'IDOL' WATCH: Down to 9

Tonight's results show was the first real shocker of the season. The bottom three consisted of Katie Stevens, Didi Benami, and Tim Urban and, on a night where Urban was the expected candidate to head home, this he received a stay of execution. Performing on tonight's results show was "Idol" winner Ruben Studdard, Usher, and Diddy alongside Dirty Money and each their songs was done quite well. The night was the first really unexpected results show, but it is often these kinds of results that keep "Idol" audiences on their toes.

Ruben Studdard, the season two winner of "Idol," was back for the first performance of the night, singing his recently released single They Don't Make 'Em Like You No More. The song was surprisingly current and well-done. I say surprisingly because Studdard is, perhaps, the "Idol" winner who has done the least post-"Idol." He also looked great, dropping weight and wearing quite the stylish suit. Studdard announced he will be touring this summer with Broadway star and "Idol" runner up Clay Aiken. It was nice to see the past winner making a comeback from an early struggle in his career.

Usher was up next, dressing in his signature flashy style and showing off his impressive dancing abilities. He sang OMG off his upcoming album, Raymond vs. Raymond, and was joined onstage by Black Eyed Peas member Will.I.Am. This was the first time I had heard the new single and, to be honest, I wasn't a huge fan. I thought it lacked some of the vocal range that Usher has proved he has and didn't really move anywhere from the beginning. The performance was well-done, however, and the addition of Will.I.Am was a great choice.

Diddy had the final performance of the night, joined by his newly formed group, Dirty Money. They sang Hello, Good Morning really impressed me with both the song itself and the way they performed it. Whenever Diddy takes the stage, his style always pervades the entire performance, as was clear tonight with the distinct black and white coloration that worked extremely well for the song. Diddy looked suave as always and was an excellent way to end the performances on the night.

Katie Stevens was the first to be named to the bottom three, being joined later by Didi Benami and Tim Urban. The shocker tonight, Didi Benami received the least votes and was voted off the show. It was a fairly common expectation that Urban would be the one heading home tonight, as he has been in the bottom three every week for the past two weeks. Apparently, though, Simon was right. It doesn't matter how he performs; he will remain on the show regardless. Benami sang Rihanna by Fleetwood Mack in her attempt to earn a save and, though it seemed to be a tough decision for the judges, she will not be back next week.

The results on tonight's show were unexpected, to say the least. It seems future weeks may be a waiting game as other, more talented contestants are sent home before the apparently likable Tim Urban. Next week, the contestants will take on the Lennon/McCartney songbook on a night that should prove to be full of excellent performance. The remaining 9 will perform on Tuesday, April 6th, with the results show airing next Wednesday, April 7th.

"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.