‘American Idol 21’ episode 9 recap: Who made the Top 24 in ‘Final Judgement Part 1’? [LIVE BLOG]

Denton Davidson
·8 min read
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“American Idol,” the iconic series that revolutionized the television landscape by pioneering the music competition genre, is back for another season on ABC. Helping determine who America will ultimately vote for to become the next singing sensation are music industry forces and superstar judges Luke Bryan, Katy Perry and Lionel Richie. Emmy Award winner Ryan Seacrest hosts the reality TV competition series for the show’s sixth season on ABC and 21st overall.

Performing with a band for the first time, contestants sing their hearts out in their last chance to make it to America’s vote. In the “Final Judgment,” contestants face off with the judges sealing their fate for a spot in the Top 24. Follow along with our live blog for this episode airing Sunday, April 9 (8:00-10:00 p.m. EDT) on ABC, below.

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SEE Everything to know about ‘American Idol’ Season 21: Premiere date, judges and host

8:00 p.m. — Previously on “American Idol”! Memorable alumni returned as contestant mentors to build confidence, stage presence and songwriting skills. All the contenders sang in the Duets round, but only a select few advanced to tonight’s Showstopper performances. Who will make the Top 24? Let’s find out!

8:06 p.m. — The morning after their Showstopper performances, contestants gather in a room to be called into the judges’ chambers. There, they will be told if they’ve done enough to reach the Top 24 and compete for America’s vote. More than half of them will be eliminated. Up first is Kaeyra, who sang “River” by Bishop Briggs for her Showstopper. She played bass guitar for the first time in the competition to show off additional musical talent. Lionel told the 21-year it’s time for her quit being a lounge singer and start being a lead singer. She’s in the Top 24!

8:12 p.m. — Warren Peay put down his guitar to concentrate on the vocals of his Showstopper performance, “Whipping Post” by the Allman Brothers Band. It’s one of his favorite songs of all time, so he hopes he did it justice. The judges seem concerned to see him without a guitar, but he pulled it off! Luke tells Warren he is the next singer in the Top 24.

8:25 p.m. — After narrowly making it through the Duets round, 25-year old Nutsa had a lot to prove. She pulled out all the stops for her Showstopper of “Proud Mary” by Tina Turner. It’s fun to see someone actually cut loose and dance with their performance. She definitely puts on a show! Katy says, “We might be nuts for Nutsa!” While delivering the news, Katy tortures the poor woman and says, “We did not put you in our Top 24,” before adding, “You put yourself in the Top 24.” So we’ll be seeing more from Nutsa next week!

8:33 p.m. — Next to learn his fate is music teacher Adin Boyer, who sang “Viva La Vida” by Coldplay for his Showstopper performance. The judges are mesmerized by the 22-year old’s piano skills, but does he move them vocally? Not enough. Lionel tells Adin that he’s ready to start a career in songwriting right now, in fact, Lionel wants to write alongside him. But he’s just not vocally ready for this particular competition.

8:37 p.m. — Michael Williams is next. The 21-year old from Ohio sang “Angels Like You” by Miley Cyrus for his Showstopper. He’s got great stage presence, but this was a rare vocal struggle for the performer. Lionel sums it up best by saying, “There’s a point where you gotta stop being cute and really kill ’em.” Once again, Katy scares him into thinking he’s been cut before saying, “We have to let you go…into the Top 24.” So, despite a less-than-stellar round from Michael, he’ll have another shot for America’s vote.

9:00 p.m. — The judges have had a hard time deciding between PJAE and Malik Heard, so they call both in together. For his Showtopper, PJAE sang “I Want You” by Luke James. It’s a little strained and Katy thinks he stays in his higher register for a little too long. Malik sang “Can We Talk” by Tevin Campbell. He goes a little off with the falsetto, but I definitely prefer his performance. The judges decide make PJAE and Malik pick a song and have a sing-off. They’ll have a bit of time to rehearse and come back. Who will prevail? After an hour, they return and sing “Everything I Wanted” by Billie Eilish. The judges deliberate and decide BOTH proved they had what it takes to make the Top 24. They’ve decided to move someone else out of the competition instead.

9:04 p.m. — Wé Ani has been taking risks throughout the entire competition, and she won’t stop now taking on “Ain’t No Way” by Aretha Franklin. As Luke said, she was really layin’ it on them with this one. She’s a star and she’s heading to the Top 24!

9:15 p.m. — Zachariah Smith has been fun to watch this season, but will it be enough to move him forward? He continues the theatrics with a performance of “Don’t Stop Me Now” by Queen and, as always, shows his love for entertaining a crowd. He’s a bit of a ham up there, but in a fun way. More importantly, he’s got a great voice! It’s really difficult not to smile while Zachariah is on stage. If he makes it to America’s vote, he’s a legitimate threat to win. And he’s done just that. Zachariah is in the Top 24!

9:25 p.m. — Platinum Ticket winner Kaylin Hedges is singing “Kiss From a Rose” by Seal for her spot in the Top 24. The 15-year old came in with high expectations, but she’s sort of been in the background in Hollywood. This Showstopper performance is actually a bit brutal to listen to, so I’m not sure what the judges will do here. Alas, Lionel tells Kaylin she just needs more time, but she wouldn’t have made it this far if she didn’t have promise. It’s the end of the road for this Platinum Ticket holder.

9:32 p.m. — Kaylin’s duet partner and fellow Platinum Ticket holder Tyson Venegas now worries he will suffer the same fate. He had a rough time in the Showstoppers round while singing “Cuz I Love You” by Lizzo. He blanked out and forgot the lyrics in the first verse, but recovered. Still, it was possibly his worst performance of the competition. The judges haven’t lost faith in this young talent and Tyson will advance to the Top 24.

9:38 p.m. — Songwriter Haven Madison has chosen “Bird Set Free” by Sia for her Showstopper. The 16-year old has been a standout all season, but this wasn’t particularly her best moment. Luke thinks she has “tons of promise” and Haven has made the Top 24!

9:45 p.m. — Next up is Fire, who has had a roller coaster of a season. She auditioned twice, had her Duets partner quit on her and barely scraped by to make the Showstoppers round. She sings “Mercy” by Duffy in hopes of proving she has what it takes to sing for America’s vote. The judges have seen a lot of growth from Fire, but she’s not quite ready for the main stage. Her journey has come to an end.

9:50 p.m. — Powerhouse Lucy Love is up next and she sang “Flying Without Wings” by Season 2 champ Ruben Studdard for her Showstopper. It’s a little less controlled than some of her other performances, but I can’t imagine them dropping her. She’s got too much personality. Lionel says she has “such a vocal gift,” but Katy noticed Lucy wasn’t happy with her performance. Well, the judges were happy and Lucy is in the Top 24!

10:00 p.m. — Closing out tonight’s episode will be another face-off between two contestants. Paige Anne was sick for the Showstoppers round and had to perform “California Dreamin'” by The Mamas & the Papas through an iPhone. It certainly wasn’t ideal, but she did her best and sounded good. Megan Danielle sang “Always Remember Us This Way” by Lady Gaga. These are two great young singers, but there is only room for one. They’re asked to pick any Adele song and come back. They choose “Easy On Me” and return. Paige sings her heart out and everyone’s impressed. But when it’s time for Megan to take her shot, the episode ends! This duel will continue tomorrow night when “American Idol” returns for the “Final Judgement Part 2.” Who will make the cut?

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