Tuesday night was essential for the remaining American Idol contestants. As the show is approaching its end, the three competitors had to give their best and impress the voters before the grand finale. But I’m not sure they did…Or actually, at least they weren’t as bad as the song choices.

Each contestant had three opportunities to convince the voters. They sang three songs: one they chose, one chosen by the judges, and one the producers chose. It was no surprise to see that the judges liked the songs they had chosen the best and were dissatisfied with the contestants’ choices.

Obviously, all the judges tried to make sure Syesha Mercado would be voted out, so that the passage would be cleared for the two Davids, as expected by everyone. Even usually mild and encouraging Paula had something bad to say about Syesha last night, while both Davids were applauded and praised until they probably felt like Goliaths.

Syesha continues to surprise everybody, appearing more and more confident toward the end of the show. She has had a very confident attitude and has revealed her dancing skills in the last shows. Unfortunately, the judges keep saying she is more of an entertainer than a spectacular voice. But who can trust the tastes of a trio who are all excited about a 17-year-old David who sings corny wedding songs all the time?

For the first round, Randy gave Syesha the occasion to perform a song by one of her favorite artists: Alicia Keys’ “If I Ain’t Got You.” At the end of the song, which she performed in a glamorous golden dress, Syesha mostly received compliments about the way she looked. Randy said he was glad he had chosen that song, while Paula and Simon described her as “gorgeous” and, respectively, “stunning.”

Seacrest asked Syesha whether she had been keeping her skills hidden until now, so she could amaze everybody in the end. A smiling and happy-looking Syesha answered she was more open and felt more comfortable now.

While singing her second song, “Fever,” Syesha sounded sexy and warm, and the little tricks she worked with a chair on the stage helped her a lot as well. But the judges were determined to crush her tonight, so, except for Randy, who called her performance “great” and “amazing,” the other two didn’t encourage the poor girl too much. Paula said the song did not reveal Syesha as an artist. She could have found a better argument, really. Simon reminded Syesha she was doomed, telling her she would probably regret her “quite lame cabaret performance” the next day.

As for the third song, “Hit Me Up,” well, even Paula said: “I don't know if it's going to be good enough to get into the finals of American Idol.” And, if Paula, not Simon, is the one to say that, you’re certainly doomed!

David Cook pretty much spoiled his rocker image on Tuesday’s show. It was not only his fault, still.

Simon picked for him “The First Time I Ever Saw Your Face,” by Roberta Flack, saying it was a very, very, very tough song that gave David C. the opportunity to be original. Say what?! Well, David C. was original indeed, if originality involves changing one’s energetic style with a boring and cheesy one…

“I’ve been a David Cook fan since day one,” Randy said, perfectly crossing both t’s in the situation, “but I wish Simon would have picked something that wasn’t as predictable as this, because I want you to rock, baby! ‘Cause you’re a rocker!”

When the audience started booing, Randy quickly added: “I love him!”

Paula declared David C. as her second favorite person who sang the song, while Simon described the performance as one of the best. Hey, it was his song pick, right?

Faced with the opportunity of choosing a song that could have saved his rocker image, David C. did not take advantage of that, choosing to sing Switchfoot’s “Dare You to Move.” The producers’ choice, Aerosmith’s “I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing,” didn’t help David either…He sang all the songs conventionally, while the judges pretended they heard an improvised and spontaneous rendition.

Ok, should I waste everybody’s time by describing David Archuleta’s performances? The three songs, “And So It Goes,” “With You” and “Longer,” were called all the good adjectives, from “pure” to “amazing” and “stunning.” Randy almost suggested the kid could sing the weather forecast and make it sound wonderful.

I’d rather say it was a pretty boring “And So It Goes Longer With You,” David!

If this kid doesn’t win Idol, he could surely build a career singing Disney movie soundtracks. Especially with that fan club of his, made of 13-year-old girls…