Wanting to celebrate Easter Sunday with a special event, American Idol decided to host the “Songs of Faith” episode. Although the competition continued forward, the show focused solely on songs surrounding faith. And even with more than enough contestants set to perform, judges Lionel Richie, Luke Bryan, and Carrie Underwood took the stage to perform songs like “How Great Thou Art.” Even Jelly Roll himself decided to add his voice to the night when he performed “Hard Fought Hallelujah” with Brandon Lake. While offering more than a few powerful performances, only 20 contestants were allowed to move forward. And with a new episode airing tonight, here are the contestants who made it into the Top 20.
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Although the night surrounded faith and fellowship, American Idol was still centered around finding the next hit singer. And when it came time to reveal the votes, Kyana Fanene and Grayson Torrence ended up with the least amount of votes. Ending their time on the show, the singers were followed by Penny Samar and MKY.
Narrowing the pool of singers down to just 20, fans of American Idol will watch as the contestants face another round of eliminations on Monday night. And with only 14 moving forward, here are the remaining singers hoping to become the newest American Idol.
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Drew Ryn
Starting the list, Drew Ryn offered the judges and viewers at home her take on “Yellow” by Coldplay. Able to master the song while adding her own style, the singer gained praise from Bryan who stated, “You’re kind of our little diamond in the rough. You keep surprising us. I love that. That’s what this competition is bout.”
Canaan James Hill
Also taking the stage was platinum ticket holder Canaan James Hill, who decided to cover “Better Days” by Le’Andria Johnson. Having a great understanding of the classic, Richie considered the performance a highlight in American Idol history. “Young man, do you have any idea what you just did?” Richie asked. “Let me just say this. That was a performance to be remembered on American Idol for a very long time.”
Desmond Roberts
As for Desmond Roberts, he covered Jon Batiste’s “Worship.” Making it into the Top 20, Bryan struggled to find the right words when discussing the performance. “I don’t know how I’m supposed to judge that. It’s far beyond my knowledge level. Wow. So many tools and tricks in your bag and then the entertainment value of that was really, really great.”
Filo
Receiving a standing ovation from all the judges, Filo knew he made it into the Top 20 when he performed Simon & Garfunkel’s “Bridge Over Troubled Waters.” With the judges showering the singer with praise, Underwood insisted, “You went from zero to a million in a short timeframe. We know you have the big voice and the high notes and all that stuff, but you reminded us that you can get intimate as well. That was a nice reminder.”
Thunderstorm Artis
Continuing down the list of singers who made it into the Top 20, Thunderstorm Artis covered Cory Asbury’s “Reckless Love.” With his wife and kids in attendance, the contestant gave it his all with Bryan explaining, “That felt like a big Christian rock concert. That was amazing. I loved seeing that new side of you and seeing that energy.”
Josh King
Highlighting the rich legacy of Joe Cocker, Josh King earned his spot in the Top 20 when covering “You Are So Beautiful.” Although a night surrounding faith, Bryan stated, “We have a sneaky little devil in the room! You got so many of the tools to really be something. And that’s what’s really cool about you. You keep us guessing and surprised every time you perform.”
Amanda Barise
Performing “If I Ain’t Got You” by Alicia Keys, fans of Amanda Barise can rest easy knowing she made it into the Top 20. Looking at the feedback she received, Richie said, “You went from the second half of that song and turned it into your song. Absolutely. What was so amazing was from that growl, I don’t know what that was where you found somebody down inside, but you went from that growl and out. It was amazing.”
John Foster
Wanting to honor a friend who sadly passed away, John Foster took the stage to perform an original song called “Tell That Angel I Love Her.” Knowing how difficult it could be to cover an original song on American Idol, Bryan declared, “You’ve kind of been a wildcard for me the whole time. But what you just did there removed all doubts in my mind that you deserve to be here. I don’t know why I was that way!”
Mattie Pruitt
Moving to the youngest person in the competition, Mattie Pruitt appeared to find the perfect song when singing “Rescue” by Lauren Daigle. With each judge loving the performance, Richie urged Pruitt to never lose her identity. “ “What you have in your voice, in that cry Luke was talking about, is that instant identity. Don’t lose that. You’ve got the signature voice.”
Olivier Bergeron
Standing under the spotlight, the competition continued to heat up as Olivier Bergeron performed Rihanna’s “Stay” for his chance to stay on American Idol. It appeared to work as Richie loved the intensity he brought to the stage.
Breanna Nix
Knowing she deserved to gain a spot in the Top 20, Breanna Nix absolutely dazzled on stage when cover “Up to the Mountain.” With the singer received applause from the judges, Underwood said, “If there is one word I think I would use to describe your time here with us, it’s solid. And that’s a big deal in this industry. You want to deliver every time you step on stage and you do.”
Victor Solomon
Covering the hit song “For Every Mountain”, Bryan couldn’t get enough of Victor Solomon. “From your look tonight — your outfit is so unique to you. It doesn’t scream faith night and Easter night, it screams Victor Solomon night. I love your approach to this. You give it your all and you have fun doing it.” Considering him the full package, the country singer admitted, “You just get every aspect of entertainment.”
Baylee Littrell
Growing up with Backstreet Boys singer Brian Littrell as his dad, Baylee Littrell decided to perform one of his father’s songs. Singing “Gone Without Goodbye”, the singer appeared to follow in his father’s footsteps as Underwood said, “I love how that song had some more soaring notes because I feel like we haven’t gotten a whole lot of that from you so far. You have a really nice tone when you turn it on.”
Isaiah Misailegalu
Hoping to land a spot in the Top 20, Isaiah Misailegalu performed Allen Stone’s “Give You Blue.” Yet another great performance from the contestant, Bryan wanted more for the singer, “Remember, too, to dig in and give us more. But you have such a great instrument of a voice. It’s really great.”
Kolbi Jordan
Another platinum ticket holder who took the stage during the Songs of Faith special was Kolbi Jordan. Taking a trip back to church, Jordan completely dominated “Amazing Grace.” With Bryan labeling the performance “Breathtaking”, Underwood added, “That was amazing.”
Ché
With only a few slots left in the Top 20, Ché earned high praise from Richie when he performed “Redemption Song.” Richie insisted, “You delivered that song so well. Congratulations on joining this class.” Underwood even claimed he had one of her favorite voices in the competition.
Jamal Roberts
Next up was Jamal Roberts and his cover of Jason Nelson’s “Forever.” With fans loving the performance on social media, Bryan said, “There are so many wonderful things that you do, but what I really love the most is that it’s current but its old school, too. It’s so fun to watch somebody do. You’re slaying it, buddy.”
Zaylie Windsor
Having stumbled in the past, Zaylie Windsor found her confidence once again when she covered “Silver Springs.” Taking a simplistic approach, Bryan urged her to bring back the power in her voice. “You are dialed in your artistry, but really lean into those big vocal songs becuase you know you have that in there. But that was a good job.”
Slater Nalley
Bringing a little of his own style to the stage, Slater Nalley snagged a spot in the Top 20 when performing Allman Brothers Band’s “Soulshine.” Outside of his powerful vocals, Underwood noted how he brought a calmness to the stage. “You got the goods. I feel like you were very comfortable. You were at ease behind the guitar. Just keep doing you, man. That’s all I got. It’s great.”
Gabby Samone
And finishing up the list of the Top 20 singers left on American Idol, Gabby Samone won over the judges when she sang “I Am Changing” from Dreamgirls. With every person getting to their feet, Richie promised, “You are a star.” But according to Underwood, “You are a superstar.”
Don’t miss a new episode of American Idol, airing tonight at 8:00 p.m. ET/PT on ABC.
(Photo by Eric McCandless/Disney via Getty Images)
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