America has voted, and Justin Guarini of Doylestown Township will compete next week on the season finale of the Fox television show, "American Idol."

Contestant Nikki McKibbin was booted off this week, a move that some critics and viewers believe was long overdue. McKibbin has been one of the bottom three contestants four times since she became a finalist.

Wednesday's hour-long episode featured clips of each singer's run on "American Idol," displaying how Kelly Clarkson, Guarini and McKibbin made it to the top three spots.

Guarini will go head-to-head with Clarkson next Tuesday at the Kodak Theatre in Los Angeles, which has been host to some of America's greatest musical icons, like Celine Dion, Harry Connick Jr. and Barry Manilow. Now that contestant Tamyra Gray, the clear favorite among the judges, has been ousted, it's anybody's guess who will walk away with the grand prize of a major recording contract.

Although finalists got to pick their own songs this week, judges also made selections that they thought suited each contestant's musical personality. Guarini, 23, established his presence Tuesday night with his song choice "Let's Stay Together" by Al Green. Judge Paula Abdul called it "phenomenal" and even Simon Cowell, the most caustic of the show's three judges, told Guarini he was "superb" and "brilliant."

Guarini outdid himself again with Elton John's "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me," the judges' pick.

"It looks like you saved it to the end to get down to the serious Justin business," judge Randy Jackson said.

Cowell agreed. "I would say of all the top 10 shows we've done, this is the first time I've looked at you and thought "American Idol."'

Guarini was not alone in his success. Rival Clarkson also dazzled judges with Celine Dion's "Think Twice" and Harry Nilsson's "Without You." Cowell said she was the best singer in the competition.

Guarini and Clarkson will perform at 9 p.m. Tuesday. They will return for a two-hour finale at 8 p.m. Wednesday, which will include a live concert featuring the show's 10 finalists.

The Aug. 20 episode ranked fourth in the Nielsen ratings, with Aug. 21's episode following close behind at seventh. According to the newspaper USA Today, the last time Fox had a top-rated show was the Simpsons in 1990. An estimated 15.3 million viewers watched "American Idol" on Aug.20, USA Today reported.