Season 23 of American Idol is extremely close to naming its winner as the remaining Top 8 took the stage for the "Judge's Song Contest" night on May 5th. The episode saw the contestants getting to choose one song from a list of three hits given to them by the three judges — Luke Bryan, Lionel Richie, and Carrie Underwood. However, in a playful twist, these contestants did not know which judge chose what song.
Voting began right as the first performer took the stage, with host Ryan Seacrest later announcing the Top 6 contestants that won over America and who would head to the next round. It was a night filled with huge ballads and a few tears as the Idol hopefuls sang their hearts out to impress America and the judges.
Unfortunately, 16-year-old Mattie Pruitt and 23-year-old Josh King received the least votes. However, the judges were able to save one to move to the Top 7. While deliberating, Josh made a surprising gesture that may have swayed the reality TV judges to choose Mattie to move forward, sending him home.
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American Idol Contestant Josh King Urges Judges To Choose Mattie Pruitt Before Their Tough Top 7 Decision
The May 5th episode of Season 23 of American Idol was dedicated to the judges as they carefully chose songs they wanted to hear the remaining eight contestants sing. However, the twist was that each contestant had to choose just one of three songs without knowing which judge had picked which one. This added a playful element as the contestants then announced which judge they believe chose their final song with the help of artist-in-residence, Jelly Roll. At the same time, it pushed the contestants outside their comfort zones, challenging them to perform songs they might not have chosen on their own.
Before America's Top 6 was announced by Ryan, here are the songs that the eight contestants sang to win America's vote:
- Breanna Nix - "Independence Day" by Martina McBride (chosen by Luke Bryan)
- Mattie Pruitt - "Always Been You" by Jessie Murph (chosen by Luke Bryan)
- John Foster - "I Cross My Heart" by George Strait (chosen by Carrie Underwood)
- Josh King - "Home" by Michael Bublé (chosen by Lionel Richie)
- Gabby Samone - "Hero" by Mariah Carey (chosen by Lionel Richie)
- Jamal Roberts - "I Believe" by Fantasia Barrino (chosen by Lionel Richie)
- Thunderstorm Artis - "Faithfully" by Journey (chosen by Carrie Underwood)
- Slater Nalley - "Atlantic City" by Bruce Springsteen (chosen by Luke Bryan)
The six contestants that made it to the next round were: Breanna, John, Gabby, Jamal, Thunderstorm, and Slater, leaving Mattie and Josh at the bottom. However, with both Luke and Lionel winning the judge's song contest, they were able to save one of them from elimination. The judges asked Carrie if she wanted to be a part of the decision-making, but she refused, leaving it up to them.
As Luke and Lionel were discussing who to keep, Josh did a very heartwarming and selfless act on stage. As he stood next to Idol's youngest contestant, he continued to nod his head towards Mattie for the judges to choose her. In fact, he even pointed his finger at her, urging them to give her another chance, instead of him. It was something Idol fans had never seen happen before.
It's unclear if Josh's gesture was the convincing factor for Lionel and Luke because they soon announced that they were going to allow Mattie to continue and move on to the Top 7. That meant that Josh was going home.
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Fans React To Josh's "Wholesome Moment" On American Idol
It was incredibly heartfelt to see Josh asking the judges to choose Mattie over him for the Top 7. Before his performance of "Home" by Michael Bublé, the airport pianist shared that he had hoped his performance was enough for America to vote him into the next round. "I believe in these lyrics so much," he shared while practicing the song with Idol's vocal coach.
Josh's three songs chosen by the judges were "You Make My Dreams" by Daryl Hall and John Oates, "Great Balls of Fire" by Jerry Lee Lewis, and "Home" by Michael Bublé.
After his performance, Ryan shared "he does not want to go home," with Josh playfully stating, "I like to sing." The judges then critiqued his performance, with Lionel kicking things off after he was the one to choose his song. "It's the vibe, man. You embodied that song. I saw your name and I saw the song, and I said the two needed to be together right away. The marriage was perfect," Lionel shared.
Unfortunately, America did not see Josh in the Top 6 as he received the least votes along with 16-year-old Mattie Pruitt. After seeing Josh nudge the judges to keep Mattie instead of him, fans showed Josh a lot of love online. In an Instagram post by American Idol that showcased the Top 7 heading to Disneyland, commenters also wrote about Josh's selfless act on stage.
"Josh rooting on Mattie and pulling for her was everything you need to know about his character and how good of a person he is," a fan wrote.
In another Instagram post that showed Mattie's performance, a comment read, "@officialjoshking gesturing to the judges to save Mattie was one of the most wholesome moments I’ve seen in a long while🫶 Friendship at its finest."
In the above Instagram post, which gave out Josh's information to vote for him, saw fans flooding the comment section after seeing his sweet gesture to Mattie. "Him leaning at Maddie was so precious!! You’re a good one Josh!! ❤️"
"You had a great performance but my heart exploded when you kept motioning for the judges to pick Maddy! That was so selfless! You have a bright future ahead of you Josh!"
"You are so humble! I love how you wanted Mattie to go thru!"
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What's Next For American Idol's Top 7?
Every week, another Idol contestant goes home, and it’s definitely getting more heartbreaking to watch. They’ve all come so far, and it’s tough seeing them get this close to the win, only to be sent home. But on the flip side, it also means we’re getting closer to crowning a new Season 23 winner, and every one of the remaining contestants still has a real shot at taking it all.
Now that the Top 7 have secured their spots to move on to the next round, they will be given a much-needed break before making their way back on stage on Sunday, May 11th, which is also Mother's Day. The final seven contestants will be singing at Disneyland Resort and taking on Disney classics. That night, five of the contestants will move forward to the following night with two Idol hopefuls going home.
During Disney Night 1 & 2, the contestants will be mentored by award-winning actor and songwriter Lin-Manuel Miranda.
On May 12th, during "Disney Night #2," the Top 5 will then continue with "heroes, villains and a special appearance by Lin-Manuel Miranda," per ABC. These remaining five contestants will get a chance to sing two songs that night, with America voting live for their favorite performances.
The Top 5 will be cut to the final three, who will then make it to the Season 23 finale.
American Idol airs Sundays and Mondays at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.
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