“American Idol” Reveals Top 14 Contestants

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American Idol‘s 22nd season has been full of surprises and Monday night’s episode (April 15) was no different.

During the biggest cut of the post-Hollywood rounds so far, the field of 20 hopefuls was whittled down to 14. During Sunday’s show, the Top 24 was cut to 20 and the remaining 20 sang for America’s votes.

Ten of the twenty were chosen to advance to the Top 14 by public vote and performed a song of their choice and proved why they earned the vote. Those who didn’t garner enough votes to advance had to sing for their lives and show the judges why they deserved to stay.

The contestants who earned a spot in the Top 14 by America’s vote are:

McKenna Faith Breinholt
Jack Blocker
Mia Matthews
Sam “Kayko” Kelly-Cohen
Will Moseley
Abi Carter
Kaibrienne Richins
Emmy Russell
Julia Gagnon
Triston Harper 

The artists saved by the judges are: Jordan Anthony, Nya, Jayna Elise and Roman Collins.

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The results are always full of surprises, but Monday’s were even more surprising considering that Platinum ticket winner Odell Bunton Jr. was eliminated along with other fan favorites, Quintavious Johnson, Mackenzie Sol and Kennedy Reid.

But, as history has shown, being eliminated from a reality singing competition doesn’t have to be the end for these talented singers.

Luke Combs, Tori Kelly, Lady A’s Hillary Scott and Maren Morris were all rejected by American Idol and went on to find fame without the show. Country superstar Lainey Wilson was rejected by the show seven times!

American Idol season 16 winner Maddie Poppe auditioned for The Voice prior to her Idol run. In a 2019 interview, Poppe revealed that during her Voice Blind Audition, no coaches turned their chair for her.

“I was totally rejected on national TV and it was really embarrassing,” the singer told the Deseret News in October 2019. “It was so discouraging, and I thought, ‘Man, if these people don’t like me, then no one will.’”

Tune in Sunday, April 21, as the Top 14 perform during a Rock Hall-themed episode where, for the first time, the 2024 inductees for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame will also be announced. Two contestants will be eliminated at the end of the show, with two more going home the following night, leaving this season’s Top 10 to continue their Idol journey.