The first two elimination rounds of American Idol featured the surprising save of Casey Abrams, followed by a double ouster of Naima Adedapo and Thia Megia. Was the third contestant voted off tonight someone we expected, or did the voters have another surprise up their sleeves after Wednesday’s performances? Most pundits felt the Bottom Three would be made of Jacob Lusk, Paul McDonald and Stefano Langone. Two out of the three did in fact land there. But … The third member of the trio in danger was someone no one saw coming, and not only did that person land in the bottom three, they’re the one going home! Follow the jump to see which finalist left American Idol tonight … Pia Toscano was shockingly sent packing by voters this week! American Idol viewers eliminated their fifth consecutive female singer tonight, leaving Jacob, Stefano, the judges and plenty of fans beyond shocked. Many considered Pia to not just be safe tonight, but to have given Wednesday’s best performance and to be almost a lock for the Season 10 finals. “What a shock, what a surprise,” Ryan Seacrest said amid boos. Jennifer Lopez could not even hold back the tears. “I have no idea what just happened here. I’m shocked. I’m angry. I don’t even know what to say.” “A mistake is one thing, but a lack of passion is unforgivable,” Steven Tyler added, upset and nearly at a loss for words himself. “They’re wrong.” “We’re all in shock,” said Randy Jackson. “I’m gutted.” Think they’re regretting that save of Casey Abrams?! After her swan song (The Pretenders’ “I’ll Stand By You”), Pia Toscano broke down and was given a standing ovation from all, with many in tears. What do you think? Did America really blow it this week, or was Pia actually deserving of the heave-ho? Sound off in the comments …
Stefano Langone and Jacob Lusk join onetime front-runner in the bottom three. By Gil Kaufman Pia Toscano Photo: FOX All sense of logic was officially thrown out the window on “American Idol” on Thursday night’s (April 7) elimination show. With two of the season’s leading contenders in the bottom three — after last week’s shocking near-miss for Paul McDonald — there seems to be no rhyme or reason to the voting patterns on the 10th season of the show. When the dust settled, those confounding voters served up one of the biggest early elimination bombshells in recent “Idol” history, sending home the woman many had pegged as a potential winner, or at least top finisher, Pia Toscano. The comely singer who had charmed the judges with her professional, powerful performances, camera-ready looks and diva-in-the-making potential hit the bottom three for the first, and last, time on Thursday night in a vote that confounded and angered the judging panel. As host Ryan Seacrest broke the bad news, judge Randy Jackson — perhaps sensing that he pulled his save too early two weeks ago when bearded bass player Casey Abrams was spared — grabbed his head and mouthed “no, no” and, as the camera cut away, maybe something a bit stronger, while Toscano smiled politely and took the news like a pro. “I’m good,” Toscano smiled when Seacrest asked how she was doing. Judge Jennifer Lopez broke into tears, saying, “I have no idea. I have no idea what just happened here. I’m shocked, I’m angry. I don’t even know what to say.” “They’re wrong, I don’t know what happened with this,” a dumbfounded Steven Tyler added, as Jackson admitted that he never gets mad on the show and was officially steamed at Toscano’s elimination. It was not shaping up like this earlier in the hour. Casey Abrams, Stefano Langone and Lauren Alaina were first up in the elimination circle, with Abrams skating after his CCR bass-plucking performance, Alaina safe after biting off a big chunk with “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman,” leaving Langone to shuffle to the bottom three again after a lackluster “When a Man Loves a Woman.” From early indications, it seemed like it was Langone who was going to be leaving. The second group featured Paul McDonald, Toscano and Scotty McCreery . McDonald rocked Johnny Cash’s “Folsom Prison Blues,” while Pia went uptempo with Tina Turner’s “River Deep, Mountain High” and McCreery did Elvis’ “It’s Alright Mama.” McCreery and McDonald will live to sing another day, while nobody saw it coming when Toscano made her first visit to the bottom three. The next trio up was James Durbin, Haley Reinhart and Jacob Lusk. While rocker Durbin took a chance with the gentle ballad “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” and Reinhart hit “Piece of My Heart” with gusto, Lusk seemed to stumble with “Man in the Mirror.” Durbin was safe again, as was Reinhart, while Lusk also made his maiden voyage to the bottom. He, too, seemed like the likely one to be sent packing at show’s end. But first to be waved back to safety was Lusk, who survived despite a shaky performance and a strange warning to America that if he was eliminated it would be because the country couldn’t look itself in the mirror (whatever that means). Though eliminated contestants haven’t been given a chance to sing their way off this year, Seacrest made an exception and let Toscano reprise her heartbreaking cover of the Pretenders’ “I’ll Stand by You,” as the remaining eight wiped their eyes and the audience gave Pia a standing ovation while she broke down in tears at song’s end. Perhaps sensing that one of the leading lights of the show had been dimmed and the audience might wane in the coming weeks, Seacrest ended the show with the plea: “We need you. Stay with us this season.” The show also featured season-four finalist and Tony nominee Constantine Maroulis stopping by to visit the kids and sing a brooding rock version of the classic ballad “Unchained Melody.” But, aside from Pia’s exit, the night’s biggest WTF moment was when Rock Hall of Famer and shirt-allergic punk godfather Iggy Pop shimmed all over the stage to “Real Wild Child.” What did you think of tonight’s elimination? Did Pia deserve to go home? Let us know in the comments. Get your “Idol” fix on MTV News’ “American Idol” page , where you’ll find all the latest news, interviews and opinions. Related Photos ‘American Idol’ Season 10 Performances
Elton John does wonders for Haley and Pia, but James and Stefano may have ruined their GPAs. By Eric Ditzian Haley Reinhart performs on Wednesday’s “American Idol” Photo: Michael Becker/ Fox What a schizophrenic ” American Idol ” school year it has been, and our report cards have been correspondingly all over the place. One week Casey Abrams is up, a few later, he’s collapsing into Ryan Seacrest’s tender embrace after narrowly avoiding a trip home. Jacob Lusk and Stefano Langone have each taken their place at the head of the class, only to tumble to the low end of the grading curve. What to make of all this GPA upheaval? Well, “Idol” is a damn hard class. Consistency from performance to performance is just as important as excellence on any given evening. And excellence we most certainly had on Wednesday, as the contestants took on Elton John’s oeuvre. So too, of course, did we have singers who either didn’t study hard enough or who just couldn’t quite grasp the night’s curriculum. Too bad. Our “Idol” report card suffers no fools. Let’s get to it! Excellent Pia Toscano : As we explained in our preview, there was no way Pia was going to go with anything uptempo, despite everyone’s pleas over the weeks. Hey, if Scotty McCreery doesn’t have to ditch his country twang, should she be compelled to give up residency in Balladsville? That’s a matter for debate, but during her take on “Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me,” it was hard to complain about anything. What a voice. Seriously, what a voice! Haley Reinhart : Let’s put aside her rather amusing pre-performance reference to “hard-core bangage” and concentrate on what she accomplished during her time onstage. She killed it! As surprised as we were, she freaking killed it! She finally, fully embraced those wonderful bluesy tones and growled her way toward glory during “Bennie and the Jets.” Our only fear is that it’s too late for Haley to turn the tide and stick around for more than a few weeks. Good Scotty McCreery : We’re not going to say we get it, but perhaps we’re starting to enjoy it. To wit, we’ve ditched any notion Scotty has a desire to even shout in the direction of a country-free genre. Nor were we surprised to hear his song selection process involved nothing more than finding an Elton tune with “country” in the title. Thusly prepared, we were able to sit back and enjoy the country comfort he was selling. His fluency in the genre, at such a young age, is truly impressive. Whether or not he wins “Idol,” Scotty is going to sell millions of records. Paul McDonald : Paul learned his lesson well last week: Play the guitar, don’t dance. Hooray! Sure, his “Rocket Man” started off a little slurry, and the guy has a tendency to come off creepy when he’s trying to go smoldery, but we never tire of the tone of his voice. That being said, his voice simply didn’t have the oomph to hit those notes that bring out goose bumps. Lauren Alaina : We’ve been saying for a while Lauren is at her best when she’s not racing through fast-paced tunes, attempting to keep up while jigging and jagging across the stage. In this sense, “Candle in the Wind” was a smart choice, and the arrangement gave the tune some country flavoring that washed away any residual, Princess Di-induced cheesiness. The slowed-down performance gave Lauren a chance to build, getting better as she went and finally finishing on a strong note. Casey Abrams : Goodbye, bushy beard. Hello, reborn Casey. If there were one singer to nail the emotional aspects of Elton’s music, it was Casey. Restrained, tender, satisfying. Coming off the judges’ save, he followed Tom Hanks’ advice in “Saving Private Ryan”: “Earn this!” Earn it he did. Now keep it up, kid! Satisfactory Naima Adedapo : Her faux-Jamaican accent was the least of her problems. Jimmy Iovine gave the game away when he wondered if Naima could stay in tune: No, no she couldn’t. The accent was a bold choice — bolder even than slapping some reggae swag on “I’m Still Standing.” But while we felt the song sounded fine with its new arrangement, her accent smacked of gimmickry, a ploy to distract us. We don’t think it’ll work. Thia Megia : The 16-year-old avoids a lower grade, if only because the judges have been deeply unfair to her for a few weeks in a row. Other bottom-of-the-barrel singers come in for wild praise no matter how dreadfully they perform. The judges, meanwhile, have absolutely no use for Thia; their condescension is painful to hear and unfair to air. OK, so her take on “Daniel” was pitchy as hell, with phrasing messier than a daycare playroom after snack time, and she couldn’t swoop down to hit those low notes if her life depended on it. OK, so she’s probably going home on Thursday. But if the judges truly don’t like what she does, what the heck is she doing here in the first place? Jacob Lusk : There’s a difference between singing with emotion and singing whilst on the verge of tears — a difference Jacob doesn’t seem to grasp. He’s uncomfortable to watch, and not nearly pleasant enough to hear. We wanted to step slowly away from the television during his rendition of “Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word.” All that progress from last week, tossed out the window. Unsatisfactory Stefano Langone : The first thing Stefano had to contend with was a brutal intro package in which Jimmy all but announced the kid was going to bomb. The second thing he had to contend with was “Tiny Dancer”; the diminutive singer just didn’t have the vocal power the tune demanded, or at least deserved. His phrasings were muddled, but at least his eyes were (mostly) open. Not that it matters much. Stefano’s in trouble. James Durbin : Not even a five-alarm fire can distract us from the fact that James’ performance was fun and energetic, but useless as an example of his musical talents. He gets a freaking flaming piano? Someone’s playing favorites with the contestants. Also, that reference to a Pepsi moment? Yikes! Thought shalt not speak ill of the deceased, especially not the King of Pop. Get your “Idol” fix on MTV News’ “American Idol” page , where you’ll find all the latest news, interviews and opinions. Related Photos ‘American Idol’ Season 10 Performances
Elton John does wonders for Haley and Pia, but James and Stefano may have ruined their GPAs. By Eric Ditzian Haley Reinhart performs on Wednesday’s “American Idol” Photo: Michael Becker/ Fox What a schizophrenic ” American Idol ” school year it has been, and our report cards have been correspondingly all over the place. One week Casey Abrams is up, a few later, he’s collapsing into Ryan Seacrest’s tender embrace after narrowly avoiding a trip home. Jacob Lusk and Stefano Langone have each taken their place at the head of the class, only to tumble to the low end of the grading curve. What to make of all this GPA upheaval? Well, “Idol” is a damn hard class. Consistency from performance to performance is just as important as excellence on any given evening. And excellence we most certainly had on Wednesday, as the contestants took on Elton John’s oeuvre. So too, of course, did we have singers who either didn’t study hard enough or who just couldn’t quite grasp the night’s curriculum. Too bad. Our “Idol” report card suffers no fools. Let’s get to it! Excellent Pia Toscano : As we explained in our preview, there was no way Pia was going to go with anything uptempo, despite everyone’s pleas over the weeks. Hey, if Scotty McCreery doesn’t have to ditch his country twang, should she be compelled to give up residency in Balladsville? That’s a matter for debate, but during her take on “Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me,” it was hard to complain about anything. What a voice. Seriously, what a voice! Haley Reinhart : Let’s put aside her rather amusing pre-performance reference to “hard-core bangage” and concentrate on what she accomplished during her time onstage. She killed it! As surprised as we were, she freaking killed it! She finally, fully embraced those wonderful bluesy tones and growled her way toward glory during “Bennie and the Jets.” Our only fear is that it’s too late for Haley to turn the tide and stick around for more than a few weeks. Good Scotty McCreery : We’re not going to say we get it, but perhaps we’re starting to enjoy it. To wit, we’ve ditched any notion Scotty has a desire to even shout in the direction of a country-free genre. Nor were we surprised to hear his song selection process involved nothing more than finding an Elton tune with “country” in the title. Thusly prepared, we were able to sit back and enjoy the country comfort he was selling. His fluency in the genre, at such a young age, is truly impressive. Whether or not he wins “Idol,” Scotty is going to sell millions of records. Paul McDonald : Paul learned his lesson well last week: Play the guitar, don’t dance. Hooray! Sure, his “Rocket Man” started off a little slurry, and the guy has a tendency to come off creepy when he’s trying to go smoldery, but we never tire of the tone of his voice. That being said, his voice simply didn’t have the oomph to hit those notes that bring out goose bumps. Lauren Alaina : We’ve been saying for a while Lauren is at her best when she’s not racing through fast-paced tunes, attempting to keep up while jigging and jagging across the stage. In this sense, “Candle in the Wind” was a smart choice, and the arrangement gave the tune some country flavoring that washed away any residual, Princess Di-induced cheesiness. The slowed-down performance gave Lauren a chance to build, getting better as she went and finally finishing on a strong note. Casey Abrams : Goodbye, bushy beard. Hello, reborn Casey. If there were one singer to nail the emotional aspects of Elton’s music, it was Casey. Restrained, tender, satisfying. Coming off the judges’ save, he followed Tom Hanks’ advice in “Saving Private Ryan”: “Earn this!” Earn it he did. Now keep it up, kid! Satisfactory Naima Adedapo : Her faux-Jamaican accent was the least of her problems. Jimmy Iovine gave the game away when he wondered if Naima could stay in tune: No, no she couldn’t. The accent was a bold choice — bolder even than slapping some reggae swag on “I’m Still Standing.” But while we felt the song sounded fine with its new arrangement, her accent smacked of gimmickry, a ploy to distract us. We don’t think it’ll work. Thia Megia : The 16-year-old avoids a lower grade, if only because the judges have been deeply unfair to her for a few weeks in a row. Other bottom-of-the-barrel singers come in for wild praise no matter how dreadfully they perform. The judges, meanwhile, have absolutely no use for Thia; their condescension is painful to hear and unfair to air. OK, so her take on “Daniel” was pitchy as hell, with phrasing messier than a daycare playroom after snack time, and she couldn’t swoop down to hit those low notes if her life depended on it. OK, so she’s probably going home on Thursday. But if the judges truly don’t like what she does, what the heck is she doing here in the first place? Jacob Lusk : There’s a difference between singing with emotion and singing whilst on the verge of tears — a difference Jacob doesn’t seem to grasp. He’s uncomfortable to watch, and not nearly pleasant enough to hear. We wanted to step slowly away from the television during his rendition of “Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word.” All that progress from last week, tossed out the window. Unsatisfactory Stefano Langone : The first thing Stefano had to contend with was a brutal intro package in which Jimmy all but announced the kid was going to bomb. The second thing he had to contend with was “Tiny Dancer”; the diminutive singer just didn’t have the vocal power the tune demanded, or at least deserved. His phrasings were muddled, but at least his eyes were (mostly) open. Not that it matters much. Stefano’s in trouble. James Durbin : Not even a five-alarm fire can distract us from the fact that James’ performance was fun and energetic, but useless as an example of his musical talents. He gets a freaking flaming piano? Someone’s playing favorites with the contestants. Also, that reference to a Pepsi moment? Yikes! Thought shalt not speak ill of the deceased, especially not the King of Pop. Get your “Idol” fix on MTV News’ “American Idol” page , where you’ll find all the latest news, interviews and opinions. Related Photos ‘American Idol’ Season 10 Performances
Singer even cleans up his look during Elton John week — though the trademark beard stays put. By Adam Graham Casey Abrams performs on “American Idol” Wednesday Photo: FOX Following last week’s dramatic judges’ save, Casey Abrams was reborn on Wednesday’s (March 30) “American Idol.” Abrams initially came into the competition one of the favorites to win it all, though a series of health problems and a couple of bum performances — including last week’s train-wreck take on Marvin Gaye’s “I Heard It Through the Grapevine” — stalled his momentum to the point where America sent him packing. But the judges threw their weight behind the shaggy-haired soul man, and this week it was up to him to prove they made the right decision. But first, he had to deal with the fallout from last week’s performance. When mentor Jimmy Iovine rolled tape of Abrams’ Motown week effort, the singer found it difficult to even watch. “You know what was wrong with that performance?” Iovine asked. Abrams sheepishly replied “some … things?” while Iovine corrected him: “Everything!” Iovine went on to say Abrams “killed himself” with the Gaye cover, saying he’d lost his way in the competition and needed to refocus. Producer Rodney Jerkins was just as critical, but had a far more concrete solution to Abrams’ problems: “Get rid of the beard.” Abrams took Jerkins’ advice to heart and took his mug to Baxter Finley, a Los Angeles barber shop, where a team of skilled professionals trimmed his bushy facial fuzz and hacked away at his unkempt hair. The results weren’t unveiled until Abrams hit the “Idol” stage, though it wasn’t as dramatic as the segment led viewers to believe. Instead, Abrams’ look was simply a fresher, cleaner version of the wild man he’d come to be known as — Abrams 2.0, if you will. His performance was where he really showed his rededication to the competition. Taking on Elton John’s “Your Song,” Abrams stayed seated and didn’t do laps around the studio as he did during Motown week or thrash in place as he did during his risky take on Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit” two weeks prior. He dialed himself way back, delivering the song in a comfortable, heartfelt manner and letting the lyrics take over. (Some tabloid reports have tied Abrams to fellow contestant Haley Reinhart, though there was no word whether he was singing the song to his alleged new squeeze.) Eventually, he let out his inner Casey, grunting a few notes near the song’s close, but overall it was the most reserved he’d been onstage yet. He delivered a high closing note that noted music scholar Randy Jackson would later identify as a Major 9. Jackson called the performance “brilliant,” “nice” and “tender,” while Steven Tyler praised Abrams’ range of styles, saying that makes him a “true artist.” Jennifer Lopez called the performance “very Casey” and reiterated that the judges made the correct decision by keeping him around. “Along the way, we’ve had to make some hard decisions and send some really, really great people home, and I’ve lost sleep over that. But one decision I didn’t lose one ounce of sleep over was saving you,” she said. “I slept like a baby!” What did you think of Casey Abrams’ performance? Let us know in the comments! Get your “Idol” fix on MTV News’ “American Idol” page , where you’ll find all the latest news, interviews and opinions. Related Photos ‘American Idol’ Season 10 Performances
Minority owner of the New Jersey Nets met winning Kentucky players. By Alvin Blanco Jay-Z Photo: Rob Loud/ Getty Images Photos of Jay-Z taken with the University of Kentucky men’s basketball team after their win over North Carolina in the Regional Finals of the NCAA tournament on Sunday have drawn the wary eyes of the NBA. CBSSports.com reports that the NBA will be investigating Jay-Z’s postgame congratulatory visit to the Kentucky Wildcats locker room at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. Such visits normally would be considered harmless, but Jay-Z is a minority owner of the New Jersey Nets, and contact between NBA personnel and potential NBA prospects is prohibited. Kentucky has at least two possible lottery picks in Brandon Knight and Terrence Jones, should they declare for the NBA draft. The photos and video began making the Internet rounds the day after the win, showing Jay-Z posing with players in the locker room. During a postgame interview, Kentucky player Darius Miller, who one of the photos is credited to, was asked about his reaction to seeing Jay-Z after the game. “It was crazy. I kind of had to do a double take,” Miller told Louisville’s Courier-Journal. “I didn’t expect that at all. I just had to get a picture with him.” Hova congratulating the Wildcats didn’t break any NCAA rules, however the hip-hop mogul might face a fine from the NBA, considering that Boston Celtics General Manager Danny Ainge was fined $30,000 for sitting next to Kevin Durant’s mother while he was still playing for the University of Texas in 2007. While the New Jersey Nets declined to comment, a spokesperson for the NBA confirmed to MTV News that the league is indeed investigating the matter. A message to Jay-Z’s representatives was not returned by press time. Sound off on this story in the comments below! Related Artists Jay-Z
Casey Abrams saw his life flash before his eyes last night. His American Idol life, that is. The bearded singer was surprisingly voted out by fans , following a lackluster Motown cover on Wednesday. Like the finalists before him, Casey was then given the chance to sing one more time in front of the judges in order to convince them to use their one-time “save” and keep him around. And it worked! In a decision that left Abrams visibly stunned – and audibly cursing at one point, watch the clip below – J. Lo, Randy and Steven told the contestant he was safe. Casey Abrams Sings for His Spot Two finalists will now be voted off next Thursday, and this summer’s Idol Live tour will include 11 singers instead of the customary 10. Did the judges make the right decision?
Three weeks into the American Idol finals, we were treated to our first surprise. Our first shock, really. Following an off night on Wednesday for a couple of THG favorites – Thia Megia and Casey Abrams – they found themselves in the bottom three along with Stefano Langone. It was a scary few moments for those of us who love Thia’s voice and Casey’s originality. In the end, Megia and Langone were told to join the other, safe contestants, while millions of jaws crashed to the floor when Ryan told Casey he had been voted out. He went back to “I Don’t Need No Doctor” in an attempt to be saved, but was told a few lines into the performance to stop because… Did the judges make the right choice this week? … the panel voted unanimously to save him! “We just want you to get back to being the musician that you are,” Jennifer said. “No more antics… You deserve to be here.” Two finalists will be voted out next Thursday, as Abrams stood on stage, truly taken aback and responding: “I thought that they wouldn’t use the save, because there’s 11 people. It’s unreal. I started singing, and the fact that you cut it scared the stuff out of me.”
Three weeks into the American Idol finals, we were treated to our first surprise. Our first shock, really. Following an off night on Wednesday for a couple of THG favorites – Thia Megia and Casey Abrams – they found themselves in the bottom three along with Stefano Langone. It was a scary few moments for those of us who love Thia’s voice and Casey’s originality. In the end, Megia and Langone were told to join the other, safe contestants, while millions of jaws crashed to the floor when Ryan told Casey he had been voted out. He went back to “I Don’t Need No Doctor” in an attempt to be saved, but was told a few lines into the performance to stop because… Did the judges make the right choice this week? … the panel voted unanimously to save him! “We just want you to get back to being the musician that you are,” Jennifer said. “No more antics… You deserve to be here.” Two finalists will be voted out next Thursday, as Abrams stood on stage, truly taken aback and responding: “I thought that they wouldn’t use the save, because there’s 11 people. It’s unreal. I started singing, and the fact that you cut it scared the stuff out of me.”
Ryan Phillippe is not pleased. Alexis Knapp , the woman who claims Ryan is the father of her unborn child, is already casting him as a deadbeat because he hasn’t paid her expenses. According to sources close to Ryan, not only is this unfair, as it hasn’t even been established that the baby is his, he HAS supported Knapp financially. Not only that, Alexis said that if Ryan supported her during her pregnancy, she wouldn’t go blabbing to the media … which he says she has anyway. Alexis Knapp, who is due in June, says her baby is definitely Ryan’s. Phillippe will take a DNA test as soon as the baby is born and support it if it’s his. Sources connected to Alexis claim while she’s pregnant, she hasn’t received a dime from Ryan and is hurting financially because she’s unable to work. People close to Ryan say Alexis is lying and that he is paying Alexis’ expenses, despite having no obligation to do so until a judge establishes paternity. Short story, this isn’t going well. As a source connected to The Lincoln Lawyer star put it, “File it under the category, ‘No good deed goes unpunished.'” [Photos: Pacific Coast News]
