Here's a look at Monday's other 10 performers in the order they learned their fate on the NBC show.

* Laura & Sophie sang "Rockin with the Rhythm" by The Judds. It was a solid performance and they should be safe. Rich wonders what they'll sound like when they sing a song that reflects their age. Jewel called the duo out for singing the same song at one of their auditions. She wanted something newer and less comfortable. Steele thought the duo sounded like they were singing to each other at a slumber party.

* Ashlee Hewitt sang "Ring of Fire" by Johnny Cash. She didn't get burn, burn, burned by the Ring of Fire. Steele agreed. Jewel saw a noticeable change in the performer and liked it. Rich liked the folk-country quality of the performance and compared her to Jewel.

* Justin Gaston tried to take on "Hey There, Delilah" by The Plain White T's. Bad, bad, bad, awful, bad. If voting goes by ability, Gaston is gone. Steele somehow thought he saw improvement from a week earlier. Jewel thinks he can sing, but doesn't have enough control of his voice. Rich thought he didn't belong on the show. He called Gaston sweet, and not in a good way.

* Alyson Gilbert did "Every Breath You Take" by The Police. She bounced back a week after a freaky, bug-eyed performance put her in the bottom two for the judges' cut. She was much better, but still has some performance ticks. After seeing the transformation, Steele asked the real Alyson to please stand up. Jewel liked hearing the tone of her voice. Rich said she nailed it.

* The trio Pearl Heart sang "Who Says You Can't Go Home" by Bon Jovi. It was a great choice. If you can sing at all, that song will be a crowd-pleaser. Rich liked the harmonies, and I did too. Jewel thought the trio had someone acting like a front person, but didn't have an actual front person. Steele would like to hear more meaning behind the lyrics. All of the judges were pretty accurate here.

* We have to give Tommy Stanley a little more space here. He sang "Save a Horse, Ride a Cowboy," a song written and performed by Rich. Gutsy call. He did a great job and performed with a lot of energy. Steele and Rich said it was his best work. Jewel told him to watch his phrasing.

But at the end of Rich's comments he asked Stanley if someone was crushing on him. Then the next shot was of Shawn, up in the balcony. Rich was working with the girls and Shawn looked busted. Stay tuned.

* Gabe Garcia went just before Shawn and sang "Have You Ever Seen the Rain?" He sounds most like a "Nashville Star" and is my early pick to win. Steele thought he was paying too much attention to the band and arrangement and not enough to the vocals. Jewel thought he was steady. Rich told him to "turn the Texas on," meaning he should cater to the female audience more.

* Coffey (apparently pronounced Cof-fay) followed Shawn and sang "Waiting on the World to Change" by John Mayer. It was an odd song choice and more than a little boring. The judges agreed. Steele thought he was a little flat and was hoping for more. Rich liked his singing, but didn't think it was original. Jewel thought he was stiff.

* That left two acts for elimination and judge favorite Melissa Lawson looked less than thrilled to be in the bottom two. She sang "You Make Me Feel Like a Natural Woman" by Aretha Franklin. It was another odd song choice that didn't work. Jewel thought America was crazy for putting her in the bottom two. Steele asked Lawson to rate her performance on a scale of 1-10. She gave herself a 7.5 or 8. Steele said that wasn't going to get it done. Rich saw Broadway potential in the performance but not great country.

* That left the trio "Third Town" on the chopping block. A week earlier they performed a cartoonish-sounding "Elvira." The harmonies were barber-shop OK, but when Little Tony with the funky haircut stepped to the forefront, it wasn't pleasing. The group sang "Play Me That Mountain Music," by Alabama. Steele thought they had their best performance. Jewel noted a good crowd response, but added, audiences will applaud Japanese karaoke singers, too. Rich was the most harsh. He said Randy Owen of the group Alabama probably changed the channel.

Mr. Owen can watch again next week. Third Town is gone.

I think Shawn is middle-of-the-pack so far. She should be safe Monday. What's your take?