Idol Live with Nicole!! Top 2!!!

Okay so let me just say how grateful I am that tonight's show is only 1 hour!!! SO HAPPY! However, I do not like them switching the days and making me miss the first hour of the Biggest Loser finale. Seriously Idol producers, you are switching the FINALE after people have watched on Wednesdays and Thursdays since January?!?! Smart move there! I also just read a rumor on Twitter about 20 minutes ago from the TMZ guy that Lauren can't sing tonight because her voice is gone so Haley is replacing her. This better not be true because it would be COMPLETELY unfair. I find it extremely hard to believe!!

To open the show, we get videos of Carrie Underwood when she was 8 and David Cook when he was 10 singing.With the words "When does a dream begin?" flashed on the screen, along with their winning moments. Wonder how they chose those two winners to highlight? We then get a video of Lauren when she was 10 singing and Scotty when he was 8, saying "Please welcome American Idol winner...". Yes he was 8 when he said that on video tape! Makes you feel old huh! We then get Ryan Seacrest introducing the show with a bow tie. Seriously Ryan, you look much hotter in a regular tie!

David Archuleta in the audience!! Judges aren't dressed up tonight. Must be saving the formal attire for tomorrow's show. Nokia theater with 7,000 in attendance!!! Youngest finale match up EVER! Ryan addresses the rumor I posted about in the beginning and Lauren said she is ready to sing and don't worry about it. The doctor comes out and says that during rehearsal Lauren was singing so hard that she blew one of her vocal cords out. He compares it to a runner with a badly sprained ankle. The doctor says she took a lot of medicine and she is going to do great! Three rounds tonight: Contestants favorite of the season, idols song chosen by their "idol", and the song they that will be their first single if they win. Scotty won the coin toss, but let Lauren choose (what a gentleman!). Lauren chose to go second

Round 1: Contestant's favorite performance from the season

Scotty McCreery- "Gone"- Smart choice since this is a fast song and the other two choices from him will probably be slower. Much less energy to start off than when he performed it previously though. Chorus picks up a bit though. Still has the creepy eyebrow movements and the rapper hand gestures though (which I find hilarious). Well it picked up for the second half, but it still wasn't as good as the first time around. I don't know if he was "in it to win it" with that performance. Wonder if Randy will disagree with me. Hmm no judges comments after they sing tonight? Are they saving them for the end or what?? I wonder if the producers just realized that they will all love every performance so they just cut them right out??

Lauren Alaina- "Flat on the Floor"- Just like Scotty, smart move for picking a fast song because I'm sure her other two are slow also. For some reason she starts off stronger than Scotty did, which is strange since she is the sick one.She stays strong for pretty much the entire performance. Sounded a little out of breath at parts, but she tends to sound like that. I'll cut her slack this week since she is sick. Jennifer gives her a standing ovation, followed by Randy. 

It's really strange that the judges aren't commenting. I don't know what that's all about, although I'm kinda liking it!

I will call Lauren the winner of that round!

Round 2- Songs chosen by their "idols"

Scotty- "Check Yes or No" by George Strait. So George Strait picked Scotty's song and it's funny that he picked one of his own songs for him to sing. Not a bad choice though and I'm liking that it is also uptempo. Scotty's playing guitar for this song and I am already liking it better than the first performance.  Wow lots of eyebrow dancing for this song. If you played a drinking game for every time he raised his eyebrows you would be drunk 3 minutes in! Well that was a good performance. Nice vocals by Scotty on that one. Not jumping up and down yet though...

During the commercial break, we not only get our AT&T, Coke, and Ford commercials, but we also get a commercial for Oprah's finale show tomorrow. Which is kind of strange, but okay??

Lauren- "Maybe it was Memphis" by Pam Tillis. Carrie Underwood is Lauren's idol so she chose this song for her. Kudos to Carrie for not picking a song by her self. I think Lauren borrowed Belle's dress from the Beauty and the Beast. It is cute though...Okay her vocals are good, but these performances are really lackluster tonight. I'm not quite sure what's going on, but these contestants don't seem like they are as good as they have been before. Nice ending. Okay I am sick of hearing the Idol theme song music already.  

Okay now we get to hear from the judges for their thoughts on the first two rounds. Randy says that we (America)  did a fine job choosing these two. I am starting to disagree..Says it is so hard tonight, because they are so even. I agree. He liked both of Scotty's performances, but says that Lauren did good on both also. He gives round 1 (by a slight edge) to Scotty and round 2 (by a slight edge) to Lauren. Way to play Switzerland there Randy. Jennifer says it was an explosive start by both of them (okay?). She didn't think Scotty's second song was as dynamic, but thought Lauren's was beautiful. She also gives round 1 to Scotty and 2 to Lauren. Steven gives both rounds to Lauren because "she is prettier" than Scotty. Randy then remembers he hasn't screamed yet tonight and adds "Most importantly, THEY'RE BOTH IN IT TO WIN IT!!!!". Okay they must sound a lot different live than they do on TV. Or the judges don't want to hurt their feelings since they are both so fricking young!!

Well now we get a performance by Taio Cruz. His song "Positive" that viewers helped write. WTF is going on with this show tonight??? His performance at least looks fun. Well it was good until his mic went out for a good 30 seconds of the song. NICE!! Although at first I thought he forgot the words so I guess "technical difficulties" are better. Hmm it goes out a little during the second chorus too. I'm sure it was a good song, if only we could have HEARD it all.

Round 3- Winner's New Single

Scotty- "I Love You This Big". Jimmy says one of Scotty's strengths is his confidence and if he brings that tonight there is no reason that confetti won't be falling on him. Yes that and the thousands of teen and tween girls that vote a thousand times each for him. As he is singing, we get to see a recap of his time on Idol on the screen behind him. Which reminds me that he didn't shave his head like the told Jennifer he would do for tonight. I am glad about that! This isn't a bad song, but I'm not loving it yet. He is singing it well though. Maybe after I have to hear it on the radio for the 80th time I'll like it more. Randy says that the range was great. He once again says "You are in it to win it". I hope he retires that line after this season. Jennifer says he did an amazing job with that song. Steven says he has come a long way. Says he nailed it again.

Lauren- "Like My Mother Does". Jimmy says the lyrics really capture Lauren's journey. Hmm this sounds like a country song, that's for sure. I think I may like this one a bit more than Scotty's, but I'm not sure. Her voice sounds like it breaks a bit when she goes for the big notes, but that's to be expected I guess. Ryan escorts her down the stairs so she can go to her mom. She then hugs and sings to her mom for a few seconds. Nice performance. Aww her parents are crying at the end. Randy says it was an amazing song for Lauren. Says "LAUREN ALANIA HAS ARRIVED AMERICA" and repeats shouts the word amazing a good three times. Jennifer says it was a tight race tonight, but with that song she may have just won (which will make Scotty's fans vote even more). Says it was beautiful and everything it needed to be. Steven says the first time he saw her she was his American Idol and he thinks America will find that to be true. The judges all choose Lauren as the winner for this round (except Jennifer who doesn't choose at all).

My favorite part of the show!!! The sing off song "Don't You Forget About Me" performed by David Cook!!! I seriously love this part! Love seeing a recap of the season in 3 1/2 minutes!!! David Cook is pretty good too :).

Okay well I have to be honest, I don't know what it was, but that was not my favorite finale at all. Maybe it was because they are both so similar in age, genre, and performance style. I think if James had been in the finale it would have been much more entertaining and exciting though. Could be a close race, but I am calling SCOTTY the next AMERICAN IDOL!!! (Even though Lauren won the night!)