The remaining American Idol contestants had no time to rest between learning they made the top 12 and having to hit the stage again one day later. During the Monday, April 28, episode, the artists performed songs that represented iconic moments in American Idol history.
Judges Carrie Underwood, Luke Bryan, and Lionel Richie were there to offer feedback, but at this point in the competition, the decisions are solely in America’s hands. Viewers got to vote for their favorites throughout the episode, and the two hopefuls that received the least amount of votes were eliminated at the end of the night.
Scroll down for a full recap of the performances. Plus, find out who made the top 10 and who is heading home.
Slater Nalley
The first artist to perform was Slater Nalley. He paid tribute to 2023 American Idol contestant Megan Danielle with a performance of “Angel From Montgomery,” which she sang during Season 22.
“It really is great, the fact that your confidence is coming out. What I love most of all is your stage presence. You’re solid as a rock. That’s really good, man,” Richie said. Underwood noted that she can already imagine what Slater’s first album will sound like. “You have your own lane carved out. Everything that you do is you. Keep it up,” she told him.
Ché
Ché sang “Dancing on My Own,” and hoped to show the judges and America that he could be “a bit more current.” The song choice was inspired by Colin Stough from Season 21.
ABC
Underwood praised Che for making the song his own and told him that he had “all the right package.” Bryan added, “Great job. I love that since we saved you, we can tell that you turned the intensity up.”
Thunderstorm Artis
Thunderstorm Artis threw it back to Haley Reinhart’s rendition of “House of the Rising Sun” for his performance.
“You have a vibe that every time you do the right song, it’s always the right song, but you put your vibe on it, man! It’s so great,” Richie pointed out. Underwood said it was “awesome” and called it a “perfect song choice.”
Kolbi Jordan
Kolbi Jordan performed “Over the Rainbow” with inspiration from Katharine McPhee‘s Season 5 performance of the Judy Garland track.
ABC
The judges were on their feet long after Kolbi finished. Richie called the performance “divine,” while Underwood said, “I feel like you were in your own world just then. You closed your eyes, you felt everything you were singing, and we felt it because you felt it.” She also praised Kolbi for choosing simple notes amid the bigger ones.
Filo
Filo‘s performance was a tribute to Jennifer Hudson‘s Season 3 performance of “And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going.” Mentor Fantasia urged him to pick and choose his moments, rather than doing it the same way others have in the past.
After giving Filo a standing ovation, the judges couldn’t help but rave over his performance. “I love you saying, ‘It’s not me covering an iconic moment, it’s me having an iconic moment,’ and you did Filo!” Underwood said. “From everything. From your hair, to the outfit, to the song. Just keep doing it. You’re not going to be going nowhere.”
Mattie Pruitt
Mattie Pruitt, the youngest singer left in the competition, was up next, and she took on a Kelly Clarkson classic, “Because of You.”
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The judges made sure to reiterate that Mattie is only 16 compared to all of the older singers in the competition. “You need to understand how amazing that is,” Bryan said. “You’re doing so good. Keep growing and fighting. Good job.” Richie praised her confidence and assured her that she “did it well.”
Canaan James Hill
For his iconic Idol moment, Canaan James Hill drew inspiration from Roman Collins’ 2024 performance of “Goodness of God” with CeCe Winans.
ABC
Richie noted the amazing talent that the entire top 12 has and told Canaan, “I just applaud you for yet another fantastic performance.” Underwood added, “I only have one thing to say. Thank you. Thank you for that.”
Gabby Samone
Next, Gabby Samone sang “A Song for You” based on Elliot Yamin’s 2006 performance of the iconic track.
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“Absolute perfection,” Underwood declared, with Bryan adding, “When you render Fantasia speechless, you have done something. I’m speechless. It was just … you hold a room. You hold the room perfectly. Thank you. Amazing.”
Josh King
For his iconic performance, Josh King sang “All By Myself,” which was inspired by Pia Toscano’s rendition.
ABC
It was an emotional moment for Josh and the judges and audience were behind him. “The fact that you’ve had this experience with us and gotten to meet the people you have and blossom as a kid we saw very in his shell in auditions, and let your emotions show like that, is just incredible. Congratulations,” Bryan said.
Breanna Nix
Breanna Nix was next to take the stage with a performance of “Tell Your Heart to Beat Again.” She opened up about struggling to deal with the hate on social media and put that pain into her song.
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“That’s how you do it. You just stomp everything. This has been a divinely guided show tonight, this whole class, but you just keep raising the bar. I just commend you on that fact. Keep believing and keep raising up,” Richie said.
John Foster
John Foster honored Underwood when he performed “I Told You So,” which is her song with Randy Travis. John noted how supportive Underwood has been for him and wanted to pay tribute to her.
This was John’s first performance without his guitar, but he still delivered. “I’m blushing!” Underwood said. “I love that each challenge you push yourself and you try to do different kinds of songs, you do different things. I love watching you grow every time you take the stage. I’ll speak for Randy Travis on this one, I really think he would approve.”
Jamal Roberts
The final performance of the night was from Jamal Roberts, who sang “Heal” by Tom Odell, and it was extremely powerful and poignant.
ABC
Richie declared that the performance was “divine,” and the entire room was locked in and in silence as they took in what he just did.
Who made the top 10?
After the viewers votes were counted, the top 10 was revealed. The artists moving onto next week (read in no particular order) are: John Foster, Josh King, Jamal Roberts, Mattie Pruitt, Thunderstorm Artis, Slater Nalley, Gabby Samone, Canaan James Hill, Kolbi Jordan, and Breanna Nix.
Who was eliminated?
Unfortunately, that left two singers with the least amount of votes, who were eliminated: Che and Filo, who will be headed home. The top 10 will take the stage again on Sunday, May 4.
American Idol, Season 23, Sundays and Mondays, 8/7c, ABC
