American Idol Season 10, Episode 37: There Will Be an All-Country Finale

American Idol Season 10, Episode 37: There Will Be an All-Country Finale

Television Review

By Catherine Fuentes

I’m not terribly surprised by the outcome of American Idol, but I’m incredibly disappointed. After the performances of her life, Haley Reinhart has been eliminated, meaning that Scotty and Lauren will comprise the youngest finale in American Idol history.

Looking back through my extensive notes from the season and some past recaps and I’m absolutely pleasantly stunned that Haley made it this far. I was shocked when she made it into the Top 11, and shocked when she defied elimination week after week. And somehow she grew up before our eyes, and became this confident, engaging, funny, and brilliantly talented diva. Somewhere along the American Idol journey, I went from scratching my head, wondering why that curly haired girl was there, to becoming one of her biggest supporters.

I’m disappointed that Haley is gone, especially because on Wednesday night she was utterly fantastic. I’m disappointed that her growly voice and rocker chic-hippie vibe won’t be there to mix up the finals about – now it’ll be all country, all the time. I’m disappointed because out of the three left standing, I think she has the most genuine confidence; she rocks out, she plays with the camera, and even though she seems to have a temper on her, she seems to be the most interesting to watch. Case in point: after she had gotten over the look of death shock after she learned of her elimination, she rocked out like a true professional. This will not be the end of Haley Reinhart’s career, only the beginning.

But again, I’m not very surprised. Scotty McCreery is the heartthrob with an entirely memorable voice that in all truth, is one that I haven’t yet heard in contemporary music. I don’t like him as a contestant, and I don’t like the type of music he will make as a recording artist, but I can’t doubt how truly talented he is. I have to give credit where credit is due, and Scotty McCreery can SING.

Lauren Alaina, on the other hand, has long been a favorite of mine. She’s upbeat, she’s bubbly, she’s personable – she’s everything that Scotty isn’t – and her voice can give someone chills. I hope next week she can conquer her nerves, and have the confidence it takes to kill all of her performances. She can win if she sings the way she did with “I Hope You Dance” unless her nerves get the best of her. Hopefully she’ll also keep it interesting with at least one non-country (or country-lite) song, to keep the finale from being straight off CMT.

It doesn’t matter what they do on Tuesday night, because I am firmly in Lauren Alaina’s court. I’ve loved her since her first audition. I watched her audition the other night, and was blown away all over again (and then I felt so proud of her, which may have been a little bit weird).