The February 23 episode introduced several new elements to the competition, including a “Gold Room” where safe contestants are sent until it’s time for their next turn at the mic. It’s a little bit like “Untucked” on “RuPaul’s Drag Race,” only with less fighting. And a lot less untucking.
With “the biggest cut in ‘Idol’ history” on the line, we don’t blame judges Luke Bryan, Lionel Richie, and Carrie Underwood for feeling the pressure — but that doesn’t mean we agree with every decision they made this week. Without giving too much away, let’s say there’s one contestant we really, really think the judges need to get serious about. (Fine, we’ll say it. It’s Trace Casanova. Are we losing our minds, or do we have another Sanjaya on our hands here?)
Read on for a breakdown of the 13 singers confirmed to be safe, the handful of hopefuls whose “Idol” journeys ended this week, and the question marks who are still waiting to learn their fates after a truly mind-boggling cliffhanger:
Group 1: Bryant Thomas, Keyla Richardson, and Makiyah
ABC
BRYANT THOMAS | Considering this is only the second time Thomas has performed with his face revealed, it was anyone’s guess what he was going to bring to the table — and we never would have guessed Taylor Swift’s “Champagne Problems.” Soulful and sweet, it was not the performance we thought we’d be getting from the dude with the mullet in the cut-off Army vest. So imagine our surprise as Thomas breezed through the song, handling the emotions nicely. The choreography was unnecessary, and the whole thing got way too theatrical by the end, but we liked everything that came before. TVLine’s grade: “B+”
KEYLA RICHARDSON | Richardson’s precocious son gave her a boost when she first auditioned, and he was back for Hollywood Week, this time seated at the judges’ panel for his mom’s follow-up performance of Jason Mraz’s “I Won’t Give Up.” Singing directly to her son, Richardson started off intentionally sleepy, but she was fully in her element by the time the chorus kicked in, fully embodying the song’s message of hope and perseverance. If the judges weren’t already sold by the end of her performance, those final high notes and runs definitely sealed the deal. TVLine’s grade: “A-”
MAKIYAH | The first truly genuinely sexy performance of the night, Makiyah did with Deborah Cox’s “Nobody’s Supposed To Be Here” what Livy thought she was doing with that uncomfortably sexual take on Bruno Mars’ “Versace on the Floor.” Anyway, Makiyah owned every inch of the stage with her rendition of Deborah Cox’s “Nobody’s Supposed to Be Here.” You could feel the power emanating from her throughout — and that was through the TV. We’re frankly surprised Lionel Richie wasn’t blown clean off his chair. TVLine’s grade: “A-”
There were several notable eliminations that we saw from Group 1: As we mentioned earlier, the judges weren’t vibing with Livy’s too-sexual approach to Bruno Mars’ “Versace on the Floor” (and we don’t disagree), so it’s back to Texas Road House for her. And despite Vika believing that she killed Amy Winehouse’s “You Know I’m No Good,” the judges had trouble understanding her lyrics, due to Vika getting a little too lost in the sauce. Neither elimination felt unfair to us, but we were a little surprised by the poor response to Vika, who seemed pretty good.
Group 2: Jordan McCullough and Madison Moon
ABC
JORDAN MCCULLOUGH | This was a heck of a way to kick off Group 2. McCullough had everyone in the audience (and the judges’ panel, more importantly) grooving from his first note, and they remained in his pocket for the duration of Stevie Wonder’s “Higher Ground.” It was a smart song choice, one that gave McCullough plenty of opportunities to show off his impressive range, ending the whole shebang with a killer high note and a perfect little growl. TVLine’s grade: “A”
MADISON MOON | Hoping to follow in Carrie Underwood’s successful footsteps, Moon chose to sing Heart’s “Alone,” a song famously covered by Underwood when she won her season of “American Idol.” In the end, she didn’t just follow Underwood’s lead — she blazed her own trail, boldly raising the key on the iconic ’80s ballad, blowing the roof off the building in the process. Luke Bryan’s eyes were popping out of his head when she hit that chorus, and rightfully so. Those high notes were so strong, clear, and precise. Moon just became the one to watch. TVLine grade: “A+”
It was less good news for two of Underwood’s rock ‘n’ roll finds: Brett Carlisle fumbled the lyrics to Whitesnake’s “Still of the Night,” even though we thought he still gave a solid performance, and Noah Orion’s take on ZZ Top’s “Sharped Dressed Man” felt like too much of a novelty for the judges. (And yet they continue to send Trace Casanova through? These guys are both better than him!)
Group 3: Trace Casanova (ugh), Roelle, and Hannah Harper
ABC
TRACE CASANOVA | We know we’ve complained a lot about this guy already, but we really have to ask — what dirt does he have on the judges?! We would have eliminated Casanova based on his terrible “mic check” dad joke alone, and that was before he delivered a truly cringey performance of Ozzy Osbourne’s “Crazy Train.” We can get past the naughty lounge singer shtick, but we can’t get past the pitchy singing. This joke has gone on long enough, it’s time to let it go. TVLine’s grade: “C”
ROELLE | Sometimes less really is more, and that was definitely true for Roelle’s sweet, simple take on Chappell Roan’s “California.” It’s a story she can relate to, and you could hear that in her raspy, emotional performance. TVLine’s grade: “B+”
HANNAH HARPER | Luke Bryan couldn’t resist singing along with Harper’s gorgeous, interesting performance of Lee Ann Womack’s “A Little Past Little Rock.” You can’t not love Harper, with her pure country sound, Alison Krauss vibes, and overall songbird aura. Country music is in her bones, and we’re big fans. TVLine’s grade: “A-”