‘American Idol 21’ episode 16 recap: Top 10 perform in ‘Judge’s Song Contest’; who was eliminated? [UPDATING LIVE BLOG]

Denton Davidson
·6 min read
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Tonight on “American Idol,” the “Judge’s Song Contest” returns as Luke Bryan, Katy Perry and Lionel Richie each suggest songs for the contestants to choose from. America votes for the Top 7 LIVE coast to coast. Will your favorites make the cut? Emmy Award winner Ryan Seacrest hosts the reality TV competition series for the show’s sixth season on ABC and 21st overall.

Follow along with our updating live blog on Monday, May 1 (8:00 p.m. ET/5:00 p.m. PT) as we react to the Top 10 performances and reveal who will perform in the Top 7 on Sunday, May 7.

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SEE Everything to know about ‘American Idol’ Season 21: Finalists, judges and celebrity mentors

8:00 p.m. — Previously on “American Idol”! The Top 12 performed for “Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Night.” Lucy Love and Nutsa were eliminated at the end of the episode. Who will stand out tonight as the contestants perform songs chosen by the judges? Let’s find out!

8:10 p.m. — Zachariah Smith is kicking things off with “Wanted Dead or Alive” by Bon Jovi. Although he sounds great, I’m concerned that he has performed too many “old” songs. It can hurt a contestant when people can’t figure out where they would fit into music’s current landscape. Regardless, he’s got an incredible personality and I don’t think he needs to worry about going home anytime soon. This song was chosen by Lionel, so he scores the first point in tonight’s Judge’s Contest. Lionel says “the attitude was perfect.” Katy says the crowd hasn’t screamed that loud for anyone else besides Iam this season.

8:20 p.m. — Haven Madison is next with her spin on “The Only Exception” by Paramore. This fits her voice perfectly. Haven’s at her best when she’s not pushing the vocals and just tells a story. This song was chosen by Katy, who calls it “delicate and beautiful with room to soar.” Luke calls her “the girl next door” and he loves how she tells a story. Lionel says, “You are now in control of your entire career. You’ve got that IT thing going for you.”

8:35 p.m. — Following a special performance from Season 19 champ Chayce Beckham, Wé Ani tackles the Whitney Houston anthem “I Have Nothing.” She’s nervous about not sounding like the legendary diva, but she’s probably the only singer this season with the chops to pull it off. And that she does! The judges look stunned. Wé is surprised to find out that Luke actually picked the song, and he says he is “so proud” and “that was one of the most elegant things” he has ever seen. Lionel says Wé “owned that song.” Katy admits she was wrong, and Wé just showed them that she can “exceed people’s expectations.”

8:48 p.m. — Oliver Steele will be singing “High & Dry” by Radiohead. This song is definitely in Oliver’s lane, but I worry it’s too safe. It’s not the type of performance that typically stands out in a singing competition, although he ended things off with a nice power note. This song was chosen by Katy, who says Oliver “interpreted this Radiohead song” as his own. “It was so angelic.” Luke calls Oliver “a vibe,” but tells him he needs to jam on the guitar more.

9:00 p.m. — Warren Peay is closing out the first hour of tonight’s episode with “Colder Weather” by Zac Brown Band. It’s the most country we’ve heard Warren, and it’s a fantastic fit for his voice. It’s nice to hear him lay back a bit, since he’s typically bulldozing through songs with that powerhouse voice of his. We still got some of that, but it was a balanced performance. This song was chosen by Lionel, who loved the performance and compliments Warren’s storytelling. Katy loves when he plays with the dynamics of his voice.

9:07 p.m. — Iam Tongi is up next, singing “What a Wonderful World” by Louis Armstrong. I mean, come on! It’s a brilliant song choice, but Iam has proven each week that he can do no wrong. He’s just crushing this competition. This was Luke’s song choice, which means the judges are all tied at 2 in their own little contest. Luke says Iam “knocked it out of the park.” Lionel says Iam is “annointed” and “a phenomenon.” Katy asks, “When you win ‘American Idol’ will you please just sing ‘More Than Words’ for me?”

9:20 p.m. — Marybeth Byrd has chosen “Wasted On You” by Morgan Wallen for her big moment. It fits her voice and is a big improvement from last night. She seems to keep growing throughout this competition — is she becoming a star? Lionel seems to think so. This was his song choice and he says this showed her “fight.” Katy says, “Tonight, you are the butterfly.” Luke calls it Marybeth’s “standout moment” this season.

9:30 p.m. — Tyson Venegas is ready to give it his all with “Someone You Loved” by Lewis Capaldi. It’s his first time churning out an emotional ballad and he’s pulling it off. I would have loved to hear him push it up just one more octave, but that was still great. This song was chosen by Katy, who says, “It was exactly what I wanted to see from him.” Lionel says Tyson “stepped into his own style” tonight.

9:40 p.m. — Megan Danielle is next with an emotional pick of “Go Rest High On That Mountain” by Vince Gill. Megan actually sang this song at her grandfather’s funeral and has avoided it ever since. She grows in confidence each week, and despite looking emotional at the beginning, she powered through. This song was chosen by Luke, who hugs the young singer as he tells her, “That was unbelievable.” Lionel says Megan has “an amazing ability to touch.” Katy says Megan’s grandpa is trying to tell her she’s exactly where she needs to be right now.

9:50 p.m. — The last singer tonight is Colin Stough with “It’s Been Awhile” by Staind. It adds some rock flavor to his country twang, and I think Colin is at his best when he blends genres. This was Katy’s song choice for Colin, crowning her the winner of the Judge’s Song Contest. She says Colin is “a star.” Luke says Colin will get more comfortable onstage, but he’s “knocking stuff out of the park.”

10:00 p.m. — Voting has closed with just under 23 million votes coming in. Ryan reveals the Top 7 in no particular order: Megan, Haven, Warren, Wé, Colin, Iam and Zachariah. That means Oliver, Marybeth and Tyson are the bottom three, BUT Katy holds a special save. She decides to keep Oliver. That means Marybeth and Tyson have been eliminated.

Be sure to make your predictions to influence our reality TV racetrack odds. You can keep changing your predictions until just before the next episode airs on ABC. You’ll compete to win eternal bragging rights and a spot on our “American Idol 21” leaderboard. See our contest rules and sound off with other fans in our reality TV forum. Read more Gold Derby entertainment news.

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