The remaining contestants took the stage with a full band for the first time in season 20 of American Idol on the show's April 4 episode. Leah Marlene is the first contestant called to meet with the judges for their final decision. For her showstoppers performance, she sang "She's a Self Made Man" and Katy Perry called her the "guitar queen." Although the judges wanted the vocals to be a bit stronger, they moved Leah to the top 24.
Next is Jay Copeland, who received a platinum ticket earlier this season during his audition in Austin, Texas. For showstoppers, Jay gave his all while singing "Jar of Hearts." Katy told Jay that she was "almost a perfect singer", but warned him that "sometimes perfection doesn't win over emotion." Jay still had enough to help him move on, and he's in the top 24.
'American Idol' season 20 showstoppers
The next contestant highlighted is Nicolina Buzzo. He delivered an energetic rendition of "Rolling in the Deep" for his showstopper performance. The judges told her she was going to be in the top 24 even before she could sit on her final decision.
Raleigh Madison and Emerson Flora were brought together in the Final Judgment. Emmerson replaced it with her usual ballad by singing Kehlani's "Honey" for Showstoppers. Meanwhile, Raleigh knew she had to improve her showstopper performance after a rough doubles round. She sang "Blue" by LeAnn Rimes. Lionel Richie revealed that only one of the two 16-year-old singers would be moving on, and it was Emerson, because Raleigh wasn't quite there yet.
Next, Katrina Love sang "Sweet Thing" for her showstoppers performance. He hit a crazy high note, and it helped earn him a spot in the top 24, even though he didn't always sing "Flawless." Fritz Hager took a risk and sang an original song for the first time during Showstoppers. He wrote the song for his sister after a fight with her parents. The risk paid off, as Fritz made it into the top 24.
After Singing "Is It Okay?" Returning contestant, Jacob Moran, was also ranked in the top 24 by Lady Gaga. Allegra Miles found out in the final judgment that she was also in the top 24.
'American Idol' Final Judgment Sing-Off
Cameron Whitcomb and Ava Maybee became best friends in the midst of Hollywood Week on this season of American Idol. Of course, they were both desperately hoping that they would both make it to the top 24. Ava sang "Falling" by Harry Styles for Showstoppers, while Cameron performed "It Ain't Me, Babe." Cameron went straight into the top 24, but Ava had some more travel to do to get there.
Ava went into her final decision with "similar vibes," another contestant with Yoli Meyer. The judges were having difficulty deciding which of the two women to push, so they had them compete in singing "on the spot". Ava went first, followed by Yoli. In the end, Ava was chosen to move on, while Yoli was eliminated. Douglas Mills Jr., Sam Moss and Betty Maxwell were also told not to move on.
Thereafter, Sir Blake went on to make his final decision after demonstrating "honesty" at the showstoppers. Although the judges acknowledged that Blake wanted a little more confidence, they gave him enough to earn him a spot in the Top 24. Eli Roe and Mike Parker also found that they would be part of the Top 24 after performing impressive showstoppers.
Tristan Gracett got his time in front of the next judges. His showstoppers performance of "Come Together" by The Beatles was "probably" for the judges at first, but Tristan also finished in the top 24. Christian Guardino turned things around and tried to "push the envelope" with a performance of "Sex on Fire" for showstoppers, while Dontrell Briggs sang the Lionel Richie classic, "Hello." The choice of songs mattered in these cases, as Christian made the top 24 and Dontrell did not.
Another artist who stepped outside the box with the choice of songs in showstoppers was Noah Thompson. He sang "Stay" by Rihanna. The risky song choice paid off, and Noah made the top 24. Next, Cadence Baker sang "The Story" for Showstoppers. Katy urges Cadence to embrace her star power and stop fearing so much of the future - because she's in the top 24.
During Kelsey Dolin's Idol journey, she struggled with confidence, but with some help from duet partner, Betty Maxwell, she found herself. During the showstoppers, Kelsey sang "Before You Go." Unfortunately, she still wasn't quite there, and didn't get one of the top 24 spots, but she gained a lot from this trip! Huntergirl, this season's platinum ticket winner, took it all on stage with her performance of "Girl Goin' Nowhere." Luke Bryan called him "the best country singer [he's] heard." Needless to say, Huntergirl got a coveted spot in the top 24.
The next two contestants to hit the headlines were Sage and Danielle Finn, who went to the Final Judgment together. Danielle sang "Evergreen" during the showstoppers, and Katy admitted it was her "worst" performance of the season. Meanwhile, Sage performed "I Hate This" by Tenille Arts, and Katy said she "killed it." Despite Danielle receiving some constructive criticism, she still made it, and so did Sage.
Jordan Chase sang "Cold" by Chris Stapleton for Showstoppers. The judges didn't feel like he was fully prepared for the Top 24 yet. However, his duet partner, Kennedy Anderson, who won the platinum ticket this season, took his place. The judges acknowledged it wasn't Kennedy's best performance—she sang "Talking to the Moon" during the showstoppers—but they pushed her into the Top 24.
Following this, Scarlett Aylizes, who struggled during duets, performed "You Augta Know" at Showstoppers. It was a redemption performance for Scarlett, earning a spot in the top 24. Lady Kay also gave an incredible showstoppers performance, singing "I'd Rather Go Blind." His talent and inspiring backstory helped him achieve the top 24 spot. The finalists of the night are Daniel Marshall and Dakota Hayden. Both men are country singers, and the judges competed in another on-the-spot sing-off to earn them last place in the Top 24. This time, it was Daniels who had to go through, and Dakota was eliminated.
Who Is In The Top 24 Of 'American Idol' Season 20?
By the end of the episode, there were 24 contestants left who would now go on to sing for America's Votes in the upcoming April 10 episode. The full list of the top 24 contestants is as follows: Leah Marlene, Jay Copeland, Nicolina Bozo, Emerson Flora, Katyra Love, Fritz Hager, Jacob Moran, Allegra Miles, Cameron Whitcomb, Ava Mayby, Sir Blake, Eli Rowe, Mike Parker, Tristan Gressett, Christian Guardino, Noah Thompson, Cadence Baker, Huntergirl, Danielle Finn, Sage, Kennedy Anderson, Scallerette Ailes, Lady Kay and Daniel Marshall.
American Idol continues with another new episode on Sunday, April 10th at 8:00 PM. on ABC. The top 24 will sing for America's vote for the first time.