American Idol

A record 122 million votes were cast this week on American Idol. And, after all were tallied, who did viewers crown the champion?

Following a vocal chord injury that left this finalist perilously close to not competing, Lauren Alaina took to the stage and told viewers "I'm fine." But she concluded the night a lot better than that.

Thanks to a concluding number of "Like My Mother Does," sang to her actual mother in the crowd, Alaina left an impression that had all the judges practically crowning her champion.

"With that song, you may have just won," J. Lo gushed. "You sang it beautifully. It was perfect for you."

Check out the performance now, followed by Lauren's first two from the finale - "Maybe It Was Memphis" and "Flat on the Floor" - and sound off: is this the next American Idol?

Lauren Alaina - Like My Mother Does

Shortly after the American Idol finale opened last night, and it was revealed that Lauren Alaina was having voice problems, Scotty McCreery left the judges speechless.

That's how good his rendition of "Gone" was to kick off the aspiring star's three-song set. It even topped the first time Scotty performed this ballad on season 10. Listen for yourself:

Scotty McCreery - Gone

But will one top-notch performance alone be enough to carry Scotty to the title? His subsequent two cover were a bit of a letdown, first on George's Strait's "Check Yes or No" and then on the introduction of "I Love You This Big" to close out his run.

Even Randy couldn't muster up excitement for the latter, saying: "I'm not sure it was the perfect song for you, but the range was great. Dude, you know what? I'm proud of you, because you've grown during this contest, and that was a brilliant vocal."

Listen to both singles below and decide: Does McCreery have a chance?

Lauren Alaina was scarily close to missing out on her dream tonight.

The American Idol finalist suffered through a vocal chord sprain - akin to a sprained ankle, according to a physician - during rehearsals this afternoon. It was so bad that Haley Reinhart was nearly called in to replace Lauren on the finale.

But a doctor appeared on stage at the outset of the program and told viewers he gave Alaina some medicine because she "blew out" her voice and he thinks she'll "do great."

"I'm here, I'm ready to sing. I'm fine, don't worry about it," Lauren said, hoarsely, on stage.

How will this affect the results? Are Lauren's title hopes dashed? Will the country vote for her out of sympathy and/or toughness? The finale is airing as we type and we'll post all the performances first thing in the morning. Such drama and suspense...

It's down to Scotty McCreery versus Lauren Alaina on this week's American Idol finale. But the contestants themselves don't see it that way.

"We're friends. This isn't a competition, we're just singing our hearts out," Scotty told E! News, while Lauren echoed her pal's sentiment: "I think whatever is meant to happen will happen. I think if Scotty wins, I'll be happy for him because he's one of my best friends."

That's sweet and all, and it's the typical refrain from the two finalists - but wouldn't it be a fun change if they actually acted like enemies one season?

Both young singers are from small towns, but both hope to make it big, likely within the same genre: country music.

"I'm going to go in there and try to make a country record," McCreery said of his future plans, win or lose. "That's what I love. That's what I've grown up with, and if that crosses over, great. But if not, country is what I want to focus on. Country music is hip. Country fans are loyal. They've gotten us here so we owe all of this to them."

Who do you think will win?

We're down to an all-country finale on American Idol.

Following one of the more entertaining, talent-rich seasons in memory, the Fox competition has come down to a pair of contestants who total 34 years in age. It's the youngest final pairing in show history.

Who will come out on top, Lauren Alaina, who was considered a favorite from her early auditions? Or Scotty McCreery, the most consistent performer on a weekly basis?

THG will be watching every song and anxiously awaiting word from Ryan Seacrest next week to find out.

In the meantime, we're asking readers to sound off: Who should be crowned champion?

Haley Reinhart was eliminated from American Idol last night.

To many, though, it was shocking that this singer even made it as far as the final three. Even she admitted, in a post-episode interview with journalists, that she struggled early on.

"I think I took a lot of risks in the beginning early on, when usually you do the opposite. Maybe America didn't know how to take me. I started getting into my own little niche, the rock bluesy sultry feel, throughout and I think America finally started to catch on and they kept me around!"

The judges continued to be harsh on Haley, however. But it sounds like she understands why.

Nicole Scherzinger will be seen often on Fox this fall, co-hosting The X-Factor with Steve Jones.

But the beautiful singer took to the stage in a different capacity last night, shaking and grooving for American Idol audiences during a rendition of "Right There." She was eventually joined by 50 Cent.

Nicole Scherzinger (Ft. 50 Cent) - Right There

Did you see who was eliminated from Idol last night? Find out NOW and let your opinion be heard on the remaining finalists!

American Idol is down to its final two.

After 95 million people cast votes this week, Nashville residents Lauren Alaina and Scotty McCreery will do battle on Tuesday night to decide the season 10 title.

Yes, this means Haley Reinhart was voted out last night.

"My oh my," Haley said about learning the news. "This is the biggest platform any girl, anybody, could ask for. I rocked it out, and I had a blast."

Reinhart then sang a tremendous farewell song, belting out "Bennie and the Jets" to the judges and then to Jacob Lusk and Naima Adedapo in the audience. We'll miss her.

Did viewers make the right choice?

Early in his American Idol run, James Durbin resented comparisons to Adam Lambert.

Now, the just-ousted finalist resents comments recently made by the former runner-up. In an interview with month with The Hollywood Reporter, Lambert said of Durbin:

"I think he's got talent and passion 100 percent, but I feel like he's trying way too hard. Also, his niche is so limited with the metal... I didn’t feel like I was seeing an original artist. And I'm not saying he doesn't have that in him, but it hasn’t been showing."