Just 24 hours after cutting the Top 14 down to 12 contestants, “American Idol” fans will be responsible for eliminating two more singers on the April 22, 2024, episode. During the two-hour show, contestants will be mentored by pop star Meghan Trainor, who spent part of 2023 serving as a judge on “Australian Idol.”
Voting opens at the top of the episode and will close around 9:50 p.m. Eastern time. Host Ryan Seacrest will reveal the Top 10 results at the end of the episode.
Spoiler Alert: As usual, Heavy will report the results live throughout the night. So keep checking back or refreshing your browser for updates. If you do not want to know the results, do not read any further.
‘American Idol’ Top 10: First Hour
The show kicked off with Ryan Seacrest and the contestants all on the stage. Before introducing judges Katy Perry, Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie, he said the night would be dedicated to Billboard Number one hits.
The performances kicked off with Abi Carter, who was the last one to perform on the previous night’s show. During her mentorship session with Trainor, she immediately gave her a bear hug and told her what a huge fan she is of her. Carter’s singing Taylor Swift’s “All Too Well,” which she said was scary given all the pressure of impressing the Swifties. Trainor encouraged her to “riff” at the end of the song rather than just playing the piano.
JUDGE FEEDBACK: Richie gave her a standing ovation, but the other judges did not. Bryan said he was having a hard time distinguishing last night from tonight, and that it was not as “shiny” as the previous night’s performance. “Don’t get too comfortable at the piano,” he told her, encouraging her to work the room with some energy. Though a few people booed Bryan, Richie agreed with him but cushioned it by saying that he wanted to hear more. Perry said that Carter is so good at slower, intimate songs, she just needs to give “angelic” every time and not necessarily run around the stage.
Next up, Seacrest introduced Will Moseley, who said going from Gene Simmons as the mentor the night before to Meghan Trainor was like “flipping a light switch.” He said he loved her lightheartedness, including wiping his brow when he was sweating. She told Moseley that his smile “lights up the universe” and encouraged him to show it and have a good time. Moseley played Chris Stapleton’s “Starting Over.”
JUDGE FEEDBACK: Richie said he loves that he recognizes Moseley’s voice right off the bat and that it was a perfect song choice. Perry said she loved seeing his smile, because it’s good to see the emotion in his voice also on his face — in his eyes, cheeks and mouth. Bryan said it’s okay for him to “act a little bit” and that he’s “solid every time you get up here.”
After a commercial break, it was Jayna Elise‘s turn; she remembered singing “All That Base” when she was part of KidzBop. Trainor worked with Elise on some of her vocal tricks, wanting her to balance showing off her voice but also respecting how her song — Rihanna’s “Diamond” — is meant to sound.
JUDGE FEEDBACK: Perry told Elise that her delivery is “so controlled” and “measured,” that she has reached her ultimate groove. Bryan said that her looks are really pro and never to “let off the gas” with her performances. Richie said he marvels at how Elise can “take any song and turn it into you — that’s amazing.” He added that her stage presence is something they can’t teach, but that she has it “in spades.” After the judges’ feedback, Elise said she dedicated that song to former runner-up Willie Spence, who sang that song on the show but, sadly, died in 2022.
Next up, Trainor worked with 19-year-old country singer Mia Matthews. When the teen said Kelsea Ballerini is her favorite artist, Trainor said she could try to FaceTime her — and she picked up, talking to them both. “Idol! So fun, so cool,” she said. As Matthews practiced her chosen song — Miranda Lambert’s “Only You” — Trainor gave her pointers on looking fully confident physically as she sings.
JUDGE FEEDBACK: Matthews got a standing ovation from Bryan and Richie. Bryan started out by saying that while watching her and Trainor interact, they were amazed at how much she looked “like a star” on the stage, and complimented how far she’s come. Richie, too, said Matthews has “grown so much” and that if she keeps up what she’s doing, she’s “going places.” Perry called her a “certified looking star,” but encouraged Matthews to pull out another card — moving around and giving her performances “physicality” to get to the top of the heap. Though Trainor is not in LA with the contestants for their performances, she joined via FaceTime to tell Matthews she’d done great.
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