'Will You Ever Win?' AI Judges Say 'No," to Didi Who Exits With 'Rhiannon'

No big surprise on American Idol tonight.   Didi Bonami got the boot after Katie Stevens and Tim Urban landed with her in the Bottom Three.  However,  Katie got the "safe" nod from host Ryan Seacrest and Tim inexplicably escaped elimination again, despite a soul-less performance Tuesday night of the Anita Baker classic "Sweet Love."

While departing Didi was more of a vocal stylist than a real singer, she demonstrated where her musical appeal and modest abilities lie with a solid reading of the Fleetwood Mac tune "Rhiannon," an ode to an ancient Welsh witch, according to its author and original singer, Steve Nicks.

This leaves a field of nine survivors.  Just by shear diminishing numbers, Tim has to be the next under-singer to go - barring a flood of texts from his field of pubescent supporters.  He also could be kept alive due to the efforts of  a subversive Website whose bloggers are determined to keep him on the show as long as painfully possible, ala Sanjaya Malakar (as their designated pick as "worst singer among this year's AI finalists").

That Website underscores the banality of American Idol.  It is more of a teen popularity contest than a true vocal competition. This year, it's become tunelessly clear that the judges picked far too many kids with marginal or no musical talent.  However, some will keep hanging on way past the point of pain, due to the perverted voting texts of young fans with little or no musical tastes. Or in the case of that one screwy Blogsite - due to the efforts of some discerning wiseacres who are determined to lampoon American Idol down to its last round of competition.

Among tonight's survivors, the best singers are, Crystal Bowersox, Lee DeWyze, Aaron Kelly, Casey James and Big Mike Lynche, respectively.

And that's our view from "The A&R Room."