S10E25: The really unfortunate part of having a fantastic set of Idol contestants is that as the competition continues, every elimination is devastating. There’s not much fat to trim left at this point, because in previous, weaker years, any of these 9 finalists could have won. The problem is that they’re all competing against each other and that means that most of them will get the boot. Last night we saw Stefano Langone, Jacob Lusk, and Pia Toscano in the bottom three. They delayed a the shocking decision with a performance from Iggy Pop, who I’m sure never thought he’d step foot on the Idol stage, and then delivered the news: Pia was voted off.
I agree, it was shocking that she went this soon. She has immense vocal talent, she’s beautiful, she’s likable. However, I’ve stated time and again (as have the judges) that she needs to up her showmanship a bit. She’s got a pop ballad voice and unfortunately, those who perform pop ballads can’t just have an amazing voice; they need amazing stage presence too. That’s how they’ll sell out arenas. It’s not that Pia wasn’t capable of that, it’s that we didn’t see it from her. I agree that it should have been Stefano or James or even (and it pains me to say this) Lauren. Maybe this was another issue of people not voting, but honestly, I think it’s an issue of too many uniquely talented folks in one competition. It’s just too hard to pick a single favorite and as the weeks continue, these eliminations will be more and more difficult. This is not the first time we’ll see the judges stand up with tears in their eyes when a contestant is sent home. It’s going to be a rough couple of weeks.
In case you missed it, though the save was already used, Ryan gave Pia one last chance to sing before sending her home.
