Haley Reinhart kind on harsh "American Idol" judges (Reuters)

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Haley Reinhart said on Friday she was at peace with missing out on a spot in next week's "American Idol" finale and predicted that teens Scotty McCreery and Lauren Alaina would captivate the show's younger fans.

Reinhart, 22, was finally voted off the singing contest after landing in the bottom three on four occasions, and receiving some of the harshest comments from the new, more friendly judging panel.

"I believe their intention was simply to push me along further and get me to the top of my game and get me a little fired up inside," Reinhart told reporters of the criticism.

"I got to top 3, so that's quite all right...I don't live in regret. I do nit pick -- I'm a Virgo. But I don't regret anything because each step along this way has gotten me to where I am. And I got to show versatility and I am proud to do that," she said.

Reinhart has been singing since the age of eight, starting out with her parent's rock covers band, and had auditioned unsuccessfully for a place on "American Idol" in 2009.

But she was sanguine about not making it to next week's two-part grand finale and a shot at winning a guaranteed record contract with Universal Music.

"I accepted (my elimination) very quickly, and I thought everything happens for a reason and this is a good thing. It means I am going to start my career as a solo artist even sooner," she said. "I would love to do an album that is sultry, bluesy, rock.

Reinhart's exit leaves McCreery, 17, and Alaina, 16, in the first all-country finale in "American Idol"s 10 year history. The May 24 showdown bodes well for future album sales for the eventual winner given 2005 champion and country singer Carrie Underwood's status as the show's top-earning contestant.

"As far as the viewers go, this is perfect for them. We have a lot of young audience out there and Scotty and Lauren are both so darn cute," Reinhart said

"This is a country year. I definitely can see young America being very captivated by these two.", she added.

"American Idol" is the most-watched TV show in the Unites States with almost 25 million viewers and has reversed a ratings slide this year, thanks mostly to the arrival of new judges Jennifer Lopez and Aerosmith rocker Steven Tyler.

(Editing by Christine Kearney)

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Alaina, Reinhart fumble 'Idol' performances (AP)

By DERRIK J. LANG, AP Entertainment Writer Derrik J. Lang, Ap Entertainment Writer – Wed May 18, 11:23 pm ET

LOS ANGELES – The lights aren't out for Scotty McCreery on "American Idol."

The deep-voiced 17-year-old country crooner of Garner, N.C., who first became known to "Idol" viewers this season for bellowing the lyric "baby, lock the doors, and turn the lights down low" from Josh Turner's "Your Man," flawlessly performed a trio of tunes on the Fox talent contest Wednesday, while his two competitors briefly botched their songs.

"You're approaching that Garth (Brooks) level," judge Randy Jackson told McCreery.

The finalists were tasked with performing tracks chosen by the show's judges, mentor Jimmy Iovine and the singers themselves. McCreery launched with his personal pick of Lonestar's "Amazed," following it up with Iovine's choice of Thompson Square's "Are You Gonna Kiss Me or Not" then sealing it with Kenny Rogers' "She Believes in Me" from the judges.

"You put it over the top for me just now," judge Steven Tyler said after McCreery's last performance.

It wasn't as effortless for Lauren Alaina, the twangy 16-year-old ingenue from Rossville, Ga., and Haley Reinhart, the feisty 20-year-old fatale from Wheeling, Ill. Alaina missed a key change on The Band Perry's "If I Die Young" from Iovine, while Reinhart slipped on the stairs — but kept on rockin' — during her pick of Led Zeppelin's "What Is and What Should Never Be."

"It's not about how many times you fall," Tyler advised. "It's about how many times you get up."

That moment didn't seem to trip up Reinhart, who's appeared as a low vote-getter four times. She won praise from the panel for her moody, wind-swept rendition of Fleetwood Mac's "Rhiannon" from Iovine and her energetic take on Alanis Morrisette's "You Oughta Know" from the judges, though the panel noted that Reinhart struggled with the wordy verses.

"I think we all heard the same thing in the middle parts," judge Jennifer Lopez mildly scolded.

Alaina's flub on "If I Die Young," which Lopez dubbed "a very honest moment," didn't deter her from later taking on Lee Ann Womack's "I Hope You Dance," chosen by the judges. Lopez said Alaina, who's appeared at the bottom once, gave her goosebumps, and Tyler noted that the pop-country princess waltzed onto the stage like she "owned the Grand Ole Opry."

One of the three finalists will be eliminated Thursday with the other two advancing to next week's finale, where one will win a record contract and be crowned the 10th season "Idol." McCreery, who's never appeared at the bottom, is the presumed front-runner, likely leaving Alaina and Reinhart to duke it out to sing in the final round next Tuesday.

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Are 'Idol' Hopefuls Casey Abrams and Haley Reinhart a Couple?

It looks like there may be some romance brewing off-stage of 'American Idol.'

InTouch Weekly reports that an 'Idol' insider has revealed to them that contestants Casey Abrams and Haley Reinhart are quite the cozy couple behind the camera.

The insider is quoted saying, "Most of their downtime is spent together, and they have a very touchy-feely relationship."

The person continues, "They're always lying on each other when they're around the other contestants, and everybody thinks they're hooking up."

"We knew that it was kind of a radical decision because it was so early in the season, but to be quite honest...that is one decision that I haven't lost one ounce of sleep over," Lopez revealed on Seacrest's KIIS-FM radio show Wednesday morning.

On this week's elimination episode, we got to see just how much the save impacted Abrams.

Even after the show finished taping, Abrams was wobbly and struggling to come to terms with the gift he'd been given. So much so that at the urging of his doctor, he had to go and lie down for a bit.

When he finally reunited with the contestants, he told them, "I was ready to just be watching you guys at home."

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Video: Casey Abrams and Haley Reinhart Heat Up Couple Rumors with 'Idol' Duet

While the Internet continues to rumble with rumors that 'American Idol' Haley Reinhart and Casey Abrams are more than just friends, the two of them showed real sparks of chemistry on Thursday night's results show.

Paired for a duet, they dusted off a track from Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers. The song had them both 'Moanin'' and scatting and staring deep into one another's eyes as the music appeared to transport them both someplace else entirely.

It was as if we were witness to a private session between the two of them, and easily one of the strongest performances either one of them had ever given on the show.


Definitely, it was a more confident vocal than they gave on their respective songs the night before.

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Are 'Idol' Hopefuls Casey Abrams and Haley Reinhart a Couple?

It looks like there may be some romance brewing off-stage at 'American Idol'.

InTouch Weekly is reporting that an 'Idol' insider has revealed to them that contestants Casey Abrams and Haley Reinhart are quite the cozy couple behind the camera.

The insider is quoted saying, "Most of their downtime is spent together and they have a very touchy-feely relationship."

The person continues, "They're always lying on each other when they're around the other contestants and everybody thinks they're hooking up."
Last week, the 'Idol' judges shocked the world when they saved Abrams from elimination, and Jennifer Lopez dished to Ryan Seacrest about their decision.

"We knew that it was kind of a radical decision because it was so early in the season, but to be quite honest...that is one decision that I haven't lost one ounce of sleep over," Lopez revealed on Seacrest's KIIS-FM radio show Wednesday morning.

On this week's elimination episode, we got to see just how much the save impacted Abrams.

Even after the show finished taping, Abrams was wobbly and struggling to come to terms with the gift he'd been given. So much so that at the urging of his doctor, he had to go and lie down for a bit.

When he finally reunited with the contestants, he told them, "I was ready to just be watching you guys at home."

Filed under: Famous Couples - American Idol Tags: American Idol, Casey Abrams, Haley Reinhart
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