Two girls one guy

Here we are at the Top 3. Holy cow has this season just flown by. Yeah, I may have had many weeks where I simply didn't feel like writing anything, but I didn't really get to the point of wishing the season was over. I think I'm actually going to miss the show while it's on hiatus. Go figure. Oh wait, The Voice is on now and X-Factor will be coming this fall... maybe it won't be so bad. Nah. I'm gonna miss this show even with the constant SUTA-fest.

This week the contestants had 3 songs a piece. One song that they chose for themselves, one that Jimmy Iovine chose for them and then one that the judges picked. Odd. They said judges and none of them mentioned that so and so chose the song for them so I have to wonder if it was a group effort this time around because they didn't have that opinionated judge on the panel this time. Ok ok. With the constant SUTA blasts for every contestant this season, I did miss having him around.

Beyonce was our guest mentor this week for the kids' personal choice performances. We also got to see her new video which was supposed to be out weeks ago but she'd had to "perfect" it or some sort. I half expect that she'd planned on dropping it, had things all in motion to do so and then Idol asked her to make an appearance. At that point, she probably put the kibosh on the release, realizing she could get it out to many more people all at the same time. It's what I would have done, at least. I personally wasn't fond of the video. The best part, in my opinion was that Friesian stallion she arrived on in the beginning of the video.  Wasn't he just GORGEOUS??

Yet again, Scotty topped the chart with a solid 1st listing in GREEN and all saw an increase in their odds.
Haley came in solid first in the RAW this week. Even more of a solid first than the last two weeks as all three of her lines beat out the other two left in the competition.

After each round, Mr Seacrest asked the judges who won the round. Assuming that a contestant can get a possible 3 points each round, and they sweep the night, there's a possible of 9 total points for the night.

Hey wait. Scotty isn't in the pimp spot this week either??? WTF?  Not a single show this year has he closed out. This is so not fair.

Scotty (Amazed by Lonestar, Are You Gonna Kiss Me or Not by Thompson Square and She Believes in Me by Kenny Rogers): I didn't know the second song at all so I had to check out the original. I love when a contestant in Idol makes me do that. Scotty had 3 fairly solid performances this week, again. No real surprise there. Personally, the 1st and the 3rd have had me hitting the repeat link rather ummm repeatedly. Two and a half panties out of three this week. His odds have gone up yet again to a -250 (meaning you'd need to drop $250 to even place a bet and break even if he wins). The Chart places him in 1st/ GREEN but the RAW tells another story. At quick glance he looks to be tied with Lauren for second, however if you go by the phone numbers, Lauren's got him beat in 2 of the 3 lines. The Maps give him an 11 with 17 wins and 6 losses.
Judges score: 2 (both in round 2)

Lauren (Wild One by Faith Hill, If I Die Young by Perry and I Hope You Dance by Lee Ann Womack): Yet again, Mr Iovine chooses a song for the contestant that I don't know. Sometimes this ploy works out and sometimes it doesn't. As was in Scotty's case, a little known song from a little known band really worked out well. Of the 3 performances, I like the second and third as I don't quite believe that she has it in her to cover a Faith Hill tune. Overall, she had a fairly decent night, even with the wardrobe malfunction that made her ditch the hose and have to put make-up on her legs. Her odds went up last week, after a slight dip from the week before, to a +425.  Not as high as they had been, but not too bad.  The Chart has her at 2-3/2nd and the RAW places her tied, but just possibly edging out Scotty with 2 of the 3 possible lines beating him. The Maps give her a mere 3 states with 13 won and 11 lost. Poor gal is still splitting votes with Scotty thanks to the genre and if she goes home, it'll simply be because of that.
Judges score: 3 (1 in round 2 and 2 in round 3)


Howley Haley (What Is and What Should Never Be by Led Zepplin, Rhiannon by Fleetwood Mac and You Oughta Know by Alanis Morissette): Way to toss her under the bus Mr Iovine! You give the kids some little known songs by lesser known artists and saddle Haley with a song that is going to draw comparisons to Stevie Nicks. Bad enough she gets stuck with this song, which is alone enough to draw the comparison, but the wind machine too. Nice job there. All I can think is that maybe he's hearing something that we aren't and thinks that she can handle the extra scrutiny. Anyhow, I'd much rather talk about that tumble she took in that first performance. Kudos for getting right up and keeping going. It's a true sign of a professional. Me, I would have either just finished the song seated or lost it by laughing (and I tend to snort when I laugh). All we got from you is a bigger smile and a slight giggle to acknowledge that you messed up. All we lost was a few words as the wind got knocked from you and you regained your composure. Bravo. The last song, I want to know what the judges were smoking. Unless they, too, were trying to see if they could get rid of her? A better Alanis song for her would have been Ironic.. and THAT one's already appropriate for the show, no line rewrite needed to be able to air it.  Of the 3 songs, I only liked the first one. Something didn't feel right with her 2nd and we lose her a bit on the lower notes in the last one. Personally, I thought that last one was a lamentable mess.  Her odds have been going up by leaps and bounds and she's now at a +400, ahead of Lauren. The Chart places her at 2-3/3rd, yet the RAW has her firmly (all 3 lines, mind you) in first. The Maps give her a 3 with a 11 win and 8 loss in the states.
Judges score: 4 (she swept the first round and got her last vote in round 3)

So, who goes home?
Rickey.org's poll: Lauren
Maps: Lauren
Chart: Haley
RAW: either Scotty or Lauren (most likely the former)
Vegas odds on BetEd: Lauren
Judges scores: Scotty

Scotty: Although he's breezed through the competition, I do have to wonder one thing. Even though he sounds nothing like the last 3 winners (thank goodness), does Idol really want another Caucasian Male winner? I may love that deep country voice, but he's really rather limited in what he can sing. I'm more of a pop and rock girl and he's all country.

Lauren: Solid performances but she's splitting votes with more than one person still. She splits the country vote with Scotty and the ones that want a female winner for a change with Haley. If she goes home it's because she fell through the cracks.

Haley: She growls, snarls and all but drools through her performances. Working for her is that she's memorable and, when she's not going all Jacob Black or Henry Foss on us, she actually has a decent voice and fabulous stage presence. She gets up there and owns the stage, even if she trips and falls midway through her number. Also working for her is the fact that she's an alternative contestant for those that don't like country. Top things all off, I suspect she's alot more flexible in the type of songs she can do which means, in the long run, that she'll appeal to a larger audience than Scotty (who will be pure country, for sure) or Lauren (who will be more of a pop country like Shania). What's this mean in simpler terms? She's more marketable. If she's sent packing, it'll simply be because the public really wants a guy in the finale OR that country's the hot thing this year.

As much as I would like to call it as a female definitely leaving (especially where the Chart and Maps are concerned), I cannot ignore one simple fact. I'd like for you to quick think of these people:

Casey James, Danny Gokey, Syesha Mercado, Melinda Doolittle, Elliot Yamin, Vonzell Solomon, Jasmine Trias, Kimberly Locke and Nikki McKibbin.

All of them left on this night in their respective years. In seasons 6 and 7, Melinda and Syesha sang in the 3rd and 2nd singing positions respectively.  Syesha's ouster was an oddity because she was in the year with Gaspuletta and he broke ALOT of the usual patterns that year. Melinda's was in an Idol Gives Back year where they couldn't bring themselves to dump a kid on a "Feel Good Night" and as a result, the contestant who should have left managed to get saved the following week and not only knock 2 other decent singers out of the competition but also managed to win the whole year.

All the rest in that list..... sang FIRST on a Top 3 night. A horrid pattern that cannot be ignored. I'm hoping that Scotty will be the third one to break this curse.