S10E31: What is going on? Was everyone too busy worrying about the Royal Wedding to vote for American Idol? Yeah, I’m pitting two events that are pretty irrelevant in the grand scheme against each other, but come on. Sending Casey Abrams home? Really? I know folks are upset that his “growly” performances are too strange; they’re not mainstream enough. And I guess that’s why he was sent home, but I had more faith in voters. I thought maybe for once, they weren’t looking for the prom queen or the 80s hair band singer. I thought just maybe, folks might be looking for someone who’s got some actual musical talent both in his voice and in the multitude of instruments he plays.
The bottom three was a little surprising in itself. We found Jacob Lusk, Scotty McCreery and Casey standing together awaiting their fates. I understand why Jacob was standing there, but I have to admit seeing both Scotty and Casey on the chopping block was a little jarring. I’ve said it time and again, I’m no country fan, but I see why Scotty’s still there. The flip side of all this disappointment is that when it gets down to this point in the competition, we always see favorites sent home. It’s come to the point of what many folks complain about throughout the season: it’s a popularity contest. But even with that, I’m not sure why Scotty was down in the bottom. Maybe it’s a case of not voting, but maybe he’s losing that Southern charm. We’ll see who’s in the bottom next week, but it may not be the fluke I think it is.
When Ryan Seacrest finally announced that Casey would be leaving us, he didn’t seem all that surprised and while I’m angry about it, I wasn’t as surprised as I thought I’d be, if that makes sense. He’d have a hard time becoming a mainstream artist and it’s clear that Idol hasn’t changed like I’d supposed; it’s still in the search of mainstream pop singers. As he hugged just about everyone in the crowd and his fellow contestants, Casey sang his swan song, “I Put a Spell On You.” I have to note, for the gossip mongers out there, that he ended the song (which ends with “because you’re mine”) by singing the final lyrics to his rumored girlfriend, Haley Reinhart, who was crying harder than the other five safe contestants. So unpack that, gossip girls.
My favorite may have reached the end of his Idol road, so I guess I’ll pick another horse. One thing’s for sure though, I sure am going to miss him.
