‘American Idol 22’ episode 7 recap: Who are the Top 24? [Live Blog]

Denton Davidson
·10 min read
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Tonight on “American Idol,” the competition narrows during the final showstoppers round for judges Luke Bryan, Katy Perry and Lionel Richie. They’ll decide who will earn a coveted spot in the Top 24 and compete for America’s vote. Ryan Seacrest hosts.

Below, follow with our live blog for “American Idol 22” Episode 7 airing Monday, April 1 (8:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m. ET/PT).

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8:05 p.m. — Tonight the contestants will perform with a full band behind them for the first time. Who will be able to work with the band and work the stage all at once? And who will crumble under the pressure? Throughout this episode we’ll see the performances and then immediately find out if they’ve made the Top 24. First up is Jordan Anthony, an 18-year-old from Perth, Australia singing “Love in the Dark” by Adele. Katy has goosebumps and Luke screams, “He’s melting us!” Luke compliments Jordan’s tone and tells him he’s in the Top 24!

8:10 p.m. — Next up is the season’s first Platinum Ticket holder, Odell Bunton Jr. For his showstopper performance, the 28-year-old from Austin Texas dedicates his performance of “Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood” by Nina Simone to his late sister. “He is silk,” Luke says. He gets a standing ovation before Katy teases, “Unfortunately, this is as far as we can take you,” before finishing with, “It’s going to be up to America from here on out.” Odell has sailed into the Top 24.

8:20 p.m. — Nya, the 28-year-old Broadway performer from Manhattan is on the stage singing “Get Ready” by The Temptations. Katy loves her “fierce” stage presence and says “It’s too early in the day for a fake out.” Nya “is just too good” and the judges welcome her to the Top 24. Next it was former football player Blake Proehl‘s turn. The 24-year-old from Charlotte, North Carolina is singing “In My Blood” by Shawn Mendes, but Katy says, “He’s not believing in his voice. I don’t think he has the experience.” With that, Blake gets some harsh critiques before Katy lets his grandmother deliver the news that he’s made the Top 24!

8:25 p.m. — Triston Harper, the 15-year-old from McIntosh, Alabama is singing “By Your Grace” by Cody Johnson. The judges are blown away by his age and Katy says, “You are so authentic and it feels like no matter what you’re going to be okay.” That said, Triston is going into the Top 24. The news brings the teenager to tears as he thinks back on the days he and his mother were homeless. Katy says, “It’s time to play. It’s time to have fun. It’s time to receive what you have deserved.”

8:32 p.m. — Roman Collins is on stage dedicating “Come Together” by The Beatles to his late mother, who passed away six years ago. The 24-year-old from Long Beach, California is bringing this classic to church and Lionel certainly appears to be caught up in the spirit. Luke says, “We could see the gospel influence all through you,” but encourages him to “edit back” just a little bit in future performances. That means there WILL be future performances and Roman is in the Top 24! Katy calls Roman’s the best performance of the night. What a compliment!

8:45 p.m. — We now have a pair of contestants receiving their news together. Alyssa Raghu, the 21-year-old from Orlando is returning after appearing on the show in 2018 as a teenager. She sings “I Will Survive” by Gloria Gaynor. KB Richins, the 20-year-old from Henefer, Utah is singing “Simple Man” by Lynyrd Skynyrd to show the judges another side to herself. The judges don’t look impressed and KB can feel it from the stage. Did she do enough to make the Top 24? And what about Alyssa? Both take a seat in front of the judges and are told they’ll have to compete in a sing-off. Only one of them will survive and they have one hour to prepare. They can sing either “Shallow” by Lady Gaga & Bradley Cooper or “Fingers Crossed” by Lauren Spencer-Smith. They have to agree to the same song and Katy acknowledges, “The reason it’s a sing-off is because we argued over you.” They return and inform the judges they’ve decided on “Shallow.” Alyssa goes first, followed by KB. The judges hash it out and decide to keep KB and send Alyssa home.

8:47 p.m. — Coming to terms with the end of their own dreams are Tuskegee standout Justice Murphy and Santa Barbara busker Micaela McCall. Also heading back across the pond are UK natives Scarlett Lee and Michael Rice.

8:55 p.m. — Next up is Jack Blocker. The 25-year-old from Dallas barely made it through his first audition, but has impressed the judges in Hollywood. For his showstopper performance he sings “You Should’ve Seen the Other Guy” by Nathaniel Rateliff. Katy is coming to terms with his unusual facial expressions and begins to truly appreciate his voice. Against all odds, Jack has advanced to the Top 24!

9:05 p.m. — We’ve got another double-showstopper moment as McKenna Faith Breinholt and Mia Matthews are called in together. The judges didn’t think McKenna’s performance of “Anyone” by Demi Lovato was her shining moment. Katy says other songs would better fit McKenna’s voice and tell her story. As for Mia, they felt her performance of Loretta Lynn‘s of “You Ain’t Woman Enough” was “really powerful.” After giving them each a scare, the judges tell them that they BOTH have made the Top 24.

9:10 p.m. — In an interesting twist, the next performer is Emmy Russell, Loretta Lynn’s granddaughter. The 24-year-old from Nashville sings “More Hearts Than Mine” by Ingrid Andress. Luke tells her they have wanted her confidence to grow, but there’s still an underlying timidness to her. Next, he tells her it’s probably a pretty good confidence boost to tell her she’s going into the Top 24.

9:15 p.m. — The showstoppers continue with Will Moseley singing “Ain’t No Sunshine” by Bill Withers. The 23-year-old Hazlehurst, Georgia is an authentic vocalist and “it just works.” His natural, relaxed voice is sailing Will into the Top 24.

9:25 p.m. — Next up is the season’s biggest hype-man, Ajii, the 27-year-old Brooklyn native who loves to cheer everyone else on. He admits it may have cost him his voice and he’s coming into the showstoppers at 50%. Still, his tone is impressive and he’s got an infectious personality. After Ajii sings “Too Close” by Alex Clare, Katy advises him to take care of himself first and then support everyone else. That said, Ajii is in the Top 24. Next to hear the good news with little fanfare are Kayko, Elleigh Marie and Kennedy Reid.

9:30 p.m. — It’s now time for KBlocks to hear her fate. The 27-year-old from Montgomery, Alabama sings “River” by Bishop Briggs in the showstoppers round and blows the judges away with her unique, fierce style. She’s unlike anyone else and she’s going to the Top 24. Lionel says, “You made us pay attention to you.”

9:35 p.m. — Hoping to join the celebration is Platinum Ticket winner Abi Carter. She admits she’s not only scared, but she’s sick and suffering from bronchitis. The 21-year-old from Indio, California sings “If I Could Turn Back Time” by Cher in the showstoppers round, but it’s a stripped down version with her playing guitar. Katy isn’t a fan of this combination and felt the guitar held Abi back. Just to dig the knife in a bit, Katy says, “I think the dream ends here,” before adding, “Because it just became a reality. The reality is you are in our Top 24.”

9:40 p.m. — Up next is Jayna Elise, a 22-year-old from Washington D.C. who was cut at this stage of the competition last year. Has she done enough to make the cut this year? She sings “It’s All Coming Back to Me Now” by Celine Dion and gives Lionel the shakes. It’s a diva moment that stands apart from the rest and this time there is no denying Jayna a spot in the Top 24. Joining her are other season standouts Quintavious and Hailey Mia.

9:45 p.m. — Next to hear her fate is Jennifer Jeffries, the 17-year-old from Starkville, Mississippi who sang “Northern Attitude” by Noah Kahan for her showstopper performance. She says she “blacked out” through much of this performance, but the judges all agree she is a massive star in the making with a tone unlike anything we’ve heard before. It’d be a shame to leave her out of the Top 24, and they won’t! We’ll see more of Jennifer in the next round.

9:50 p.m. — Speaking of standouts, it’s time to see what has become of the season’s final Platinum Ticket winner Julia Gagnon. For her showstopper performance the 21-year-old from Cumberland, Maine goes all-in with “And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going” by Jennifer Holliday. Well, she’s certainly not going anywhere after that. She’s flying into the Top 24!

10:00 p.m. — Now two hopefuls nervously wait to see who secures the final spot in the Top 24: Mackenzie Sol and Ziggy. Ziggy sings “This is Me” from “The Greatest Showman” and Mackenzie sings “With a Little Help My Friends” by The Beatles. The judges like both, but we need some drama! That means these two will have a sing-off for the final spot. After they each belt out “Jealous” by Labrinth, the judges agree both “are really good.” In the end, they decide to add Mackenzie to the Top 24, but assure Ziggy he is “a star.” Now it’s time for America to decide. The Top 24 will perform from Aulani Resort in Hawaii in next week’s two-night event. Megastar mentors Tori Kelly and Jelly Roll will be on deck to help.

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