'American Idol' Fans Were Ticked Alejandro Didn't Win

Not everyone is happy that Laine Hardy is the newest American Idol.Fans of runner-up Alejandro [...]

By Libby Birk

Not everyone is happy that Laine Hardy is the newest American Idol.

Fans of runner-up Alejandro Aranda slammed the singing competition on social media after host Ryan Seacrest announced Hardy as the season 17 winner on Sunday night.

"NEVER WATCHING American Idol again!! Laine Hardy is the American idol who's a pretty boy and doesn't sing his original music. Alejandro is extremely talented, he writes, composes, plays instruments ugh yeah [America Got It Wrong]," one Twitter user wrote.

"Idk how Alejandro didn't win the [American Idol Finale] but this just goes to show that Merica doesn't know anything," someone else wrote.

"This guy who sang 4 original songs in the finale including this one with a full orchestra that HE composed, lost to a handsome white kid that covered Elvis.... America stays trash," another said.

One used a series of reactions from Idol judge Luke Bryan to convert their disappointment.

Aranda came in second place Sunday night to Hardy after a star-studded finale episode, which also saw Top Three finalist Madison VanDenburg go home at the halfway point during a vote check-in.

While Hardy told Entertainment Tonight backstage after he was crowned winner that he hadn't yet come to the full realization of what happened, Aranda told HollywoodLife.com that he was "definitely" relieved not to have won the contract with Hollywood Records, though he was grateful for the experience.

"The whole experience was awesome," he told the publication. "It means everything that I was able to do my own music and have people like it!"

Aranda performed a number of original songs throughout the season, winning over judges with not just his singing ability, but his talent as a musician as well.

Aranda said that he's confident Hardy will go far in the industry if he just "keeps being himself."

"He just has to make tons of music," Aranda said. "And do everything to be the best that he can be."

The finale episode featured multiple performances from the three finalists, as well as performances from the show's very own judges: Katy Perry, Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie.

Richie kicked the show off with a massive performance of "Dancing On the Ceiling" with the Top 10 finalists, while Perry paired up with Daddy Yankee to perform a wig-tactic version of their new song "Con Calma," and also sang alongside former contestant Jeremiah Lloyd Harmon for her hit "Unconditionally." Bryan took the stage to perform his new single "Knockin' Boots" and then went into "Every Breath You Take" with Top 5 performer Laci Kaye Booth.

Stars like Kane Brown, Jon Pardi, Weezer, Montell Jordan, Carrie Underwood and Adam Lambert also performed in the three-hour episode. Last season's winner, Maddie Poppe, made a brief appearance alongside host Seacrest to plug her debut album, Whirlwind, which was released on Friday.

Last week, ABC announced it would be renewing American Idol for its 18th season (the third on ABC), with the next season expected to premiere in January 2020. Perry, Bryan and Richie have not been confirmed as season 18's judges.

Photo credit: Allen Berezovsky / Contributor / Getty

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