American Idol's Top 11 Revealed! Did Your Favorites Survive Sunday's Cut?
Three more singers were eliminated on Sunday's American Idol, which welcomed back Season 16 finalist Gabby Barrett to mentor the show's rapidly shallowing pool of contestants.
Idol also switched up its run of show this week: Instead of performing just seconds after they'd gotten their results from host Ryan Seacrest, all 14 contestants sang for America's votes first this time, and they learned their fates at the very end of the broadcast.
The pressure was especially high for the four singers saved from elimination by the judges last week. Allegra Miles, Jay, Mike Parker and Tristen Gressett didn't just have to earn the viewers' votes — they also had to win them back.
Were they successful? And what of the other contestants who took the stage this week? Read on for a complete breakdown of the just-announced Top 11, for which we'll add videos when they become available, then drop a comment with your thoughts: Were the right three singers booted from the competition?
SAFE: Jay
One of the judges' saves last week, Jay only remained in the competition by the grace of Lionel Richie, so the pressure was on for his performance of Bruno Mars' "Just the Way You Are," which he dedicated to his mother. And Richie was pleased to see him sail through to the Top 11.
SAFE: Huntergirl
The Platinum Ticket recipient, who I'm not entirely sure wasn't built in an American Idol factory, effortlessly sailed through to the Top 11 after her emotional performance of Sugarland's "Baby Girl," which Luke Bryan called her best moment yet in the competition.
SAFE: Christian Guardino
The soulful singer continued to impress the judges with his performance of Hozier's "Take Me to Church," which Barrett suggested could be an opportunity to showcase some vocal restraint. (Which he mostly did.) And he clearly also impressed the viewers, who voted him into the Top 11.
ELIMINATED: Dan Marshall
After getting a tad starstruck in front of Barrett, Marshall gave us a performance as strong as his jawline this week with Kenny Chesney's "She's Got It All." Unfortunately, he fumbled with the voters, bringing his Idol journey to an end.
SAFE: Leah Marlene
The unassuming crooner from Normal, Ill., was torn between performing Tears for Fears' "Mad World" or The Turtles' "Happy Together"; she ultimately opted for the latter tune, and Bryan called her performance "a masterful moment from top to bottom." No surprise, then, that Marlene scored a coveted spot in the Top 11.
SAFE: Fritz Hager
Hager continued to find himself this week with a performance of James Bay's "Let It Go," which served as Hager's farewell to the version of himself that first walked through Idol's audition doors. He's through to the Top 11, and we're sure that won't be his final stop.
SAFE: Tristen Gressett
The final singer saved by the judges last week, Gressett covered Adam Lambert's "Whataya Want from Me" on Sunday, a performance that suffered from quite a few flubbed lyrics on the chorus. That didn't dissuade the voters any, though: Gressett's moving on to the Top 11.
SAFE: Lady K
A constant surprise in the competition, this vocal powerhouse busted out another solid performance this week with "I Believe," Fantasia's victory song from Idol's third season. But was it enough to make the Top 11? Yes!
ELIMINATED: Allegra Miles
America wasn't sure about Miles last week, but Perry was adamant about keeping her in the competition, unable to even comprehend how the viewers didn't show up in droves for her. And though Miles did Perry proud this week with her performance of Billie Eilish's "Ocean Eyes," she struggled once again to connect with America and was eliminated at the end of the show.
ELIMINATED: Ava Maybee
There were no maybe(e)s about the quality of this performance (how dare Lionel Richie beat us to that joke!), so imagine our surprise when the Los Angeles native was cut from the competition after her take on Harry Styles' "Sign of the Times."
SAFE: Mike Parker
Another judges' save from last week, Parker hoped to earn back America's favor with a performance of Luke Combs' "Hurricane." And he did just that, grabbing a spot in the Top 11.
SAFE: Emyrson Flora
The youngest singer remaining in the competition, Flora delivered a strong performance of Olivia Rodrigo's "drivers license," cementing her place in the Top 11.
SAFE: Noah Thompson
After Barrett astutely noted that Thompson had zero emotional connection to his initial song choice, Chris Stapleton's "Nobody to Blame," he traded in that selection for Ben E. King's "Stand By Me." The switcheroo paid off, and Thompson aww-shucked his way into the Top 11.
SAFE: Nicolina
The Canadian powerhouse once again blew away the judges with a heartfelt performance of Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah," dedicated to her grandmother. And though Nicolina performed last on Sunday, giving viewers the length of only one commercial break to vote for her, she earned enough support to advance to the Top 11.