American Idol Season 24 returned on Monday night for the second live show of the season. Host Ryan Seacrest started the show by sharing the results of last week’s vote, and then the Top 12 took the stage for the Judges’ Song Contest, which had a ’90s theme this season.
Lionel Richie Wins American Idol Judges’ Song Contest
Last week, results were delayed to to an “unprecedented” number of votes. At the start of Monday’s show, American Idol host Ryan Seacrest shared that the vote was “incredibly close,” revealing that Julian Kalel and Jake Thistle were eliminated and would not perform in this week’s show.
The remaining 12 singers took the stage to perform ’90s songs chosen by the judges. Each singer was given three options to choose from, and they had to guess which judge had picked their preferred track. At the end of the night, Lionel Richie emerged victorious, as seven contestants performed his song choices.
That includes Jordan McCullough, who impressed the panel with his performance of “Always Be My Baby” by Mariah Carey. Luke Bryan praised Jordan for stepping “outside your comfort zone.” Contestant Lucas Leon also sang a song chosen by Richie, performing “It’s Your Love” by Tim McGraw and Faith Hill. Carrie Underwood said he “surprised me.”
Other contestants to perform songs chosen by Richie included Kyndal Inskeep with “Iris” by the Goo Goo Dolls; Brooks with “Linger” by the Cranberries; Braden Rumfelt with “All By Myself” by Celine Dion; Jesse Findling with “Wonderwall” by Oasis; and Keyla Richardson with “Zombie” by the Cranberries.
Who Else Performed in the Top 12?
Other performances from the Top 12 in Monday night’s new American Idol episode included Hannah Harper’s take on “Heads Carolina, Tails California” by Jo Dee Messina, which was chosen by Carrie Underwood, who said Hannah was starting to come out of her shell.
Underwood also chose “I’ll Be” by Edwin McCain for Chris Tungseth. She admitted that there were “a few not-so-great moments” in his performance, but Bryan praised the “soul in your voice.” Another contestant who sang Underwood’s choice was Rae with “Love Will Lead You Back” by Taylor Dayne. Bryan said she “really came to life.”
As for Luke Bryan, only two singers chose his songs — including Daniel Stallworth with “It Ain’t Over ‘Til It’s Over” by Lenny Kravitz, which prompted Richie to wonder, “Is that Lenny or is that you?” Philmon Lee also chose a Bryan pick, “Hard to Handle” by The Black Crowes.” Underwood praised his arrangement of the song, calling it a “standout moment.”
Voting was open during Monday’s show. At the end of the night, American Idol host Ryan Seacrest announced which singers were in the bottom two according to America’s vote. Those contestants were Rae and Jesse Findling.
As the winner of the Judges’ Song Contest, Lionel Richie was given the privilege of choosing one of those contestants to save from elimination. He chose Rae, meaning Jesse Findling was unfortuantely eliminated from the competition.
Only 11 contestants remain heading into next week’s show. Who are you rooting for? Were you disappointed in this week’s results, or the results from last week’s vote? Let us know in the comments below.
Words by:
Jill O'Rourke Jill O’Rourke is a contributor at Talent Recap, writing news stories and recaps for shows like ‘AGT,’ ‘The Voice,’ and ‘American Idol.’ She graduated from the University of Georgia with a degree in English and Film Studies, and has been writing about pop culture since 2012, with previous bylines at Crushable and A Plus. Jill spends her free time binge-watching sitcoms and daydreaming about life as a hobbit
