The remaining 12 artists in American Idol‘s top 24 hit the stage during the Monday, April 14, episode. The pre-taped performances were filmed in Hawaii earlier this year, but the decisions about who moves forward will be in the hands of America.
Judges Carrie Underwood, Luke Bryan, and Lionel Richie were there to offer feedback, but viewer votes will decide which artists make the top 20. The results will be revealed during the upcoming three-hour Easter Sunday episode on April 20.
The night two top 24 singers were mentored by Josh Groban and artist in residence Jelly Roll. Scroll down for a full recap of their performances and the judges’ comments.
John Foster
John Foster was first to take the stage and he was ready to show what he could do with a more energetic and upbeat song. With some advice from Groban to get rid of his guitar mid-performance, John sang “Callin’ Baton Rouge” by Garth Brooks and put on an electric show.
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“It was like a Hawaiian hoedown,” Bryan said. “It was great. It really complemented who you are as an artist.” He also said the rendition was one of his “favorite performances” that John has done so far, and Richie called the rising star “a natural.”
Desmond Roberts
After quitting his job to pursue his music career on Idol, Desmond Roberts hit the stage to perform Stevie Wonder‘s “Do I Do.” Richie, who has “known Stevie [his] whole life” was so impressed that he said he was going to tell the singer to make sure he watched when the episode aired.
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“It was incredible. Incredible,” he said. Meanwhile, Bryan praised the arrangement as both a performer and singer, and Underwood gushed, “You’re so good. I feel like you always just bring the unexpected, dropping a little beat boxing in the middle of that. You’re so good you make it look easy. It’s just effortless. You’re so energetic, but it’s not over the top at all. It’s just right.”
Drew Ryn
During rehearsals, Groban urged Drew Ryn to focus on the intimacy of the softer parts of her performance, rather than just focusing on the moments she was going to belt. She sang “I’m With You” by Avril Lavigne and took his advice.
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“I just feel like there’s so much about you, your voice, and your presence that you are in control of,” Underwood shared. “You know what you’re capable of. It’s never a question of, ‘Is she gonna be great?’ You know who you are and it’s easier to just enjoy the performance when you have that ability.”
Bryan and Richie agreed that Drew was “in control” from the first note, with Richie adding, “I loved every minute of it.”
Canaan James Hill
Canaan James Hill was a bit worried heading into his performance, as his allergies were acting up and he wasn’t hitting the same notes he usually did. He ended up lowering the key of “Glory to Glory to Glory” when he took the stage.
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Bryan pointed out that Canaan singing “under the weather is still better than the rest of the world” on a good day. “I think you have one of the most dynamic voices I’ve seen since I’ve been on the show,” he admitted.
Meanwhile, Underwood said the allergies might have been a “blessing” because it forced Canaan to “simplify a little bit and it was really nice.”
Filo
Fellow platinum ticket winner Filo sang “Who’s Loving You” by The Jackson 5. He was excited to have his mom in the audience, as he’d been waiting his whole life for her approval. They shared an emotional moment when she joined him on stage afterwards.
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“You’re the only person I know that can hit a note and, while you’re still holding that note, you give us three different voices while holding that note,” Richie said. Underwood called Filo’s voice “ridiculous” and confirmed that he was one of her “favorites” on the show since day one.
Kyana Fanene
Kyana Fanene had been tapping into her Polynesian roots in recent years, and revealed that she started connecting with that side of her family about a year or two before coming on the show. She chose to sing a Polynesian song and was surprised by some of her Polynesian family members who came to watch the performance. It was her first time meeting them.
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“The best thing about you is you have this total vibe going on,” Bryan told Kyana. “That was a song I’ve never heard, but I was in the vibe and that’s what you have the power to do.” Underwood said she had “chills” after watching the “great” performance.
Olivier Bergeron
Olivier Bergeron was struggling a bit with his confidence this week. He performed “I Am Not Okay” by Jelly Roll, which he said he was able to relate to.
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Underwood praised Olivier for how much he’d already grown in the competition. “Every time you take the stage, you surprise us and we love being on that journey with you,” she said. “Keep pushing, keep going forward, get more of that confidence.” Bryan also urged him to “get some angst and rage going on” and “work on that to develop a character.”
Jelly Roll offered Olivier some encouraging words, too, adding, “I know what it’s like to be untrained and overwhelmed and just singing from the bottom of my soul with every part of me shaking. I see it and I feel it on you. To be a kid who barely speaks English, to be coming over here and kicking this much butt already? I am a fan.”
Grayson Torrence
Grayson Torrence got emotional after her performance of “Ceilings” by Lizzy McAlphie. She never felt she was good enough before, but after taking Jelly Roll and Groban’s advice to improve her storytelling in the performance, she had a big moment.
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Richie assured Grayson that every artist deals with doubt, while Underwood applauded her for choosing big moments and more subdued moments to really tell the story during her performance. Bryan added, “It was very emotional and shows another level of your artistry, so great job.”
Josh King
Josh King admittedly struggled during Hollywood week, which is why his song choice of “I’m Still Standing” by Elton John had a special meaning. Bryan was so impressed by the performance that he jumped up on his chair to applaud Josh.
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“You’re the type of person America falls in love with,” he pointed out. “We remember your audition and every little growth to get to this point, and you just did a whole performance … when you brought the harmonica out, the intensity of the crowd went to another level.”
Underwood joked that Josh’s performance reminded her of a meme saying, “The perfect performance doesn’t exi …” and told him she was “so proud” of him.
Mattie Pruitt
Mattie Pruitt got a special surprise from her mom, Sara Lyle, during rehearsals. Sara revealed that she had actually auditioned for Idol when she was pregnant with Mattie (which would’ve likely been during Season 10 or 11).
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Mattie sang Katy Perry‘s “Wide Awake” and left Underwood mesmerized. “You’re so good. I’m honored to be along for the ride here with you, Mattie,” the country singer said. “You take a song and make it your own. That’s an iconic monster of a song and you really did make it your own and gave us a fresh take on it.”
Richie made sure to praise the “growl” in Mattie’s voice that is “so identifiable” to the teenager.
Thunderstorm Artis
Since Thunderstorm Artis is from Hawaii, he had his wife and kids close by for the performance of “Is This Love” by Bob Marley. As Richie pointed out, Thunderstorm used to perform right across the street, so this was a huge, full circle moment.
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“You have something extremely unique because just you, your voice, and the guitar, your expression and your interpretation of a song is just mind-blowing,” he continued. “When you put the band with you, I’m so in love with what you do, man.”
Bryan gushed over how well Thunderstorm created a “moment” for the crowd, and Underwood said, “Everybody here was just hanging on every single note, every single word.”
Amanda Barise
Amanda Barise has come out of her shell big-time since her audition. She put her own twist on “Defying Gravity” for her top 24 performance and blew the judges away.
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“I’m just in awe,” Underwood said. “I feel like you’re an artist, a superstar, ready to go. I would pay money to go see you. I would buy your album. I would stream the crap out of your song. You’re amazing and I feel like every single time you take the stage, you feel more and more comfortable. You look more like a superstar every time I see you.”
Bryan concluded by telling Amanda her performance was the perfect way to cap off what he felt like his “best Hawaii experience” in his years as an Idol judge.
The top 20 will return to the stage to perform faith-based songs on Easter Sunday.
American Idol, Sundays and Mondays, 8/7c, ABC
