Mariah Carey is the guest mentor on American Idol tonight. Syesha Mercado must be psyched. She can match pipes with one of the best vocalists alive.

How will the other finalists react to this diva? What songs will they sing? We're just a few hours away from finding out.

For now, check out the following thumbnail images of all seven remaining contestants. Click on each for a larger version...

Carrie Underwood performs her hit single “All-American Girl” during the 2008 CMT Music Awards at the Curb Events Center at Belmont University on Monday in Nashville, Tennessee.

Somehow, our favorite American Idol winner did not take home any trophies on the night. How is that possible?!?

It will mostly be forgotten about the American Idol finalists take the stage again tomorrow night.

For now, though, talk within this show's world is still centered around the shocking elimination of Michael Johns last week.

"Johns' departure shows how much depth there is this year in the top eight," says Rodney Ho, an American Idol blogger for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "Johns also suffered from going first — when viewership is lower and memories fade by hour's end — and from being good but not great or awful."

Don Waller, a member of USA Today's Idol coaching panel, thinks the Australian suffered in comparison with David Cook, the other remaining male rocker.

"Cook had taken his potential fans away already, as rock guys. Michael was getting overshadowed."

Four women and three men remain in a season where many said the men were better. Music consultant Tom Vickers expects a woman to go next, but he says Idol becomes difficult to predict in later weeks.

"Any year you get to the final eight and counting downward, it could be this one going this week or that one going next week," he says. "It comes down to song selection and how well you're able to connect vocally and express your personality."

Expect this week's performance to be more emotional than usual for American Idol favorite David Cook.

And, no, it's not because he's an especially huge fan of guest mentor Mariah Carey.

David's brother, Adam, will be in attendance during tomorrow night's live broadcast. As became known two weeks ago, Adam is suffering through his second diagnosis of brain cancer.

The Terre Haute Trib Star has an article about the brothers live on its site. Here's an excerpt from it:

It was a dream come true for a Terre Haute man as he and his wife left a cold and blustery Hulman Field on their way to California on Sunday.

Wearing a Valparaiso University Law sweatshirt and a navy baseball cap, and waving to friends and family, Adam Cook, with the help of a cane, boarded the Leer jet that would take him almost 2,000 miles to watch his brother, David Cook, attempt to become the next American Idol.

The trip nearly didn’t happen.

Adam Cook, 36, is undergoing chemotherapy for his second diagnosis of brain cancer, which has spread to his spine. A plan to travel to California to see his brother perform was grounded earlier in the week when Adam’s doctors told him he could not fly commercially in his condition.

Read the full article on Adam Cook now.

We'll return to our American Idol season seven news and views in a moment. For now, though, let's focus on our favorite Idol champion for a bit:

Which is your favorite Carrie Underwood look? Bangs or no bangs? Write in. Let us know.

The winners of American Idol will be featured on limited-edition postage created by PhotoStamps.com.

The net proceeds from the sales have been earmarked for Idol Gives Back, so you can send letters and give to a good cause!

Visit photostamps.com now for more information. The stamps are first-class rate postage valued at 42 cents each, and each sheet (20 per sheet) will retail for $19.99.

Have you recovered from the shock of Michael Johns' elimination yet? For those that still need a dose of the American Idol finalist, here are snippets of an interview he gave Entertainment Weekly:

You looked so completely shocked. Were you thinking that Syesha and Carly had such mediocre performances that for sure you'd be safe?
It wasn't like that. Back there it was me, Kristy, Jason, Syesha, and Carly. I was like, ''Okay, I get what's going on. This is going to be a shocker week.'' I hadn't been in the bottom three before, and everyone is due for that. I didn't think I was going home, though. It just goes to show you that you never know.

You looked pretty shaken up. Was it hard to compose yourself?
I wasn't, like, destroyed or anything. I probably would have been more sad if I felt I didn't sing the song as good as I could, and if I didn't hit those high notes. There was a moment when I took a really deep breath in and I saw my wife, and she said, ''I love you.'' I just exhaled then. If you re-watch, you'll see I just switched then. I thought, ''Just suck it up. This is the last time you're going to perform on this stage.''

There's a school of thought that some contestants don't want to win American Idol so they're not shackled with that title forever. What do you think?
People said that to me going in, that I don't want to be more than third or fourth. But it hasn't hurt Carrie or Kelly Clarkson. But Jennifer Hudson and Chris Daughtry and Kimberly Locke are fine, too. It doesn't matter where you end up, if you stay true to your art.

This is getting exciting.

First, Jordin Sparks endorsed David Cook as this year's American Idol champion.

Now, Elliott Yamin has done the same... for David Archuleta!

"It would be really cool to see a young kid like him win," Yamin said to Entertainment Weekly. "I really love his songs, and musically, he's very talented. He plays the guitar, piano... it's nice to see [Idol] bringing out the creative sides of those kids."

As for the other male contenders, Elliott?

"No one's really impressed me this season," he said. "David Cook is okay, Michael Johns (since eliminated) is alright, but it's anybody's game at this point."

In case you somehow missed it, here's the American Idol clip of Michael Johns being eliminated last night. Shock waves are still being felt around the Idol universe.

Write in and let us know your thoughts on this shocker. 

Wow.

We had predicted a surprise elimination earlier today when we said Carly Smithson would be voted off the show - and she did plummet to the bottom three, along with Syesha Mercado - but we never dreamed Michael Johns would get the boot.

This may rank below Chris Daughtry's elimination in terms of shock value... but not too far below. We're speechless.

Leave a comment and discuss among yourselves: Did you think Johns deserved to be eliminated tonight?