‘American Idol’: Lauren Alaina Serenades Her Mother With New Single

Becky Bain | May 25, 2011 5:08 am

Unfortunately for Haley Reinhart fans crossing their fingers for a second shot, Lauren Alaina was able to beat laryngitis and get her voice back in time for last night’s final performance night. (Still, it was a super close call — our pals at Idol360 tweeted that the band could be heard rehearsing Haley’s number for “Bennie And The Jets” just 20 minutes before showtime.)

Lauren and her country-jammin’ fellow Top 2er Scotty McCreery sang three songs each during the hour telecast, including their debut singles. But who stole the night? Find out below in our recap, featuring a very special cameo by Season 10’s favorite stage parent, Mama Alaina.

We’re glad that a team of robotic scientists with pixie dust and magic throat lozenges were able to help Lauren get her voice back, but in all honesty, the  shocking last minute drama was more captivating than anything we’ve been privy to all season long. What this show needs more of is actual tension, not Ryan Seacrest’s dramatic pauses before exclaiming “…after the break”. Can you imagine how exciting the show would be if Lauren did have to forfeit and Haley took her place in the finals? Twist ending!

Round 1!

Scotty -“Gone”. For the first round, the contestants picked a song they’ve already performed during the competition. Scotty was right in kicking things off with an uptempo song (from Top 5 week) so he could end on a more powerful, moment-heavy performance later on.

Lauren – “Flat On The Floor”. Lauren chose the Carrie Underwood song from our second favorite performance she’s given all season! (Check out Lauren and Scotty’s best and worst performances here.) She might he a little scratchy, but it’s barely noticeable, and she kills it.

Judges Say: Nothing! They just sit there and look pretty. Well, Jennifer Lopez sits there and looks pretty. Steven and Randy just sit there. We Say: We’re giving this one to Lauren, simply because we like her song more. Eh, it’s not a science, folks, we’re just going on gut feelings here.

Round 2!

Scotty – “Check Yes Or No”. Scotty’s personal idol George Strait picked his own song for Scotty to sing. This type of song – asking someone to check yes or no to whether they love them or not – seems a little juvenile for Scotty, even if he’s technically still a minor. It’s not entirely memorable, but can we blame Scotty for adequately performing a song he had no choice in? No, we can’t.

Lauren – “Maybe It Was Memphis”. Wearing a sparkly hoedown dress paired with cowboy boots, Lauren couldn’t look more country than if she sang this song while ridin’ a bull. Carrie Underwood picked this Pam Tillis song for Lauren, and the sickly finalist sounds just a bit hoarse — but not enough to knock her off her boots.

Judges Say: Randy and J-Lo say Round 1 was Scotty, Round 2 was Lauren (in it to win it, blah blah blah), and Steven says both rounds go to Lauren because she’s prettier than Scotty. Yes, he really said that. We Say: We were kind of bored by both performances, so we’ll call it a draw.

Round 3!

Scotty -“I Love You This Big”. Pretty much every debut Idol single is a letdown, and this inoffensive, unmemorable ballad falls somewhere between Kelly Clarkson’s “Moment Like This” (good) and Carrie Underwood’s “Inside Your Heaven” (atrocious). It’s forgotten the second Scotty stops singing it. It’s like a country-tinged ball of dust.

Lauren -“Like My Mother Does”. This is actually a song written for former Season 7 contestant Kristy Lee Cook’s album, and somehow it found its way down the drainpipe to Lauren. It’s nothing amazing, but it certainly has more potential to get plays on the radio than Scotty’s single. Plus, we can’t help it – we’re totally suckers for Lauren giving her mom a big ole hug in the middle of her performance without skipping a beat.

Judges Say: Randy and Steven give the round to Lauren, but J-Lo won’t pick between them. We Say: This is all Lauren’s since she got the better single. We have a feeling a female might actually have a chance at winning American Idol once more!

There was still enough time in the episode to cram in two musical guests. Taio Cruz performed something he came up with while drinking a Coke… or something… whatever, here it is:

Season 7 winner David Cook closed the show with his cover of Simple Minds’ “Don’t You Forget About Me”. Show ’em how it’s done, Cookie!

Tonight, we find out the winner of American Idol Season 10. Who’s it gonna be, folks? And what jokey Idol contestants from the audition rounds will inevitably make a cameo during the finale? Share your final predictions in the comments!