The Top 7 celebrated Taylor Swift on the April 27 episode of American Idol. The remaining contestants all sang songs from Swiftâs catalogue, and also saluted Californiaâs biggest artists throughout the night.
Nikki Glaser joined the judgesâ panel alongside Luke Bryan, Carrie Underwood, and Lionel Richie to give the artists commentary and critiques. However, the power was in the hands of the viewers, who got to vote for their favorites over the course of the live episode.
At the end of the night, the two singers with the lowest amount of votes were eliminated, leaving just five contestants to move on to next week. Scroll down for a recap of the performances and to find out who went home and whoâs heading to the Top 5!
Jordan McCullough
Jordan McCullough kicked off the night by performing Swiftâs first-ever single âTim McGrawâ from her debut album, released 20 years ago in 2006.
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âThat is the way to put barbecue sauce on Taylor Swift,â Richie began. âI am telling you, that was so well done. You put the curls in, I just love that. I canât even hit that note. I loved everything you did.â
Underwood applauded the fact that Jordan sounds âbeautiful on everythingâ he sings, and Glaser gushed, âI am so grateful I just got to hear you sing live. It feels like a real privilege to listen to you.â
Chris Tungseth
Chris Tungseth chose to sing Swift and Bon Iverâs collaboration âExile,â which is on her 2020 album Folklore.
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Underwood commented on the âtender qualityâ of Chrisâ voice. âI think you picked a really great song to showcase that,â she added, while Glaser said she got goosebumps throughout the entire performance.
âI love that you were really locked in on that. You had me focused and locked in,â Bryan raved. âI loved your character, the way you delivered the song, you had your own imagery and character that you created.â Finally, Richie said it was one of his favorite performances of Chrisâ from the entire season and said the delivery was âspot on.â
Hannah Harper
Hannah Harper took things back to Speak Now to perform Swiftâs Grammy-winning hit âMean.â And she even broke out the banjo for her performance!
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Glaser praised Hannah for her song choice after dealing with criticism for her performance two weeks ago. Bryan said Hannah is âbeing authentically youâ and agreed that the song choice was âgreat.â
Richie added, âThis is how you do it. Youâre true to yourself. You donât come out as a gimmick. You come out true to who you are,â and Underwood said she âloved everything about this performance,â from the look to the banjo and more.
Brooks Rosser
Brooks Rosser honored Swiftâs Fearless era with a performance of âLove Story.â Considering he launched his own love story on the show just last week, this was the perfect song for the night!
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âI just love hearing your interpretation of that,â Bryan raved, but also advised, âJust force yourself to always give more energy. You took that energy up there at the end, but I just wanted a little more.â
Richie said heâs âenjoyingâ seeing Brooks âhaving a great timeâ on stage. âYour voice is so unique. The storyteller part of that voice you have is so fitting for the song you just did,â he continued, but also gave some advice on how to âgive some attitudeâ in his performances.
Underwood made sure to let Brooks know that everyone âloves him,â but urged him to âjust breatheâ so heâs not trying to catch up with his songs moving forward. âI know it will just come with time, but just breathe and sync into it and let it come out of you,â she shared.
Daniel Stallworth
The Taylor Swift celebration continued with a performance from Daniel Stallworth, who sang âFearlessâ with his own gospel twist.
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âWhat I love about you is that you walk out on this stage ⌠and you picked the right song, you are fearless, man, when you walk out,â Richie gushed. âYou not only sing, you perform. The crowd is right there with you.â
Underwood praised Daniel for putting his own stamp on the theme, and Glaser added, âYou brought something totally different to it. I just had the best time watching you.â
Keyla Richardson
For her Taylor Swift performance, Keyla Richardson sang âLover,â another title track. âWe do not ever have to worry about you,â Underwood admitted. âWe just get to sit back and watch you perform. Your melodic choices ⌠you impress me every single week.â
Glaser said she couldnât even recognize the song because Keyla âbrought something new to it I didnât even know could be brought to it!â She also applauded her for making it âlook so easyâ when sheâs on stage. âIâm honestly speechless,â she added.
Meanwhile, Bryan raved over Keylaâs confidence. âItâs become kind of your thing,â he said. âTo watch you, week after week, get even more confidence and deliver that message ⌠everything is channeling perfectly for you. So proud of you.â
Braden Rumfelt
The final performance from the first round was from Braden Rumfelt, who sang âCardiganâ from Folklore.
Glaser told Braden he âate that song,â despite not knowing it before he chose it to sing on the show. âYou took me there with the music. It was really, really beautiful,â she confirmed.
Bryan said it was his âfavorite thingâ heâs seen Braden do in the entire competition so far. âYou totally took me on the emotional journey of that song. I loved it, man,â he raved.
Brooks Rosser
Brooks returned to the stage for his next performance with a rendition of Maroon 5âs âShe Will Be Loved.â
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Bryan said Brooks was âlocked inâ compared to the last round and noted that the song choice was perfect for his voice. Richie said, âDitto, ditto, dittoâ to everything Bryan commented on. âPerfect song for you, you did such a great job,â he added.
Underwood gushed over Brooksâ âmagical voiceâ from the very first note and said it was a âvery solid performance.â
Jordan McCullough
Jordanâs second performance was of Bonnie Raittâs âI Canât Make You Love Me,â and he said he was hoping to hit California energy on stage.
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âI have heard that song a long time ⌠you got me crying on that song that I heard for a long time. Your delivery was right on point,â Richie told Jordan.
Underwood agreed, adding, âI donât care what you sing. Every time you open your mouth, I hear the holy spirit.â She called his voice âtruly blessedâ and said itâs one of the best voices sheâs ever heard âin my entire life.â
Daniel Stallworth
For his second performance of the night, Daniel performed âBest Partâ by H.E.R and Daniel Caesar. He also played piano for part of the set.
Underwood compared Danielâs voice to âlike butter on hot toastâ and said the performance was great. Glaser praised his âversatilityâ and said she can already envision a âwhole showâ from him.
Richie and Bryan noted that theyâve never even heard some of the notes Daniel was hitting and Richie called the performance âamazing.â
Braden Rumfelt
Like Brooks, Braden also sang a Maroon 5 classic for the second round. He hoped to prove he was having fun during his performance of âThis Love.â
âYou owned that. It felt cool, you look cool. ⌠I loved the whole thing,â Glaser praised. Bryan said it was a âgreat jobâ by Braden and Richie applauded the singer for upping his performance factor.
âIt was such a great moment for you. You look like a rockstar. You seem more comfortable than I feel like Iâve ever seen you be on stage and it was just working,â Underwood added.
Chris Tungseth
Chris sang Billie Eilishâs âWhat Was I Made For?â, which he said is one of his favorite songs.
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âReally special, beautiful moment. Thatâs twice tonight you have slayed us with those moments,â Bryan noted, while Richie said, âFor a song that needs so much feeling, I think you felt it, and you made us feel it. Great performance, man.â
Underwood called it a âmomentâ and admitted she felt like she was at an awards show watching Chris. Finally, Glaser, said, simply, âWhat were you made for? That. That.â
Hannah Harper
Hannahâs second performance was of Merle Haggardâs âThatâs the Way Love Goes.â She felt it was a âfitting song,â as she honored her husband with the choice.
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âThat was absolutely amazing. You are looking like a star, you sounded like a star ⌠I guess youâre getting close to that big star,â Richie said. Underwood urged Hannah to make a âproper versionâ of that performance. âIt sounded like you and it was just wonderful,â she gushed.
Glaser compared the performance to a âwarm blanketâ and Bryan admitted, âIf you want to, youâre going to get to do this for a very long time, this singing thing. Youâre just a star.â
Keyla Richardson
The final performance of the night was from Keyla, who returned to the stage to sing Etta Jamesâ âIâd Rather Go Blind.â
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The judges could barely get a word in because the crowd erupted with applause that was never-ending. âThat was insane. That was an iconic Idol moment,â Glaser confirmed.
âWatching your growth is so inspirational,â Bryan added, and all Richie had to say was, âLet the congregation say AMEN!â
Who made the Top 5?
Ryan Seacrest announced the five singers who will be moving on to next week, where they will be mentored by Randy Jackson and Paula Abdul, two of Idolâs original judges.
The singers in the Top 5 (in no particular order) are: Keyla Richardson, Braden Rumfelt, Jordan McCullough, Hannah Harper, and Chris Tungseth.
Who was eliminated?
The two artists who were eliminated at the end of the April 27 episode were: Brooks Rosser and Daniel Stallworth




