American Idol’s Top 14 Revealed Live! Did the Judges Save the Right Singers?
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Monday’s American Idol marked the first live episode of Season 22, a two-hour nail-biter that delivered good news to 14 lucky contestants before casually crushing six others’ dreams in real time. This is where it starts to get messy, folks.
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The results were revealed gradually throughout the broadcast, with each contestant either being sent to the Danger Zone, where they had to sing for a second chance, or to the Victory Zone, where they got to sing for America’s next round of votes. (The Top 12 will be revealed live on Sunday, April 21.)
But the contestants’ fates weren’t entirely in the hands of the viewers. Once the 10 viewer-chosen singers were revealed, the judges — Luke Bryan, Katy Perry and Lionel Richie — got to decide which four remaining hopefuls from the Danger Zone would join them. So when you’re raging out in the comments section about your favorite singer getting eliminated, be sure to divide the blame equally.
As always, voting for the next round can be cast three different ways — on the show’s official website (americanidol.com), on the American Idol app (available in the App Store), or you can text the number of your preferred contestant to “21523.” Each singer’s number is listed next to their name below.
Read on for a breakdown of the singers who made it into the Top 14 (in order of their appearance), as well as the six contestants eliminated at the end of the night. While you’re down there, vote for the 12 you want to keep in the competition and drop a comment with your favorite performances from Monday’s episode.
IN: McKenna Faith Breinholt (12)
The first singer to make it into the Top 14, McKenna celebrated her well-deserved victory with another gorgeous performance of her mother’s original song “Tumbleweed,” somehow improving upon the first rendition she shared during her viral audition.
TVLINE’S GRADE: “A”
ELIMINATED: Quintavious
Quintavious was the first contestant to enter the Danger Zone, hoping that his take on Mariah Carey’s “Make It Happen” would earn him a second chance from the judges. Despite the nerves he must have been feeling, Quintavious kept his cool, delivering a consistently upbeat performance that felt more like a celebration of how far he’s come, rather than a desperate plea for his life. And this greatly worked in his favor; he had the entire venue in the palm of his hand. And that whistle tone at the end? Insane!
TVLINE’S GRADE: “A-“
SAVED: Jordan Anthony (2)
Charlie Puth’s “Attention” was an appropriate choice for Jordan, who had to sing for the judges’ attention after taking the second seat in the Danger Zone. And he definitely got ours, letting loose with an entirely new side that really impressed us. Dare we call it his best performance yet?
TVLINE’S GRADE: “B+”
IN: Jack Blocker (20)
One of the least surprising Top 14 entries of the night, Jack was feeling himself all through his rendition of Post Malone’s “Feeling Whitney,” and we felt him right back. (Wait, that came out wrong.) Jack has always felt like he was built in the American Idol Factory, and our appreciation for him only grew tonight with this beautiful performance.
TVLINE’S GRADE: “A”
ELIMINATED: Kennedy Reid
We weren’t thrilled to see Kennedy land in the Danger Zone, but we also can’t deny that it lit a fire under her — that performance of Miranda Lambert and Carrie Underwood’s “Somethin’ Bad” was absolutely explosive. Between the vocals and the overall confidence, this was definitely her strongest showing yet, and we couldn’t be more proud.
TVLINE’S GRADE: “A-“
ELIMINATED: Jennifer Jeffries
We were a little surprised to see Jennifer end up in the Danger Zone, but we weren’t at all surprised by the gorgeous, breathy delivery of her take on Kodaline’s “All I Want.” A heartbreaking song on its own, the whole experience was made even more powerful under the pressure of the competition. The judges keep asking Jennifer for a “step out” moment, but she’s been killing it every week. What are these people hearing (or not)?
TVLINE’S GRADE: “A”
ELIMINATED: Ajii
Another presumed shoe-in for the Top 14, this sleep-deprived singer found himself in the Danger Zone — a result met by a rabid sea of boos, followed by an enthusiastic chant of support. Unfazed by the results, Ajii took the stage for a solid performance of The Weeknd’s “Call Out My Name,” belting out all the growly high notes we’ve come to expect from this consistent treat of a man.
TVLINE’S GRADE: “A-“
IN: Mia Matthews (23)
Mia was ready to take her spot in the Top 14. No, really, she started walking to that Victory Circle before Ryan Seacrest even called her up to hear her results. (Did she already know she was safe? Let the conspiracy theories begin!) Anyway, Mia absolutely reminded us how she earned her spot in the Top 14 with a lovely performance of Cams’ “Burning House.”
TVLINE’S GRADE: “A-“
IN: Kayko (5)
If Ryan Seacrest ever decides to start a family, we’ll owe it all to Kayko, who put him on the spot on national TV by saying that he seems like he’d make a good dad. Ryan returned the compliment by welcoming him into the Top 14. Cue another killer performance of his original, Dear Evan Hansen-esque song “What If?”, an emotional experience he navigated with impressive vocal trickery.
TVLINE’S GRADE: “A”
SAVED: Nya (6)
This confident performer shrugged off the Danger Zone, effortlessly transitioning into a good-time rendition of Tyla’s “Water,” dancing her way further into our hearts and sneaking in some pleasant vocal surprises along the way. It was a fun change of pace, regardless of the outcome.
TVLINE’S GRADE: “B+”
IN: Will Moseley (11)
Will’s entry into the Top 14 was a foregone conclusion, so the fact that he followed it up with a perfect performance of his chart-topping original song “Gone For Good” was merely the cherry on top of this flex of a sundae.
TVLINE’S GRADE: “A”
IN: Abi Carter (8)
Riding a high from her well-received performance last night, Carter returned to the stage with her best performance of the season, a stunning take on Yebba’s “My Mind.” Those runs? Chilling. That falsetto? Gorgeous. She even nailed most of the bigger notes, even if she pushed herself a little too hard again. (Only for a second!) Overall, this was incredible.
TVLINE’S GRADE: “A-“
ELIMINATED: Odell Bunton Jr.
Odell may not have moved enough of America to vote him into the Top 14, but he moved the entire auditorium with his spirited performance of Elevation Worship’s “Wait On You.” He was feeling it tonight, and he was absolutely right to do so. If this man doesn’t have an incredible future in the gospel music industry, we might as well not even have ears. So well done.
TVLINE’S GRADE: “A”
IN: Kaibrienne (10)
A few stumbles last night didn’t stop Kaibrienne from scoring a spot in the Top 14, which she celebrated with a dramatic performance of The Cranberries’ “Zombie.” There’s an undeniable pain in her voice, and it served her well in the song’s more emotional moments.
TVLINE’S GRADE: “A-“
ELIMINATED: Mackenzie Sol
Mackenzie is always a ball of nervous energy, so we weren’t sure what to expect when he took the microphone to sing for survival this week. But there was really nothing to worry about. In fact, Lawrence’s “False Alarms” may have been Mackenzie’s best performance of the season. He brought it all — the confidence, the vocals, the control. It felt like he had nothing left to lose, but in a hopeful way rather than coming across desperate.
TVLINE’S GRADE: “A-“
IN: Emmy Russell (17)
No shoes? No problem. The barefooted singer got a much-needed confidence boost when Ryan Seacrest welcomed her into the Top 14, cuing up another lovely performance of Emmy’s original song “Skinny.” She may be breaking up with skinny, but we’re glad the viewers haven’t broken up with her yet. When she said that singing “Skinny” makes her feel like the person God made her to be, we could tell she really felt it.
TVLINE’S GRADE: “A-“
IN: Julia Gagnon (4)
Julia’s show-stopping Fantasia performance last night earned the Platinum Ticket winner a well-deserved spot in the Top 14. To keep going, she busted out a confident, killer rendition of Jelly Roll’s “Need a Favor.” Strong belting abounded, and we give her extra points for that pantsuit.
TVLINE’S GRADE: “A”
SAVED: Jayna Elise (3)
“She’s done it before!” Katy Perry reminded us when Jayna was told that she’d have to sing for survival tonight. And she certainly sang (and sparkled!) her way through Paramore’s “All I Wanted,” delivering a wonderful surprise of a performance that had us wondering what the viewers were thinking not voting her into the Top 14.
TVLINE’S GRADE: “A-“
SAVED: Roman Collins (21)
The final singer sent into the Danger Zone, Roman fought back with James Brown’s “It’s a Man’s Man’s Man’s World,” and he fought hard. He brought the heat, and he didn’t leave until that stage was absolutely scorched. We’ll be feeling this one for a minute. It honestly might have been the best performance of the night. Heck, he didn’t just blow the roof off that place — he blew Katy Perry’s top off!
TVLINE’S GRADE: “A+”
IN: Triston Harper (24)
The 15-year-old phenom was the final singer put through to the Top 14 by way of viewers’ votes, but let’s be honest, he was also one of the least surprising reveals. It’s impossible not to root for Triston, and that feeling was only reinforced by his performance of Cody Johnson’s “‘Til You Can’t,” a considerably more upbeat song for this hardcore country crooner.
TVLINE’S GRADE: “A-“
Now that you’ve processed who’s in and who’s out, let’s hear which singers you think deserve to make the Top 12 on Sunday:
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