American Idol 2010 Top 10 Elimination Results

Every Wednesday the tension rises and no amount of encouragement from friends and family in the audience can make the nervousness go away. The Top 10 Finalists know that a lot is at stake as they await the outcome of the voting to see just who will have to head home. To relieve the tension, Ruben Studdard,(Slim Teddy Bear), P Diddy and Dirty Money (He's always going to be Puff Daddy to me), and Usher, who was joined by Will.i.am, electrified the stage with their performances. This gave the 10 finalists time to settle down and gain their composure.

Getting Right Down To Business

Ryan Seacrest didn't waste a lot of time this week. Crystal Bowersox, Andrew Garcia, Lee DeWyze, Casey James, Aaron Kelly (The Cupcake-Simon's nickname for him), and Michael Lynche were all proclaimed "safe." I don't think anyone expected any of these Top 10 Finalists to go home.

Trip To The Stools

Katie Stevens, Didi Benami, and Tim Urban found themselves at stage right, on the stools. The walk of shame. No surprises here.

Sent To Safety

Katie Stevens was sent to safety. No surprises here, either. If you recall, I, along with the judges, were amazed at how well Katie handled that Aretha Franklin tune, "Chain of Fools."

Na-na-na-na. Na-na-na-na. Hey, hey hey, Good-bye!

OK, I'll be up front with you. I thought it would be Tim Urban who would have to hit the road. Surprise! Didi Benami got the axe, and maybe its just as well, because they have to trim the fat. But they will be getting to the meat, soon and that means major butterflies for these contestants in the weeks ahead.

Didi had to sing for her survival, but Simon delivered the final verdict after her song announcing it was a "no." They would not use the save this week to keep her.

Teflon Tim escaped another cut. So, Simon was right in his prediction that Tim would stay on another week. And, Aaron Kelly didn't even go to the stools. Tim used up another one of those nine lives. Just like a cat. Told you so.

Nitty Gritty

Let's get down to the nitty gritty, shall we?

Who are the safe ones for next week? Barring a major catastrophe: Crystal Bowersox, Michael Lynche, Casey James, Lee DeWyze, Siobhan Magnus, and Andrew Garcia. But they will have to continue to thrill us with their song choices, creativity, and performances. For some this week was a turning point. Lee and Andy should stick to soul and R&B. Siobhan is really at a crossroads: Simon doesn't want to hear that scream anymore for awhile. She'll have a lot to think about because next week I hear they are doing Lennon-McCartney songs and according to the Los Angeles Times, Rihanna will be performing her hit "Te Amo" on the elimination show. They should all be able to find some really nice tunes from their music catalog of endless hits. I wonder if Sir Paul will show up?

Tim Urban, Katie Stevens and Aaron Kelly are walking the line. They need a major performance to lift them out of their rut, put them on firm ground, and win the favor of the judges. Their performances last week were not hot, so they need something dynamite to move on in the competition.

Red Flag Prediction

Tim Urban will go.

One more contestant has been eliminated. Nine are left standing. Each week the work will get more challenging. Are these Top Nine Finalists up for the challenge? We'll see how they do next week.

Play List- American Idol Performances

Crystal Bowersox:
www.americanidol.com/videos/season_9/performances/

Lee DeWyze
www.americanidol.com/videos/season_9/performances/

Rhonda Manning, www.americanidol.com, americanidolnet.com, www.losangelestimes.com, Associated Content.