American Idol Review: Will You Still Love Them Tomorrow?

The final stretch of American Idol’s tenth season is finally upon us as this week rounded out a Top Five many viewers might not have predicted at the start of the finals a mere six weeks ago. Has it really only been that long? Fret not, readers! A light at the end of the tunnel awaits us at Los Angeles’ Nokia Theater in one month to mercifully crown the winner, who can almost certainly guarantee themselves at least as many album sales as reigning champ Lee DeWyze. Aim high, kids. After enduring such grueling obstacles as the weekly Ford Music Video and yet ANOTHER tired “Songs From The Year You Were Born” theme over the last couple of months, it’s hard not to wonder if all the energy invested in Idol is really worth it – for both the viewers and the contestants. Does the title of American Idol hold any credibility these days, if ever?

Given the comparatively impressive talent this year, we’re admittedly more likely to find a potential Carrie, Kelly or Daughtry in this bunch as opposed to another Taylor Hicks-level disaster, but it’s impossible to predict whether or not the baritone twang of Scotty McCreery or the adolescent musings of Lauren Alaina will be on the pop culture radar post-May. The blinding supernova of Paul McDonald’s teeth has long faded from Idol relevancy in just two weeks, and Stefano’s dimples left nary a mark in the wake of his exit. Even the controversy of Pia Toscano’s arguably premature boot has the stale stench of yesterday’s news – because that’s precisely what it is.

Always eager to either desperately chase fleeting trends or haphazardly uphold the integrity of industry icons, this week’s set of Carole King songs followed the latter of Idol’s trademark approaches; an informative montage highlighting King’s superlative career attempted to educate the clueless target demographic with, as usual, assumedly marginal success. Let’s assess the subsequent damage, shall we?

Seacrest and the judges are doing their best to ignore the collective “Huh?” sweeping the nation by appearing relatively enthused about the night’s events. Randy’s cardigan is actually embroidered with a shockingly apt letter “R” while Seacrest resurrects his best head cheerleader skills of yore to pump up the audience. Nice try, Seacrest, but we already suspect you spent your pep rallies stuffed in a locker. The ghost of will.i.am threatens to rattle its chains as Jimmy Iovine teases about a “friend” he has joining him in the studio. Much to my relief, someone with actual credibility appears instead: Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds, who has a basement full of Grammys and boasts the same singer/songwriter cred as Carole King, albeit at a more modest degree of success. According to Babyface, “America hasn’t really caught the essence” of any of the contestants yet; if that’s true, I wonder what the hell we’ve been watching since January.

Jacob’s up first, and Iovine says he’s in the “most jeopardy” of being sent home. Rehearsal proves tough, as Jacob sings “Oh No, Not My Baby” about “65 times” in the studio until Iovine and Babyface are satisfied. Essence is an elusive thing, apparently. Last week the judges told Jacob to start singing for the title and show off his range, instead of reining in his theatrical side. He took the advice to heart and delivers his most energetic performance to date, complete with technically flawless vocals. The fact he raided Randy’s grandfather’s closet is beside the point, given the pure success of his singing, but Jacob’s problem still lies in his future potential as a recording artist. I appreciate his talent, but I can say with firm certainty I’d never buy his album. Idol needs a sellable artist, and Jacob’s impressive, but pigeonholed, gospel flair just won’t fit the mold. Tyler is pleased Jacob “finally shook [his] tailfeathers,” which is a more fitting description of Jacob’s stage antics than “dancing,” while J. Lo says she detected “little spaces where it wasn’t perfect,” but is glad he “brought it home” by the end and “killed it.” Randy loved the “incredible” scatting, and Seacrest congratulates Jacob while gingerly adjusting his plaid bow tie.

After Seacrest not-so-subtly plugs the Idol summer tour – another sign of the impending finale – Jimmy Iovine and Babyface express understandable skepticism toward Lauren’s trepidation about vocally challenging herself. She admits rather weakly she’s never missed a note she pushed for, but nonetheless feels nervous about the pressure from the judges to step outside her comfort zone. Miley Cyrus shows up at rehearsal for a brief pep talk, but somehow, hearing her tell Lauren “I listen to your music all the time” doesn’t ring sincere, considering the only music Lauren has to offer is her weekly karaoke on Idol. Despite Lauren’s rejuvenated belief in herself, her rendition of “Where You Lead” boasts the same level of uninspired competency as the rest of her performances. Unlike Jacob, Lauren is massively marketable, but is strangely unable to tap into the opportunity this offers her. Whereas Jacob stepped up his performance and showmanship this week, Lauren appeared as reserved as ever, despite bringing a random admirer named Brett onstage to serenade. Seacrest uses Brett’s googly-eyed appearance as an opportunity to showcase his parental interrogation skills, and the embarrassing allusion to statutory rape that results leaves Brett as dateless as he arrived. The judges seem to think Lauren brought “extra swagger” and “vengeance” to her performance, with J. Lo even saying she’s “proud” of her for pushing her vocals, but all Lauren hears is reference to a note she missed and she instantly wells up with tears. Being a teenage girl sucks enough as it is, but the kind of scrutiny these kids go through on national television must manifest the angst tenfold.

After Casey and Haley engage in one of three time-filling duets of the evening, Scotty brings the competition back on track with his heartfelt rendition of “You’ve Got a Friend.” This seems to be the week where the contestants are at least trying to implement constructive criticism into their performances, and Babyface proves an able mentor when he and Iovine get Scotty to tone down the cartoonish drawl and open the song with a softer approach. By golly, it works. By reeling in his honky-tonk shtick, Scotty is able to deliver his most poignant performance to date. The sly eyebrow smirks are kept to a minimum and he – gasp! – simply sings the song with genuine emotion and generates sincere pathos from viewers, including me. What a lovely surprise. Randy continues to mix his metaphors by congratulating Scotty for “turning the other cheek,” while J. Lo tells him that performances like this are why “we couldn’t let you get away with what you did last week.” Indeed. Tyler doesn’t think Scotty’s ever sung better, and I agree with J. Lo when she points out the strength in Scotty’s storytelling during his performance. Given his trajectory in the competition thus far, I predict a happy ending for Scotty’s Idol story.

James picks up where Scotty left off and also decides to strip down his performance this week, saying his version of “Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow” will be sans marching band or flaming piano. Instead, James says he can “put on just as big of a show” by being himself. Iovine seems thrilled with what he heard in rehearsal and hopes the “intensity and excitement” from the studio sessions will come through onstage. James begins by singing a cappella and proves his point that flashy props aren’t needed when flawless vocals and a relatable connection to the song are present. The magic of the performance interestingly dwindles a bit once the full accompaniment kicks in, but it’s the closest to a “moment” this entire season of Idol has seen so far, and, unlike any other contestant, James actually gives off the vibe of an established musician onstage. The judges are equally mesmerized, with J. Lo proclaiming James “the star of the night with that one” and Randy deeming the performance “incredible” before hinting at James’ increased chances of winning the competition. Tyler, meanwhile, continues to confuse his prepositions and informs us “Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow” was “the first song I ever made out to a girl with.” Like me, Tyler also preferred James’ voice a cappella, but warmed up to the band eventually. After J. Lo makes the valid point that James has been consistently solid every week, it seems more plausible than ever that Nuts of Wonder might not have this in the bag after all.

After Scotty and Lauren’s duet prompts Seacrest to continue his off-putting attempts to play matchmaker, Casey dons a fedora to growl his way through “Hi De Ho,” a risky song that undoubtedly fits Casey’s persona but not necessarily the mainstream confines of Idol. Iovine expresses concern with the polarizing nature of Casey’s performances, with good reason. Despite Casey possessing the “pure, 100 percent personality” it takes to attempt such a straightforward blues number, the performance never really goes beyond his trademark talky growl and I suspect it might alienate some viewers expecting to hear some actual musical notes emerge from his mouth. I personally think it impossible to find Casey anything but likable, but can understand why some just might not get it. Randy does get it, however, raving about Casey taking him “back to New Orleans” with his jazzy swagger, and how he “always keeps this show different.” J. Lo thinks the “whole thing worked” but recommends Casey “loosen up a bit” in his physical stance, while Tyler says Casey made his “scalp itch, it was so good,” and loves how Casey’s niche is “nestled into all this American Idol stuff.” So, in the midst of all this manipulative mainstream crap, actual musicianship can really be found? Thanks, Uncle Stevie!

Poor Haley can never seem to catch a break, as her rendition of “Beautiful” is initially off to a jilted start when technical difficulties threaten to thwart her performance. Luckily, both the “groovy and uplifting” song and her interpretation hold up throughout, and I suddenly notice Haley is a completely different performer than she was the first week of finals. Virtually gone are the orangutan arm swivels and cutesy pouts, and she looks more polished and professional than ever. While Lauren has been stuck at the same level week to week, Haley has actually displayed remarkable progression in her performance skills and ability to control her throaty wails. Tyler, of course, exhibits needless hyperbole in place of normal positive comments, saying he “saw God” during Haley’s performance. Whatever. Randy begins to say he “didn’t love the beginning,” but J. Lo cuts him off and tells Haley she has “one of the best voices in the competition,” a compliment that means less and less each week.

After Wednesday’s performance show ends with James and Jacob offering a hilariously horrendous performance of “I’m Into Something Good,” Thursday night arrives with more time-wasting filler on the horizon. Seacrest opens the show by warning us that the “crazy” results will leave “ a lot of fans disappointed.” How mysterious. After the earth-shattering news that Steven Tyler is famous enough to be on the covers of TWO magazines in the SAME WEEK (is it in the judges’ contracts to be simultaneously publicized by multiple media outlets?) a mind-numbing sequence of the Idols exploring the British consulate in anticipation of the Royal Wedding snatches away three and a half minutes of my life I’ll never get back.

After the group medley offers new insight into the incompetency of Idol’s sound department, the Ford commercial renders me virtually comatose. Even the return of Crystal Bowersox and her wonderfully hippie mic stand can’t wrestle an attitude adjustment from this disgruntled viewer.

One drawn-out Q&A session with the Idols later, a result or two is finally revealed. Of course, there’s still copious time to kill, so Iovine is brought back to tell the Idols via JumboTron what they suck at. Haley resents Iovine’s proclamation that she doesn’t have a musical identity, and gets the first contestant bleep of the season. I like her more and more every day. In maybe the first display of mercy given to her, Haley is deemed safe right off the bat and heads for the Couch of Safety. Scotty, Casey and Jacob are each brought on stage to hear Iovine’s respective observations, and then told to sit down again without hearing their fate, because there’s STILL SO MUCH TIME LEFT. Eventually, James and Lauren join Haley on the Safety Couch, leaving Scotty, Casey and Jacob as the bottom three. I’m shocked to see Scotty in this group, but Seacrest slyly mentions the results are random, so this “bottom three” isn’t necessarily comprised of all the lowest vote recipients. Oh, Idol, you’ve got to stop sneaking up on me like this!

After Bruno Mars sings a song about being defiantly lazy, a subject matter I’m all too familiar with, someone finally gets kicked off the show. In a move I admittedly do find surprising, Jacob is the first one of the “bottom three” sent back to safety, leaving Casey and Scotty as the final two up for elimination. Since I’m fairly sure the Idol equivalent of a burning cross would have showed up on stage in the event of Scotty’s departure, I prepare to say goodbye to Casey. Indeed, his Idol time has officially run out, but his second elimination proves cheerier and far less dramatic than the first. Casey takes the news in stride, and sings “I Put A Spell On You” to the audience, judges and fellow Idols, making particular effort to croon the last words “because you’re mine” to rumored girlfriend Haley. It’s cute.

While Casey’s unabashed personality and unique spin on the tired Idol cookie-cutter singer will be missed, it’s inevitable that the show would eventually have to say goodbye to him for good. With Season 10 coming to a rapid close, a final showdown between James and Scotty seems virtually inevitable. Everything else, ultimately, is just filler.

Are you sad to see Casey go, or thrilled to finally be rid of his grizzly-man jazz revue? Has James surpassed Scotty as the assumed one to beat this season? Is English Steven Tyler’s second language? Post your thoughts below!

For another take on Casey’s exit, read “Now With 100% Less Beard” by Kelley Lynn.

Season 10, Episodes 30 – 31: 6 Finalist Compete and 1 of 6 Voted Off (originally aired April 27 – 28, 2011)

For more American Idol coverage, click here.

Don’t miss American Idol Wednesdays and Thursdays, 8/7c on FOX.

Photographs courtesy of IMDbPro.

Follow Poptimal on Twitter!