‘American Idol’: Here’s Who Made It Into The Top 24
Last night’s episode of American Idol picked right up with judge Jennifer Lopez’s sobbing over Chris Medina being cut, a Wednesday night cliffhanger that left the “On The Floor” singer declaring through her tears, “I don’t wanna do this anymore.” But the show must go on (hey, J-Lo—you signed a contract, remember), and there were still 19 more contestants left to grant spots in the Top 24 to. Head below to see who made the cut. In addition to Medina, the road to Idol‘s Top 24 ended two nights ago for Hollie Cavanagh, Lakeisha Lewis, Alex Ryan and Deandre Brackensick.
Last night saw several more sad faces do the walk of rejection, including Jackie Wilson, Jimmie Allen, Brittany Mazur, Erin Kelly and Austin cowboy crooner John Wayne Schulz.
And while we hate to take pleasure in others’ pain, perhaps the most (unintentionally) comical ousting was that of rocker chick Jessica Cunningham. The poor girl has not only auditioned for this dog and pony act seven different times, she also got the boot this season on her birthday. Her response: a nice two-finger salute to the entire show. See you next year, Jessica!
The night ended with the last three guys—Brett Loewenstern, Jacee Badeaux and Colton Dixon—having to face judges Steven Tyler, Randy Jackson and J-Lo together. Only one of the three hopefuls was granted a position in the Top 24, and somewhat surprisingly, the slot went to Loewenstern. The quirky ginger-haired belter is a true talent, for sure (he even sang an original song in his final audition), but we had our money on emotive balladeer Dixon.
That tearful embrace between Jacee and J-Lo was a killer.
That brings us to the happy news—i.e. those who made it through. To recap, Wednesday saw the following budding artists earn spaces in the Top 24: Naima Adedapo, Clint Jun Gamboa, Haley Reinhart, Paul McDonald and Ashton Jones.
In addition to Brett, 18 other contestants gained entry last night. Below is the breakdown of the full Top 24, by guys and girls.
TOP 12 GIRLS Naima Adedapo Haley Reinhart Ashton Jones Karen Rodriguez Tatynisa Wilson Julie Zorrilla Lauren Turner Kendra Chantelle Rachel Zevita Lauren Alaina Pia Toscano Thia Magea
TOP 12 GUYS Clint Jun Gamboa Paul McDonald Robbie Rosen Tim Halperin Scotty McCreery Jovanny Barreto Jordan Dorsey Stefano Langone Jacob Lusk James Durbin Casey Abrams Brett Loewenstern
Here’s hoping Casey Abrams, who reportedly was rushed to the hospital while rehearsing yesterday for a taped performance to be held this evening, is able to recover in time. Last night Randy told the 19-year-old that he’s definitely the most talented musician Idol has ever encountered when it comes to playing instruments, and he’s quickly become one of our favorites, too.
Let’s also hope Jordan Dorsey loses the attitude. He’s a tremendous singer, but his inability to reign in his towering ego is not an attractive quality. Have a slice of some of that humble pie Scotty McCreery and Clint Jun Gamboa ate after Group Round, Jordan—it’ll do you some good when it comes time for viewers to cast their votes.
Next Week: the Top 12 guys perform live on Tuesday night. Fingers crossed for Casey’s speedy recovery!
