ABC/Eric McCandless
During season 4 of ABC’s iteration of “American Idol,” the show welcomed back ten contestants from the top 20 of season 3 for a second-chance opportunity to come back and win the title of American Idol.
The contestants were welcomed back by long-time “American Idol” host Ryan Seacrest, in-house mentor Bobby Bones, and judges Luke Bryan, Lionel Richie, and Katy Perry. They were all able to choose their own songs to perform, and viewers were given the opportunity to vote on which contestant they want to join the season 3 top 10.
Overall, there were ten contestants welcomed back to the stage. Each singer had made the top 20 at least during season three. The contestants were Faith Becnel, Franklin Boone, DeWayne Crocker, Jr., Arthur Gunn, Cyniah Elise, Aliana Jester, Louis Knight, Nick Merico, Makayla Phillips and Olivia Ximines.
Which Season 3 Contestant Will Win the Comeback Chance?
Voting for the contestants will last for one week following the date of the performances, meaning that it will end on Monday, April 26 at 6 a.m. Eastern. With only one spot open for the ten contestants, the stakes are higher than they’ve ever been.
After watching the contestants perform their chosen songs, there were a few clear front-runners as to who could actually be joining the competition once again.
As the last performer of the night, Louis Knight seemed to steal the show in many ways. He delivered an authentic performance of an original song titled “Maybe That,” and the judges were completely smitten with him by the end of the performance. We think it’s likely that Knight will be the contestant voted back in by viewers, but it is definitely not a sure thing.
Another contestant who went into the night being a clear front-runner but possibly didn’t come out as well as he would have liked was Arthur Gunn, who was the runner-up during season 3 of the show. He chose to perform “Iris” by the Goo Goo Dolls, and the performance was good but not his best. That being said, he does have a large fan base, so it’s possible Gunn will be the one coming back. At the time of writing, however, the YouTube video of his performance has by far the most views out of any, and with voting lasting for one week, that could make a difference.
One of the most memorable performances of the night came from Makayla Phillips, who sang “Anyone” by Demi Lovato and became emotional during the last verse of the song. When she was finished, the judges told her that she told an amazing story, and the person with the best story will win.
Lastly, Olivia Ximines gave an incredible overall performance, though her voice wasn’t the strongest of the night. She performed “Say Yes” by Michelle Williams featuring Beyonce and Kelly Rowland, and the judges loved the energetic dancing during the performance.
Which Contestants Are in the Top 9?
Here are the contestants who are already in the next round of the competition:
- Grace Kinstler
- Casey Bishop
- Willie Spence
- Alyssa Wray
- Caleb Kennedy
- Deshawn Goncalves
- Chayce Beckham
- Cassandra Coleman
- Hunter Metts
They will be joined by whoever comes away with the win of the comeback chance.
“American Idol” airs on Sundays and Mondays at 8 p.m. Eastern and Pacific on ABC.
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