American IdolSeason 24 returned on Monday night for Hollywood Week: Music City Takeover, which took place in Nashville for the very first time. The competition, which consisted of 127 singers after the audition phase, was narrowed down by the judges after watching individual performances.
Who Made It Through American Idol Hollywood Week?
The night kicked off with an impressive performance from 26-year-old Bryant Thomas, whose unconventional choice of Taylor Swift’s “Champagne Problems” impressed the judges. Carrie Underwood called him a “showman.”
Bryant was one of three singers in his group to make it through to the “Golden Room” — along with Keyla Richardson, who performed “I Won’t Give Up” by Jason Mraz in honor of her son, and Makiyah, who sang “Nobody’s Supposed to Be Here” by Deborah Cox.
In the next group, Jordan McCullough and Madison Moon both made it through to the next phase of the competition. Jordan wowed Lionel Richie with a cover of “Higher Ground” by Stevie Wonder, while Underwood responded with a “dang” to Madison’s rendition of “Alone” by Heart.
Also during Monday’s episode, Hannah Harper returned after her audition went viral. Her emotional original song about motherhood, titled “String Cheese,” hit home for a lot of viewers. For Hollywood Week, she chose to sing “A Little Past Little Rock” by Lee Ann Womack. Although Luke Bryan noticed “one or two little hiccups,” he still gave Hannah a standing ovation.
Hannah moved on to the Golden Room — along with crooner Trace Casanova, who put a unique spin on “Crazy Train” by Ozzy Osbourne, and Roelle, whose cover of “California” by Chappell Roan held special meaning for her, as she moved to the state from Puerto Rico.
Philmon Lee also impressed, earning a standing ovation from all three American Idol judges for his cover of “Lose Control” by Teddy Swims. He moved on in the competition — along with 17-year-old Lucas Leon, who wowed with a performance of “Georgia On My Mind” by Ray Charles, and 16-year-old Keira Howell.
They weren’t the only young singers to make it through. Abayomi and Michael Garner also impressed the judges and made it to the Golden Room, although 15-year-old Chloe Grace was sadly eliminated after her performance of “Stay” by Sugarland.
The Episode Ended on a Cliffhanger
The final group of the night featured several impressive performances, including a cover of “Seventeen Going Under” by Sam Fender from Jake Thistle, who earned a standing ovation from the American Idol panel. At the end of the episode, Jake was called forward along with Brianna Yancey and Braden Rumfelt.
During the episode, Braden performed “I’m Not the Only One” by Sam Smith, also earning a standing ovation. Luke Bryan called it the “perfect song” for him. It has not yet been revealed whether Jake, Brianna, and Braden are going through.
Other performances from the final group of the night included Chris Tungseth’s cover of “Jealous” by Labrinth and Chloe Lauren’s rendition of “Girls Just Want to Have Fun” by Cyndi Lauper. Bryan expressed uncertainty about both performances.
The fates of the final group members will be decided next week, as American Idol Hollywood Week continues — with sing-offs being teased. What did you think of the round so far? 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
