‘Idol’ Alum Lauren Spencer Smith Returns to Show as a Pop Superstar

Heavy/ABC/Getty Lauren Spencer Smith on "American Idol" in 2020 and at a record label party in February 2024.

The three-hour episode of “American Idol” on April 14, 2024, will be a star-studded affair, including a performance by former contestant turned pop superstar Lauren Spencer Smith. The “Fingers Crossed” singer will perform on “Idol” for the first time since she competed on the show in 2020.

Spencer Smith — who was 16 when she appeared on season 18 of “Idol” — is one of three stars slated to take the stage during the show. As the Top 24 contestants are whittled down to 20 based on votes cast by viewers the prior week, the show will also feature performances by Spencer Smith, Teddy Swims, and Paul Russell.

When “American Idol” aired Spencer Smith’s audition in 2020, she told producers, “I feel like I’m a very little girl with, like, a huge dream. And I feel like ‘American Idol’ will help me achieve that dream in so many different ways.”

To announce her upcoming performance, Spencer Smith shared a current promotional photo on Instagram and TikTok, along with another image of herself auditioning for the show five years ago, which thrilled fans, current contestants and fellow “Idol” alumni.

She wrote, “Almost 5 years later & im back on @americanidol….. except this time I’m not a contestant I’m a guest performer.”

Record Labels Fought Over Lauren Spencer Smith After Her Songs Went Viral

During season 18, Spencer Smith made it to the Hawaii round as part of the Top 20, but the pandemic soon shut down live production, forcing the contestants and judges to appear from their homes the rest of the season. Spencer Smith was eliminated after her first at-home performance, along with eight other contestants.

But the Canadian-born singer has since said getting voted off the show was the best motivation for her to prove herself in the music industry. She spent the rest of lockdown honing her songwriting skills and finding her voice as an artist, she told ABC Audio.

“When I got kicked off ‘American Idol,’ people didn’t believe in me like the way that I believed in myself,” she told the Toronto Star two years later. “It definitely was a kick-start to ‘Yeah, I’m gonna prove everybody wrong.'”

By the summer of 2022, she had two massive hits with  “Fingers Crossed” and “Flowers,” and was at the center of a bidding war between major record labels, according to Variety, which led her to a record deal with Republic and Island Records, and a publishing deal with Warner Chappell Music.

In a press statement at the time, per Variety, Warner Chappell Music’s senior VP of A&R, Katy Wolaver, said Spencer Smith was “well on her way to becoming the voice of her generation.”

The singer-songwriter released her debut album, “Mirror,” in 2023 and spent much of the year on a world tour.

When Tyler Walsh of the popular TikTok interview series “What Do You Do For a Living?” ran into Spencer Smith on March 28, she told him she’s already working on a new record.

“I am working on my second album right now,” she said. “People can expect something different. I’m still gonna have sad girl ballads, I’m still there for everybody. But I’m going into a confidence revenge era.”

‘American Idol’ Contestants & Alumni Flipped Over News of Lauren Spencer Smith’s Return

The announcement of Spencer Smith’s upcoming performance on “Idol” thrilled not only her fans, but many of the Top 24 contestants and other “Idol” alums.

On Instagram, current contestant and platinum ticket winner Abi Carter wrote, “NO WAY IM SCREAMING CRYING THROWING UP ✋😭🤚”

Rising country star Grace Leer, who was on season 18 with Spencer Smith, wrote, “Omg I am HERE FOR THIS LETS GO!!!!!! 👏👏👏👏”

Season 16 Top 10 contestant Ada Vox quipped, “It’s what you deserve 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼”

Fellow Canadian Tyson Venegas, a teen finalist on season 21, commented, “I can’t wait!! Ur gonna be awesome 🙌🔥”

“Idol” casting producer Tamara Brandel commented, “@laurenspencersmith 🙌🙌🙌 um yaaas you are superstar! So proud of you! Can’t wait!”

On TikTok, where Spencer Smith has over seven million followers, season 22 contestant Hailey Mia wrote, “can’t wait to see you 🙈”

The April 14 episode of “American Idol” airs from 8 to 11 p.m. Eastern, with all of the Top 20 contestants performing. Viewers will vote overnight to determine the Top 14, which will be announced live during the show on April 15.