'American Idol' Fans Are “Forever Bitter” Over “Ridiculous” Top 7 Vote Ahead of Season Finale

Kayla Keegan
·5 min read

From Good Housekeeping

  • The American Idol finale for season 18 (3rd on ABC) kicks off on Sunday, May 17 at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.

  • Last week, Idol fans were upset with the Top 7 vote.

  • One of the remaining seven finalists will be crowned the winner on finale night, which is set to feature special performances from judges Luke Bryan, Katy Perry, and Lionel Richie.

The votes are in and the American Idol Top 7 of the 2020 season have been decided. But did America make the right call? According to some upset fans ... not at all.

Specifically, many viewers took to Twitter to express how shocked they were that contestants Sophia James and Makayla Phillips wouldn't be competing in the finale on May 17. Despite making it to the Top 11, America bid farewell to Sophia, Makayla, Grace Leer, and Jovin Webb on Sunday's Disney night/Mother's Day episode. Instead, the finalists voted through to the finale include Julia Gargano, Arthur Gunn, Dillon James, Louis Knight, Francisco Martin, Just Sam, and Jonny West.

In light of the results, online reactions ranged from sad to straight-up angry — some rightfully declared that they would be "forever bitter" over how America decided to vote.

Wow, indeed. But thankfully, each eliminated contestant handled their defeat with grace. Makayla, for instance, wrote on Instagram, "Stay true to yourself, and never give up," while Sophia called her American Idol journey "a beautiful ride," and thanked judges Katy Perry, Luke Bryan, and Lionel Richie for their support and "wisdom."

View this post on Instagram

So, my American Idol journey has come to a close. What a beautiful ride it’s been. There are so many people that helped get me where I am...far too many to name individually. Thank you to the behind-the-scenes heros (Ryan, Patrick, Megan, Bri, Anna, Ike, Jensen, Tara, Anhie, Antonio, Phredley, Justin, Brooke, Dan, Phil, Matt, Ryann, and SO many more) for making the magic happen and welcoming me with open arms into this crazy family. Thank you to @jordanrhyner for somehow finding my tiny little instagram page, seeing something in me, and offering me an audition. Gosh, am I glad I went. Thank you to Trish, Megan, and the rest of the production team for believing in me enough to give me a chance on this show. I am forever grateful for that. Thank you to @lionelrichie, @katyperry, and @lukebryan for taking a chance on me and encouraging me every step of the way. What a privilege it’s been to soak in your wisdom first-hand. I have grown so much from what I’ve learned from you and will carry it with me for the rest of my life. Thank you to my family and friends for putting up with the crazy ups and downs of this experience. Your support and love is treasured beyond everything. You are the reason I am here. Thank you to the contestants (my second family). The best thing about this ENTIRE journey has been getting to meet some of my lifelong best friends. I am so honored to know you and so proud of every single one of you. You take up a big chunk of my heart. Lastly...thank YOU. Thank you for your outrageous kindness and support in a magnitude that I never thought I’d experience in my life. Thank you for your cheers, your votes, and your encouragement. There are many of you that I’ve never met, and it is the greatest honor to know that you’ve connected with me enough to listen to what I have to say/sing. You are my greatest dream come true. I have so much music I’ve yet to make. I am so excited to step into this new chapter of my career carrying everything I’ve learned from Idol and beyond along with me. I wouldn’t trade my @americanidol experience for the world. It has been the greatest joy. My heart is full. Thank you. 🧡

A post shared by Sophia James (@sophiajamesmusic) on May 10, 2020 at 6:09pm PDT

Of course, saying goodbye to talented contestants is the least fun part of Idol. Then again, the most fun part is about to come — a.k.a. the moment a new American Idol is crowned the champion.

Based on what we've heard, the remote Idol finale on Sunday (which begins at 8 p.m. ET) will be nothing short of epic. After a double elimination takes place, the five finalists with the highest number of audience votes will perform twice more and real-time voting will determine the winner.

In between all of that madness, Lionel, Katy, and Luke will team up with past Idol contestants — including Alejandro Aranda, Jordin Sparks, Laine Hardy, and Ruben Studdard — to put on a special performance of the inspirational anthem "We Are the World." Luke will also perform his single "One Margarita" and Katy will offer up the TV debut of her upcoming single, "Daisies," according to Billboard.

As you can see, there's still so much to get excited about come Sunday night ... so why dwell in the past?

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