Reality Check

"American Idol" group rounds. Long a source of surefire drama during Hollywood week, the round promises that big voices will shine above the rest, and that someone's going to forget their words.

"American Idol" rolled into two different cities during Wednesday night’s auditions – San Antonio and Long Beach. The differences between the two? Location, certainly. But beyond that, the episode presented two locations that produced very similar talent, in that the talent was, for the most part, good. Like, really good.

On a NASCAR race track, tempers flare, often hitting their brink to the point that, well, accidents happen. During Wednesday night's "American Idol" auditions at Charlotte Motor Speedway, ill will flared to its breaking point, as the long-hyped Nicki Minaj vs. Mariah Carey fight/argument/blow-up finally happened, sending the auditions into a brief siesta while things simmered down.

There were finalists, too -- 13 of them, in fact -- as well as a score of wannabes who didn't make it to the live shows. Here's a look at their careers since the "Idol" ride ended.