Heavy/ABC "American Idol" season 22 live Top 14 results
Less than 24 hours after viewers’ votes sent home four “American Idol” season 22 contestants, with results that shocked many fans as the Top 20 was revealed, six more talented singers were sent home on a new two-hour episode — the first live show of the season — airing on April 15, 2024.
After host Ryan Seacrest unveils the Top 10 based on America’s votes, judges Katy Perry, Luke Bryan, and Lionel Richie had to decide which four in the bottom 10 they wanted to save, creating a Top 14.
Below, Heavy provided up-to-the-minute updates throughout the night.
Spoiler Alert: If you do not want to know the results of the Top 14 reveal, please note that the rest of this article reveals live “American Idol” results.
‘American Idol’ Top 14 Results: FIRST HOUR
In the first live show of season 22, given that the Top 20 results were prerecorded days earlier, Seacrest kicked off the action by introducing Perry, Bryan and Richie, who were already seated at the judges’ table. He said nearly 25 million votes had been tabulated overnight.
Right off the bat, Seacrest brought gospel singer and worship leader Quintavious Johnson to the stage and revealed he did not receive enough viewer votes to make it through. So the singer had to perform on the spot, choosing Mariah Carey’s “Make It Happen.”
- JUDGE FEEDBACK: Bryan acknowledged it was hard for Johnson to hear “no” right away, but that he thought it was his best performance thus far.
Next up, Seacrest asked 25-year-old McKenna Breinholt to come onstage. He said, “America has put you in the Top 14.” Despite being safe, she still had to perform, as all the contestants will. She sang “Tumbleweed” by Nowhere Man and a Whiskey Girl, which was the duo that her late birth mother was part of. Breinholt met her birth family in-person for the first time during her “Idol” audition. Because Breinholt is safe, the judges didn’t provide feedback on her performance, but did give her a standing ovation.
The next contestant Seacrest brought out from backstage was Australian-born Jordan Anthony. He revealed that viewers did not vote him into the Top 14, so he immediately performed “Attention” by Charlie Puth.
- JUDGE FEEDBACK: Perry said she was “so surprised” because while he had a couple of small flaws the night before, she could feel that he just had his best performance yet.
Next up, Jack Blocker was brought forward. Seacrest said, “Smile big — you have made it into the Top 14!” Blocker did, indeed, smile big — and then performed Post Malone’s “Feeling Whitney” on the acoustic guitar. Afterwards, Block said he was “totally not expecting” to advance.
Seacrest then called up mortician Kennedy Reid, who learned that the viewers’ votes had not moved her forward in the competition. The previous night, she had bravely appeared without a wig for the first time after facing harsh online bullying. She, again, wore a short bob and launched into a raucous performance of “Something Bad” by Miranda Lambert and Carrie Underwood.
- JUDGE FEEDBACK: Richie said, “That is the way to deal with no! When America said no, you said, ‘I don’t think so’!” He said that her attitude and personality showed “all the confidence in the world.”
After a commercial break, Seacrest asked 17-year-old Mississippian Jennifer Jeffries to come forward. Seacrest said her previous performance had not been “quite enough” to make the Top 14. Singing for one of the judges’ spots, she performed Kodaline’s “All I Want.” This was one of two songs she had debated over singing when Jelly Roll served as her mentor on the show. At the time, she chose to sing “Bruises” instead.
- JUDGE FEEDBACK: Seacrest said that as soon as she sings, it’s clear that it’s her distinct voice. Bryan said her not making it through was a “shocker” and that the falsetto she showcased tonight was a “new trick” they didn’t know she had.
Next up, Brookly, New Yorker Ajii was brought to the stage. “After the nationwide vote,” Seacrest told him, “unfortunately you’re not in the top 14.” The crowd was clearly stunned and started chanting his name as he stepped up to the mic. Hoping to earn one of the last four spots from the judges, he sang The Weeknd’s “Call Out My Name.”
- JUDGE FEEDBACK: Perry pointed out that the audience was “booing America’s vote!” She said that picking this song was very smart because it showed off another part of his vocals, and gave them exactly what they need to know he can survive in this competition.
Seacrest returned from a commercial break backstage and called 19-year-old country artist Mia Matthews’ name. She nervously headed straight for the stage, but Seacrest had to call her back to get her results — which were that she did make it into the Top 14. Matthews squealed and hurried onto the stage to sing Cam’s “Burning House.”
Next up, Seacrest called up KAYKO, who happily ran out onto the stage. Noting that the singer often asks Seacrest on social media to adopt him, Seacrest exclaimed, “Son, you’re in the top 14!” He played his original tune “What If?” — a song he wrote after being “accidentally” sent to Hollywood on the show, when he had only planned to accompany his friend Abby Blake on the piano during her audition. After his performance, KAYKO pointed to his real dad in the audience, who appeared in a funny Instagram post his son shared earlier in the day.
With the contestants who’ve performed now sitting on the side of the stage, Seacrest called forward Nya Muchai-Kinya, who learned she was not in the Top 14 after singing “Georgia on My Mind” the night before. After jokingly shouting, “America!,” she headed to the mic to sing Tyla’s “Water.”
- JUDGE FEEDBACK: Richie told Nya, “Way to switch it up!” He loved not only her voice, but loved her attitude on the stage and encouraged America to “rethink the situation because I think that was a star performance.”
After Nya, Seacrest called up country singer Will Moseley, who learned he had made it into the Top 14. Moseley headed over to the mic to perform his original song “Gone For Good,” which raced up the Billboard country charts the first time he performed it on “Idol,” per Forbes.
‘American Idol’ Top 14 Results: SECOND HOUR
Seacrest kicked off the second hour of the April 15 live show by announcing that Gene Simmons of KISS will mentor the contestants next Sunday, April 21 and that pop star Meghan Trainor will work with them on the following night.
He then called forward platinum ticket winner Abi Carter, whom he told had made it through to the Top 14. The 21-year-old from Indio, California, sang Yebba’s ballad “My Mind.” Afterwards, she told the judges they could probably “hear me shakin'” in the beginning, but she was clearly overjoyed to have made it.
Next up, Seacrest called Odell Bunton Jr.’s to the stage, who learned that he was not in the Top 14. The dad of five headed to the mic to sing “Wait On You” by Elevation Worship & Maverick City Music featuring Dante Bowe and Chandler Moore.
- JUDGE FEEDBACK: The three judges gave him a standing ovation, as did the crowd. Bryan joked that he’s so glad for the last couple of episodes because he can tell his pastor that he’s been “going to church,” guessing that the votes may be getting spread around the various Gospel singers in the group.
With seven contestants remaining backstage, Seacrest called on Kaibrienne “K.B.” Richins, who had a near-disastrous performance of her own song, “girl i am now,” the night before when her nerves and emotions caused her to pause several times. But because she kept going, the judges applauded her for being authentic and resilient. America agreed with them, putting her into the Top 14, and she stepped up to the mic to perform the Cranberries’ “Zombie.”
As Richins headed to the “victory zone,” Seacrest called forward British-born TikTok star Mackenzie Sol. After the nationwide vote, he revealed that Sol needed to sing for his survival, having not reached the Top 14, which didn’t seem to surprise the 23-year-old. Sol stepped up to the mic to sing “False Alarms” by Lawrence featuring Jon Bellion.
- JUDGE FEEDBACK: All three judges gave Sol a standing ovation and Sol said, “I just wanted to be me.” Perry aid he’s been a “tornado of energy and it’s all about controlling the tornado,” which he said he did beautifully tonight. “This is you, and you showed up,” she added.
Next, Seacrest called up Emmy Russell, dressed down in jeans and a t-shirt with bare feet. He told her she did, indeed, make it through to the Top 14. The 25-year-old granddaughter of country icon Loretta Lynn then sang her own song, “Skinny,” about her own struggles with disordered eating, which she performed at her audition. Choking back tears afterward, Russell told Seacrest, “I just feel like I’m who God made me to be when I sing that song.”
With four contestants left, Seacrest brought up platinum ticket winner Julia Gagnon, whose jaw dropped open when he told her she had made it into the Top 14. The 21-year-old student at the University of Southern Maine sang Jelly Roll’s “Need a Favor” and afterward, said it felt “amazing” and that she felt “really grateful.”
Next up, Seacrest called on former season 21 contestant Jayna Elise, who also competed on season 21 but didn’t make it past Hollywood Week. He told her she had not made it through to the Top 14. Dressed in head-to-toe black encrusted with crystals, the 22-year-old sang Paramore’s “All I Wanted.”
- JUDGE FEEDBACK: The judges gave her an enthusiastic standing ovation and Richie said, “I think the reaction speaks for itself.” He remarked on how she can “take a high note and make it a whisper,” calling it a “command performance.”
After a commercial break, only two contestants remained backstage — 15-year-old country artist Triston Harper and Gospel singer Roman Collins.
The two came to center stage and Seacrest said that Harper had made it through, making him the youngest finalist in the Top 14. He stepped up to the mic to sing “Til You Can’t” by Cody Johnson as his mom stood clapping in the audience, and Collins cheered for him on the side of the stage.
As he handed off the mic to Collins, Harper headed to sit with the other finalists. Collins then soulfully sang “It’s A Man’s Man’s Man’s World” by James Brown, getting down on his knees as he sang passionately as the audience cheered. The judges got so into it, that Perry suffered a wardrobe malfunction.
- JUDGE FEEDBACK: “That song broke my top off,” Perry exclaimed, hiding behind the judges’ table because her top literally broke as she was cheering for Collins. Bryan said he always is able to “blow the roof off of a place” — and Perry interjected, “or a top!”
Following a commercial break, and with all 10 of the contestants voted on by America established, it was up to the judges to decide which four singers they would add to the roster, rounding out the Top 14.
The 10 contestants who didn’t receive enough votes gathered on the stage and Seacrest wished them all good luck. He asked that the lights be dimmed, and asked the judges who they’d decided to move forward.
Richie revealed that the first person through was Jayna Elise.
Perry then said “this person tonight gave it their all” and named Jordan Anthony to the roster.
Bryan then revealed that Nya would move forward too.
The final person to go through, Perry revealed, was Roman Collins.
Based on these results, here’s the Top 14 for season 22:
- McKenna Breinholt
- Jack Blocker
- Mia Matthews
- KAYKO
- Will Moseley
- Abi Carter
- Kaibrienne “K.B.” Richins
- Emmy Russell
- Julia Gagnon
- Triston Harper
- Jayna Elise
- Jordan Anthony
- Nya
- Roman Collins