Haley Reinhart survives the only negative judges’ comments of the week. By Jim Cantiello Paul McDonald Photo: FOX “American Idol” tackled “Songs from the Cinema” this week but the theme may as well have been D
Watch ‘Idol Party Live’ for more on why we’re giving Lauren Alaina high marks this week. By Eric Ditzian Lauren Alaina Photo: FOX The question heading into Wednesday’s “American Idol” was no longer why Pia Toscano was booted off so prematurely, but whether the judges would learn a much-needed lesson from her departure. Would Randy, Jennifer and Steven realize their jobs are to dole out expert critiques and sagacious notes, shaping public opinion and letting contestants know what’s working and what needs overhauling? Any hope the judges had recalibrated their critical approach was pretty much lost when J.Lo announced, after a competent but hardly revelatory tune from Scotty McCreery, “Everybody wants us to be tough with you guys, but the truth is y’all are so damn good. All I really want to say is wow.” And our last bit of optimism was flushed away as Lopez, during her review of Haley Reinhart, essentially exposed herself as a judge who will place sentiment (in this case, mealy-mouthed girl-power favoritism) ahead of objective reality. In past seasons, even when Simon Cowell would confess to personally liking an “Idol” hopeful, he’d still have no problem laying down some hard truths. No wonder, as Ryan Seacrest put it last night, this season is clouded by an “insane level of uncertainty.” But there’s nothing ambiguous about our “Idol” report card. The fact is, Wednesday’s night show — theme: songs of the cinema — wasn’t much to behold. No one bombed, but no one blew us away either. If the judges won’t lay down some truth, we will. Excellent Lauren Alaina : We’re not sure what Miley Cyrus did to earn Jimmy Iovine’s enmity, but the guy seemed almost as concerned with ripping the Disney starlet as he was with anointing Lauren as a superstar. In any event, saying Lauren is better than Miley is kind of a backhanded compliment, no? During “The Climb,” she struggled with some pitch problems but showed off an emotive voice and been-doing-this-all-my-life comfort level on stage. One question though: What happened to the country-infused Lauren we’ve come to know? We dig the ballads, but we want that light Southern twang back in the mix. In the end, Lauren lands a top grade, not because her performance was astonishing but because a) she was a pleasure to listen to, and b) there’s no way James Durbin gets an “excellent” just because he shared the stage with shred-master Zakk Wylde. Good Scotty McCreery : Let’s put aside the laughable thesis that Scotty was returning to his country roots on Wednesday, because he’s showed next to no genre growth all season. That’s not meant as a knock. In fact, he presents quite an interesting “Idol” model: the fully formed artist who does one thing so well, there’s little reason to test uncharted artistic waters. And hey, during his George Strait tune, Scotty let his vocals stretch further than they have on the show, even holding one note long enough for us to think, “Geez, he’s actually holding a note.” James Durbin : We knew this was coming . James couldn’t be expected to go all sensitive-rocker for a second consecutive week, even though we continue to argue that’s when he’s at his best. Alas, his heavy metal take on Sammy Hager left us feeling much as we did during his cover of Elton John’s “Saturday Night’s Alright for Fighting” a few weeks ago: tons of fun to watch, but useless as an example of vocal expertise — something he has hardly established he possesses. Haley getting beat up for not giving her vocals an opportunity to sparkle while James didn’t is a deep injustice, a sign that some singers continue to get free passes while others can’t catch a break. Satisfactory Paul McDonald : We knew we should worry as soon as Paul showed up onstage without a guitar and was free to wobble around like that spinning top from “Inception.” It never works out well, does it? Paul’s energy was high and his ability to pump up a crowd remained intact, but we just didn’t get a very good chance to assess Paul the singer, rather than Paul the showman. We fear he’ll end up in the bottom three this week; we hope he doesn’t get sent home. Haley Reinhart : Haley! Haley! Why? Why Blondie’s “Call Me” and why that arrangement? Listen, we actually enjoyed it. Or maybe we just enjoy her. But the judges were correct that the song didn’t allow Haley to showcase her vocals — those great soulful growls. Any momentum she had accrued over the last few weeks likely fizzled away, perhaps not because her performance was worse than anyone else’s (it wasn’t, not by a long shot), but because she doesn’t seem to have worked her way into a permanent, do-no-wrong place in the judges’ hearts. How can she possibly be the only contestant to get slammed, when no one else gets so much as had an unkind word tossed his or her way? We can only hope voters see through the judges’ transparent cheerleading for everyone and bullying of Haley and give her enough support to rediscover her artistic sweet spot. Stefano Langone : This one’s tricky. Was Stefano’s take on Boyz II Men’s “End of the Road” his finest performance on the season — a notch above his surprising showstopper last month of Simply Red’s “If You Don’t Know Me By Now”? That’s up for debate. What is clear is Stefano showed more vocal and emotional abandon on Wednesday night than he has since coming on the show. Yet it’s also clear he generally doesn’t possess a particularly powerful instrument. The judges did their best to make Haley into this week’s fall gal, but there’s no doubting who is the more compelling artist between the two. Hint: It ain’t Stefano. Casey Abrams : Did we fall asleep and miss five weeks of this competition? Since when did Casey remake his artistic identity into some pop-jazz fusion of Adele and Michael Bubl
Scotty McCreery sang George Strait’s “Cross My Heart” on Idol this week. For a country singer to use George Strait, well, they’re gonna have to be good, ’cause they’re gonna be compared to George Strait. Did Scotty pull it off? It seemed to us that he had trouble with his pitch sometimes, struggled with some notes and didn’t exactly get a lot of favors from the American Idol band.
Is it America’s fault Pia Toscano got the boot, or is it the judges’? By Jim Cantiello Pia Toscano on “American Idol” Photo: FOX Jim Cantiello’s “American Idol” in 60 Seconds recaps have been an institution at MTV News since Sanjaya’s Reign of Terror. But sometimes, the lightning-quick pace moves by so fast, you occasionally miss a joke, comment or sight gag. So, as a courtesy to our loyal watchers, we’re publishing the full script of Jim’s latest recap. This week, the top nine (and Scotty’s groupies) tackled rock and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame artists! [ Clip of Steven Tyler singing James Brown. And high kicking. For no reason. ] Wait, is Steven competing now? Can we vote him off? Will.i.am mentored the top nine while speaking in funny voices and refusing to make eye contact with them. [ Will.i.am exclaims, “Sammy!” ] Pia listened to the judges and finally did a fast song, Casey listened to the judges and finally did a bass song, and Jacob listened to his conscience and stopped a Gaye song. (Marvin Gaye, that is.) [ Clip of Jacob: “If I’m in the bottom three, it will be because America won’t be ready to look at themselves in the mirror.” ] [ Jim has a mirror at his desk. ] But Jacob, I am looking in the mirror. And my reflection’s telling me that your performance was terrible. But wait, can we go back to Pia and discuss that outfit? [ Clip of Michael Kors from old-school “Project Runway” saying, “The crotch on those pants is insane!!” ] Thank you, Michael Kors. On the results show it was headache [ shot of Russell Brand ], nightmare [ shot of Gwen Stefani giving fashion advice ], nausea [ shot of Harry Levin and his TMZ crew ], and then a sleazy rocker came back to relive his glory days when really everyone just wanted him to button up his shirt. [ Shots of Iggy Pop performing, but Jim cuts off the editor. ] Oh, no, no, no. I liked Iggy Pop. I was talking about Constantine. [ Clip of Constantine Maroulis: “Am i gonna get judged here?” ] Oh, you’re getting judged. And results!! Goodbye, Stefan-OH WAIT! Pia’s going home?! Stop the clock! [ Clip of a teary J.Lo: “I have no idea what just happened here. ] I’ll tell you what just happened here. You and your pals told Pia that she was perfect every week, when in actuality, she had the personality of wallpaper. But if you had done your job and given her notes to improve her stage presence three weeks ago, chances are Pia would have worked on that. She does, after all, strike me as a perfectionist. Maybe then, America would have fallen in love with her as much as they were in love with her voice. Steven, do you have anything to say for yourself? [ Clip of Steven Tyler: “A mistake is a mistake, but a lack of passion is unforgiveable.” ] This coming from the man who pretended to be asleep Wednesday night? Oh, hold my earrings. Randy Jackson, final thoughts? [ Clip of Randy: “I’m mad, and I don’t get upset!” ] Oh, you never get angry, do you? Well, you also don’t pay attention. Because you, of all people, should know that the cray-crays who vote a zillion times for their favorite contestant are mostly girls. And who have the girls been voting for, especially in the last three seasons? Boys! If only there was a way for you to protect the female talent, and saved that stupid judges’ save for someone with, you know, a vagina! Just sayin’! Hashtag it! And another thing, Randy Jackson. If you’re going to sit there and tell everybody that they’re amazing and beautiful and perfect and awesome, you have no right to act shocked or angry when the bottom three is announced. Don’t think I didn’t notice when you got all huffy once Haley was safe, even though the night before you said the old brilliant Haley was “back-ack-ack-ack-ack.” It is you three who need to look in a mirror. Boom fiyah! OK, you can start the clock again. [ The clock continues. ] Does anybody know when “The Voice” premieres? [ Ding! ] Get your “Idol” fix on MTV News’ “American Idol” page , where you’ll find all the latest news, interviews and opinions. Related Videos ‘American Idol’ In 60 Seconds Related Photos ‘American Idol’ Season 10 Performances
Ke$ha, Ryan Tedder and other Spears songwriters defend the pop ‘icon’ from criticism that she didn’t pen songs on her latest release. By Jocelyn Vena Britney Spears Photo: C. Flanigan/ WireImage Britney Spears launched her career as a fresh face with the perfect amount of girl-next-door charm and sex appeal and rocketed her way up to pop superstardom. She followed her debut, … Baby One More Time, with a series of chart-topping albums, including her latest release, Femme Fatale. And while fans are loving the new album, some critics are making a fuss over Spears’ lack of songwriting credits. Spears didn’t write any of the tracks on her 1999 debut, but by her second album, Oops! … I Did It Again, she had was making some songwriting contributions. Over the course of five albums, she has co-written 17 tracks, including hit singles “Everytime” and “Me Against the Music.” With Femme Fatale, Brit left the writing to others. And many industry insiders are defending the star for not taking credit for work she didn’t do on Femme Fatale. Songwriter Heather Bright , who wrote the track “Trouble for Me” on Spears’ latest, gave Spears credit for not pushing to get credit for a song she had nothing to do with. “I would just like to address one thing! The media is talking trash about how Britney didn’t write any of the songs on her album … HELLO! Wake up everybody! NONE OF THESE ARTISTS WRITE THEIR OWN SONGS!!!!!!” she wrote, before slamming a laundry list of stars who do seek credit for songs they don’t write. Bright also praised pop stars who in fact write their own songs. Like Bright, Ke$ha, who penned the Femme Fatale track “Till the World Ends,” defended the pop star. Not writing any songs on the album doesn’t make Britney any less of an artist, Ke$ha said. “I think people should be themselves and be their own artist, whatever that means for her,” Ke$ha said in an interview with MTV Canada. “She’s an amazing singer, an amazing performer and she’s an icon. I don’t think that that means she has to write. I do write my own music, some people don’t and it doesn’t at all make them any less of a brilliant artist, obviously, in her case, an icon.” While Spears didn’t write for her current album, she explained that it was important to pick songs that were right for her. “I really like to choose songs that empower people and make them feel good about themselves, first and foremost. I have a team of people that I work with, Max Martin and Dr. Luke, that are amazing producers,” she told MTV News recently. “They bring me a load of songs but usually I’m very quick with the way I work and the type of songs that I like. And if I like it, then I’ll record it.” “Gasoline” songwriter Claude Kelly told us that Spears always knows what’s best for her. “She’s very, very much in control of what she records, how she sounds, how she portrays herself on the record,” Kelly said of Britney’s process. “There’s no grand master puppeteering — that’s kind of a myth. She knows what she’s going to cut. She’s not going to sing anything she doesn’t want to and she has this amazing ability when she gets behind the mic. It’s like eye of the tiger.” Songwriter and One Republic frontman Ryan Tedder also gave props to Spears for not taking credit for music she had nothing to do with. “I love that Britney does that. She knows where she is, and she shows up to the studio and says, ‘What am I singing today guys? Okay, cool! Let me look at it,’ ” he said. “So to me it’s whatever, be thankful for what you have.” Do you think Britney is less of a pop star because she doesn’t write her own songs? Sound off in the comments. Related Artists Britney Spears
Singer expects to make a pop/R&B album, hopefully with this season’s ‘Idol’ mentors. By Gil Kaufman Pia Toscano Photo: FOX While the rest of us may have been shocked that Pia Toscano was sent home on ” American Idol ” on Thursday night, the New York makeup artist and five-time “Idol” auditioner said Friday that she had a sense the end was near. “The night before, I had a weird feeling in my stomach,” said Toscano, even though she felt good about her attempt at Tina Turner’s “River Deep, Mountain High.” The raven-haired singer said she admitted to her parents Wednesday night that she had a feeling she would wind up in the bottom three, but they told her not to sweat it and that she should just be confident. “I kind of, like, expected it.” But, like so many “Idol” finalists, Toscano said she wouldn’t have changed anything she did on the show, even taking on the dreaded “big three” of Mariah Carey, Whitney Houston and Celine Dion, a challenge the judges have consistently warned contestants about. “I like to challenge myself and take risks,” she said, explaining that she grew up listening to and loving those divas and thought her attempts at their songs went over well. After weeks of hearing from the judges that she needed to show them another look, Toscano went uptempo during the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame episode on Wednesday night and, wouldn’t you know it, that’s the week she got booted. When asked if the judges overemphasize the need for contestants to change things up and show other sides of their personality, Toscano said she didn’t think they did and that she doesn’t blame anyone for her downfall. “The judges were absolutely right; I needed to change it up. … I was really excited about this performance,” she said, adding that when she performed back in New York, she was actually doing more uptempo material than the sweeping ballads she became known for on “Idol.” If anything, what it might have come down to is the fact that, despite years of stage work, Pia is still admittedly a bit uncomfortable onstage and prone to bouts of stage fright. She was so shaken, in fact, after the cameras stopped rolling on Thursday’s emotional elimination show that she had to be helped off the stage by two staff paramedics after she had trouble catching her breath. Though leaving is bittersweet, Toscano was amazed and heartened by the support she’s gotten from a number of celebrities — from Tom Hanks to Snooki — and said “it just blew my mind” to see judge Jennifer Lopez shedding tears at her departure. She also revealed that in the commercial break before the news, fellow bottom-three dweller Stefano Langone kept trying to convince her that he was the one going home. For now, she plans to return home to New York and spend time with her family and then maybe move out to Los Angeles to pursue singing, acting and musical theater. If she had to guess what her major-label debut might sounds like, Toscano said it would definitely “be in the pop genre with an R&B influence.” She predicted a mix of big power ballads and dance hits, hopefully produced by such “Idol” mentors as Rodney Jerkins, Ron Fair and Ryan Tedder. Facing yet another season where there are only two women left in the top eight, with several men tipped to possibly win, Toscano was asked if a woman can ever win “Idol” again. “Definitely,” she said. “It’s anybody’s game right now.” Though voting has clearly been driven by young teen girls lately, Toscano said every remaining contestant has their own unique, strong voice and a good shot at taking the crown. Sure, it’s disappointing, but everything happens for a reason, right? “I’m happy that everything happened the way that it did,” Toscano said. Get your “Idol” fix on MTV News’ “American Idol” page , where you’ll find all the latest news, interviews and opinions. Related Videos ‘American Idol’ In 60 Seconds Related Photos ‘American Idol’ Season 10 Performances
In new Elle article, he also name-checks Linda Blair, Jane Fonda and Ellen Burstyn as childhood crushes. By Jocelyn Vena Robert Pattinson in Elle Photo: Carter Smith / Art + Commerce These days, Robert Pattinson is the guy who girls hang posters of on their walls at home. But when the “Twilight” heartthrob was growing up, he had a few lovely ladies covering his bedroom walls. “I was always obsessed with Kate Moss. On my bedroom wall, I had a poster of Linda Blair and Kate Moss,” he told Elle of his celebrity crushes growing up. “I always liked Jane Fonda. Who else? Ellen Burstyn.” Pattinson, these days, is as hot as British supermodel Moss was back in the ’90s. He’s a screen god with a growing r
Experts say Pia’s ninth-place finish is up there with Jennifer Hudson, Chris Daughtry, Tamyra Gray. By Gil Kaufman Pia Toscano appears on “American Idol” on Thursday Photo: FOX For die-hard “American Idol” fans, every week’s elimination is a gut-punch, a “c’mon, really?” moment where they can’t believe America didn’t vote to keep their favorite singer on the show. But from the moment Pia Toscano hit the bottom three for the first time to the jaw-dropping realization that she was going home in ninth place, Thursday night’s elimination felt like an “Idol”-quake of possibly historic proportions. The contestants seemed stunned, Randy Jackson held his head and said “no, no” and then appeared to mouth an expletive, and Jennifer Lopez was brought to tears at the realization that one of the most viable female contestants in recent “Idol” history was gone and that the judges appeared to have squandered their save on commercially suspect Casey Abrams. “I’m really bummed about this. It just sucks,” said longtime “Idol” watcher and TVLine.com “Idol” recapper Michael Slezak. “One of the main factors is the judges. There’s been a complete absence of any kind of guidance from the judging panel, which opens up the prospect of ‘vote for your favorite.’ And if you pick your favorite early on, you stick with them and vote 500 times a night no matter how they perform.” Slezak faulted the show for pushing viewers to vote for their favorites rather than the best performances, and he said while this might not be the most shocking “Idol” elimination of all time, it is definitely the most disappointing in the show’s history. Yes, in retrospect, it was a bummer that now-successful rocker Chris Daughtry went out in fourth place ahead of eventual winner Taylor Hicks and that veteran backup singer Melinda Doolittle left in third place behind runner-up beatboxer Blake Lewis in season six. And nobody can ever forget (or forgive) the seventh-place finish of eventual Oscar and Grammy winner Jennifer Hudson in season three. But Slezak said Toscano’s ouster is perhaps the most troubling for what it says about the 10th season of “Idol.” After seemingly getting on a roll with the fresh energy of new judges Lopez and Steven Tyler and a ratings boost and some buzz, he said the show has slid into dangerous territory over the past few weeks that may put it on a road to ruin. “At least with Tamyra [Gray] and Daughtry, they finished fourth, so there were five more weeks of performances, and you could see the full scope of what they could do,” he said. “We were still finding out who Pia was. and she could have grown more, and now we’ll never see that.” He said after a good start and a rebound from a terrible season nine, this sets “Idol” back 20 paces because Pia felt like someone who could really sell albums, as opposed to a “cute guy” who voters will text in their support for 500 times but probably never buy an album from. Also disappointed was “Idol” blogger MJ Santilli , who said, for her, it was definitely one of the most shocking eliminations ever on the show. “It’s easy to forget what a terrible contestant Jennifer Hudson was in light of her recent successes,” she said of Hudson’s up-and-down run on “Idol.” “Daughtry’s boot came toward the end of the contest, when pretty much anything can happen. Plus, by top four, it was pretty clear that Taylor Hicks was kicking his ass. I would say the same for Tamyra. Her ouster came close to the end of the competition. Kelly Clarkson had already gained momentum,” she said of the other singers whose early boots have set the shock standard for the show. Santilli said Pia seemed destined for a Gray-esque boot in fourth or fifth place, because, like Gray, she was a technically proficient singer who didn’t excite viewers. “But the idea of so many of Pia’s fellow Idols outlasting her was unfathomable,” she said. Slezak said one thing that is clear after Thursday’s result is that the judges have “Pia’s blood” on their hands. “For Randy to sit there slack-jawed and J.Lo to force out tears … after the last two weeks, the idea of giving actual critiques went out the window,” he said. “The last two weeks, everyone gets a gold star. When you give everyone the same gold star, it’s confusing. There are nine performances in 90 minutes and a lot happens, and it’s their job to give voters a sense of direction … who is working and who might be a viable recording artist. Otherwise, why have them up there if they say everyone is great?” In other words, after lots of talk about how nobody was missing meanie go-to judge Simon Cowell this season, it seems viewers are, indeed, in need of his strong, guiding hand. Another potential problem, Slezak noted, is that after 10 seasons, the newness of voting has worn off and perhaps some voters are thinking, “Why should I vote for Pia 20 times when some teenager in her bedroom is going to text 400 times” for the cute guy? Do you think Pia’s elimination is the most shocking in “Idol” history? Let us know in comment below. Get your “Idol” fix on MTV News’ “American Idol” page , where you’ll find all the latest news, interviews and opinions. Related Videos ‘American Idol’ In 60 Seconds Related Photos ‘American Idol’ Season 10 Performances
Wendy Williams’ foxtrot is the lowest-rated of the night. By Kelley L. Carter Kym Johnson and Hines Ward Photo: ABC Monday night’s “Dancing With the Stars” was an emotional event. The celebrities were told to choose a song that told a story about themselves. Some songs talked about their career challenges, some called up memories of now-deceased parents and others were about relationships and the challenges that go along with romance in the pubic eye. At the top of the judges’ list were football star Hines Ward and supermodel Petra Nemcova, who both grabbed scores of 25 out of 30. Talk-show host Wendy Williams earned the lowest score of 15. Here’s how the dancers fared this week: Wendy Williams and her partner, Tony Dovolani, told the story of Williams’ dreams of having a radio career. She performed the foxtrot to “Last Night a DJ Saved My Life,” and the judges thought she lacked fluidity. Judge Len Goodman said she worked extremely hard, but it wasn’t great. “It was suited to radio,” he told her. Bruno Tonioli told her “at times it looked like you put down roots.” Carrie Ann Inaba worried that Williams took a step backwards from her performance last week. Score: 15/30. Disney star Chelsea Kane and partner Mark Ballas danced to “Chelsea,” which was written for her by her first love. Her cha-cha was a big hit with the judges, who thought her performance was sexy and energetic. “Chelsea! Chelsea! Sexy! Sexy!” Tonioli said. Goodman joked, “I remember my first love, and she didn’t look anything like you!” Score: 23/30. Wrestler Chris Jericho and Cheryl Burke performed an emotional rumba to “Let It Be,” the same song that Jericho played at his mother’s funeral. The judges loved the powerful dance, an Inaba was in tears by the end. Score: 21/30. Model and reality star Kendra Wilkinson told her partner, Louis Van Amstel, that she wanted to dance to a song by Musiq Soulchild, which reminded her of the beginning of her relationship with her husband, Hank. She talked about “haters” who didn’t care for her dating her husband because of her background as a Playboy model and the former girlfriend of Hugh Hefner. They called her a “stripper,” she said. “There is nothing wrong with a good stripper!” exclaimed Tonioli. Score: 23/30. Rapper and actor Romeo and his partner, Chelsie Hightower, danced to “I’ll Be There,” which was in memory of two of his cousins who died at a young age. They danced the rumba, and the judges thought that his footwork needed a bit of work. 20/30. Football star Ward danced to Earth, Wind and Fire’s “Fantasy,” a tribute to his single mom, and judges were in love with his performance. “My whole life experience has been great. I’m very blessed. This is a tribute to her. It’s a celebration. We’re going to the moon, Ma! We’re on ‘Dancing With the Stars’!” he said to his mother, who was in the audience. Score: 25/30. Supermodel Petra Nemcova danced to “You Raise Me Up,” a song she said she listened to after she revisited the area destroyed by the tsunami in Thailand that she was in. The song, she shared, gave her the encouragement to start a foundation to benefit those affected by the tragedy. She and her partner, Dmitry Chaplin, danced the waltz, and the judges called her performance elegant. Score: 25/30. Boxing legend Sugar Ray Leonard picked a fun song, “My Prerogative.” He and partner Anna Trebunskaya did the paso doble, and the judges said he needed to work on his lines a bit more. Score: 20/30. Actress Kirstie Alley and her partner, Maksim Chmerkovskiy, danced the rumba to “Over the Rainbow,” a song that Alley said embodies “the hopefulness after the despair” she felt in 1980 when in 72 hours she lost her mother, almost lost her father and got her first film role. The judges said she made an improvement. Score: 21/30. Actor Ralph Macchio danced to “Stay Gold,” from his movie “The Outsiders,” which he said also was his wedding song from 24 years ago. He and partner Karina Smirnoff danced the rumba, and Macchio closed the dance by running over to his wife and kissing her. Inaba said he needed to work on his core strength. Score: 21/30. Related Photos The 2011 ‘Dancing With The Stars’ Cast’s Movie Past ‘Dancing With The Stars’ Season 12 Cast Revealed
Pia Toscano and Scotty McCreery also wow the judges. By Gil Kaufman “American Idol” top ten plus one Photo: FOX Theme nights are always tricky, and on Wednesday (March 30), the “American Idol” top 11 had to take on the imposing catalog of Elton John. Some soared and some crashed, and a couple of recent cellar dwellers — Casey Abrams and Haley Reinhart — appeared to pull themselves out of the fire with gutsy performances. As always on non-country theme weeks, the question was “What is Scotty McCreery going to do this time?” He made the obvious choice, the obscure “Country Comfort,” which he picked because it had the word “country” in it, but also because it’s one of Elton’s only country-leaning tunes. With lyrics about grandmas and factory closings, it was pretty much what you’d expect: a Vince Gill-esque, aw-shucks acoustic amble accented by pedal steel and piano — with a shout-out to his real granny! — that, well, sounded like just about everything McC has done so far. “Nothin’ I could say to you that an old-fashioned pair of high-heeled cowboy boots wouldn’t fix,” Steven Tyler gushed cryptically, adding that he (still) loves everything about the teen crooner. Once again, Jennifer Lopez gave the most sage advice, encouraging Scotty not to get too in his head and doubt himself. Randy Jackson marveled at how fast Scotty has matured on the program and said he felt like he was at a headlining show by the “Idol” finalist. If Scotty always brings the country rumble, dreadlocked rude girl Naima Adedapo similarly finds a way to add a reggae swag to her songs. Wearing a white jumpsuit with red, yellow and green accents, she gave a Bob Marley-esque island vibe to “I’m Still Standing,” struggling at points to keep in tune but truly making it her own and creating one of the most unique “Idol” makeovers in the recent memory. Lopez and Jackson loved the reggae lilt but weren’t sure if it wasn’t a better idea than the payoff, and maybe a bit corny. Talk about someone totally in the pocket on Elton night. Paul McDonald went for it with the legendary “Rocket Man,” which mentor Jimmy Iovine suggested he play like it was an encore in front of 20,000 screaming fans. Wearing his signature flowered country suit and strumming an acoustic guitar, McDonald started out mellow and seductive, with just a piano for accompaniment. It seemed like he blew off Iovine’s advice, because while he retained that ragged Ray LaMontagne vibe, he barely got out of second gear, keeping things mostly low-key and feathery. Randy called it “quiet comfort” and said, despite being pitchy, Paul’s soft, gentle voice was once again infectious, and Jennifer suggested he was holding back and needed to let loose. “Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me” is an old “Idol” favorite, and despite being counseled to move out of the ballad-ballad-ballad routine, Pia Toscano went with the emotional staple. With a subtle arrangement, Toscano put the focus squarely on her powerful voice and, backed by a gospel choir, she seemed to hit the sweet spot once more. “Pia, you’ve done it again,” Tyler said, gently needling Randy’s suggestion that Pia switch it up. “That’s what you are and you sang it, you nailed it. And you know how I know a good song? It makes me cry inside … that’s just about as good as it gets.” Lopez said the notes Pia chooses take the audience to “an otherworldly place” and that Toscano seems poised to break through to another level. Stefano Langone made his first trip to the bottom three last week, so he was probably hoping that the epic “Tiny Dancer” would do the trick. But the cheesy arrangement and his smarmy Disney-style performance probably didn’t save the day. All three judges liked it and said Stefano seemed to be really taking their notes and trying to connect with the audience, keep his eyes open and his voice focused on his sweet, high range. Teen Lauren Alaina was just a toddler during the second revival of ultimate weeper “Candle in the Wind” in 1997, but her restrained, country lilt came off like the ultimate mash-up of past “Idol” divas Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood. Though the performance was a bit sedate, her vocals were controlled and crisp and she gave off her usual
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