I am amazed, Lauren I am the only One,…), the most that I have enjoyed are Haley's. "Fallin" is captivating, "Blue" is lovely, "I am your baby tonight" makes say Please be, "You really had a hold on me" just blow me away, "Bennie and the jets" is awesome can't stop replaying it, "Piece of my heart" is like to be in a real rock concert, "Call me" I am still singing it! And I am no a jazz fun, but that thing she did with Casey was phenomenal. I hope she goes romantic this Wednesday. I would like her to win AI, but don't care if not. I will buy anyway her music and will go for a first time to the AI concert tour to watch her and all the others.

    • Good summary of her songs, Ed. And you're right: She hasn't done a poor job yet. She's been the most consistent, and yet she either gets overlooked or gets criticized more than those who are either off-key or straining to reach ranges they can't reach. You and Andy in the post above yours and others need to get on the Haley voting train. I don't think she'll win, no matter what, but I would sure rather see her in the top 3 or 4 than a couple of the others remaining. Being a 50-y/o male, I think I'm out of the voting demographic, but this young lady needs a vote explosion. She's the best overall vocalist remaining, IMO, and she's earned it.

  114. There really seems to be something wrong with the voting system. When singers like Paul and Pia are sent home so early in the contest.

    Maybe voting for most AND least favourite would help that.

    I really really really want to hear Scotty sing " In the Ghetto " sometime. I suspect I wouldn't be the only one in a puddle on the floor with that voice.

    Please Scotty.

  115. I don't believe we can be too critical of most of the eliminations, but having said that a lot of great ideas on a better voting process has been suggested on a number of these forums.

    Time for change should come for the new season so true talent like PIa Toscano

    and other similar voting AI disasters who always seem to fall down the cracks at some stage.

    If we keep accepting this current system and if host Ryan Seacrest and judges Randy Jackson,Lopez and Steven Tyler truly care as much as they say they do then lets not be fooled into thinking they can't make the changes.

  116. I cannot believe all the preaching Jacob does to the viewers and audience and the freak has been arrested at least twice and had to beg for mercy from the Court so he could be on Idol. The gospel singing preacher boy has been arrested, now what do you think of that??? Guess he never thought anyone would find out he is nothing but a "faker."

    • Give it up Josh. No one here is interested in youthful indiscretions that weren't prosecuted. If Jacob loses it will be because he wasn't America's choice for Idol.

  117. The problem with this seasons AI, is that the judges chose those whom they thought sang good but did not have the power to sell cd's and albums due to the genre they performed. Every year when Simon was a judge he would tell contestants they were good but not right for the show. He would say they were for the theater or someting like that. Which is where Thia, Pia, and Stefano should have been. Casey would not have gotten in either with his jazz because it isn't going to sell, nor is Jacob's gospel style of singing. The only ones who can sell are Scotty, Laren, Haley, and maybe James, and Paul might have been able to, as well. The judges gave hope to some of the singers when they shouldn't have. Simon was nothing if he wasn't honest, albeit sort of mean, about each ones ability to sell and make money for the recording company and for themselves. AI is all about selling. After the show ends the winner has to be ready to put out a single that will sell very well within a very short time. If the single doesn't sell well the recording company will delay their album and eventually drop them from the label. There are maybe four who could do that now.

    • Thus far, the only contestants I've seen that have showed me the potential to make a hit song are Pia, Scotty and Thia. Granted Pia and Thia would be selling ballads, but they both certainly do them well enough to sell. As for Scotty, you can listen to any country station and see that he can definitely compete on a professional level.

      The rest of the contestants have yet to show me anything that truly wows me. James, Stefano, Haley and Lauren might have potential for that, but thus far haven't reached that level. Jacob might sell something in Gospel, and Casey is just a total bust.

      • I agree, Joe, that Pia and Thia will sell their CDs well, but dont seem like they're built for stage. But I will buy CDs of singers with unique vocals, like the raspy, scratchy voice of Haley, or cool, soft, and sexy voice of Paul…but definitely I don't go for the screamy, screechy vocals of James nor an ordinary voice that puts growls on it, like Casey…Lauren, Scotty and Stefano are pleasant to hear and will sell CDs, while Jacob better stick his gams to gospel music…

  118. Scotty will be the next American Idol,he has a wonderful voice no matter what he sings.Casey is good but like you said he is too emotional to be an idol.James he screams too much.Lauren is good but,if they will get rid of Pia ,Laurens not safe either.But,like Steven Tyler said if you dont vote your favorite doesn't have a chance.

    • scotty isn't emotional? hahahahah he cried a lot during Hollywood week…after his group ousted Jacee…

  119. Wednesday will bring a new deal. It is a talent contest and who cares if they are chubby, hairy, goofy or screaming. They all have something to bring to the table. AS Sly and Family Stone said " I love Everyday People"…..

  120. Enough with boys winning! This season Haley or Lauren should win!! They have definitely better voice than any of the boys…and they are beautiful and talented! Haley has a better voice and body than any of the previous female contestants on this show! Hollywood will keep her safe! She is very natural and she can connect with the public 20 times more than pia ever did….

  121. I think Paul, Casey and Haley have strong characters. Their timbre are very unique. Too bad that both Paul and Pia had gone. So I predict (and it's nothing to do with the voting system)that the top three would be Casey, Jacob, and Haley. Lauren deserves the top 4. Sorry James, Stefano and Scotty, all of you don't impress me much.

    • Um hayley, Jacob, and stefano have all been and in the bottom 3 more than twice. Hayley pretty much gets away with a growl, but excuse me this is not a compition for bears. Jacob is pretty good but not top 3 material he or stefano are probably going home this week. Stefano is very good but when he sings I feel something missing., a lot like pia.

  122. Paul was an amazing performer with an awesome stage prescense but whenever he would sing, he looked a bit awkward and a tiny bit stiff, he seems more suited to singing his own music

    And he is undoubtedly an awesome performer he doesnt belong on American idol, he shouldn't be singing covers but his own music. He looked so comfortable when he was singing American dream because he wrote it, and without

    A doubt whatever he does now, I will buy whatever he makes.

    Also, he's dating Nicki reed(y) ;D

  123. We only saw the results last night (South Africa) was upset that Paul left – such great stage presence and unusual voice. Cannot understand why Jacob is still there – has a good voice but maybe only for gospel music.

  124. Guys!Let's not be judgemental.Just because Jacob sang "a man in the mirror" and send a message "that we all should look ourselves".I personally didn't take it negatively because I find nothing wrong with that.I think the people who were reacting to this are the ones who can't face themselves and the truth.

  125. Jacob has a good voice but he so much over does it and I agree he should have went before Paul. Looking forward to watching Scotty, James, Lauren, and Haley.

  126. I would love to know who was responsible for that great duet of Haley and Casey's. Who picked the them, the song and the arrangement? Loved it !! If I was sending anybody home it would be Jimmy and his sidekick. IMO they are unnecessary and often wrong. Of course, if they were the ones responsible for the duet. I would be so wrong about sending them home. Anybody know ?

  127. I agree Paul wasn't one of the top singers but he has a lot of personality, and the way he left made me feel bad I didn't vote for him, he must be a real sweet guy in real life, maybe thats why Nikki Reed likes him 🙂 I agree with most of the comments left It will be down to Scotty and James and then I am hoping Lauren. If Haley was in the compitation any other year she would have gone further but compared to everyone else I see her going home after Jacob. I think Jacob will be going home this week. You can almost see a pattern starting. Just loved Kelly and Jason they were awsome!!! Country Fan all the way

    GO SCOTTY!!!!!

  128. My favourite singer is Haley. She´s the best.

    I love her. Also james. And pia has gone, so sad.

  129. Lauren, James, and Scotty are the best in the competition. Any 1 of them is the nxt American idol

  130. Ok if you ask me it's like this in order of people goIng home

    1.Jacob

    2.Stefano

    3.Hayley

    4.casey

    The top 3 are Scotty,lauren, and James after that I have no idea who's going home

  131. I don't care who wins now. They sent Paul home. He was a class act & I hope he gets a break from this AI exposure. Loved his Maggie Mae. And just about everything else he sang. Nice smile.

    Granny D

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