With dancers in tow and dressed to the nine's, CeCe stormed the stage with the fierceness and confidence that has been missing for so many weeks since the judges started bringing her down to shape her into something she is not. With one last act of defiance and the blessing of her coach, Demi Lovato, CeCe proved once more why she is a force to be reckoned with.

So like I said, if she was going down, she was going down fighting and when the judges threw their two cents in, it became clear that they were a little swayed by her performance. L.A. Reid and Britney Spears conceded to liking the circus that she put on, but Simon Cowell had the most interesting opinion of them all. the man who has been a see saw of opinion during this entire contest, never seems to be satisfied with the product that CeCe puts out. This time around he said that while she had stepped it up a notch, she had given him too much and that she should "pack her bags."

I sensed a ploy in his voice, as if whatever Simon says steers the audience in another direction, I had seen it in the past on American Idol and I was seeing it once more here. His negative remarks were actually a veiled vote of confidence to help CeCe stick around for another week. So the following night when it was time to learn what the world had decided, it would turn out to be a night full of shocking turns of events. First off the Sudden Death elimination, which has become a staple of the competition each week, claimed Paige Thomas as its victim. After putting up such a strong performance of Rick Astley's viral hit "Never Gonna Give You Up" and proving that she could really shine as a pop superstar, Paige was cut loose, leaving Demi Lovato with only CeCe left in her stable of artists.

Then came the ominous Top 5...

CeCe's hard work and determination paid off once more, when the votes came through and put her once again in 5th Place, saving her for another week. I was glad to see Diamond White at the bottom, In my personal opinion, I think that she should have never been brought back into the competition after being eliminated from the Top 16. I think that in a competition like this, once you are eliminated, that should be it. You failed to prove your worth in a do or die situation and your loss is your fault. CeCe has proven herself time and again in the sing off rounds and every time she has emerged the victor.

Diamond White's face off against Vino Alan found the older singer going home after a last minute song change ultimately cost him the competition.

The week started Wednesday, when she gave an emotional performance of Bette Midler's "Wind Beneath My Wings" dedicated to her late-sister. 

This was the strong type of performance that the judges have been asking of her each and every week, and it showed when they each went to cast their opinions. Unfortunately, it is usually the opposite of their votes that sits with the general public. And sure enough on the following night, 10 Contestants were whittled down to 8, when first the R&B crooner, Arin Ray was abruptly eliminated in a sudden death round and then CeCe found herself in the bottom two with 13 year old, Beatrice Miller.

Some people can disagree with me all they want, but CeCe is in her PRIME and when faced against a 13 year old opponent, who has yet to develop into her voice, I think the choice was pretty obvious. Sure enough with a 3-1 vote, the judges chose to send Beatrice home and keep CeCe one more week, with a certain air of uncertainty still lingering.

While the competition continues to get stiffer and the Top 3 remains solidified week by week, its almost certain that Miss X to the O's time on the show will be coming to an end shortly. But let's just hope she can hang in there for a lil while longer!

Thanks for voting AMERICA!

-P