Monday on American Idol, top 12 semifinalists Jayna Elise and Roman Collins gave arguably their best performances of Season 22. On a Billboard No. 1 Hits-themed episode mentored by Meghan Trainor, Jayna belted Rihanna's "Diamonds" — dedicated to late Season 19 runner-up Willie Spence — looking like a superstar with her Björk/Lisa Lopes space-buns and two-inch talons. And she shined brighter than she ever had before. Katy Perry said Jayna had "finally reached her 100 percent," and Lionel Richie told Jayna, "Your stage presence is something we can't teach."
Roman was even more of a roaring force, doing Katy's own anthem "Roar." The song choice was a risk — even Meghan gasped, "Uh oh!" when she first learned of Roman's plan — and it was a departure for the gospel belter, as he performed in jazzy John Legend mode, sitting alone at a piano and taking many melodic liberties. But once he jumped off the bench and started working the stage — and beyond, literally! — he worked his usual churchy magic. He was a champion, or so it seemed, and we heard him roar, all right.
Katy was so impressed that she stood up to shake Roman's hand, then went in for a big bear hug. Luke Bryan called Roman a "world-class entertainer." Lionel told him, "You have never failed to take it over the top." And Katy told Roman, "My parents, who have prayed for me all my life — and I credit a lot of my success to them — are praying for you too."
Well, apparently Mr. and Mrs. Perry weren't praying hard enough. Because at the end of the night... Roman went home.
And... so did Jayna.
Jayna and Roman were both wild-card picks last week, saved by the judges, so the odds were always against them making it to the top 10, no matter how well they performed this week. I've repeatedly complained that the show's current voting system, which opens real-time voting at the top of the episode, before everyone has performed, and closes the voting window before the final commercial break — even on tape-delayed nights like Monday, when the episode did not air simultaneously on the West Coast — doesn't allow an underdog to come from behind with a game-changing performance and become a frontrunner. David Cook, Kris Allen, or even Kelly Clarkson probably would not have won their respective seasons under these circumstances.
Whatever the reason for Roman and Jayna's eliminations, the optics were pretty bad here, with two excellent Black vocalists getting cut on the same night, thus leaving the season with a very white-washed top 10.
To be perfectly fair, America would have had a tough time voting no matter what, as Monday's top 12 night was closely competitive. Several of the contestants were admittedly not as their best, but only one, the shy and outside-her-comfort-zone Emmy Russell, really faltered. (Emmy looked shocked when she made it through; she knew she'd had a rough night.) The cuts for the remainder of this season are going to be brutal, and for the first time in many seasons, there doesn't seem to be an obvious winner (like there was last year, when Iam Tongi ran away with the competition from the start).
Here's how the rest of Monday panned out:
Abi Carter, "All Too Well"
If there is anyone who has seemed like the chosen-one frontrunner all season, it's this Platinum Ticketed prodigy. Just last night, Katy even told Abi, "From day one, it's been you." But now I'm worried that Abi is peaking too early. With her random nervous smiling, she seemed uncharacteristically disconnected tonight, and the result wasn't nearly impactful as her "What Was I Made For?" audition or last week's "Welcome to the Black Parade." Luke also lamented that this performance wasn't at the level of Sunday's "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road," which he'd called one of her "most shining moments," and he suggested that she work the stage next time and not stay stuck behind her piano. Lionel appreciated that Abi pushed herself vocally at the end of "All Too Well," but he still craved more. Katy was the only dissenting judge, telling the "angelic" Abi, "You're just so good at what you do, every single time." I agree with Lionel and Luke that Abi needs to mix it up, before she plateaus.
Will Moseley, "Starting Over"
This is another contestant that I fear might plateau. Will is so likable and such a natural, with what Lionel has called an "instant-identity" voice, that he doesn't need to do much to win votes. But this Chris Stapleton song choice was a bit too on-the-nose (Will has been compared to Stapleton all season), so this was a step back from the previous night's vibey Bob Seger cover. Will is in zero danger for now and he'll at least make the top five, so he might as well take a few chances going forward.
Mia Matthews, "Over You"
Mia was back to playing guitar this week, and she was clearly comfortable onstage. She also looked like a country-pop princess/America's sweetheart in that frilly pink Barbie prom dress. This was very pretty and charming. It wasn't an explosive performance, but it didn't need to be, at least for now. (Katy did warn Mia, "It's going to get tight, so you need to bring out another card.") Luke called Mia "a daggone star," and Lionel told her, "You're taking control of your life, your career, and more importantly, your artistry."
Jack Blocker, "Blinding Lights"
Jack is shaping up to be one of this season's most diverse and risk-taking contestants, and I am here for it. Last night, he covered Bob Dylan, and now, he put his own spin on the Weeknd. Get you a man that can do both! Jack's Americana-ized radical remake of Abel's synthy pop bop was giving me Jack White-meets-Hozier vibes, and I loved that he kept people guessing. "You did it again. You've given us that brain of yours again," chuckled an impressed Katy. Luke wanted more energy, but called this performance "really, really cool." Lionel told Jack, "You're actually guiding us. You are now in control of telling us who you are."
Emmy Russell, "Lose You to Love Me"
OK... this was dreadful. While she's never been the strongest power-singer in this season's bunch, Emmy has excelled when crooning her own confessional material (which obviously wasn't an option on Billboard No. 1 Hits Night) or winsome, folky fare. So, why a Selena Gomez song? And why that Y2K pop-starlet makeover that rendered her nearly unrecognizable? Emmy lost herself tonight. She struggled during rehearsals, flubbing the lyrics and straying far from the melody, and she looked downright deer-in-headlights terrified onstage and relieved when the whole awkward ordeal was over. The judges were too kind, with Katy comparing Emmy to Kacey Musgraves and even claiming this was Emmy's best vocal yet, but at least Luke admitted that he could "see the anxiety on her face."
Triston Harper, "Beautiful Crazy"
This was a ho-hum song choice, and Lionel missed the "angst" that Triston, whom Meghan described as "15 going on 50," has brought to previous performances, including last night's lively Elvis cover. Luke even called this a "15-year-old performance," which was not a compliment. I'm sure Triston will be back to his 50-year-old self next week, but this was a minor (no pun intended) misstep.
Julia Gagnon, "Something in the Orange"
Wow! Finally! Finally Julia fulfilled the promise of her Platinum Ticket audition, and finally she seemed truly confident on the stage and in her own skin. This was her finest performance to date — gritty and authentic and swampy, with none of the previous evening's glammed-up pageant cosplay that didn't really suit her. Katy loved all of Julia's dynamics, and Lionel said, "That performance convinced me that you're back in the game."
Kaibrienne, "Wrecking Ball"
I thought Miley Cyrus's melodramatic heartbreak ballad would be a perfect fit for an emotive, raspy rocker like KB, but something was a little off here. She seemed ahead of the song at first, rushing — maybe it was nerves, or maybe she couldn't hear the band? — and the cellist-accompanied performance didn't come together until the final chorus, when what Lionel called the "signature" natural crack in KB's voice came out. I expected more from Kaibrienne, who's been consistent all season and has never let her running-high emotions derail a performance, even when she's literally crying onstage. Hopefully she'll be back in the game next week.
McKenna Faith Breinholt, "Cardigan"
McKenna was so ill this week that she couldn't even meet with top 14 mentor Gene Simmons, and for top 12 night she had to rehearse with Meghan over Zoom because she was still recovering. I'll therefore grade this performance, as I did Sunday's, on a curve. McKenna was still froggy-throated, but she sounded like she was on the mend, and by picking a soft Swift song not full of showy power notes, she was able to work within her currently limited range. Lionel told McKenna, "You and that cold sound really sexy," and Luke said, "You milked the moment with the quality of your voice."
Kayko, "Somebody That I Used to Know"
Monday's biggest risk-taker was this guy, and man, did the risk pay off! Kayko was a total rock star tonight, from his Coachella-festival styling (guyliner and a shaggy poncho) to the way he worked the stage like he was playing a stadium. He was an absolute force of nature. No, he wasn't singing perfectly throughout, but what rock star does? It was all about the vibe tonight. Lionel summed it up nicely when he gasped, "Three words: Wow, wow, wow."
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