Securing a spot in the top 12 is a significant accomplishment on the show. Of course, that doesn’t mean that certain eliminated contestants were not deserving of such an honor.The elimination of Lily Scott rather than Katie Stevens supports the argument that American Idol is as much a popularity contest as it is a singing competition.
Stevens has received harsh criticism from the judges the past three weeks, while Scott’s performances have been consistently strong. Contestants and judges alike were surprised by the outcome.
The judges emphasize how important it is for contestants to discover the type of artist they hope to become and use song choices to express their identities.
So why was Scott eliminated as opposed to 17-year-old Stevens who, based upon past performances, has not made that discovery?
It may come down to appearance and sympathy votes. Stevens has the advantage of the youthful girl-next-door look.
She has also not been shy about crying on national television, and it is no secret that tears can bring more votes. Stevens deserves credit for her talent, but she is not the polished package that Scott was.
But fear not, Lily Scott fans. This will probably not be the last you see of her. And if you have a vendetta against Stevens, you’ll feel vindicated when she is eliminated in a few short weeks.
Also eliminated last week were Katelyn Epperly, Todrick Hall and Alex Lambert. While all three have talent, their departures were not as shocking as Scott’s.
TUESDAY: COMPETITION
The musical theme this week honored the legendary group The Rolling Stones. Considering the ages of Idol’s target audiences, I wonder if this was the first time many were exposed to this band.
Thank you, American Idol, for introducing a new generation to real music as opposed to the Miley Cyrus songs they’ve been listening to.
Katie Stevens, who performed “Wild Horses,” finally made a breakthrough. The judges commented that while her voice is “never technically perfect,” she improved from last week. A comment in her pre-performance video sticks out the most: she wants to “put Connecticut on the map.”
Apparently she is not aware that John Mayer, Justin Long and the other celebrities are from the Constitution State. Oops.
Pennsylvania native Aaron Kelly continued to make “tweens” across America swoon with his performance of “Angie.” Randy Jackson compared him to Justin Timberlake, and though talented, it is safe to say his looks are also helping him win fans.
Best female performance of the night goes to Siobhan Magnus. Her performance of “Paint It Black” introduced her as a possible contender to win the competition, giving her the ‘wow’ moment judges said they were missing from her.
Between her unforgettable final note and her incredible vocal range, Cowell proclaimed hers to be the “stand out performance of the night.”
Cowell continued to praise Magnus in his critiques of other performers. After Bowersock’s interpretation of “You Can’t Always Get What You Want,” Cowell told her she was “beaten by somebody,” alluding to Magnus.
Though Bowersock certainly has the vocals of an American Idol winner, she does not yet have the stage presence to become a superstar.
WEDNESDAY: RESULTS
Keep crying, Katie Stevens. Your tears have saved you once again.
For the first time, Stevens did not find herself in danger of elimination. Instead, Paige Miles, Lacey Brown and Tim Urban made up the bottom three, Urban being announced “safe” moments later.
Performances by David Cook, Ke$ha and Orianthi brightened up the normally a somber evening.
Brown stood next to Miles, competition roommates, as they eagerly awaited the results. Ultimately, America decided to send Brown home. The judges agreed with the outcome, and unanimously decided to not use their one-time save.
While Brown would probably not have won the competition, she deserved to survive another round. Like Lily Scott, she had a distinguished look and sound. What exactly does America want?
For the contestants, answering that question could win them the competition.
Tracy Combs is a junior student majoring in Communication Studies. She can be reached at tc694114@wcupa.edu.