Syesha Mercado

American Idol said goodbye to one of the final three on Wednesday which gives us our 2008 top two finalists. Of the three above, many could have predicted two of them would make it this far (ahem! Davids) and one has shocked many by fighting her way to the top. So was there an Idol upset? Or do the top two look the way many of us expected? To see some of my thoughts and discuss, just read more

The final three American Idol contestants had one more chance on Tuesday to show why they belonged in the finale . . . and honestly, I'm not sure any of them proved they really deserved to win. To be fair, I remember similar poor showings from the final three in other years; at this point, spots in the finals are so coveted that people tend to get safe and deliver mediocre performances. But I can't shake the feeling that all three of these contestants peaked earlier this season — Syesha last week, David Cook a few weeks back, David Archuleta in the first weeks of the finals — and now are just riding this thing out along with the rest of us.

Which of the trio do you think is done? Don't forget to cast your vote, and to hear my thoughts on the night's performances and share your own, just read more

American Idol cut its field to three on Wednesday, meaning one of the singers we've come to know and love – or, well, at least know — has reached the end of the competition. Which of the singers above bid Idol a fond farewell? To find out and talk about it, just read more

The remaining four American Idol contestants had a chance to prove they could rock out on Tuesday. By picking songs from the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame songbook, they had a huge portion of music history open to them. So would you have expected one of the song picks to be "Hungry Like the Wolf"?

Beyond that, Tuesday's performance night fell flat in a lot of ways; nobody really impressed me — including this year's anointed "rocker." Were you similarly let down? Don't forget to vote for which singer is going home, and for my take, just read more

Just three more weeks till this year's American Idol is crowned! Which of the five smiling singers pictured above couldn't make it past the rigors of Neil Diamond week and was sent home on Wednesday? To find out, just read more

I always look forward to the moment in the American Idol season where the contestants start singing two songs per night. Not only does it make the whole show move a lot faster, but it also demonstrates what the contestants can do under more pressure and given the chance to really show off different sides of their singing styles.

That said, Neil Diamond night was a mess — not the least because of Paula, who amazingly criticized Jason Castro for a song before he'd performed it. I'm sure she had notes from the dress rehearsal and whatnot, but still, it was the first time I think I've ever seen Seacrest rattled (his panicked look offstage was telling). Also, going through the first half of the show without judges' comments was an interesting choice, but it actually made the flow of the show feel even more rushed than it needed to be — and none of the contestants really got a meaningful critique on both songs.

Overall, I thought the night was just OK — no real standouts from the contestants at the top of the pecking order, no real challenges from those at the bottom. What did you think? Don't forget to tell me which singer you think is headed home, and to hear my take on their songs, just read more