Idol Chatter & Voice Views

Job well done, Idol viewers.

Job well done, Idol judges.

I’m not thrilled with every choice in the final 13.

But most of the picks were dead on.

And they create the potential for a very special Season 10.

Plus a salute to Idol producers, who pulled off a very entertaining two-hour results show.

Now how often have we been able to use the words “entertaining” and “results” show in the same sentence in the past nine years?

Not very often.

On to the assessments …

Stock rising …

Country singers. Hey, look who two of the top three into the finals were — Scotty McCreery and Lauren Alaina. And they got a substantial amount of the screentime in those backstage clips shown before the results were revealed. You can tell Simon Cowell — he who hates country music — is no longer running this ship.

Also belonging here: Pia Toscano, an emerging star; Casey Abrams, the most unlikely of emerging sex symbols; Jacob Lusk, a guy I really thought would need wild card support from the judges to make the finals.

The early favorites …

I’d count Pia, Lauren Alaina, Casey and Scotty among the favorites heading into the finals. I’m still not sure how much voter appeal Jacob can sustain.

Thank you voters …

For recognizing the talent of Haley Reinhart and Paul McDonald and putting them into the finals. Haley’s performance Wednesday was one of my favorites among the ladies. A perfect combination of sassy and sexy, with a sparking vocal thrown in.

Paul is a guitar-playing singer-songwriter who’s long in the tooth compared to many of this year’s contestants. In fact, he seems the opposite of what Idol is looking for in Season 10. He might also be one of the most talented finalists.

So glad they were rescued:

Ashthon Jones is a fun performer with a powerhouse voice. The finals would have seemed empty without her. And, wow, what a final performance in a pressure-packed situation.

I actually thought Naima Adedapo’s wild card performance was among the weakest. But I won’t quibble with this pick. I love musical diversity in the Idol finals. And Naima is not your typical female American Idol contestant.

A little baffled …

Hold it, Robbie Rosen and Jovany Barreto got to sing again for a wild card spot after very mediocre semifinal performances? Brett Loewenstern, a guy Idol embraced like no other early this season, did not?

I’m not sure I get it, but at least the judges made the right choice when they sent Stefano Langone to the finals. I just worry Stefano is going to have trouble standing out in a crowd of very distinctive male singers. As a group, they are vastly improved over the last two seasons.

Meanwhile, we’ll miss Brett. Especially the amusing interviews. And the hugs. Like the one he gave Ryan Seacrest during Tuesday night’s show. Best of luck to the red apple in the basket of green apples.

Should be bummed …

Kendra Chantelle sang very well in the semifinals. Kendra sang very well again Thursday night, with her Idol fate on the line. She was passed over.

Perhaps the judges sensed what I did — the lack of a spark that is immediately apparent in some of the other contestants, especially the ladies.

Sorry to see them go …

I feel bad for Julie Zorrilla and Tim Halperin, a pair of singer-songwriters with a special talent. Their Beatles duet in Vegas was something special, showing how good they can be. Unfortunately, they were doomed by poor semifinal performances.

I sorta wish both had been chosen to sing for a wild card spot. I mean, Julie had such a great back story;  Tim had such good pre-Idol music.

Oh, well. Here’s betting we don’t have to wait long for new music from Tim. He was working on an independent CD pre-Idol.

My recap on the Idol verdicts

Thumbs up means I agree with their fate; thumbs down means I disagree. Neutral … well, it’s pretty self-explanatory.

Keep checking back. My guess is that a final 13 party is going on right now and that photos from the event will be available tomorrow. If so, I’ll post them.

And sometime soon, I’m going to attempt to rank these 13.

Guys

Finalists

Casey Abrams (thumbs up)
Jacob Lusk (thumbs up)
James Durbin (thumbs up)
Scotty McCreery (thumbs up)
Paul McDonald (thumbs up)
Stefano Langone (neutral)

Goodbye

Jordan Dorsey (thumbs up)
Jovany Barreto (thumbs up)
Brett Loewenstern (neutral)
Clint Gamboa (neutral)
Tim Halperin (thumbs down, but understandable)
Robbie Rosen (thumbs up)

Gals

Finalists
Pia Toscano (thumbs up)
Lauren Alaina (thumbs up)
Haley Reinhart (thumbs up)
Karen Rodrigues (thumbs down)
Thia Megia (neutral)
Ashthon Jones (thumbs up)
Naima Adedapo (thumbs up)

Goodbye

Julie Zorrilla (thumbs down, but understandable)
Kendra Chantelle (neutral, but she should have had Karen’s spot)
Rachel Zevita (thumbs up)
Lauren Turner (neutral)
Ta-tynisa Wilson (thumbs up)