American Idol began finalizing its Top 20 on Sunday, sending eight hopefuls through to the live shows and leaving one fan-favorite singer’s fate hanging in the balance. Let’s start with that cliffhanger: 26-year-old Dillon James easily one of the more #blessed contestants to grace the Idol stage, charmed the audience with an authentic rendition of Bob Dylan’s “The Times They Are A-Changin’.” It was hard to get a read on what the judges thought of Dillon’s performance, with Katy Perry offering a single vague critique about wanting him to tap into the emotional side of his voice more. Let us come to know about the name of the contestants which is given below:
American Idol Season 18 Contestants List
NICK MARICO, 24: There was nothing especially amazing about Marico’s performance of “When I Was Your Man,” but let’s be honest, this kid was destined for the Top 20 from the moment he entered sorry, make that re-entered the audition room. And I’m glad that he and Lionel Richie have put their faux feud to rest so we can just focus on the music. That said, I had to laugh to myself when Merico mentioned that his mom is a big fan of Bruno Mars. Duh, of course, she is. She’s a mom.
DEWAYNE CROCKER JR., 23: The judges lauded Crocker’s decision to put a reggae twist on Lil Nas X’s “Old Town Road,” almost as much as they loved his family. Now I hope they live episodes end up happening just so Crocker’s great grandmother has an excuse to get all dressed up!
LOUIS KNIGHT, 19: Though Louis’ delivery of Ed Sheeran’s “Castle on the Hill” was better during the actual Showcase than it was in rehearsal, the judges agreed that it wasn’t his best performance. Still, as Katy explained, they like to roll the dice from time to time and that’s what they’re doing by sending Louis through to the Top 20. (He may not have delivered this time, but he’s always been a shoo-in, even if he didn’t bother wearing any tonight.
FRANCISCO MARTIN, 19: No doubt about it, this was a star-making performance for Martin. He shed every last ounce of his shyness for a killer rendition of Harry Styles’ “Falling,” which he began by apologizing to everyone he lost touch with while he was going through “a lot.” (Why are some of these contestants so vague about their backstories?) Anyway, the judges clearly agreed with me, because they were thrilled to send him through to the Top 20.
JOVIN WEBB, 29: Jovin is the kind of guy you can’t help but root for and he makes that even easier by delivering polished performances, like this take on Ray LaMontagne’s “You Are the Best Thing.” On top of his talent and charm, Jovin remains impressively humble for a guy who can get a crowd that excited.
FAITH BECNEL, 20: Not only did Faith choose the perfect song for her Showcase performance Rufus and Chaka Khan’s “Ain’t Nobody” but she was totally in her element throughout. She feels like one of the more professional contestants this season, which has benefited her to this point, though I’m having a hard time getting a sense of who she is as an artist.
JUST SAM, 21: The official word of the week is “metamorphosis,” and it applies to no contestant better than Just Sam. I try not to invoke the O-word too often, but I’m truly obsessed with every aspect of this performance. The bold song choice (Selena’s “Como La Flor”), the elegant transformation and, of course, the solid vocals. For someone I’ve never met, I’m oddly proud of Just Sam, and I can’t wait to see what the future holds for her.
JONNY WEST, 23: Margie Mays has always been by her boyfriend’s side throughout this competition, but he was forced to stand on his own two feet this week and he soared. He performed The Fray’s “You Found Me” like he wrote the song himself, as Margie imploded with excitement from the audience. Unfortunately, not every contestant received good news this week. Even a few of my personal favorites were unexpectedly given the boot after what I thought were pretty decent Showcase performances.
Makayla Brownlee, 17, knew she was taking a risk by changing up the rendition of Ingrid Andress’ “More Hearts Than Mine.” But if she knew it would be her undoing, she might not have taken such drastic measures. God has a plan for Camryn Leigh-Smith, 16, but that plan does not include a spot in American Idol‘s Top 20. Her performance of Tasha Cobbs’ “Break Every Chain” was deemed too “safe” for this stage of the competition. Devon Alexander, 23, ended Demi Lovato’s “Tell Me You Love Me” on a high note, but the rest of his performance was a hair underwhelming for the judges’ taste.
Alright, now for the moment you’ve been scrolling for, here are the (supposed) American Idol top 20 contestants of the 2020 season:
- Aliana Jester
- Cyniah Elise
- Faith Becnel
- Grace Leer
- Julia Gargano
- Kimmy Gabriela
- Lauren Mascitti
- Lauren Spencer Smith
- Makayla Phillips
- Olivia Ximines
- Just Sam
- Sophia Wackerman
- DeWayne Crocker, Jr.
- Dibesh Pokharel (Arthur Gunn)
- Dillon James
- Franklin Boone
- Jonny West
- Jovin Webb
- Louie Knight
- Nick Merico
- Francisco Martin
Based on this list (which, again, cannot be confirmed at this time), it looks like there could actually be 21 performers this year instead of 20. The standouts include former America’s Got Talent season 13 contestant Makayla Phillips, American Juniors‘s Grace Leer, Sunday’s Best
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