Smallscreen News

Idol goes country, Scotty McCreery wins in an electric finale, some thoughts

By April MacIntyre May 26, 2011, 16:59 GMT

05/23/2011 - Scotty McCreery - Simon Fuller Honored with a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on May Honored with a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on May 23, 2011 - Hollywood Walk of Fame - Hollywood, CA, USA © Andrew Evans / PR Photos

“American Idol” blew the star-o-meter off the charts on Wednesday night, the night that saw high school student and former grocery bagger, 17-year-old country singer Scotty McCreery, crowned the winner of the show’s 10th season.

A season of major change. Judges swapped for a more emo, friendly group highlighted by Steven Tyler, who released a memoir of drugs, sex and grateful to be alive prose that has endeared him to a new generation of kids dusting off their parents' Aerosmith albums.

Jennifer Lopez has launched the Gleam craze, as her lit from within beauty and flawless makeup and hair the talk of every magazine that spills her go-to beauty products.

Last night saw 16-year-old country singer Lauren Alaina take runner up, as McCreery took the win.

The bass-y rich baritone of McCreery turned heads in his audition, as he belted out a sultry Josh Turner bedroom ditty, and the competition developed his performer side as Idol vocal coaches honed his massive voice to a more versatile range.

Scotty was a quick learner, as the quarter-Puerto Rican (Nana was born and raised in Old San Juan) kid who bagged groceries and played High School baseball showed he had entertainer instincts, finding the camera, adding to his stage persona and charming the judges, especially J-Lo and Randy.

The show last night featured a pack of divas, including Lady Gaga in another crazy hat (her hatmaker is the hardest working person in showbiz) taking a jump with a dancer, and Beyoncé (who lost me with her overblown 'Make love to me' chorus), and even J-Lo on stage shaking her moneymaker with Marc Anthony.

For me the fun began with Tom Jones, still a gorgeous man, his voice a tad less strong but he can knock a performance out of the park.

This season also had music impresario Jimmy Iovine shape these raw talents old school style, with the intent of them being future recording artists, using top producers like Don Was and Jim Jonsin.

The iTunes availability of the contestants songs after the show added a new dimension to this season too, making the music more accessible.

Last night also saw performances by Carrie Underwood, a buff Tim McGraw, Judas Priest (?), Kirk Franklin, Gladys Knight and the entertainment industry insiders' biggest swoon, U2's Bono and The Edge, as they rocked out a tune from Broadway's “Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark.”

The ratings were off the charts and the buzz was big for a show written off a million times as "done" and "over."

Didn't feel that way last night.