Highest-ranking Utah singer on ‘American Idol’ since David Archuleta gets eliminated

Kaibrienne Richins made it all the way to the “American Idol” top eight before being eliminated Monday night. Her eighth-place finish is the best for a singer from Utah since David Archuleta was named runner-up.

While Utah singers have had a strong presence on “Idol” in recent years — in 2021, Season 19 featured at least six — very few have made it as far as Richins, a 20-year-old singer from the small town of Henefer who was a strong contender all season long, as the Deseret News reported.

Until Richins’ current run on Season 22, the last time a singer from Utah made the “American Idol” top eight was Season 7 — the one where pop star Archuleta, then a Murray resident, soared through the competition and claimed runner-up to David Cook.

Five years before that, Season 2 of “American Idol” (the one with Ruben Studdard and Clay Aiken) featured Bountiful singer Carmen Rasmusen Herbert, who came in sixth on the show.

So Richins is now the third Utah singer in 22 seasons of “American Idol” to have made it to the top eight.

Here’s a look at her final performances on the show.

Kaibrienne Richins reaches ‘American Idol’ top 8

Throughout her time on “Idol,” Richins poured her emotions into ballads that carried a lot of meaning for her, and the top eight round was no different.

The episode featured the “Idol” contestants performing songs from their respective birth years, and the Utah singer opted to perform Three Doors Down’s 2003 hit “Here Without You” in tribute to a childhood friend who died unexpectedly a couple of weeks before the “Idol” live shows began.

Richins had help from country star Shania Twain, who acted as a mentor for the contestants throughout the episode.

Twain, who praised Richins for her ability to perform from a place of vulnerability, encouraged the young singer to explore the nuances and dynamics of the song more.

And the advice paid off — Richins got a standing ovation from all three judges. Some members of her family, who were watching from the crowd, were also visibly emotional.

“The song really fits kind of that gravel, that grit in your voice, and the emotion of it was great,” judge Luke Bryan said. “One of my favorite performances that you’ve done.”

“Idol” judge Lionel Richie noted that there’s a “cry” in Richins’ voice that he “could listen to all night long,” while Katy Perry said she believed Twain brought out the best in the singer’s voice.

“You just have a pot of gold in your voice,” she said. “You just got to learn how to use it every single time, and that was a perfect example.”

Following the performance, viewers pushed Richins through to the top eight. But the next night, the 20-year-old found herself in the bottom two — with her fate on the show in the hands of the judges.

Kaibrienne Richins is eliminated during ‘American Idol’ top 7 reveal

During Monday night’s episode, each of the top eight contestants chose one of three songs to perform — each anonymously selected by judges Katy Perry, Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie, who were competing for the most songs chosen.

Richins opted to go with Olivia Rodrigo’s “traitor,” a selection from Perry — and a song that happened to get her through a breakup in high school.

“I don’t think that heartbroken, 17-year-old me crying in her bed to this song could have ever imagined that she’d be singing this on ‘American Idol,’” Richins said during the episode.

Following the performance, the judges praised Richins for her ability to bring such raw emotion to the rendition.

“That was amazing,” Perry said. “It was very heartfelt. I just think you look like such a superstar.”

“You were speaking from the heart singing that song,” Richie added. “You were really on top of that interpretation. You killed it.”

But once the votes from viewers were tallied, Richins found herself in the bottom two. And ultimately, Perry — the judge who had the most song selections Monday night — opted to move McKenna Faith Breinholt forward in the competition and send Richins home.

Richins previously opened up about her path to getting on “Idol,” sharing how she had to overcome a lot of “self-doubt and fear.” Even just a year ago, she said, there were a number of obstacles that made reaching “American Idol” seem impossible.

“It was kind of beautiful to see,” she told the Deseret News. “Everything happened the way it was supposed to, and I grew in the ways I needed to, to be able to come home and follow that dream and have things fall into place and be the person I am now going into the competition.

“I never should have doubted myself all these years to begin with,” she continued. “A year ago, I didn’t even want to be alive, honestly. It was just a huge moment for me. I’m so glad that I pushed through all those hard days, because here I am.”

Who made the ‘American Idol’ top 7?

As the Deseret News reported, the following singers made the ‘American Idol’ top 7 Monday night:

• Breinholt.

• Jack Blocker.

• Will Moseley.

• Abi Carter.

• Emmy Russell.

• Julia Gagnon.

• Triston Harper.