American Idol, Season 10, Too Good To Be True!

Amazing Singers Make It To The Finals on American Idol

They can sing! All the top finalists for American Idol Season 10 are amazing singers. It doesn’t seem like there’s a sour note among them. Is it too good to be true?

When American Idol revealed this season’s top finalists on Fox TV, they not only came up with the luckiest 13 singers in America, they also came up with arguably the most talented group the show has ever seen.

The top ten were Casey Abrams, Lauren Alaina, James Durbin, Jacob Lusk, Scotty McCreery, Paul McDonald, Thia Megia, Haley Reinhart, Karen Rodriguez and Pia Toscanol. They were America’s favorites, getting the top votes from the fans. And grateful to be chosen as “Wild Cards,” Naima Adedapo, Ashthon Jones and Stefano Langone, got to continue in the competition thanks to the support of the judges Randy Jackson, Jennifer Lopez and Steven Tyler.

All 13 were showcased performing wonderful songs during the competition, hoping to get enough people to vote for them to stay to be crowned the next American Idol winner. There have been lots of surprises on that journey, not the least of which was seeing the most outstanding singer Pia Toscano (according to the judges) eliminated.

It’s been a learning lesson for all, and the Idol wannabes seem to be handling the show’s rollercoaster rides with great professionalism and good humor.

That’s one thing that was very evident about the finalists when they were working the red carpet at a Fox TV party. They are a happy bunch of talented young singers, having fun, sharing laughs with each other as well as the media.

Casey Abrams, 20, who lives in Idyllwild, California, told me he’s feeling great, although he had a scare early during the semifinalists round, after being hospitalized with stomach pains. He kidded about the X-rays revealing a severe case of butterflies.

Casey said the experience only made him sing better and want it more. “When I sang ‘I Put A Spell On You,’ and had the reaction from the audience and the judges, it was great for my confidence,” he said, vowing to enjoy every minute he’s on the Idol stage. The recipient of the judges only “save,” Casey’s been called a musical genius, and plays a number of instruments. And he just might be the coolest guy who plays the accordion.

The coolest kid in a cowboy hat is Scotty McCreery, 17, from Garner, North Carolina. The ultra-likable deep-voice singer is staying true to his down-home country roots, but revealed he also has Hispanic roots, which he made sure to tell Jennifer Lopez. “My grandmother on my father’s side is from Porto Rico,” he says proudly with a smile.

Karen Rodriguez is 21, from New York, NY, and is a student at the Berklee College of Music. She was telling me about how much she was being compared to judge Jennifer Lopez. “Do you know how much stress it is to perform for her? She’s my idol.” Although Rodriguez was eliminated, she said her long-term performing goal is “to touch the hearts of everyone who hears me sing.”

Lauren Alaina has been gushing like a school girl about her Idol experiences. Well, the pretty 16-year-old is a sophomore from Rossville, Georgia. And although she wasn’t thrilled that she kept hearing the members of the press tell her that she reminds them of Kelly Clarkson, she just laughed it off. “I think they just want to freak me out,” she told me.

Others we enjoyed were Thia Megia, 16, is from Mountain House, California, and says it funny that the most frequently asked question she gets is about the “ghost” at the house where all the finalists stayed.

The hometowns and ages of the other finalists are: Naima Adedapo, 26, is from Milwaukee, Wisconsin;  Ashthon Jones, 24, and Paul McDonald, 26, both live in Nashville, Tennessee. Stefano Langone, 21, lives in Kent, Washington; Jacob Lusk, 23, lives in Compton, California; Haley Reinhart, 20, from Wheeling, Illinois; and Pia Toscano, 22, comes from Howard Beach, N.Y.

James Durbin, 22, is from Santa Cruz, California, and has a rock style that is following in the footsteps of former Idol finalist Adam Lambert. Durbin says, “I’m having a great time trying to get more people to open their minds to metal.”

American Idol’s winner for Season Seven, David Cook has recorded the farewell song for the show’s 10th season. The song, chosen by American Idol creator and executive producer Simon Fuller, is a remake of Simple Minds’ hit “Don’t You Forget About Me.” It will be played each week as contestants are eliminated on the Thursday results shows.

It’s a good, strong group of performers this season and anyone can win. But fans have to be reminded that you have to vote for your favorite to win.