Ladies’ night? Oh, what a night! Sunday’s American Idol found the show’s remaining 10 contestants celebrating iconic women in music, mentored by none other than country queen Miranda Lambert.
Thunderstorm Artis, John Foster, Canaan James Hill, Kolbi Jordan, Josh King, Slater Nalley, Breanna Nix, Mattie Pruitt, Jamal Roberts and Gabby Samone were tasked with performing songs by some of the most iconic women in music — though most of them ended up going with songs by either Adele or Carrie Underwood.
And what would ladies’ night be without a visit from last season’s Idol winner Abi Carter? The Season 22 champ returned with the TV debut of her new single “Burned.”
Speaking of “burned,” it’s time to talk about who got totally burned by the voters this week. More than 22 million votes came through tonight, with each finalist netting at least 1 million. But did all of your favorites make the cut? (Mine sure didn’t!)
Read on for a breakdown of how the remaining singers fared on Sunday, including which eight will return on Monday (ABC, 8/7c) and which two have reached the end of their Idol journeys. When you’re finished, vote for your personal Top 8 and drop a comment with your thoughts on the night’s results. Were any of your favorites eliminated?
Image Credit: ABC screenshot- John has played it relatively cool all season, so seeing him get tongue-tied around Miranda Lambert (his childhood crush!) was both endearing and refreshing. Those nerves melted away by the time he hit the stage to perform Bonnie Raitt’s “Something to Talk About,” as he confidently strutted about the stage and engaged with the audience. Vocally, however, it never quite hit the heights that we’re used to seeing from John. Miranda mentioned this being her go-to karaoke song, and that’s exactly what this felt like — a really good karaoke performance. I feel like we should be getting more than that at this point in the competition.
- Andy’s Grade: “B+”
Image Credit: ABC screenshot- Knowing that viewers would probably expect her to sing something more in the vein of Aretha Franklin, Kolbi opted to “shock people” by going with something completely different — Fleetwood Mac’s “The Chain.” And what a choice it was. From the moment she appeared under the spotlight in that boss ass cowboy hat, the stage was hers. Taking Miranda Lambert’s words to heart, she held back a bit at the beginning, making the song’s explosive finish even more powerful. Unfortunately, not enough voters felt the same way I did, and Kolbi was among the two singers unceremoniously booted at the end of the episode. I’d argue that Kolbi is more talented and interesting than a handful of the others who did make it through, but this is often how the cookie crumbles.
- Andy’s Grade: “A”
Image Credit: ABC screenshot- I’ve listened to Adele’s “Rolling in the Deep” many times over the years, but not once have I thought, “You know what this song could use? Some harmonica!” But Josh has been full of surprises all season, and I’m pleased to say that he surprised me once again with this truly unique, genuinely impressive performance. The energy, the attitude and the vocals were firing on all cylinders. It actually made me wonder, where has this Josh been hiding all season?
- Andy’s Grade: “A-“
Image Credit: ABC screenshot- I’ll admit, I wasn’t thrilled that we were getting another Adele song already (it’s Ladies’ Night, not Adele Night!), but all of my doubts melted away the moment Breanna opened her mouth. Not only did “Water Under the Bridge” fit perfectly with her voice, but she absolutely held herself like a star — nay, a superstar — on that stage. If she continues with this trajectory, she has a darn good shot at winning this whole thing, and I’ll look back at this performance as a pivotal turning point for her.
- Andy’s Grade: “A”
Image Credit: ABC screenshot- Canaan thought he was going a different, non-gospel route by performing Carrie Underwood’s “Love Wins,” but Miranda Lambert encouraged him to lean into the message of the song, which isn’t entirely un-gospel. “She has taken me to church many times,” Miranda told him, challenging him to channel that energy. And channel it he did, delivering a performance that transcended genres and hammered the message home. Unfortunately, it wasn’t the typical show-stopping presentation we’re used to getting from Canaan. The judges tried putting a positive spin on it, but Luke Bryan put it best: “You got through it, baby! You got through it, right?” (For the record, no one wants to be told that they “got through” anything. Oof.)
- Andy’s Grade: “B”
Image Credit: ABC screenshot- I’m sorry, another Adele song? For those keeping score at home, that’s three out of six thus far. I get that she’s a big star, but come on.
- OK, now that I’m done complaining, it’s time to start complimenting: one of the season’s most consistently impressive performers, Thunderstorm once again knocked it out of the park with his rendition of “When We Were Young.” Soulful and powerful in all the right places, this wasn’t just beautiful — it was haunting. That falsetto tickled my spirit. And who knew he could also play piano? There is truly no bottom to Thunderstorm’s bag of tricks.
- Andy’s Grade: “A”
Image Credit: ABC screenshot- When Slater said he was singing a Reba McEntire jam, I had two thoughts: First, thank God it’s not another Adele song. Second, which of McEntire’s hits could he possibly sing? Would it be “Fancy,” the devastating story of an 18-year-old girl doing whatever it takes to get by? Or perhaps “Survivor,” the anthem of hard-working single moms everywhere? Plot twist: It was “Whoever’s in New England,” a song I’m embarrassed to admit I’ve never heard before. Still, I know better than to doubt Slater at this point, so I went into his performance with an open mind.
- Tonally, it was everything we’ve come to expect from Slater: thoughtful, precise and thoroughly genuine. I’ll admit, I wasn’t a huge fan of the final high note, which even Slater understood was a bit of a gamble, but it didn’t tank the quality of the overall performance. Honestly, this guy could growl his way through the ABC‘s and he’d still have my vote.
- Andy’s Grade: “A-“
Image Credit: ABC screenshot- Jamal Roberts, country rocker? You better believe it! While I really wish the show limited the number of songs the contestants could sing by the same artist, I have absolutely no complaints about Jamal’s take-no-prisoners performance of Carrie Underwood’s “Undo It.” It was full throttle in the best way, and you could just tell that Jamal was living his best life up there. I was so captivated by his presentation, I didn’t even notice — as Carrie pointed out — an apparent lyric problem.
- Andy’s Grade: “A”
Image Credit: ABC screenshot- From the moment Mattie sheepishly revealed to Miranda Lambert that she’d be singing “The House That Built Me,” I had a feeling we were in for something special, even more so when Miranda encouraged her to perform with her guitar, the same way she taught herself in her bedroom. I’m happy to say that Mattie more than exceeded my expectations with a layered, nuanced and refreshingly mature take on the song. Her emotions fully took over by the end of the song, which ended in tears — from Mattie and Miranda — but it didn’t hinder the performance in any way. If anything, that helped it. This felt like an opportunity for Mattie to reintroduce herself as a true artist, and she seized it.
- Andy’s Grade: “A-“
Image Credit: ABC screenshot- Idol saved the big guns for last, with Gabby performing “I Was Here” by a little known artist named Beyoncé. Perhaps you’ve heard of her? I was already emotional watching Gabby work with Miranda Lambert, and that was before she took the stage with another breathtaking performance. The song itself was a perfect choice; it felt like the lyrics perfectly mirrored Gabby’s experience in the competition. And the vocals? Good. Lord. This woman knows how to bring down the house. Something tells me that Queen Bey would approve.
- Andy’s Grade: “A”
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