Mercado is the underdog. Out of the remaining three, I believe she's the contestant that has grown the most during the show.

Each week she's gained confidence and poise. She's been in the bottom two or bottom three a total of five times but has been able to successfully position herself as a front-runner by choosing songs that not only showcase her vocal ability (which is incredible!) but also her stage presence.

Her strength is definitely in her performing ability. When she sings a song that showcases both, she takes the cake.

From the beginning, Cook has been the risk taker on the show. Not only has he taken musical liberties with well-known tunes (think Mariah Carey's "Always Be My Baby," which Cook transformed into a pop/rock version), but he's also proved his own musical ability to take lesser-known songs and turn them into fresh, new versions that could be heard on the radio today.

Cook has taken some flak from critics about possibly being "too seasoned." He's definitely not lacking confidence — every time he steps out on stage he looks like he was born to do this.

However, at times, he almost seems too comfortable. I've almost wanted to see him start out on the wrong key or miss a lyric — just to see some good, raw emotion that the other two have shown. I think he's a strong contender for the "A.I." crown — but he has some serious competition, and David seems up for the challenge — Archuleta, that is.

The most consistent of the contestants this year has, without a doubt, been our Archuleta. He has a knack for choosing songs that earn the praise of the judges and his core audience — songs that work well with his voice. He has never been in the bottom three and has been pegged a favorite clear back from the top 24. Archuleta singing on "American Idol" is a flashback to Donny Osmond singing "Puppy Love."

He is the teen heartthrob on the show, but his audience isn't narrowed to only that age group. Because of his mellow pop style, Archuleta reaches out to people of all ages. I've had 14-year-old girls, 30-year-old men and 75-year-old ladies all come up to me to talk about "American Idol" and how much they love Archuleta. I really think he's the one to beat — and at this stage, that's not going to be easy.

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Utah recording artist and actress Carmen Rasmusen-Herbert came in sixth place during the second season of "American Idol." She wrote about her experiences in her book, "Staying in Tune." Her first full album is "Nothin' Like the Summer," featuring the single of the same name. E-mail: features@desnews.com