American Idol Top 24 Performances Conclude: Who's Getting Your Vote After Night 2?
And just like that, the sun has set on American Idol's time in Hawaii.
Monday's episode featured the second half of this season's Top 24 performing for viewers' votes from Disney's Aulani Resort, where Josh Groban joined Jelly Roll to help prepare the contestants for the stage. And if you thought last night's group was impressive, just you wait.
John Foster, Desmond Roberts, Drew Ryn, Canaan James Hill, Filo, Kyana Fanene, Oliver Bergeron, Grayson Torrence, Josh King, Mattie Pruitt, Thunderstorm Artis and Amanda Barise all returned to fight for a spot in next Sunday's "Songs of Faith" special (ABC. 8/7c), which will also reveal how viewers voted.
Monday's two-hour broadcast served up an eclectic mix of performances, representing every genre from country to rock to musical theater. (Just when you thought Wicked mania was over, the Witches of Oz have found their way to Idol. And thank goodness for that.)
We even got a Katy Perry song, which only made me miss her on the judges' panel more. And the little tribute couldn't have come at a better time, mere hours after Perry made a historic trip to outer space... a factual sentence I can't believe I actually just typed.
Read on for a breakdown of Monday's Top 24 performances, complete with video, then drop a comment with your thoughts and vote for the singers you'd send through to the next round.
12. John Foster
A pure country soul with a pitch-perfect voice to match, John was tasked with ditching his guitar — or at least swinging it around to his back — so he could really show the audience who he is. I wouldn't say his performance of Garth Brooks' "Callin' Baton Rouge" was bursting with charisma, but John has an undeniable charm that makes him engaging without requiring any additional bells and whistles. He could cut a country music record tomorrow, as far as I'm concerned.
Andy's Grade: "A"
11. Desmond Roberts
Some contestants were pushed to give more this week, but Desmond's challenge was to pull back a bit, consciously allotting his energy to key moments in his performance of Stevie Wonder's "Do I Do" (a song I'm embarrassed to admit that I only know because it was sampled in Ja Rule's "Livin' It Up"). Anyway, he crushed this one. And even though he choked a little bit, he rebounded with some impressive beatboxing — and let's not forget, beatboxing got Blake Lewis pretty far back in Season 6!
Andy's Grade: "A-"
10. Drew Ryn
I'm always happy to hear an Idol contestant take on Avril Lavigne, and Drew certainly did "I'm With You" justice this week, starting off sultry before dousing the emotional ballad in riffs and runs. She even nailed the song's big note, albeit in her own unique way.
Andy's Grade: "B+"
9. Canaan James Hill
Easter Sunday came early via Canaan's massive performance of "Glory to Glory to Glory" by Fred Hammond & Radical For Christ, which reinforced that he's exactly where he's supposed to be. The myriad runs and riffs peppered throughout didn't even feel like choices, more like different ways for Canaan to breathe. Like John in the country arena, I feel like Canaan could easily put out a gospel album of his own. And that ending? Even God was like, "Oh, me!"
8. Filo
Who's lovin' Filo after this performance? Everyone, probably, but definitely me. One of the true feel-good performances of the night, Filo's take on a Jackson 5 classic was soulful and genuine from his opening riff to his final... screams? (Risky move there, Filo!)
Andy's Grade: "A"
7. Kyana Fanene
For Kyana, this was less of a performance and more of an experience. As part of an ongoing reconnection with her own heritage, she chose "I Am" by Polynesian artist Stan Walker, and the result was powerful — even if it wasn't one of the night's stand-out moments. When it did, however, it was on fire, with Kyana taking every opportunity to showcase her strong rock voice and confident presence.
Andy's Grade: "B"
6. Olivier Bergeron
Olivier has a strong classic rock quality to his voice that I really enjoy. And as an aging millennial, it brings me no pleasure to clarify that by "classic rock," I mean the sweet familiar growl of the late '90s and early '00s. We heard with his Audioslave performance in Hollywood Week, and I heard it again in his take on Jelly Roll's "I Am Not Okay." Unfortunately, this performance was exactly that — just OK. Still solid, it simply wasn't his most impressive offering to date. I hope he sticks around so we can hear what he really has to offer.
Andy's Grade: "B"
5. Grayson Torrence
You could feel the emotion emanating from Grayson's voice as she guided us through Lizzy McAlpine's ethereal "Ceilings." From its Soft and soulful start to its powerful, beautiful finish, this was a real treat.
Andy's Grade: "A-"
4. Josh King
There's a Brendon Urie quality to Josh's voice that I'm really starting to enjoy, though I do think he put a little too much showmanship into his performance of Elton John's "I'm Still Standing." Just a pinch. Still, you can't say a darn thing about that harmonica solo. He killed that.
Andy's Grade: "A-"
3. Mattie Pruitt
I didn't necessarily love the arrangement of this one, so I give Mattie even more credit for powering through the beginning to get to the good stuff. And once Mattie got going, there was no stopping her as she soared through every huge moment of Katy Perry's "Wide Awake." You could see her stepping into her own as the performance progressed, and it was very exciting to watch.
Andy's Grade: "A-"
2. Thunderstorm Artis
It's definitely love that I'm feeling after Thunderstorm's performance of this Bob Marley and the Wailers jam. He clearly knows who he is and what works for him; his success in the competition will depend solely on which kind of artist America decides it wants to support. (He's got a guitar, so that's already one point in his favor!) You could feel the entire audience surrendering itself over, allowing him to take them on a musical journey — and what a ride it was.
Andy's Grade: A+
1. Amanda Barise
Something has changed within me after watching Amanda this week. Something is not the same. Having recently gone viral with a funk-tastic take on "Defying Gravity" from Wicked, Amanda wisely decided to recreate that magic on the Idol stage, showing everyone exactly who she is. This performance was the very definition of bringing down the house, ending on an explosive war cry. It was part Cynthia Erivo, part Jennifer Holliday, and all perfect.
Andy's Grade: "A+"
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