American Idol’s Top 10 Revealed Live! Which Elimination Surprised You? (2024)

SAFE: Abi Carter

After closing out the show last night, Abi stepped up as Monday’s opening act, delivering a surprisingly lackluster performance of Taylor Swift’s “All Too Well.” Not only was it snoozier overall than some of Abi’s recent showstoppers, but those bigger moments were rough. We second Katy Perry’s notion that Abi should stick to the angelic tones that made us fall in love with her voice in the first place.

TVLINE’S GRADE: “B-“

SAFE: Will Moseley

Speaking of advice we can get behind, thank goodness Meghan Trainor suggested that Will try to have a little more fun on stage this week. There was a lighter, more confident (if that’s even possible) energy to his performance of Chris Stapleton’s “Starting Over,” which he growled out perfectly. If country music is your jam, we can’t imagine you came away with any complaints.

TVLINE’S GRADE: “A”

ELIMINATED: Jayna Elise

First of all, Jayna was part of Kidz Bop?! Did we know this?! Sorry, this is a lot to process.

Then again, Jayna’s whole performance was a lot to process — in a very good way. We still recall La’Porsha Renae’s iconic take on Rihanna’s “Diamonds” in Season 15, and we weren’t sure how Jayna’s would compare. Friends, we’re happy to report that it compared big-time. This girl is already an undeniable star, and she absolutely crushed that. It was also very sweet of her to dedicate the performance to the late, great Willie Spence, for whom “Diamonds” was a signature song during his Idol run.

TVLINE’S GRADE: “A”

SAFE: Mia Matthews

This country queen earned another jewel on her crown with a stunning performance of Miranda Lambert’s “Over You.” The weatherman may have called for snow, but Mia’s voice was clear and sunny as she effortlessly ping-ponged between the song’s lighter and more dramatic moments.

TVLINE’S GRADE: “A-“

ELIMINATED: Roman Collins

In one of the boldest moves of the night, Roman sat at the piano for a stripped-down performance of Katy Perry’s “Roar,” and the congregation… did not say amen. His decision to switch up the melody didn’t pay off like he hoped, and the entire first half of the song suffered as a result. We appreciated his last-ditch effort to save himself, grabbing the microphone and pivoting to gospel mode, but it was too little too late.

TVLINE’S GRADE: “B-”

SAFE: Jack Blocker

Fun choices are fun! Jack gave us a slightly different flavor on Monday with his unique take on The Weeknd’s “Blinding Lights.” (Side note: Meghan Trainor’s comment about how she would spend money on Jack’s cover has us nostalgic for the days when that was actually a thing. Bring it back, Idol!) Employing every facial expression in his arsenal, Jack tapped into the emotions of the song, turning out a version we never expected to hear.

TVLINE’S GRADE: “A-“

SAFE: Emmy Russell

We may be in the minority, but this was actually one of our favorite moments of the season from Emmy. “Lose You to Love Me” wasn’t the rangiest choice, as few Selena Gomez songs are, but it was nice to hear Emmy take on a simpler tune and turn out a more consistently strong performance. And we can see her confidence growing, which is exciting.

TVLINE’S GRADE: “B+”

SAFE: Triston Harper

No more hip-shaking for this little Elvis! Triston slowed down to his usual pace for a heartfelt performance of Luke Combs’ “Beautiful Crazy,” which he dedicated to his girlfriend. It certainly won’t be remembered as one of Triston’s best moments from the season, but it was still very good.

TVLINE’S GRADE: “B+”

SAFE: Julia Gagnon

After dazzling us on Sunday night, Julia returned to the stage with another heartbreaker, Zach Bryan’s “Something in the Orange.” Even without knowing her personal connection to the song, you could feel every ounce of pain as she delivered those lyrics, accentuated by every emotional run and growl.

TVLINE’S GRADE: “A”

SAFE: Kaibrienne

Second only to Emmy, no Season 22 finalist falls victim to their nerves quite like Kaibrienne, whose performance of Miley Cyrus’ “Wrecking Ball” was definitely impeded by the pressure of the evening. Still, the Meghan Trainor superfan took several of her mentor’s biggest tips to heart and definitely pushed herself beyond her comfort zone this week — and we can appreciate that kind of risk.

TVLINE’S GRADE: “B”

SAFE: McKenna Faith Breinholt

Still under the weather (and unable to meet with Meghan Trainor in person), McKenna took on Taylor Swift’s “Cardigan,” a song to which she feels an unfortunate connection. Once again, sickness somehow made this raspy queen sound even better. This song was perfectly in McKenna’s pocket, and her shine was undeniable from start to finish. If this is what she’s capable of at half strength, just think about the true power of that voice. We’re obsessed. Possibly more than we realized.

TVLINE’S GRADE: “A-“

SAFE: Kayko

Kayko closed the night out in a big way, turning the stage into his own personal dance floor with a high-energy performance of Gotye’s “Somebody That I Used to Know.” And he did it all… in a really big sweater! Since we’ve gotten to know the real Kayko already via his catalogue of authentic originals, this felt a bit performative, like he was playing a character — and it didn’t always work. But he had a lot of fun up there, and that’s more than some of his fellow contestants can say tonight.

TVLINE’S GRADE: “B+”

Now that we know which singers are in the Top 10, vote for the ones you want in the Top 8, which will be revealed on Sunday (ABC, 8/7c):