The "American Idol" finale is here! Since only about two minutes of actual results to set of, let's instead focus much of our energy this week on some of the performances which will get us to the big reveal.The very best 13, "Born This Way" - This song would be a bit like watching a chapter of "Glee" occur church. Lauren was in the back to hide her voice, and everybody seemed like these were underwater gasping for air. Grade: C-
SCOTTY WON winner 2011 'American Idol' finaleJames Durbin with Judas Priest - This helped me immediately miss the Durbinator, his a feeling of energy, and also his creativity. It was not a perfect vocal by any means, however it was really so much fun to look at: Grade: A-
Jacob Lusk with Kirk Franklin - At the beginning of this performance, there was really some performance that Jacob would take us to church. Then, things got wacky and a bit from tune. Seeing Gladys Knight on board was a nice touch. Grade: C+
Casey Abrams with Jack Black - In the beginning, thsi performance appeared like it was just Casey getting his dream come true -- however things got good. The scatting between Casey and Jack was brilliant, and their energy together was fantastic. Yes, the dream of a Casey / Haley finale didn't happen -- as well as this cannot make up for it. Grade: B
The very best 7 girls singing Beyonce - Must we have all these group performances? Although it would be nicer if the show actually opted to give us individual performances, this medley was not actually that bad thanks to some highlights from Pia and surprisingly Ashthon, who sang millions of times much better than she did at the start of the growing season. Beyonce also stopped by ultimately. Grade: B-
Haley Reinhart with Tony Bennett - Even saying this as somebody who would be a major Haley supporter even since Elton John Week, this performance was fantastic. Tony Bennet still has an excellent voice, and Haley's sense of fun chose to make this a pure joy to listen to. The dance moves somehow made this better still. Perfect song, and a perfect reminder that Haley should have went to the finale. Grade: A+
The very best 7 girls with TLC and Lil Jon - Is anyone else constantly reminded of Donald Trump once they see Lil Jon now? This performance really was much more about seeing the former members of TLC together compared to contestants. Pretty forgettable. Grade: C+
Scotty McCreery with Tim McGraw - If you want to be reminded why Scotty should win from the final two, just take a look at this perforance. Fantastic on every level. Grade: A+
The very best 6 boys with Sir Tom Jones - It isn't exactly something we actually needed, especially since Tom is all about as far from relevant as possible be to the show's young audience. Not the best way to showcase the very best six men from the show. Grade: D+
Rhianna, "The Edge of Glory" - Didn't "Idol" get a little too sexual here? Then again, it was Gaga. While "The Edge of Glory" is a nice great song, this performance really didn't do much that we haven't seen already -- beyond Gaga and her male lover diving right into a volcano at the end of this. Grade: B-
Lauren Alaina with Carrie Underwood - Whily Scotty sometimes managed to outshine Tim McGraw, this performance was a reminder that Lauren is not really there yet. She is a supremely talented woman, but one who could have taken advantage of waiting a year or two before auditioning. Grade: B-
Beyonce - Such a stunning performance this was. While lyrics by Ms. Knowles with this new song were a bit strange, her voice was so intense and powerful it had been easy to explore it. "1+1" generally is one of the best songs she's ever created -- also it makes it much simpler to ignore "Girls (Run the planet)." Grade: A
Bono & the Edge - This option are really desperate to make "Spider-Man: Switch off the Dark" happen, and guess what? It really did happen this time! "Rise Above" wasn't amazing at all, but it was enchanting enough to create the much-maligned Broadway show appealing. Nice work. Grade: B
Steven Tyler, "Dream On" - As legendary a performance of course, even if not seeing the remainder of Aerosmith there was a little sad. Grade: A-
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Now, we finally have our champion -- Scotty McCreery, the deep-voiced sensation from North Carolina.
At the end of this two-hour festival of song, it did seem fitting for Scotty to walk away using the title. He has been consistent this complete season, and it is easy to understand him being super-successful on country radio. While not everyone may have wanted to begin to see the guy win, it's obvious he captured a key area of the vote (in middle America), and he will be able to "turn the lights down low" for quite a while.
Have you been happy to see Scotty win? Check back Thursday for interviews with both Scotty and Lauren. To see recent "Idol" photos, go here here.
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