From the Front Row

Tears flowed as the road ended for four more “American Idol” contestants Thursday, leaving a dozen finalists to compete next week.

Given pink slips were Studio City singer Sabrina Sloan, Antonella Barba, Jared Cotter and Jason "Sundance" Head, who were cast off by voting that drew about 37 million calls and text messages.

The elimination of Sloan surprised judge Randy Jackson, who said she “should be in that top 12. America got that one wrong."A choked-up Sloan seemed to agree.
Barba, the focus of media scrutiny after racy photos of her surfaced a few weeks ago on the Internet, was shown the door to nobody's surprise. Judge Simon Cowell repeatedly said the girl wasn't up to snuff.

Cotter reacted to his elimination by telling host Ryan Seacrest he was "very" surprised. But Cowell insisted he had to spend more time on his vocals and less on his looks.

When Head was knocked off, judge Paula Abdul said she was speechless. “This is a singing competition, and Sundance, you've been one of our finest."

Thursday's show also featured a performance by "American Idol" winner Carrie Underwood, who recently snagged a Grammy for best new artist. She sang "Wasted," a song from her hit country music album "Some Hearts."