‘American Idol 22’ episode 10 recap: Who made the Top 20 and who was eliminated on April 14? [Live Blog]

Denton Davidson
·12 min read
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Tonight on “American Idol,” host Ryan Seacrest announces the Top 20, who will each perform a song of their choice to capture America’s vote once more. Luke Bryan, Katy Perry and Lionel Richie give feedback from the judges’ table and guest performers Teddy Swims, Lauren Spencer-Smith and Paul Russell take the stage.

Below, follow with our live blog for “American Idol 22” Episode 10 airing Sunday, April 14 (8:00 p.m. – 11:00 p.m. ET/PT). The Top 14 will be revealed on Monday, April 15.

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8:03 p.m. — Ryan reveals nearly 30 million votes were cast to decide tonight’s Top 20. Tonight, viewers at home are in charge again. Over the next three hours the Top 20 will be revealed and they will instantly sing for a spot in the Top 14. Keep in mind, the results of tonight’s Top 20 are in no particular order. Let’s get started!

8:07 p.m. — The first to advance is Jack Blocker. The 25-year-old from Dallas is singing “You Don’t Mess Around with Jim” by Jim Croce. It’s a fun uptempo song that shows a different side of Jack’s personality, but I’m not sure it’s really a “moment” for him. He’s a great singer though. The judges are on their feet and Lionel kicks things off saying, “That’s perfect song.” He loves to see Jack’s personality come out. Katy respects Jack for staying true to himself. Luke says Jack is making it “all come together.”

8:15 p.m. — The second member of the Top 20 is Mia Matthews. The 19-year-old from Centre, Alabama is singing “Wildflowers and Wild Horses” by Lainey Wilson. She really just keeps getting better each week as she continues to come out of her shell. Another great performance from Mia. Katy says Mia has found her “roar.” Luke compliments her progress and hopes to see her loosen up even more on stage. Lionel says she made Alabama proud and Mia is a “serious artist.”

8:22 p.m. — Next to join the Top 20 is Mackenzie Sol. The 23-year-old from Henderson, Nevada is singing “I’ll Never Love Again” by Lady Gaga. He begins playing piano and eventually pulls the mic and works the stage, belting out the high notes and showing off his falsetto. Luke says Mackenzie is still growing in this competition and says he’s a guy people want to cheer for. Lionel compliments the passion in Mackenzie’s performances. Katy wanted more annunciation and told him to keep having “fun with it.”

8:30 p.m. — Next in the Top 20 is Roman Collins. The 24-year-old from Long Beach, California is singing “Never Would Have Made It” by Marvin Sapp. Roman wants to be a gospel singer and I’m glad he’s going all in for this performance, remaining true to who he is. It’s also a smart way to carve his own lane in this singing contest. He is going IN on this song. Lionel is on his feet halfway through the performance and Katy’s lashes are about to fall off because she’s already crying. Lionel says he’s never seen an “American Idol” audience respond to a performance like the crowd just did to Roman. Katy says called it “powerful” and says he has inspired millions of people praying for miracles. Luke calls it “one of the most powerful things I’ve ever seen on this show.”

8:40 p.m. — Next in the Top 20 is Kennedy Reid. The 23-year-old from New Albany, Indiana is singing “Love Can Build a Bridge” by The Judds. She admits she chose the song because she’s been the recipient of a lot of online bullying since her audition, with people mocking her wigs and makeup. Tonight she’s stripped all that away for this country classic. Katy says Kennedy sent wigs flying and she’s proud of her. Luke says Kennedy will continue to prove the haters wrong the rest of her life. Lionel says the first rule of show business is to not listen to idiots who have no idea how hard she works.

8:52 p.m. — Following a special performance from Teddy Swims, the Ryan announces the next member of the Top 20 is Ajii. The 27-year-old from Brooklyn, New York is singing “Like a Stone” by Audioslave. He’s rockin’ out with this one and his voice is as powerful as ever. Luke compliments Ajii’s energy, but warns him not to get “too yelly.” Lioenl calls Ajii “Mr. Feelgood.” Katy loves Ajii’s song choices and compliments the way he pushes his vocals with each performance.

9:00 p.m. — The next member of the Top 20 is Jennifer Jeffries. The 18-year-0ld from Starkville, Mississippi is singing “Grave Digger” by Matt Maeson. She still has one of my favorite tones in the competition, but I’m not too excited about this song choice. It wasn’t my favorite performance of hers. Lionel says he’d like to pour a “big giant bucket of confidence” all over her. Katy thinks Jennifer is getting in her head a little bit and hopes she can step out of that. Luke reminds Jennifer how special her voice is and thinks America is going to fall in love with her.

9:07 p.m. — Next in the Top 20 is Emmy Russell. The 25-year-old from Nashville, Tennessee is singing her original song “Want You.” I think this is the first time I’ve seen her perform without an instrument. It’s a soft, quiet song but her pure tone cuts through it nicely. Katy says it was one of her favorite original songs from Emmy, but she wants more breath and longer, more powerful notes. Luke could feel the emotion and calls it his favorite performance of hers. Lionel says, “That’s a hit record.” He also calls her an “incredible” songwriter.

9:18 p.m. — Next in the Top 20 is Triston Harper. The 15-year-old from McIntosh, Alabama is singing his original song “H-O-P-E.” What a voice on this kid. The judges give him a standing-O and Luke asks, “How do you get that much talent in a 15-year-old?” Lionel says Triston will never be a secret ever again and he has all the tools to do this for the rest of his life. Katy calls it a “stellar” performance.

9:30 p.m. — The final member of the Top 20 from Jelly Roll’s group is Odell Bunton Jr. That means the first two eliminated contestants tonight are Elleigh Marie and KBlocks. Odell is singing “The Door” by Teddy Swims. This is the second week in a row the 29-year-old from Austin, Texas has chosen an uptempo, which is always a risk on a singing contest. I think he would be wise to crank out a ballad if he makes the Top 14 tomorrow. It is pretty cool that Teddy is standing on the sidelines to witness this and he’s got a huge smile of approval on his face. Teddy screams, “I think I’m retiring that song from my set!” Lionel says he could feel Odell singing for his life and says, “You have the ability to move people.” Katy called it “controlled” in the beginning and loved how he “let it ride” at the end.

9:35 p.m. — The next person in the Top 20 is Kayko. The 23-year-old from Fort Lauderdale, Florida is singing his original song “Over You.” It’s an uptempo pop song. There’s something about Kayko’s originals that always border on Broadway to me, so it wasn’t a surprise to find out tonight that he has a background in theater. Katy exclaims, “You’re gonna be a mega-star!” Luke says it was “fun to watch” and “a big surprise.” Lionel says, “As a songwriter, you are sitting on a goldmine.”

9:45 p.m. — Next in the Top 20 is Jordan Anthony. The 19-year-old from Perth, Australia is singing “When the Party’s Over” by Billie Eilish. He starts off a little shaky in his falsetto notes, but quickly finds his footing. He belts this song out while playing piano, showing a different side of his artistry than he did in Hawaii. The judges give him a standing ovation, which seems like an overreach for me, but it’s their choice. Luke loves how much range Jordan showed tonight. Lionel compliments his ability to tell a story. Katy calls it one of her favorite performances of the evening.

9:55 p.m. — Next in the Top 20 is Quintavious. The 22-year-old from Franklin, Tennessee is singing “Hollow” by Tori Kelly. He’s injecting all that gospel flare and power into the song and the crowd seems to be eating it up. Lionel calls Quintavious “electric” and says the performance was “amazing.” Katy said his last run knocked her sideways. Luke calls it his favorite performance from Quintavious so far this season.

10:00 p.m. — Next in the Top 20 is Kaibrienne “KB” Richins. The 20-year-old from Henefer, Utah is singing her original song “Girl I Am Now.” Based on the intro package she may have dropped the initials and last name — she is now simply Kaibrienne. She’s singing from the piano, and I’m not sure she’s completely comfortable on the keys just yet. She’s looking down a lot and at one point she pauses as if she lost her place in the song. She recovers nicely though and still sounds good. Then, she loses her spot a second time. It’s tough to watch, but it’s like each time she makes a mistake she comes back sounding stronger. Katy says it’s boring when everyone’s perfect and said there was “humanity” in that performance. Luke calls it “real” and says Kaibrienne took herself to another level with that performance. Lionel gives us a memory of one of his worst stage meltdowns and reassures Kaibrienne, “You got us.”

10:15 p.m. — After a guest performance from Paul Russell, Ryan announces the next member of the Top 20 is Nya. The 28-year-old from Manhattan, New York is singing “Georgia on My Mind” by Ray Charles. She dedicates this performance to her deceased father. It’s a bit of a jazzy rendition of this classic. After a mediocre start Nya really rips into the notes and gives us the full power of her voice. She’s effortless in her range. Diva! Lionel calls it “an undeniable performance.” Katy says Nya reminds her of Jennifer Hudson and called it beautiful to watch. Luke is blown away by how effortless Nya makes everything seem and calls her one of his favorite vocalists in the competition.

10:25 p.m. — The next member of the Top 20 is Jayna Elise. The 22-year-old from Washington, D.C. is singing “My All” by Mariah Carey. It’s a bold choice to sing a song from one of the great voices in pop history, but she’s doing a good job. Her arrangement has more of a rock edge compared to the original, which seems to be Jayna’s style. Lionel says she sang like she’s been waiting for that moment her whole life. Katy compliments her authenticity and loves how she sings everything “the Jayna way.” Luke says she did “an amazing job.”

10:30 p.m. — The next person in the Top 20 is Abi Carter. The 21-year-old from Indio, California is singing “Welcome to the Black Parade” by My Chemical Romance. She’s singing from the piano and it’s absolutely gorgeous. This might be my favorite performance of hers so far this year. Katy is weeping. She says she felt like she got “transported to a whole different realm.” Luke says it felt like they were at Abi’s concert. Lionel says it was “magic” and she had complete control of the audience.

10:48 p.m. — Following a performance from “Idol” alum Lauren Spencer-Smith, Ryan announces the next member of the Top 20 is Will Moseley. The 23-year-old from Hazlehurst, Georgia is singing “Makin’ Me Look Good Again” by Drake White. He’s so easy to watch, it feels like he’s one of the famous guest performers up there tonight. Luke calls it “perfect” and “on the money.” He adds, “I think you’ll be in the finale.” Lionel says, “I love the way you do your thing.” Katy loved it as well and and she’s happy he chose to audition this season.

10:53 p.m. — Next in the Top 20 is McKenna Faith Breinholt. The 25-year-old from Gilbert, Arizona is singing “Both Sides Now” by Joni Mitchell. I love her voice so much. Those low notes are butter. Lionel said Joni would be so proud of how McKenna turned Joni’s song into her own. Katy felt that song like she never has before. Luke says this performance makes her a real contender to win the whole thing.

11:00 p.m. — The last spot in the Top 20 belongs to Julia Gagnon, the 21-year-old Platinum Ticket winner from Cumberland, Maine. That means we say goodbye to Blake Proehl and Hailey Mia. Julia is singing “I Believe” by Fantasia. I’m not in love with this song choice for Julia and I think she’s pushing a little beyond her range. Katy loved the heartfelt delivery and calls it “amazing.” Luke calls her an inspiration. Luke tells Julia everyone is so proud of her. So, that’s a wrap! Vote for your favorites. The Top 14 will be revealed tomorrow, Monday, April 15.

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