ABC
The season 19 finale of ABC’s “American Idol” airs on Sunday, May 23, 2021 at 8 p.m. live coast-to-coast. The show features a slate of performances and performers from throughout “American Idol” history as well as returning contestants from season 19.
During the finale, the three remaining contestants, Grace Kinstler, Willie Spence, and Chayce Beckham will compete to become the winner of the season and earn a record deal.
The performances will be judged by judges Katy Perry, Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie, but the fate of the performers will be ultimately decided by votes cast by viewers. The show will be hosted by long-time “American Idol” host Ryan Seacrest, and in-house mentor Bobby Bones will also be in attendance.
What Will the ‘American Idol’ Contestants Perform?
Each of the “American Idol” top three contestants will be performing three solos. The first is their hometown song, which is a song they’ll dedicate to their hometowns. Then, they’ll revisit their own favorite moments from this season with another song, and finally, each of the contestants will sing a song chosen by the judges, according to Billboard.
Here’s what they’ll be singing:
- Chayce Beckham: “Fire Away” by Chris Stapleton, “Blackbird” by the Beatles, and “Afterglow” by Ed Sheeran
- Grace Kinstler: “I Have Nothing” by Whitney Houston, “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman,” and “All By Myself” by Celine Dion
- Willie Spence: “A Change Is Gonna Come” by Sam Cooke, “Stand Up” by Cynthia Erivo, and “Georgia On My Mind” by Ray Charles
Who Else Will be Performing?
On top of performances from the top three contestants, “American Idol” is welcoming back some of their former contestants as well as many celebrities, according to Billboard.
Here are the celebrities and what they’ll be performing:
- Fall Out Boy – “My Songs Know What You Did In The Dark (Light Em Up)” with Spence, Deshawn Goncalves, Beckham, Arthur Gunn and Hunter Metts
- Chaka Khan – Medley of “I’m Every Woman,” “Ain’t Nobody,” “Sweet Thing” and “Through the Fire” with Goncalves, Casey Bishop, Alyssa Wray, Cassandra Coleman and Kinstler
- Macklemore – “Can’t Hold Us” with the top three
- Luke Combs – “Forever After All” with Beckham
- Mickey Guyton – “Black Like Me” with Wray
- Leona Lewis – “You Are the Reason” with Spence
- Alessia Cara – “Scars to Your Beautiful” with Kinstler
- Sheryl Crow – “Every Day Is a Winding Road” and “If It Makes You Happy” with Gunn
- Lindsey Buckingham – “Go Your Own Way” with Coleman
Each of the judges will also be performing.
Who Will Win ‘American Idol’ Season 19?
Earlier on in the season, both Spence and Kinstler were pretty much even when it came to odds on who would pull out the win. Now, the odds have shifted in a different direction altogether.
Chayce Beckham, according to GoldDerby, is now ahead in the odds to win the whole season. This shouldn’t be a surprise to fans, who have seen Beckham grow from the beginning and become something of a heartthrob while competing for votes. He’s also in a different lane both vocally and when it comes to genre than the other two contestants, putting him at a slight favorite to win the whole competition.
Voting will open at the top of the show and will end just before the last commercial break, at which points votes will be tallied.
The “American Idol” season 19 finale airs on Sunday, May 23, 2021 at 8 p.m. coast-to-coast on ABC.
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