“American Idol” is officially down to a top five.
With the Season 24 finale and a new winner just two weeks away, here’s a look at the five singers remaining in the competition.
Who made the ‘American Idol’ top 5?
Braden Rumfelt
Braden Rumfelt surprised the judges when he auditioned for “Idol” with Little Big Town’s “Girl Crush.”
“I don’t know what I expected to come out of your mouth, but that wasn’t it,” Carrie Underwood told the 22-year-old singer from Murphy, North Carolina. “It made me happy.”
Impressed with Rumfelt’s vocal range and sound, the judges encouraged the rising singer to loosen up a little bit as he continued on in the competition.
“He’s got such potential,” Lionel Richie said at the end of the audition.
Now, Rumfelt is one of just five singers left in the competition and will be competing for a spot in the final three Monday night.
Performances from Rumfelt on “Idol” have included Rihanna’s “Love on the Brain”; “Remember Me” from Disney’s “Coco”: and Brandon Lake’s “Hard Fought Hallelujah.”
Chris Tungseth
Chris Tungseth, a 27-year-old singer from Minnesota, had a lot of family supporting him at his audition as he performed his original song, “Lonely Road,” in honor of his late dad.
Ahead of his audition, Tungseth shared that he comes from a musical family: His father studied opera and was a pastor and worship leader, while his mom was a pianist.
Music has been an outlet for Tungseth over the years, as he’s navigated challenges like his mom being diagnosed with MS and his father’s leukemia diagnosis. During his “Idol” audition, he showed off his passion for music and his songwriting skills.
“I love everything about you,” Underwood said. “You have an incredible voice. It’s powerful and it’s beautiful, it’s masculine and it’s soft at the same time. You kind of have all the things. Just very impressive the gift that you have to work with and the way that you work with it.”
Luke Bryan drew a comparison to Chris Stapleton and gave the singer high praise: “I think you’re going to go really high in this competition.”
Now, Tungseth has reached the season’s top five. Throughout the competition, his performances have included “Let It Go” from “Frozen”; Edwin McCain’s “I’ll Be”; and Cody Johnson’s “By Your Grace.”
Hannah Harper, a mom of three young boys, has been a standout contestant since she auditioned with her original song “String Cheese.”
After the emotional audition, Harper’s song about motherhood charted on iTunes — ranking above “Baby Shark” in the children’s music category — and ranked No. 14 on Billboard’s Country Digital Song Sales chart. The song also earned praise from artists including country legend Martina McBride and Broadway star Kristin Chenoweth, as the Deseret News previously reported.
Throughout her time on “Idol,” Harper has drawn comparisons to artists like Dolly Parton, Kacey Musgraves and Alison Krauss.
Harper’s performances on “Idol” have included Jo Dee Messina’s “Heads Carolina, Tails California”; Taylor Swift’s “Mean”; Fleetwood Mac’s “Landslide”; and “At the Cross (Love Ran Red).”
Jordan McCullough
Jordan McCullough isn’t new to reality competition shows.
The 27-year-old singer from Murfreesboro, Tennessee, previously auditioned for “The Voice” in 2019 but was unable to get a chair turn from a coach during the performance.
Now, several years later, McCullough has made an impressive run on “American Idol.”
The top five “Idol” contestant and worship leader started his time on the show by singing CeCe Winans’ “Goodness of God.” McCullough, who has been performing in church since he was 4, delivered powerhouse vocals and got a standing ovation from all three judges.
“That’ll wake you up,” Underwood said.
“You have been given an incredible gift and I love that you use it,” the country star continued. “I just had chills pretty much the whole time.”
Richie, meanwhile, said it was “mesmerizing” watching McCullough perform.
“It just felt like worship,” Underwood added. “It didn’t feel forced. It just felt like you were in the moment and we were in the moment with you.”
Performances from McCullough on “Idol” have included Queen’s “Somebody to Love”; Bonnie Raitt’s “I Can’t Make You Love Me”; and “Colors of the Wind” from “Pocahontas.”
Keyla Richardson
Keyla Richardson, a 29-year-old music teacher from Florida, has had her son, Drew, by her side cheering and singing along since her audition.
Richardson wowed the judges with Pink’s “Glitter in the Air” for her audition. After the performance, the judges encouraged Richardson not to give all the power in her voice away at the start and to hold back a little.
“You have a voice that will make people stop in their tracks,” Bryan told her with emotion. “I can’t believe you’re 29 and you hadn’t been in our lives yet. Thank you.”
Richardson’s performances throughout her run on “Idol” have included: Etta James’ “I’d Rather Go Blind”; “Circle of Life” from “The Lion King”; Taylor Swift’s “Lover”; and The Cranberries’ “Zombie.”
What happens next on ‘American Idol’?
During the next live episode of “Idol,” which airs Monday, May 4, the competition will be whittled down to a top three.
“American Idol” will crown a new winner during the season finale, which airs the following Monday, May 11.