'IDOL' WATCH: Down to 10

"Idol" is down to 10. Tonight was by far one of the most important nights of "Idol;" those who make it through tonight earn a spot on the summer tour and (presumably) the opportunity to sell a ton of records. On such an important night, there as at least one surprise, with the bottom three consisting of Paige Miles, Tim Urban, and, shockingly, Katie Stevens. Stevens wasn't bad last night, and it's a bit of a surprise to see her among this group.

The night began with the group singing the Whamm! classic Wake Me Up Before You Go Go. The group sounded fun and looked like they were enjoying themselves and I was glad the producers chose such an upbeat, fun song for the full group to sing. The arrangement itself was also very enjoyable with some really nice harmonies.

Miley Cyrus was surprisingly good in her performance tonight. Many people write off the young star, but her vocals were actually pretty good and I was impressed with her musical talents. Cyrus is clearly a seasoned performer, as she was able to really feel the song and give an entertaining performance for the audience. It was nice to see her performing a more legit song and she really did so well. (Though, I must say, I am quite partial to Party in the USA.)

Pop couple Demi Lovato and Joe Jonas sang Lovato's hit Make a Wave, adding to the pop theme of the night. As Ryan pointed out, the two had great chemistry on stage, clearly benefiting from the fact that they are a couple. I really enjoyed the ending, sending Jonas into his falsetto on the harmonies. The song sounded really nice, making it the second solid performance of the night.

Katie Stevens was the first to head back to the couch and was later joined by Tim Urban, sending Paige Miles home this week. Miles was clearly the worst last night and sending her home was the right decision. Before she even performed, Simon said the judges had already unanimously decided not to save her this week. Miles sang Rod Stewart's hit All Right Now as her last performance, which is different from the usual "Idol" theme of singing the same song from the night before. It's a better decision, however, because if the contestants have the ability to earn a save on their last performance, they should be able to choose a different song than the one that got them voted off. Miles sang well, but her recent weeks have shown she is the one who deserved to go home.

Next week, the contestants will sing R&B and soul tunes with coach from superstar Usher. The remaining 10 will perform on Tuesday, March 30th, with the results show airing next Wednesday, March 31st.

"American Idol" is a reality competition to find new solo musical talent, created by Simon Fuller. It debuted June 11, 2002 on the Fox network and has since become one of the most popular shows on American television. It is currently the #1 TV show in the Nielsen Ratings and is one of only three that have been #1 for five consecutive seasons. The cast of "Idol" includes judges Simon Cowell, Randy Jackson, Kara DioGuardi, and Ellen Degeneres, and host Ryan Seacrest.

The program aims to discover the best singer in the country through a series of nation-wide auditions, and subsequent viewer voting. Through telephone voting, America has chosen past winners Kelly Clarkson, Ruben Studdard, Fantasia Barrino, Carrie Underwood, Taylor Hicks, Jordin Sparks, David Cook, and Kris Allen.

Several "Idol" contestants have been seen on the Broadway stage, including Barrino (The Color Purple), Hicks (Grease), Clay Aiken (Spamalot), Diana DeGarmo(Hairspray), Josh Strickland (Tarzan), Tamyra Gray (Rent, Bombay Dreams), and Constantine Maroulis (The Wedding Singer, Rock of Ages).

"American Idol" airs on Tuesday and Wednesday nights on Fox at 8PM EST