Heavy/ABC "American Idol" Top 12 results for season 22
Season 22 of “American Idol” rocks on with a live show dedicated to the heart of rock ‘n roll — and the elimination of two more contestants from the Top 14. With viewers voting live during the two-hour show on April 21, 2024, host Ryan Seacrest will reveal the Top 12 results at the end of the episode. Heavy will report the results live throughout the night.
There will be no original songs from the contestants tonight. Rather, they’ll each be challenged to sing a song made famous by an artist who’s been inducted into the Rock ‘n Roll Hall of Fame. That could mean someone will dare to perform a Lionel Richie tune in front of him, given that the “Idol” judge was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2022. Legendary KISS singer and guitarist Gene Simmons will mentor the contestants before their performances.
In addition, the 2024 Rock ‘n Roll Hall of Fame inductees were announced live on “Idol” for the first time.
Spoiler Alert: Heavy is reporting minute-by-minute details and results below, so do not read further if you don’t want to know what happens.
‘American Idol’ Top 12 Results: First Hour
The show started with a cold open featuring Luke Bryan performing Rock ‘n Roll Hall of Famer John Mellencamp’s “Small Town.” Seacrest then introduced all three judges, who walked out on stage to raucous applause and took their seats at the judges’ table. Seacrest also introduced Simmons, sitting to the side of the stage in a throne — of course.
First up to sing, Seacrest then announced, was 15-year-old country singer Triston Harper. In a video of his session with Simmons, he said he wanted to sing an Elvis — “Heartbreak Hotel” — tune and decided to do it without his guitar or cowboy hat. Simmons encouraged him to move, and Harper did — impressing the judges with hip gyrations a la Elvis.
- JUDGE FEEDBACK: Perry joked, “Oh my god, I just thought you were like a good Christian boy!” Bryan said his performance was “tremendous” and that “there is no way American cannot fall in love with that performance.” Richie agreed, saying he loved seeing Harper move a bit.
Next up, Julia Gagnon emotionally told Simmons that she chose to sing Whitney Houston’s “Run to You” because, growing up, she said, “I didn’t see many people who looked like me, like kind of glammed up and singing about love. And I wasn’t sure if I would ever have something like that.” She said that meeting her fiancé Nate proved to her it was possible. Gagnon appeared “glammed up” and Simmons told her that as long as she believes in herself, there’s nothing she can’t do.
- JUDGE FEEDBACK: The judges gave Gagnon a standing ovation, as did Simmons. Bryan said, “Talk about the butterfly leaving the cocoon!” He said watching her transform throughout the show has been inspiring and that her performance was amazing. Richie said she commanded the stage, telling her that it was “beautiful.” Perry agreed, saying that confidence is a “mental decision and you decided tonight to switch that on.” Seacrest surprised Gagnon by showing her fiancé on FaceTime, which made the singer cry.
Before taking going to a commercial break, Seacrest said they “wanted to honor a dear member of the ‘Idol’ family, who we sadly lost this week.” A large image of alum Mandisa, who was found dead in her home on April 18, appeared behind him. He said they plan to celebrate her next week with a “very special musical tribute.”
After a break, the show turned to 24-year-old Roman Collins, who was the last contestant the judges saved the prior week. After rehearsing “You’re All I Need to Get By” by Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell, Simmons said he loved his runs and encouraged him to stay in the energy of his song long after the last note, to drive it home.
- JUDGE FEEDBACK: After Collins’ performance, Richie had his hands on his head like he couldn’t believe what he’d seen. He told Collins “you were on fire” and called it “incredible.” Perry said that watching Collins is like watching a “masterclass” — and apologized to the other contestants, but admitted he’s her favorite person “to watch right now.” Bryan agreed, saying that he always takes a song “to the stratosphere.”
Kabrienne Richins, who’s only sung ballads up until this point, chose to change things up by singing “I Hate Myself For Loving You” by Joan Jett & the Blackhearts, but Simmons said she needed to get “physical” with the song and channel more anger into the lyrics.
- JUDGE FEEDBACK: Again, the judges looked blown away. Perry then announced, “Okay, I think Gene should take my spot!” Bryan said that what Simmons has taught them all is that it’s okay to “put on a whole crazy looking concert” with one song, saying that she grew leaps and bounds in a week. Richie said that the way she told the story of the song with an “ugly face” was perfect.
Back from the commercial break, Seacrest and Richie appeared on stage to reveal the 2024 Rock ‘n Roll Hall of Fame inductees. They include A Tribe Called Quest, Cher, Foreigner, Dave Matthews Band, Kool & The Gang, Mary J. Blige, Peter Frampton and Ozzy Osbourne. A full list can be found via The Hollywood Reporter.
Next, Jayna Elise had her mentor session with Simmons, who told her he could tell she was anxious and stiff. He helped her loosen up and feel her way back into the song she chose — Whitney Houston’s “I Have Nothing,” dressed in a shimmering golden cape from head to toe.
- JUDGE FEEDBACK: Bryan joked that he felt honored that he got to be the “opening act” for all of the contestants tonight and that he may need to get some pointers from Simmons. Richie said, “You look like a star, you act like a star, you sound like a star — my dear, you are a star.” Perry quipped, “I think you have BSE — big star energy.”
After a break, 19-year-old Mia Matthews met with Simmons, remarking at how wild it was that she could come from small-town Alabama and find herself meeting with a rock legend like Simmons. He loved her voice, but said that she wanted to see her “emote” the lyrics, feeling the meaning of the words behind “Those Memories,” a song originally performed by Dolly Parton, Emmylou Harris and Linda Ronstadt.
- JUDGE FEEDBACK: After Matthews’ performance, Richie said he was amazed how everyone’s been coming out “shining like a new penny.” Perry said Matthews “bumped it up” and Bryan agreed that it’s been amazing to see all of the singers, including Matthews, level up their performances.
Next up, KAYKO got a taste of Simmons’ adorable dad jokes and then admitted that he was a bit nervous to sing someone else’s song for the first time, given that he’s only sung his own compositions thus far. Simmons said he knew he could relay the emotion behind the lyrics of the song he chose — Radiohead’s “High and Dry” — which he played on the acoustic guitar, wearing a plum-colored satin suit and black patent leather loafers.
- JUDGE FEEDBACK: Perry said picking Radiohead for his first non-original performance was a “high, high bar” that he met with ease, calling him “amazing.” Bryan said that he loved how he pivoted to play someone else’s song and still was able to show his artistry. Richie said versatility is key and that he’s impressed KAYKO has so many skills he can pull from.
‘American Idol’ Top 12 Results: Hour 2
Kicking off the second hour, Nashville’s Emmy Russell said she doesn’t “fan girl” very often, but her brother is a “huge fan” of Gene Simmons, so she knows all of his songs. She then shakily sang for him, and he said he could see how “tight” she was. To get her out of her head, he yelled and scared her — and it worked, she said. Russell sang Bonnie Raitt’s classic ballad “I Can’t Make You Love Me,” and went back to a glammed-up look after deciding in the previous episode to wear jeans and a t-shirt.
- JUDGE FEEDBACK: “The realness of your voice is so listenable, I have full body chills,” Bryan told her right off the bat. Richie told her that it was great, and Perry told Russell, “You’re not competing against any of those people, you’re competing against yourself — and tonight you won.”
Next up was Jordan Anthony, who was also saved by the judges in the last episode, ready to sing the third Whitney Houston song of the night — “I Wanna Dance With Somebody.” At the start of his mentorship session with Simmons, the rocker gave a loud intro to Anthony but sent him back, telling him to walk in with greater confidence. Simmons noticed that Anthony reveals his nervousness with little quirks in his performance and helped him overcome it. Anthony put a slower spin on Houston’s dance hit but the tempo picked up halfway through as he walked out toward the audience, and then ended it on a sweet falsetto note.
- JUDGE FEEDBACK: Richie said he loves watching Simmons viewing each contestant come alive on the stage, and told Anthony he was “fantastic.” Perry said he sounded like a “super pro” and that he’s “grown so much.” Bryan said they learned his capabilities with that performance and that it was awesome from start to finish.
Back from a break, Seacrest said that 25-year-old McKenna Faith Breinholt was under the weather on the day that Simmons mentored the contestants, so she missed out on receiving his guidance. But she took the stage, sparkling in a sequined, black dress to sing Chicago’s classic hit “Hard to Say I’m Sorry.”
- JUDGE FEEDBACK: After her performance, Simmons exclaimed, “Oh. My. God.” He said that he had no critique because her talent is so “innate” and that she embodied the emotion of the song. Perry and Bryan complimented Breinholt on overcoming being sick late in the week and delivering a solid performance, with Bryan saying it was elegant and beautiful. Richie said that if no one knew she’d been sick, they’d simply think it was a particularly “sexy” version of Chicago’s song.
After a commercial break, Seacrest revealed that ahead of the finale, the top 3 contestants will be mentored by Jon Bon Jovi and sing from the Bon Jovi catalog.
Next, Jack Blocker talked shop with Simmons and about his choice to sing a Bob Dylan song — “Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right.” Simmons called him a “brave young man” to take on Dylan, whom he said he’d spent a lot of time with. “Those lyrics are so particularly Bob Dylan,” he said, so he encouraged Blocker to try to make it his own and make it feel like a conversation, saying that “less is more.” Blocker sat on a stool with his acoustic guitar, surrounded by audience members rather than on the main stage.
- JUDGE FEEDBACK: Bryan said he was smiling throughout his performance, noting that he’s “staying true to who you are.” Richie said that Blocker did exactly what Simmons suggested — “you made a Bob Dylan song yours.” Perry said she loved that many in the audience were likely introduced to that song via Blocker, whom she said is “the coolest.”
Next, Seacrest called up 28-year-old Nya, who was one of the four contestants saved by the judges during the last episode. Simmons told her that it had nothing to do with her talent, but about her “material,” adding that he was still shocked that she had to fight for her survival. When she practiced her song — Aretha Franklin’s “Say a Little Prayer,” he called it “floor-bendingly good” but encouraged her to do it even “bigger.”
- JUDGE FEEDBACK: Richie said he wanted to make it “short and sweet” by calling her a star and encouraged people to “vote, vote, vote” for her. Perry said it was her favorite thing she’s ever heard Nya perform. And Bryan joked that she should make it look a little harder, marveling at how she sings huge songs with such ease.
When the next contestant, Will Moseley, told Simmons that he wanted to sing Bob Seeger’s “Night Moves,” the KISS rocker said Seeger appeared on his solo album and that he knows “all the stars.” Simmons said that it’s a “feel” song, encouraging Moseley to also tell a story through his guitar. Moseley said the advice he gave was so “awesome,” he was still processing it. In his signature hat and a brown suede shirt jacket, the country rocker played his guitar and stayed at the mic at center stage as he belted out the tune.
- JUDGE FEEDBACK: Perry said, “Way to go Big Mo with giving attention to your sensitive side” and added that it was her favorite performance of his so far. Bryan said Simmons’ advice was great and that it’s important to tap into the lyrics that the songwriters chose to express their emotions. Richie said Moseley “killed” the song.
The last performance of the night was by Abi Carter, who told Simmons she was not allowed to listen to rock ‘n roll music while growing up in a “very religious” household. “Rock ‘n roll was the devil’s music,” she said, using air quotes. As she sang Elton John’s “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road,” Simmons told her not to be afraid to “give in to the emotion” and she said she was relieved he didn’t try to get her to be over-the-top with her performance. Carter played the song as a ballad at the grand piano, with no additional accompaniment.
- JUDGE FEEDBACK: Simmons was seen shaking his head in amazement and Bryan started his feedback by saying, “Wow — the complexity of everything that just went on there, from playing the piano to where that song starts in your vocal range!” Richie said that she made Elton John’s lyrics her own, and encouraged viewers to vote. Perry said, “From day one, it’s always been you,” telling Perry that Carter sings with “such an angelic frequency” and that she knows a lot of things are going to happen for her.
Seacrest then reminded viewers that they have only a minute or two left to vote for their favorites.
‘American Idol’ Top 12 Results
ABC“American Idol” judges Luke Bryan, Katy Perry and Lionel Richie during the live Top 12 reveal on April 21, 2024
After votes were tabulated during the final commercial break of the show, Seacrest stood with the Top 14, ready to deliver the first live voting results of the season.
Seacrest then shared that with 19.9 million votes in, he delivered the results. The Top 12 is:
- Roman Collins
- Mia Matthews
- Triston Harper
- Julia Gagnon
- Jack Blocker
- Jayna Elise
- McKenna Faith Breinholt
- Kabrienne Richins
- Emmy Russell
- Abi Carter
- Will Moseley
- KAYKO
That means Jordan Anthony and Nya, who were both saved by the judges the previous week, will be going home. The Top 10 will be revealed on Monday’s episode.