The One
At only sixteen years old, Lauren Alaina managed to exhibit talent that could match even the most seasoned artist. Her voice, so pure and so angelic, had captivated millions of fans as soon as she hit her first note in ‘American Idol’ Season 10. It’s no secret that her talent and her good ol’ Southern charm managed to enchant judges Randy Jackson, Jennifer Lopez, and, most especially Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler.
Thanks to millions of fans who believed in her gift, Lauren Alaina made it through the season, and it came down to two –– Alaina and country crooner Scotty McCreery. Both gave it their all during the finale, giving us extremely strong performances that had voters wondering, waiting. Who was going to become the next American Idol?
Lauren Alaina (b. November 8, 1994) was a sophomore at Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe High School in Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia, when she auditioned for ‘American Idol.’ According to Lauren, her cousin, Holly Witherow, inspired her to sing. Witherow was diagnosed with a brain tumor.
It was the Nashville audition, and she was the final contestant for that day. The judges were blown away by her voice as she sang Faith Hill’s “Like We Never Loved at All.” The judges kept lavishing her with praises right after she stopped singing, and a beaming Lauren asked if she could bring her family in to introduce them to the amazing panel of judges.
They agreed.
When Miss Jennifer Lopez asked Lauren to sing for her folks, Lauren revealed that her parents’ song was “I Don’t Wanna Miss a Thing,” sung by Aerosmith for the movie Armageddon. Lauren proceeded to sing the Aerosmith number and invited Steven Tyler to sing with her. The viewers were then treated to an impromptu duet between Steven Tyler and the Georgian miss while the other judges and Alaina’s family watched. It was a touching moment, arguably one of the best of the entire season. When the audition was over, the judges were in complete agreement –– they may have just found “The One.” At the closing of the show, Tyler repeated that they may have found “The One.”
Bloggers, viewers, reviewers, and critics were raving about the blonde cheerleader with the amazing voice. “The best singer so far this season, Alaina is also the least specific,” writes Jon Caramanica for the New York Times. She was compared to other Idol winners Carrie Underwood and Kelly Clarkson. Her “I Don’t Wanna Miss a Thing” duet with the Aerosmith’s front man garnered Lauren more than a few loyal fans.
From that moment on, Alaina continued to awe audiences with her performances, ranging from “You Keep Me Hanging On” by the Supremes to Elvis Presley’s “Trouble.” She was always declared ‘safe,’ and was declared ‘advanced’ for six episodes after her audition. During the Top 5 episode (Songs from Now and Then), Alaina’s rendition of Katrina Elam’s “Flat on the Floor” and Todd Duncan’s “Unchained Melody” earned her a spot in the bottom two, along with Jacob Lusk. Ryan Seacrest announced that she was safe, and Lusk was eliminated.
Five performances later, it came down to two –– Lauren Alain vs. Scotty McCreery. Who would become the next American Idol?
Steven Tyler had been a steady fan of Alaina’s since their Nashville duet to the point where viewers had accused him of favoritism, and he thinks she should win. “I circled her months ago and said ‘American Idol.’ Her and about six or seven others, but I heard her first. I mean, how does a 15-year-old sing like that? How does that happen? That’s magic, that’s the gift and that’s what we’re looking for.”
But it just wasn’t meant to be. After a record of 122 million votes, Scotty McCreery was crowned as Season 10’s American Idol. Alaina fans were devastated, but Lauren doesn’t see it as a loss.
“I didn’t lose,” Alaina said. “I came in second place.”
“I knew Scotty was gonna win,” she continued. “ … I couldn’t pick a more perfect person to get second place to. I know that’s cheesy, but he’s my best friend.”
Since coming in second in American Idol, Alaina has had her fun, sparking rumors that she and McCreery were dating after planting a kiss on him during the finale, presenting at the CMT Awards, scoring a record deal and even releasing a record-breaking single, “Like My Mother Does,” entering at number 20 in Billboard’s all-genre Hot 100 chart. She’s not the American Idol, but she’s still a star.
References:
· Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. (2011). Lauren Alaina – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Available: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lauren_Alaina. Last accessed June 11, 2010.
· Michele Amabile Angermiller, Shirley Halperin, The Hollywood Reporter. (2011). ‘American Idol’s’ Lauren Alaina on Scotty McCreery’s Win: ‘I Didn’t Lose; I Came in Second’. Available: http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/idol-worship/american-idols-lauren-alaina-scotty-192461. Last accessed June 11 2011.
· Kiki Von Glinow, PopEater.com. (2011). Lauren Alaina: Scotty McCreery ‘Might Be My Boyfriend’ | PopEater.com. Available: http://www.popeater.com/2011/05/26/lauren-alaina-scotty-mccreery-might-be-my-boyfriend/. Last accessed June 11 2011.
· Lisa Princ, SheKnows Reality TV Magazine. (2011). American Idol: Lauren Alaina Inks Record Deal | Reality TV Magazine. Available: http://realitytvmagazine.sheknows.com/2011/06/10/american-idol-lauren-alaina-inks-record-deal/. Last accessed June 11 2011.
· AOL Music Records, PopEater.com. (2011). ‘Idol’ Runner-Up Lauren Alaina Breaks Records With Debut Single | PopEater.com. Available: http://www.popeater.com/2011/06/08/lauren-alaina-debut-breaks-records/. Last accessed June 11 2011.
· Connie Ann Kirk, Examiner.com. (2011). ‘American Idol’: Steven Tyler, Lauren Alaina, ‘Don’t Wanna Miss a Thing’ (video) – National Young Adult Pop Culture | Examiner.com. Available: http://www.examiner.com/young-adult-pop-culture-in-national/american-idol-steven-tyler-lauren-alaina-don-t-wanna-miss-a-thing-video. Last accessed June 11 2011.
· Tierney Bricker, Zap2it. (2011). ‘American Idol’s’ Steven Tyler: ‘Lauren Alaina’s been perfect’ – From Inside the Box – Zap2it. Available: http://blog.zap2it.com/frominsidethebox/2011/05/american-idols-steven-tyler-lauren-alainas-been-perfect.html. Last accessed June 11 2011.
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