On Sunday night, “American Idol” will eliminate eight singers from the competition and reveal its top 16.
Here’s a rundown of what to expect.
Who has a shot at making the ‘American Idol’ top 16?
Two singers in the competition — Liahona Olayan and Wyatt Pike — are based in Utah. Both received high praise from the judges for their performances this past week.
After Olayan sang a duet with R&B singer PJ Morton on April 5, all of the judges told the 17-year-old she has what it takes to make it in the music industry — everything from her radio-friendly voice to her ability to write songs and choreograph her own performances.
- I just think that you are on your way to something huge — huge,” Lionel Richie told Olayan, the Deseret News reported.
Pike, meanwhile, performed a duet with singer-songwriter Ben Rector during the most recent round. Like Olayan, the judges also told the 20-year-old singer from Park City that he could make it as a musician.
- “You ... stepped into your stardom,” Katy Perry told Pike, according to the Deseret News. “You are an authentic superstar musician. You could go on tour today and fit in right now.”
As reported by the Deseret News, the remaining 22 singers also in the running are:
- Alana
- Anilee List
- Alanis Sophia
- Alyssa Wray
- Andrea Valles
- Ava August
- Beane
- Caleb Kennedy
- Casey Bishop
- Cassandra Coleman
- Cecil Ray
- Chayce Beckham
- Colin Jamieson
- Deshawn Goncalves
- Grace Kinstler
- Graham DeFranco
- Hannah Everhart
- Hunter Metts
- Jason Warrior
- Madison Watkins
- Mary Jo Young
- Willie Spence
At the start of Sunday night’s episode, eight singers will be cut from the competition. The episode will then feature performances from the remaining 16 contestants, and viewers will have the chance to vote for their favorite singers.
How do you vote on ‘American Idol’?
- There are three ways to vote on “American Idol”: online at idolvote.abc.com; through the “American Idol” apps that can be downloaded via the App Store or Google Play Store; and texting a contestant’s corresponding number — given during the episode — to “21523.”
- Each method allows up to 10 votes.
- Voting for the top 16 “American Idol” contestants begins April 11 at the start of the East Coast broadcast (6 p.m. MT) and ends at 4 a.m. MT on April 12, according to ABC.com.
What happens after the ‘American Idol’ top 16 episode?
- Following the overnight voting, “Idol” will reveal 10 contestants who are moving to the top 12 at the start of Monday night’s episode, an “Idol” representative told the Deseret News.
- From there, the remaining six contestants will perform for a spot in the top 12. The “Idol” judges will pick the final two contestants to round out the top 12.