<p>Unlike patsmom’s comment, post #595, I loved Lauren’s song #2 “If I Die Young”. In fact, I thought it was her best performance of the season. I did NOT like her first song, however, as I thought she was trying to catch up with the pace during the entire song.</p>
<p>If Haley ends up winning the competition (and she very well may), it will be the biggest comeback in Idol history. Most of us had her going home a month or so ago. What a turnaround. Where’s Casey tonight???</p>
<p>What I was hearing out of my TV was not that great, not their best. Voices sounded tired and strained. Three new songs and a home visit=not good for the vocal chords.
Songs were very unequal in difficulty (style, range, technique)</p>
<p>Too much, should have done one or two songs only.</p>
<p>Hearing their initial auditions a cappella was interesting: their voices sounded richer, fresher, more controlled.</p>
<p>No clear winner tonight, so it will be based on demographics of voters.</p>
<p>Twangers may split the country/Christian/conservative vote, leaving Haley with everyone else…
Tween and teen girls seem to crush on Scotty…</p>
<p>LOOKING FORWARD TO So You Think You Can Dance…!</p>
<p>Some of this sounds pretty unlikely. Really, what are the odds here that people are going to vote the imagined government viewpoints of the three children competing? Or that large numbers of people are going to vote for whom they think is the most religious? That tea partiers (who are based on fiscal conservatism) are going to vote for a particular singer? What, are they going to vote on who wears the most cost conscious outfit?</p>
<p>People are going to vote for whomever they enjoy listening to. For whose personality they appreciate. For the person whose singing inspires but doesn’t irritate them. I have thought Haley was the best singer since a long time ago, never understood why she was in the bottom three, but I’ve listened to her growl and sing that cabaret style so much, it’s hard to get past that irritation, every time she does it. I can’t stand country, I’m not remotely religious, but if I wasn’t so lazy I’d spend my night voting for Scotty.</p>
<p>My prediction for the finals will be a guy and a girl (no idea which one).</p>
<p>If Haley wins, it will indeed be the biggest comeback since the Bosox in 2004!</p>
<p>I don’t know who I’d vote into the finals. Jimmy Iovine picked great songs for the kids, songs that spotlighted their strengths–although Haley channeling Stevie Nicks was my least favorite of the three. The judges picked songs that made the contestants do something the judges wanted to see if they could do (like Scotty hitting the big chorus).</p>
<p>I loved Haley’s Led Zep song and the chorus of the Alanis Morissete song–of the three, she is the most fun to watch (wind aided second song was fun). I liked all of Lauren’s songs–judges are right, there is a tone that really connects. Scotty was Scotty…</p>
<p>Glad America is voting…because there’s something that I liked about each one of their performances.</p>
<p>I thought Scotty’s first song was strong, but his Kenny Roger’s was mediocre. </p>
<p>Haley’s Led Zep was dynamite. Her dad accompanying her - sweet. I love Rhiannon, but didn’t think she was that special with it.</p>
<p>Lauren is sweet and a good singer, but she never moves me. Her “… Dance” was a major misinterpretation of the song, imo. Of course, it’s supposed to be sung by someone (at least) twice her age and in an entirely different stage of life.</p>
<p>I would have picked “Independence Day” for Lauren. The voting is the same as it has been all season - Scotty on top by a mile. The girls are a distant second. The judges must know this since they are overpraising the girls.</p>
<p>I like all of the finalists and think they are all talented and poised beyond their years. Any of the three would be a better Idol winner than any winner in recent history.</p>
<p>Just youtubed Independence Day. Wow…not sure Lauren could have pulled it off…</p>
<p>Scotty and Haley–that’s my prediction. When Haley nails a song or part of a song, she does so on a crazy high level (like the a capella part of the House of the Rising Sun, the Led Zep song and the Alanis chorus)–she just doesn’t perform at that level all the time.</p>
<p>But I think America will want to see if she can bring some more magical moments to the final.</p>
<p>As a long time AI viewer I have been really disappointed this entire season. I really hope that somehow Haley makes it into the finals just to see what she will do. I am not a fan of Lauren although she can sing I think she is just way too young for all of this. Scotty has a career in country music ahead of him even though I don’t like his style of music.</p>
<p>I really long for Simon and some true criticism of the performances. I am looking forward to XFactor in the fall and think this will be a much more interesting music show to watch.</p>
<p>Showmom858 stole my words! I like Scotty - the others are not very special and I’m still trying to figure out how they’ve made it so far. The judges are way too much the same and don’t provide much useful critiques. I too will be switching to the X Factor.</p>
<p>Scotty lost any support I would give when he acted like such a twit after working with Gaga.</p>
<p>“I really long for Simon and some true criticism of the performances”</p>
<p>No kidding! If these three get in any useful critique, it seems completely by accident.</p>
<p>"Scotty lost any support I would give when he acted like such a twit after working with Gaga.'</p>
<p>You actually took that all seriously, and didn’t see the humor in that situation? Absolutely hilarious, for a kid who has very probably little/no experience with the opposite sex, dealing with Lady Gaga telling him to make love to the microphone. If that was all it took for him to lose your support, I’m guessing he didn’t have any in the first place.</p>
<p>Agreed, busdriver. No disrespect to cartera… but some people are just not a match. Gaga and Scotty live in different universes; doesn’t mean something’s off with Scotty (and I’m not one of his country fans). Picture how comfortable Gaga might be in his world - maybe with some of the church ladies showing her how to dress, pray, move :)?</p>
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</p>
<p>I thought that was hilarious. Why did she show up for her “session” all freaked out in white face with a big black circle? I actually liked him a lot better after that show!</p>
<p>Cut Scotty some slack!</p>
<p>It’s one thing to like Lady Gaga from afar (which I kinda do) and another to be in a room with her all freaked out - LOL! He wasn’t being a twit, he’s a polite 17-yr-old without a clue as to how to react to her.</p>
<p>“Picture how comfortable Gaga might be in his world - maybe with some of the church ladies showing her how to dress, pray, move”</p>
<p>Actually, unless what I read was BS, she might be very comfortable. Apparently when she was claiming to be a twisted teenage freak, she was a straight laced kid at a Catholic girls school. It sounds like her current persona is completely invented for marketability, not from personality, so I have a hard time taking her oddness as anything but an attempt to be interesting. And it sure works, keeps us all watching. But it sounds like nothing more than a smart business plan.</p>
<p>What Haley will do if she reaches the finals is what she has done before. If memory serves me, on the final episode the finalists sing the winning song – which is usually a dreadful affair – and songs they have sung before.</p>
<p>Annnnddddd there we have it—Idol has morphed into Nashville Star Junior. You couldn’t pay me enough to watch mini-Paula Deen vs. Alfred E. Neumann come-to-life. Simon must be laughing his head off.</p>
<p>I like country music.</p>
<p>I have watched AI since it started. I would have much rather had Haley in the finals, even though I don’t like her screechy voice. I would have liked James to win - the two in the final don’t do it for me. Boy, do I miss Simon!</p>