worst ending EVER to an episode. Casey will NEVER be commercially successful...can you say Taylor Hicks all over again?!

You're getting ahead of yourself here. He hasn't won yet.

And Casey Abrams =/= Taylor Hicks

I’m still convinced the whole Taylor Hicks thing was a fluke. While Katherine McPhee (like Pia now) has an amazing voice, she had nothing to make her stand out. Taylor did. It didn’t work out in the long term, but he also looked like he was 40 years old, and for the most part, he didn’t sing music or have a sound that could be enjoyed by many young people.

I think Casey has that.

ETA: Personally, I think he could also have a band thrown behind him and end up becoming successful the way Daughtry did.

I think Taylor Hicks had TERRIBLE producers. I was such a huge fan of his, and his albumed suhucked. With the producers having such a huge role in the show this season, I don't think that would happen again.

I think Thia has to go, then Jacob, Lauren and Paul (seriously, I cannot STAND that guy). Stefano can be great if he develops an onstage personality. But if he doesn't soon, he'll slip into my list between Thia and Jacob.

Here’s what I’m thinking…

Naima, Thia, Haley, and Stefano will be kicked off first.

Paul, Jacob, Scotty and Pia will go next.

Lauren, James, and Casey will be the top 3.

(the order in which names are listed does not necessarily indicate the order in which they will be kicked off.. only that the first group will be the first 4 to go, the next group will be the following 4, with 3 left at the end).

Casey COULD end up in the second group, and one of them could move up to the top 3, but I'm pretty sure Lauren and James will be there at the end.

^^^What about Scotty?

Haha, oops! I forgot to throw his name into the 2nd group

So...did Casey make up for last week?

Overall, I enjoyed the Elton John music. Paul's suit actually makes sense on Elton John night!;)

I LOVE Elton John. Definitely a good choice.

I don't think it was Casey's best performance, but I like to see him back to his old self again. I think he'll definitely be safe this week.

Where the hell did Haley come from?! That was out of nowhere. And when I heard her song choice, I was pretty sure it was going to be a disaster. But she sounded really good!

I actually really liked Paul's performance. I agree, the coat was perfect. And he's definitely a lot more controlled with a guitar in his hands. It does wonders for him.

I think Scotty played it waaaaay too safe. Let's face it.. he sounds pretty much the same no matter what he sings. Why not, instead of taking the one country song Elton John ever sang, take a different song and make it his own?

Why did Naima get all the praise she got? And why didn't the judges rip her apart? I really don't get it.

WOW.

:(

They are all so good that I think any/all of them could have successful careers in their genres. This one may be better off because the contestant will be able get a contract outside of E19 earlier with a lower finish. I have no doubt that you'll be hearing this one on the radio.

(Trying very hard not to spoil anything so early in the evening and it is difficult!)

Oh my goodness. Not my pick for the eventual winner, but I imagined quite a few more would go first!

If someone doesn't want to see a spoiler, then don't be reading American Idol threads before you watch it on your dvr.





Stefano should have gone, but Pia is just so boring and dead. She's beautiful, but there's just no connection, no spark, it's all mechanical. She could be a good recording artist, but as a performer she's just not there and I'm not sure that she could get there.

And Iggy Pop was disgusting. Who on earth thought that was a good idea and why didn't they make him keep on his shirt? There are many in the audience (and contestants) that are under 18 and should not be exposed to that. Ewww. I needed bleach for my eyes afterwards!

I don't mind talking about it today, but at least like to give the West coasters a chance to see it without spoiling it.

Iggy Pop WAS disgusting.. ewwwwwww. My daughter was freaking out.

I agree about Pia to an extent. I do think it is something she will learn over time. I think doing the Idol tour will help her a lot. I think she's extremely nervous and anxious out there and doing the tour night after night should help her get out of that. When she relaxes more, she's better.

Think the judges are now regretting using the "save" on Casey?

It looked like a bomb dropped last night - total shock - including on poor Stefano! He looked like his mind could not compute that he was safe.

I felt sorry for him that the judges basically said that he should be the one going home (in so many words) :(

Pia has a great, really phenomenal voice, but no presence. All of them can sing, so it comes down to performance, and even the ones I don't especially like have more presence than her and Stefano. Paul did better than before, and I didn't have the overwhelming desire to yell at him to CLEAR YOUR THROAT. Scott really has to work on the odd facial gestures he makes.

Does anyone know any details about their contracts? Does getting out before the final 5, for instance, get you out of the AI contract? Can they seek their own representation? I always figured there was a point at which, if you weren't going to win it all, it was better to get out. And my guess is it was 5 or 6. But that's pure speculation. Of course winning, you get ALL that press, which would be worth an oppressive contract for a couple years.