American Idol's Top 10
Scott Kirkland/PictureGroup
First things first: Nicki Minaj arrived on time for the live taping of Thursday night's
American Idol. But as the evening ended, she probably wished she were still
stuck on the 405 freeway, because things really didn't go her way. (Spoilers ahead!)
For the first time ever, host
Ryan Seacrest
told viewers how most of the contestants ranked in the voting – and
even gave results on how many of them did in their home states. It was a
nice touch: viewers got a clearer picture of who is likely to go the
distance, and who needs an influx of votes to stick around. (
Idol history time: The week before she was voted off,
Jennifer Hudson actually received the most votes. It just goes to show how fortunes can change when decisions are left to the voting public.)
Seacrest
quickly named the top three – and they were all girls. Candice Glover
received a whopping 42 percent of the vote in South Carolina and was the
first one to be given a top three spot. After being presented with the
key to the city of Woodville, Texas, Kree Harrison joined Glover. And
Angie Miller received the welcome news that she had gotten 17 percent of
Florida's votes – and enough nationwide to round out the top three as
well.
After performances by Bon Jovi and last season's champ Phillip
Phillips, two previously eliminated semi-finalists competed in a battle
for a spot on this summer's American Idol Tour. Charlie Askew performed
an original song, "Blue Sky Diamond," while sitting at the piano. And
Aubrey Cleland sang a powerful rendition of Irene Cara's "Out Here On My
Own" from
Fame. After America's vote, one of them will participate on tour.
With that business out of the way, Seacreast quickly rattled off
the rankings of the next several contestants. Lazaro Arbos actually got
more votes than Angie Miller in Florida, but less nationwide. He placed
fourth for the night. The next four contestants were:
Amber Holcolmb – 5th Place
Janelle Arthur – 6th place
Burnell Taylor – 7th Place
Paul Jolley – 8th Place
And
that left Devin Velez, who received 25 percent of Puerto Rico's vote,
and Curtis Finch Jr., who has been a judge favorite since day one. After
the votes were tallied, it was gospel singer Finch who received the
least votes of the night. Although he sang his heart out for the judge's
save, they could not unanimously vote to save him.
Minaj was clearly annoyed by the decision, complaining that the
judges didn't have enough time to talk it over at the end of the live
show. Despite Minaj's disappointment, the decision was final, making
Finch the first finalist to go home.
