American Idol

Following the casting of 122 million votes, and performances by Jennifer Lopez, Steven Tyler, Bono, Tony Bennett and others, Ryan Seacrest made the announcement around 10:05 p.m. EST:

Your new American Idol is... Scotty McCreery!

Immediately after receiving the honor, Scotty gave Lauren Alaina props and said: "Never in my wildest dreams. I gotta thank the Lord. He got me here."

He then proceeded to belt out a version of "I Love You This Big," interrupting himself at various times to hug family members, friends and fellow finalists.

So, season 10 of American Idol has come to conclusion. Did viewers get it right?

The drama on American Idol got underway before the finale even aired last night, as Lauren Alaina almost had to drop out due to a sprained voice.

But the 16-year old powered through, telling viewers she was "fine" - and then proving that to be a massive understatement during a three-song set that may have earned her the season 10 crown.

Lauren saved her most impressive performance for last, introducing the audience to "Like My Mother Does," an emotional single that will be Alaina's first release if she wins. She sang the concluding notes to a special guest in the crowd:

Lauren Alaina on American Idol Finale

Jennifer Lopez couldn't hide her feelings after this rendition. She labeled the track a "perfect" choice for Lauren and came right out and said it may have won her the title.

As for Scotty McCreery?

Scotty McCreery and Lauren Alaina will take the stage tonight for an all-country American Idol finale that pits two very young singers against each other; combined, they are only 34 years old.

What can viewers expect from these two, aside from three songs apiece?

• Carrie Underwood has selected a single for Lauren, while George Strait has done the same for Scotty.
• The other two tracks will be chosen by the producers and by the contestants themselves, who pick their favorite from the season.
• The Edge and Bono will perform on tomorrow night's results show, but not with U2. Instead, they'll be hyping the June 14 opening of the controversial Broadway production Spider-Man: Turn off the Dark.

We'll rundown tonight's performances first thing in the morning, but it's not too soon to chime in: Who do you think will win?

It will be an all-country finale on American Idol.

Following a performance show on Tuesday that consisted of three performances by the three remaining contestants, Ryan Seacrest delivered the bad news to Haley Reinhart last night: she was going home.

This leaves Lauren Alaina and Scotty McCreery to battle it out next week for the season 10 title.

Reacting with both shock and gratitude, Reinhart looked around the venue after the eliminated was announced and said: "My oh my. This is the biggest platform any girl, anybody, could ask for. I rocked it out, and I had a blast."

She then belted out another rendition of "Bennie and the Jets," receiving a standing ovation as she made her way into the audience. We wish her the very best of luck.

Did America make the right choice? Who do you think will win it all?

Will one of two mistakes cost one of the women a spot on the American Idol finale next week?

First, Haley Reinhart actually tripped over a set of stairs during her rendition of Led Zeppelin's "What Is and What Should Never Be," but the mishap may have just made the performance even more memorable. The same can be said of her dad on the guitar, as seen below:

Haley Reinhart Covers What Is and What Should Never Be

After the ovation died down, Randy told Haley she was "slaying it," which doesn't bode well for Lauren Alaina. That contestant actually flubbed a key change during a cover of "If I Die Young." J. Lo kindly referred to it as an "honest moment."

But will it spell the end of Lauren's run?

Scotty McCreery seems like a sure thing for at least one finale slot, following a trio of strong performances. They highlighted by "She Believes in Me," a track that incorporated a piano and a string section and a chorus that led to Steven Tyler remarking: "You put it over the top for me just now."

How about you? Who do you think is going home tonight?

An uneven performance night made tonight's results show one of the least predictable of the season.

Which finalist would not take viewers back to his/her hometown next week, Haley, James, Lauren or Scotty? After millions of votes were tallied, the eliminated contestant this week was...

Here is how difficult of a night it was to assess on American Idol on Tuesday: Lauren Alaina gave both the best and the worst performance.

Dedicating a cover of Martina McBride's "Anyway" to victims of the recent tornadoes in Alabama, the aspiring country star nailed every note and every emotion during her first time on stage, causing self-proclaimed heartbreak for Steven Tyler.

See what we mean here:

Lauren Alaina Covers "Anyway"

However, Alaina's follow-up attempt to act sassy during a version of "Trouble" came across as forced. Tyler admitted he wasn't sure if she pulled it off.

We could have sworn Jacob Lusk was going home last week on American Idol.

We were off by one week. He outlasted Casey Abrams to make the final five, but won't be going on to the final four after voters bid him farewell yesterday evening.

Jacob and Lauren Alaina landed in the bottom two after a season high 60 million votes were cast, and somewhat predictably, Lusk had the lower total of the two.

It's the end of the road for the youngster dubbed the next Luther Vandross.

We thought Jacob was a goner last week. We were a week off.

Lusk really struggled Wednesday with his renditions of both songs, and seemed to have lost his confidence, which all but guaranteed this was his swan song.

Who do you think will win the crown among the top four? Discuss below.

Three of the remaining five American Idol singers this season - James Durbin, Scotty McCreery and Lauren Alaina - are "in it to win it," according to Randy Jackson.

Haley Reinhart must be thinking, "What about me?"

In addition to taking the night's biggest risk with an unreleased Lady Gaga song, "You and I," she killed it with her rendition of "House and the Rising Sun." Watch:

Haley Reinhart on American Idol - House of the Rising Sun

Will it be enough to advance her into next week?

It looks like it. Jacob Lusk needed a tour de force coming into last night and likely fell short, while frontrunners Scotty and James were as both solid as usual.

Follow the jump to watch James' take on "Closer to the Edge" and see if you think he's the presumptive favorite this season, or if someone can upset him:

There was no judges' save available to rescue Casey Abrams this time.

His second elimination from American Idol stuck Thursday night, and came as something of a surprise, as conventional wisdom suggested Jacob Lusk was the weakest link.

While the bottom three was never revealed (Ryan just started listing off who was safe in supposedly random order), it came down to Jacob, Casey and Lauren Alaina.

That's when the growling jazz singer got the unexpected pink slip.

We thought Casey was a goner weeks ago ... but not last night.

"This is what talent looks like, ladies and gentlemen," Ryan Seacrest said, as he introduced Casey Abrams for his final performance, "I Put a Spell On You."

The Ace of Bass gets props for making it this far, if nothing else. But tell us, do you think America got it wrong once again this season by ousting him?

Who do you think will win the crown among the top five? Discuss below.

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