Two American Idol hopefuls were sent home during Sunday night’s “Ladies Night” episode, leaving only eight left in the competition.
It’s been said for the last few weeks, but the sentiment still holds true … this week’s eliminations were emotional and shocking. American Idol Season 23 is arguably one of the best in years due to the immense talent of the contestants.
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Going into Sunday night’s episode (May 4), ten singers remained. They each performed a song that fit the “Ladies Night” theme in hopes of earning enough of America’s votes to compete in Monday night’s Top 6 round. Keeping with the new format introduced two weeks ago, the voting window opened at the beginning of the show and closed during the final commercial break. This meant America only had two hours to cast their votes before a live elimination took place.
CANAAN JAMES HILL, BREANNA NIX, SLATER NALLEY, THUNDERSTORM ARTIS, KOLBI JORDAN, MATTIE PRUITT, GABBY SAMONE, JOHN FOSTER, JAMAL ROBERTS, JOSH KING, JELLY ROLL (Photo by Eric McCandless/Disney via Getty Images)
American Idol Season 23 Top 10
Country star Miranda Lambert joined American Idol this week as a guest mentor alongside this season’s Artist in Residence, Jelly Roll. Lambert also took the stage to perform the title track from her debut album, Kerosene, in honor of the 20th anniversary of its release.
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Each of the Top 10 took turns on the stage performing songs from women who have made a significant impact on music. Idol judge Carrie Underwood and pop star Adele were honored multiple times throughout the episode. Reba McEntire, Beyonce, Fleetwood Mac, Miranda Lambert, and Bonnie Raitt were also honored.
The Top 10 contestants and the songs they performed were:
Slater Nalley – “Whoever’s In New England” by Reba McEntire
Thunderstorm Artis – “When We Were Young” by Adele
Kolbi Jordan – “The Chain” by Fleetwood Mac
Mattie Pruitt – “House That Built Me” by Miranda Lambert
Canaan James Hill – “Love Wins” by Carrie Underwood
Gabby Samone – “I Was Here” by Beyonce
Josh King – “Rolling In The Deep” by Adele
Breanna Nix – “Water Under The Bridge” by Adele
John Foster – “Something To Talk About” by Bonnie Raitt
Jamal Roberts – “Undo It” by Carrie Underwood
Who made the Top 8?
Unlike many past seasons, there were no obvious candidates for elimination. Every performance was flawless, and each contestant proved why they were still there and should be chosen to advance. But, with only two weeks until the finale, eliminations are a must.
After two hours of voting and incredible performances, the two contestants whose American Idol journeys came to an end were … KOLBI JORDAN AND CANAAN JAMES HILL, both of whom were Platinum Ticket winners following their auditions, meaning that no Platinum Ticket winners remain in the competition. The third Platinum Ticket winner, Filo, was eliminated last week.
The results were shocking to Idol fans who have long claimed there is a “Platinum Ticket curse.” The judges award Platinum tickets during the audition process and allow the ticket holders to skip the first round of Hollywood Week competition. The recipients are standout vocalists who the judges think have the potential to do well in the competition. Historically, these recipients haven’t fared as well as the judges likely anticipated.
The Top 8 will take the stage again Tuesday night (May 5) to sing songs chosen for them by the judges. Two more contestants will be sent home and the Top 6 will be revealed at the end of the two-hour episode.