Season 10 of American Idol has been such a huge turning point for the show in various ways. Before the "Homecoming" episode airs, and before the winner is chosen, I thought I'd whip out just a few thoughts on the 8 contestants that, in my opinion, have given American Idol their best season to date. What an amazing crop of talented contestants! What a diverse and exceptional group! For the first time, I can honestly say that in my opinion, every one of the top 10 - perhaps even top 12 - have the talent, personalities, and drive to make outstanding careers for themselves. I've never been able to say that before!
First however, it's only fair to say that one of the many reasons Season 10 has been so enjoyable, is because of the new team of judges and mentors. I was as skeptical as anyone - believe me - but I was soon surprised and delighted. Idol is FUN to watch now. The judges get along, have a good time, and offer encouragement and sound advice without ripping contestants apart. The Simon Cowell knot in my stomach is gone. Jimmy Iovine and his team of producers are the best in the business - those contestants are unbelievably lucky to have the opportunity to work with them. And even iTunes has upped it's role by offering the studio versions of songs to download the very next day. All of these changes have combined to breathe much needed new life and excitement into American Idol. Win/Win! Now on to highlight the top 8 contestants:
~ Casey Abrams ~
An early favorite of mine, even though I realize a lot of people - most likely the younger set - just didn't "get" him. When he sang "You Outta Do Right" as his last try-out song, with just his stand-up bass, it BLEW. MY. MIND. It was actually great that he lasted as long as he did, since he is so NOT typical of the average A.I. contestant (which was refreshing). But as Randy kept pointing out, Casey is one deeply layered, exceptionally talented dude. What his voice didn't always do, his personality, and skill, his musicianship and uniqueness, made up for in SPADES. I was always excited to see what he was going to come up with every week, because he did every song proud by putting his own unique spin on it. Most of them were sheer genius. And I was heartbroken when he was eliminated. I felt he deserved at least a few more weeks. I will definitely follow his career. 
~ Lauren Alaina ~
I'll never forget how smitten Steven Tyler was with Lauren from the very beginning - from her actual audition. He saw her amazing talent immediately and has remained her biggest fan. I like Lauren's voice a LOT. I wish she chose better songs. When she's prancing around the stage to some country song, you can't always hear how beautiful her voice really is. When she slows it down a little, you can hear her true potential and all the diverse talent she really has. Speaking of potential, I think she has endless amounts of it - I don't say things like that lightly either. As the judges have eluded to, I don't think even she realizes the extent of her talent. I mean seriously - she auditioned at 15! In that respect, she needs more confidence, and I know that's something she has really struggled with... Jimmy Iovine and all the judges have tried hard to convince her how amazing she is, and have encouraged her to just let go and tap into all of it. She will in time, and I'm sure she's headed for stardom one way or another - she deserves to be. I'd step out on a limb and say she would win Idol if it weren't for her confidence issue... but one way or another, it's simply impossible not to be impressed by her. 
~ Paul McDonald ~
My favorite, favorite, favorite contestant. The famous rose-embroidered suits. The smile with those pearly white teeth that lit up the stage. The ruffled blond hair going every which way. Did I mention Paul was my favorite? Like Casey, I can see why a lot of the masses didn't quite "get" Paul. Strange, high voice unlike anything else. Almost hoarse-sounding at times. That odd strut-skip that he'd do across the stage looked almost like something between a seizure and slipping on a banana peel. I LOVED IT ALL. Loved his personality, loved that high, hoarse voice. He chose interesting songs and like Casey, put his own quirky spin on them. He had the talent to play his own instrument - always a plus to me - and I could hardly wait to see what he came up with every week. To me Paul made everything sound so cool. He was like a younger, cuter, more hip (and not nasty!) Rod Stewart. But better. Way better. There was just something about his quirky, easy-going, carefree performances that made me HAPPY. I've downloaded all his songs from iTunes - yes, my boys and their friends tease me mercilessly about it - and only wish there were more. Hopefully, in the near future there will be :) 
~ Stefano Lagone ~
Great singer, super nice guy. I confess I could never see what everyone else saw in him though. Unbelievable to me that he lasted that long. Tried way too hard in my opinion. Lounge singer. 'Nuff said.
~ Scotty McCreery ~
Okay, I seriously dislike country. Especially traditional, twang twang twang country. That being said, I couldn't dislike Scotty McCreery if my life depended on it. That boy is not only too adorable for words, he has phenomenal talent. This kid is a superstar. He's GENUINELY sweet, and funny, and polite... the stereotypical mid-western, patriotic, God/family/baseball loving, down-home, humble, respectful kid. The real deal. And he can sing like the next Randy Travis. But he's way cuter and more lovable! When he sat down and sang "Where Were You When the World Stopped Turning?" I indeed wiped away a few tears. I'm not sure I'd follow his career just because I'm not a country fan, but whether he wins Idol or not, he will certainly have an amazing career waiting for him and I wish him all the best in the world. 
~ Jacob Lusk ~
I think Jacob has a lot of talent and potential and heart. I love his personality, I think he has a great story (just to make it out of Compton alive, let alone uncynical, is amazing), and I think he will end up with a really wonderful career that he completely deserves - one that will bring himself and others much happiness. He needs to learn to restrain and control his exuberant voice, and decide what kind of singer he wants to be. The Luther Vandross road mixed with some of his beloved gospel touches would be a great fit for him. Like Stefano, I do think he stayed several weeks longer than I personally would have liked, but that's just because it would have given me a few more precious weeks with Paul and Casey! And a few more iTunes of theirs that I could have downloaded! Selfish, I know!
~ Haley Reinhart ~
Haley, Haley, Haley. My opinions of her are all over the map. But first I have to say that this outfit has to be just about THE COOLEST outfit in the entire universe. And if I could rock it this well, I'd probably wear it ERRR DAY. That being said, you would think that by the end of the competition I'd have a clear opinion of Haley. But I just don't. Sometimes I really like her, sometimes I'm left disappointed. I don't think her performances have been very consistent. Most of the time I really like her voice. I like it's huskiness, and when she takes the time to show off different aspects of her vocal talents... but she doesn't always take the time. I don't like it when she starts growling and doesn't stop. A little goes a long way, and she tends to lean on that growl too much. I don't think she makes the greatest song choices, and I'm also not sure if she knows what kind of singer she wants to be... not that that's enough to keep her from winning. I think she's got a lot of potential, but I'm still left feeling ambivalent.
~ James Durbin ~
Such a terrific guy with a lot of talent and an inspiring story. I'm not a big metal fan, but much like Scotty McCreery, there was no way I couldn't like James. I kept thinking he would get eliminated but week after week he kept on going and I couldn't help rooting for him. Some of his performances were better than others, and I don't think he's quite as polished as the judges feel he is. I think he's still somewhat of a diamond in the rough, but I definitely think he's a diamond. I see how hard he works, and how seriously his dedication is, and the passion he has, and I respect that so much. I loved his last two performances - so when I accidentally heard that he was eliminated, I couldn't even bring myself to watch that episode because I knew it would break my heart. I think this diamond of a guy deserves a fantastic metal career with a gazillion adoring fans - and I hope he will get just that.
Who do I think will win? I truly don't have a clue! What do you think?
And now I remember why I didn't do a weekly American Idol post! Because this freaking post took me hours and hours to finish in between everything else that's been going on here at this crazy house today!
*all contestant photo credits: Mallory101 from the fan site www.fanpop.com
*Epilogue: I ended up unexpectedly voting for Haley! But it's still anyone's guess who's going be eliminated and who's going to win - we'll find out more tonight! :)
*Epilogue 2: Wow - I really suck at voting! LOL! Goodbye to Haley - I will never forget the shock on that poor girl's face - and best wishes to Lauren and Scotty! Weren't their homecomings all so amazing?! Very touching, I thought.
