American Idol 2020 Top 10 Recap: Stevie Wonder, Darius Rucker & More Mentor Contestants
With songs inspired by home, it's time to see who has made it to the next round of American Idol! Who will be in the Top 10 and will the judges use their only save? While still presented in this new remote format, the results are revealed in much the same way -- host Ryan Seacrest will announce each contestant who has made it through and, after a behind-the-scenes look at how their week has gone and a mentoring session with Bobby Bones (as well as special guest mentors Charlie Puth, Darius Rucker and Stevie Wonder), they will perform and get feedback from judges Katy Perry, Lionel Richie, and Luke Bryan.
Ryan thanks Philips Phillips for his performance of "Home" to kick things off and then greets Lionel, Luke, and Katy (who enters dressed as a roll of toilet paper but later takes the bulky costume off in favor of a very mod look). Next, he announces the Judges' Save is in effect tonight, but this is the only time they'll be able to use it. They'll have the opportunity to use it -- or not -- once all the Top 10 have been revealed. With all the contestants on the screen, each person to have made it is revealed one by one, in no particular order.
Contestant: Louis Knight
Song: "In My Place" by Coldplay
Judges' Comments: Katy says it pulled at her heartstrings and transported her to a better time. Luke wasn't completely blown away by the performance but believes Louis has a wonderful star quality and should continue to sing songs that speak to him. Lionel says it was a great job and adds Louis should continue playing to the camera like that.
Contestant: Julia Gargano
Song: "New York State of Mind" by Billy Joel
Judges' Comments: Luke says it might be his favorite performance of the year so far, full of moments of elegance, maturity, class, and beauty. Lionel says she took a Billy Joel song and made it her song. Katy agrees with Luke, stating she's grown to a higher level than even Julia may have expected.
In addition to the performance prep, each judge teamed up with a different big star to provide mentoring sessions for the contestants. Katy paired up with Charlie Puth to talk about artist identity, something she's been very big on discussing with all the singers this year. They also discussed his collaboration with Idol alum Gabby Barrett.
Contestant: Jovin Webb
Song: "Voodoo" by Allen Stone
Judges' Comments: Lionel loved the old school sound of Jovin's voice, which he called magic. Katy says he set a scene and she escaped to a bar in New Orleans through his performance. Luke said Jovin didn't hit a bad note, calling it his best performance yet.
Contestant: Grace Leer
Song: "Over The Rainbow" by Judy Garland
Judges' Comments: Katy said her performance was big and bold, like she was singing to thousands. Luke said Grace just showed America that she had a big, big voice, Lionel tells her to remember the audience that she's singing to and to hone in on it.
Contestant: Jonny West
Song: "Faithfully" by Journey
Judges' Comments: Luke says Jonny's ability to never make it look like he's sweating or forcing anything vocally is remarkable, praising his ability to put his style on anything he sings. Lionel says he is on his way to something really big. Katy says it seemed like he was singing to a deeper level of love and she wants to come see his show.
Next, Luke has his mentoring session with Darius Rucker on the subject of superstardom and what it takes to tour and create music at such a high level. Darius wants to make sure that last person in the last row feels like a part of the show, which is much harder as a solo artist versus a band. Luke's philosophy is to perform like his hero is watching.
Contestant: Sophia James
Song: "In My Room" by The Beach Boys
Judges' Comments: Lionel says she's found her delivery sweet spot and he loves it. Katy called it "upper echelon", adding Sophia has a career ahead of her whether she wins Idol or not. Luke says she's a wonderful vocalist and he found himself immersed in her performance.
Contestant: Arthur Gunn
Song: "Take Me Home, Country Roads" by John Denver
Judges' Comments: Katy says she felt so much more connected to that performance since Arthur was connecting to the camera. Luke thinks it's a performance that showcased him in a perfect way. Lionel says he loved what he did and his version would be a hit record.
Contestant: Just Sam
Song: "Grandma's Hands" by Bill Withers
Judges' Comments: Luke says the richness and the way her voice holds up through all her range is great. Lionel didn't think Sam could smile like that when they first met her and is happy to see her beaming. Her performance reminded Katy of being lost in a performance at church.
Last but certainly not least, Lionel welcomes the legendary Stevie Wonder to talk about songwriting. Stevie points to commitment and humility as the keys to keeping going and being good.
Contestant: Dillon James
Song: "Yesterday" by The Beatles
Judges' Comments: Lionel want Dillion to maintain his individuality going forward. Katy wanted him to give the song a bit more breath and not paint inside the lines. Luke agrees but wants to make sure their coaching doesn't take away from how good an artist he is.
Contestant: Francisco Martin
Song: "Falling Like The Stars" by James Arthur
Judges' Comments: Katy was moved to tears by the believability of the performance. Luke says Francisco knows how to get all the emotion out of a song. Lionel is proud of Francisco's mom and her work as a first responder and praises how he showcased his talent in the song.
Contestant: Makayla Phillips
Song: "The House That Built Me" by Miranda Lambert
Judges' Comments: Luke thinks the song showcases why they chose to save her. Lionel says she's on her way to somewhere in the stars. Katy says she was leaning into Makayla's performance and felt like she was singing directly to her.
Unfortunately this means Aliana Jester, Cyniah Elise, Dwayne Crocker Jr., Faith Becnel, Franklin Boone, Kimmy Gabriela, Lauren Spencer-Smith, Nick Merico, and Olivia Ximines are all out of the running now. With the one and only judges' save off the table, whoever makes it into the Top 7 is completely in America's hand! Vote for your favorite singers by visiting the voting page! Voting is open until 9am ET|6am PT on Monday April 27.
Tune in SUNDAY at 8|7c on ABC to see who makes the cut!
Catch up on past episodes: Check out the recaps here and full episodes here.