American Idol 2010's Debut of the Top Ten

The top ten American Idol contestants were mentored by Usher on Tuesday, March 30. He was impressive. Usher apparently had previously watched these vocalists perform, as he was able to zero in on each of them perfectly. He knew precisely which buttons he should push with each contestant in order to bring out the best.

As far as I'm concerned, there's no real contest for the #1 spot. Crystal Bowersox is in a league of her own. It's obvious to me that she is the Season 9 American Idol winner-whether she ends up to be the last one standing or not. It's just a matter of which recording company will be lucky enough to sign her. Crystal put down her guitar tonight and instead played the piano on "Midnight Train to Georgia". She just hits it out of the park each week.

Lee Dewyze has been my favorite of the American Idol guys all along. I love the quality and tone of his voice. He gives off Springsteen vibes when he sings. Lee's performance of "Treat her like a Lady" was one of his best so far. He is genuine and honest and sings from the heart. He should last till the final three.

Siobhan Magnus had an off-night, but don't even think of counting her out. Once she wipes her tears and recovers from the shock of not getting her usual praise from the American Idol judges, I believe she'll come back stronger than ever. Her rendition of "Through the Fire" was off-key in part. When she went into her upper range, she ended up almost screaming. She's still one of my favorites, and I think she'll land in the top three as well.

Katie Stevens looked comfortable on that American Idol stage tonight. She has a powerful voice and showed that off with her delivery of Aretha Franklin's "Chain of Fools". It's tough to predict how far Katie will go in the competition. I'm glad to see her lose that pageant persona that was holding her back.

Casey James gave a solid performance of "Hold On, I'm Coming" on tonight's American Idol. He is talented. He has a raspy, blues quality to his voice and it's appealing. Usher says to keep an eye on Casey whether he wins or not...I think he's right.

Michael Lynche brought the guitar out as accompaniment to "Ready for Love". I thought it was Mike's purest performance to date. This big guy has a very sensitive side.

I thought Andrew Garcia would be departing the American Idol show last Wednesday. He got to stay, and he did redeem himself this week with Chris Brown's "Forever". I enjoyed him more than I have in quite a while.

Aaron Kelly has a strong voice, but he didn't project it tonight singing "Ain't No Sunshine". Maybe it's because he's been sick, but he didn't connect to any feeling in the song. He sure comes off as a great kid though. I think Aaron will bounce back stronger next week.

Tim Urban is part of a large family. He was looking forward to standing out as an individual through his stint on American Idol. I think he's doing just that. Not so much from his singing, but rather his popularity. Simon quipped that Tim doesn't get upset at all when being critiqued because it doesn't really matter...he'll get voted in anyway. Probably true.

Didi Benami sang "What Becomes of the Brokenhearted". She may be finding out on the results show on Wednesday. Her performance was not impressive. I like the distinct quality of her voice, but Didi was off-key throughout much of the song.

March 23d: 2010 American Idols Sing for a Spot in the Top Ten
American Idol Website