American Idol

With a couple of notable exceptions, Tuesday's American Idol performances left plenty to be desired, and plenty of people wondering who'd end up in the bottom three.

Last week, Paige Miles was narrowly spared from elimination. Wednesday, though, the 24-year-old Floridian's run on American Idol came to an appropriate conclusion.

Paige's promising voice and great personality weren't enough to overcome her erratic song selection and a quite lackluster rendition of Phil Collins' "Against All Odds."

To the surprise of no one, Tim Urban joined Paige in the bottom three again, along with Katie Stevens, whose "Big Girls Don't Cry" nearly resulted in tears of her own.

Next week, it's R&B/Soul time, with Usher serving as mentor and guest performer. Miley Cyrus rocked the house last night, and we'll have video of that for you soon.

PAIGE TURNED: A good run, Paige, but Miles apart from the top tier.

Which of the remaining 10 do you see going all the way to the end, and who do you think is a prime candidate to be sent packing next week?

Here's how we see the remaining finalists, grouped into tiers ...

The Contenders

• Crystal Bowersox
• Siobhan Magnus
• Michael Lynche

Hanging Around

• Casey James
• Didi Benami
• Lee DeWyze
• Andrew Garcia

Bottom Three Calling

• Aaron Kelly
• Katie Stevens
• Tim Urban

TOP 10: Who will be the next American Idol?

The 11 finalists all gave it their best shot, but performances by Crystal Bowersox and Lee DeWyze stood out the most on Tuesday night's American Idol.

Showing why she's been a favorite to become the ninth American Idol winner since her first audition, Crystal channeled her inner Janis Joplin last night.

Bowersox's performance of "Me & Bobby McGee," mentored by none other than Miley Cyrus, is even being called better than the original by some fans.

That may be a stretch ... or is it? Check it out and see ...

Crystal Bowersox: Me & Bobby McGee

Once again, socks were knocked off by Crystal Bowersox. Some weeks, it's like she's in a class by herself and everyone else is angling to be runner-up.

Lee DeWyze held his own Tuesday, however. In one of the night's top covers of Billboard #1 hits, the Chicago product rocked the Box Tops' "The Letter."

Follow the jump to see Lee's performance of the song ...

Asked to take on Billboard #1 hits, a nebulous theme that gave them nearly free rein, Lee DeWyze made an unusual choice but delivered on American Idol last night.

Lee honored the late Alex Chilton, who passed away last week, with the Box Tops' "The Letter," and was met with general praise from Simon, Randy, Kara and Ellen.

It might have even earned him THG's top spot, but when Crystal Bowersox channeled Janis Joplin on "Me and Bobby McGee," she reminded us why she's the favorite.

Big Mike was his typically solid self on "When a Man Loves a Woman," as was last week's star Siobhan Magnus on "Superstition." Singling out the top four was easy.

As for the bottom four ...

Lee DeWyze's song selection and performance bumped him up with the contenders on last night's American Idol. Can he build on this momentum going forward?

Meanwhile, Paige Miles and Tim Urban will be vying for a ticket home thanks to their respective performances on "Against All Odds" and "Crazy Little Thing Called Love."

Clearly not up to par or worthy of a trip back, but one of the two will sneak through ... if not both. Katie Stevens and Andrew Garcia didn't too much to help their causes.

Agree with our assessment? Who do you see going home tonight? Here's how we rank Tuesday's American Idol performances (with last week's rank):

1. Crystal Bowersox, "Me and Bobby McGee" (2)
2. Lee DeWyze, "The Letter" (5)
3. Michael Lynche, "When a Man Loves a Woman" (3)
4. Siobhan Magnus, "Superstition" (1)
5. Casey James, "The Power of Love" (8)
6. Aaron Kelly, "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing" (4)
7. Didi Benami, "You're No Good" (6)
8. Andrew Garcia, "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" (10)
9. Katie Stevens, "Big Girls Don't Cry" (9)
10. Paige Miles, "Against All Odds" (7)
11. Tim Urban, "Crazy Little Thing Called Love" (12)

Click to enlarge photos of the finalists in action ...

It was a tough week for Lacey Brown on American Idol, as the singer became the first season nine finalist to be voted off the show.

But things went better for Ke$ha and David Cook on Wednesday night. Both stars took to the stage and performed their hits "Blah Blah Blah" and "Jumping Jack Flash." Enjoy both performances below:

Blah Blah Blah

On Tuesday, American Idol will return to the air. Will Siobhan Magnus continue her run toward a title? Tune in. Find out.

Following Tuesday night's American Idol performances, and given how average a lot of them were, it isn't surprising to see Lacey Brown go on last night's results show.

The pastor's daughter from Texas got no love from the judges or the fans for her cover of "Ruby Tuesday," landing in the bottom three with Tim Urban and Paige Miles.

Urban would've been equally deserving of a pink slip, but this isn't The Bachelor, where they make up rules on the fly. One stays, one goes. Nice knowing you, Lacey.

Ryan announced the return of the "Judges Save" option, allowing the esteemed panel to reverse decisions if fans really, really screw up, but it was not used on Brown.

Instead, she sang farewell to her attempt at stardom with Brandi Carlile's "The Story," an emotional track prominently featured on Grey's Anatomy a few seasons ago.

Lacey Brown bids American Idol farewell.

If Brown and her bottom three cohorts underscored anything, it was how dramatic the dropoff is in talent from the top handful to the rest of the pack.

Here's how we see the remaining finalists, grouped into tiers ...

The Contenders

• Crystal Bowersox
• Siobhan Magnus
• Michael Lynche
• Casey James

Should Hang Around Awhile

• Didi Benami
• Lee DeWyze
• Andrew Garcia

Bottom Three Calling Any Day Now

• Paige Miles
• Aaron Kelly
• Katie Stevens
• Tim Urban

TOP 11: Who will be the next to go on American Idol?

Some fans were floored by it, and others weren't impressed, but it's safe to say that 19-year-old Siobhan Magnus' rendition of "Paint it Black" was definitely the most buzzed-about of this week's 12 American Idol performances.

The judges loved it, though Simon even acknowledged that a lot of people are likely to dislike her flamboyant style. That's a compliment, as it beats indifference.

We gotta give it up to Siobhan Magnus for upping the drama, paying tribute to this Rolling Stones classic, yet being original and keeping us riveted throughout.

Here's the performance if you missed it or want another look ...

Siobhan Magnus: Paint it Black

What do you think? The night's best, or not worth the hype some gave it? Can Siobhan compete for the American Idol title or will she fade fast?

There were lots of strong performances among the finalists on American Idol, but the most memorable moment of the night may have come from Ryan Seacrest.

After Simon Cowell called out Michael Lynche for "corny" dance moves, Ryan not only came to the affable singer's defense, he got in Simon's grill in the process.

The normally unflappable judge was taken aback - and scooted his seat back, throwing his hands up and admitting he was very uncomfortable. Point, Seacrest!

Chalk up another memorable exchange in one of Hollywood's ongoing rivalries / friendships. We never quite know what to make of the dynamic between them.

Ryan definitely threw Simon off here, though, which was funny and uncomfortable. Check out the clip below of the two stars almost butting heads ... literally:

Ryan and Simon Butt Heads

Siobhan Magnus and Crystal Bowersox dominated ladies' night last week. Last night, on the first show of the American Idol finals, the two ladies were 1-2 again.

At least that's how we saw it, but we doubt we'll receive too many arguments. With the possible exception(s) of Big Mike and Aaron Kelly, no one came close to these two.

Not that Crystal wasn't her usual, solid self, but if there was a clear winner Tuesday, it was Siobhan, who gave "Paint It, Black" dramatic flair on Rolling Stones night.

Her vocal range was amazing and the overall performance riveting. Kara DioGuardi compared her to Adam Lambert, which is not praise thrown around lightly.

She was a tough act to follow for Crystal Bowersox, whose rendition of "You Can't Always Get What You Want" seemed to suit her style perfectly. Typically solid.

It was Siobhan Magnus and Crystal Bowersox's show last night.

Any other week, it may have been tops, but Simon opined that Siobhan outperformed her. A good thing, he said, as Crystal is obviously legit but needs to raise her game.

Aside from Michael Lynche's "Miss You" and Aaron Kelly's tender "Angie," most of the other efforts weren't impressive. Who's going home? There are plenty of candidates.

Tim Urban's reggae style "Under My Thumb" and Lacey Brown's "Ruby Tuesday" struck us as a few performances that could result in a heave-ho. Who knows.

Do you agree with our assessment of Tuesday's elite? Who do you see going home on American Idol tonight? Here's how we rank last night's performances:

1. Siobhan Magnus, "Paint It, Black"
2. Crystal Bowersox, "You Can't Always Get What You Want" 
3. Michael Lynche, "Miss You"
4. Aaron Kelly, "Angie"
5. Lee DeWyze, "Beast of Burden"
6. Didi Benami, "Play With Fire"
7. Paige Miles, "Honky Tonky Women"
8. Casey James, "It's All Over Now"
9. Katie Stevens, "Wild Horses"
10. Andrew Garcia, "Gimme Shelter"
11. Lacey Brown, "Ruby Tuesday"
12. Tim Urban, "Under My Thumb"

Click to enlarge photos of the finalists in action ...

American Idol judge Kara DioGuardi predicted a male winner and discussed other elements of the show, such as Simon's close talking, with Jay Leno last night.

Asked about the current season, she admitted a soft spot for Michael Lynche, a.k.a. Big Mike, who moved her to tears with last week's performance: “I love him,” she said.

Kara blamed her Italian heritage for getting so emotional, but couldn't hide her affinity for Lynche, as well as her theory (or so it appeared) that a male will win this season.

She also suggested that Simon Cowell might be suffering from separation anxiety from Mezghan Hussainy lately, as he's been leaning in close to her a lot on the show.

When Leno brought up her “bikini moment” (complete with picture), the phrasing of Kara’s response seemed to betray the influence of sitting near Simon every week: “It showed I could kinda take the piss out of myself,” she said.

Alright then.

Kara on Leno

Who do you think will win American Idol this season? In other Kara news, her father, Joe, is running as a Republican for U.S. Senate in New York State!

While fans argue about the final 12 on American Idol (Paige Miles over Katelyn Epperly and Lilly Scott? Really?!?), this season's recently-named finalists attended a party in their honor last night.

Matt Giraud, Scott MacIntyre and past contestants were also on hand, as were Cory Monteith and members of the Glee cast.

But the event was all about Crystal Bowersox, Michael Lynche and company. That pair of singers, two of the only contenders in an otherwise mediocre field, celebrated with an airplane ride at the shindig:

Click on the photos below for more looks at the finalists posing on the red carpet:

[Photos: Splash News]