Fans of “American Idol” are griping via email and internet postings today about the singers who have made it to the final 12; there were several surprise eliminations on Thursday night.
Alex Lambert, Todrick Hall, Katelyn Epperly and Lilly Scott were all eliminated on Thursday, leaving judges shaking their heads in surprise and shock and the other “AI” contestants speechless. Scott, in particular, was highlighted as one of the contenders expected to go the distance.
Epperly, who had just begun to show her competitive flair with her song choices and performance chops, made a bit of a misstep in her performance of Carole King’s “I Feel the Earth Move,” and she was eliminated Thursday.
“It was definitely a great experience,” she said after her elimination, “and I’ve learned a ton. I’m not stopping now.”
The elimination that brought the most head shaking, however, was Scott’s. She was seen from the beginning as a contender to win it all, and her elimination shocked the judges and Scott herself.
“I thought that I was appealing to a lot of people,” Scott said Thursday. “It’s surprising; a lot of incredible talent is going home tonight. I don’t know what America wants to hear, I don’t. I just know that there’s an audience out there for me.”
The final 12 contestants include Crystal Bowersox, who Simon Cowell noted is the “one to beat” after her performance this week. But as this week has shown, voters can often overrule the judges’ preferences.
The other final contenders include: Lacey Brown, Andrew Garcia, Casey James, Didi Benami, Lee Dewyze, Siobhan Magnus, Tim Urban, Paige Miles, Aaron Kelly, Katie Stevens, and Michael Lynche.
The show now moves to the famous Kodak Theatre in Los Angeles until the May finale. Tuesday’s show will feature the music of the Rolling Stones.