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| Num Episodes: | 19 | ||
| Network: | ABC |
The nineteenth season of American Idol premiered on February 14, 2021, on the ABC television network. Ryan Seacrest returned as host, while Luke Bryan, Katy Perry, and Lionel Richie returned as judges, and Bobby Bones returned as in-house mentor.[1] [2]
Chayce Beckham won the season on May 23, 2021, while Willie Spence was the runner-up, and Grace Kinstler finished in third place.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States, American Idol offered live virtual auditions to aspiring contestants through its Idol Across America program using custom-built Zoom technology to mirror the way the audition was done in previous season but in a home environment.[3] The remote auditions took place from August 10 to October 28, 2020, in all 50 states, plus Washington, D.C., as well as a number of open-call auditions, and from these the producers selected the contestants who would then be invited to audition in front of the judges.[4] [5]
Due to the pandemic that limited travel for the judges, the judges' auditions were held in only three locations across California: Los Angeles, San Diego, and Ojai. The judges' auditions began on October 5, 2020, with a number of health and safety protocols in place, such as separate tables for the judges and regular COVID-19 testing for cast and crew.[6]
| Filming date(s) | Filming venue | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles, California | October 5–6, 2020 | The Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel | |
| San Diego, California | October 16–17, 2020 | InterContinental San Diego | |
| Ojai, California | November 16–17, 2020 | Ojai Valley Inn |
Hollywood week was filmed December 7–10, 2020, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. The format remained similar to last season. In the first round, each contestant chose and performed a song from a selection of musical genres (indie folk, pop, rock, R&B, soul, or country). Those who impressed the judges and the producers were advanced to the next round. Instead of group performances as had been done in earlier seasons, the contestants were paired up by the judges and performed duets. They were given twenty-four hours to rehearse, which included advice from one of the judges. Judges could advance either, neither, or both of the contestants to the Showstopper round.
The Showstopper round featured the top 64 contestants performing for the judges at the Dolby Theatre. This round was aired on March 28 and March 29, but only 37 contestants were aired. The following day, the judges narrowed the number of contestants down 24. The following is a list of the contestants who reached the top 24 and the song they performed. Contestants are listed in the order they performed.
| Song[9] [10] | ||
| Alyssa Wray | "I'm Here" | |
|---|---|---|
| Jason Warrior | "Believer" | |
| Andrea Valles | "Blinding Lights" | |
| Chayce Beckham | "You Should Probably Leave" | |
| Caleb Kennedy | "When You Leave Tonight" | |
| Wyatt Pike | "Blame It on Me" | |
| Cassandra Coleman | "Running with the Wolves" | |
| Beane | "What's Going On" | |
| Hannah Everhart | "Wrecking Ball" | |
| Graham DeFranco | "Beautiful War" | |
| Alanis Sophia | "Uninvited" | |
| Casey Bishop | "She Talks to Angels" | |
| Willie Spence | "I Was Here" | |
| Mary Jo Young | "Us" | |
| Hunter Metts | "July" | |
| Grace Kinstler | "Father" | |
| Deshawn Goncalves | "Over the Rainbow" | |
| Colin Jamieson | "Sugar, We're Goin Down" | |
| Ava August | "Ghost of You" | |
| Liahona Olayan | "Me Too" | |
| Madison Watkins | "It's a Man's Man's Man's World" | |
| Alana Sherman | "Bust Your Windows" | |
| Anilee List | "Ain't Nobody" | |
| Cecil Ray | "Beyond" |
The top 24 contestants were split into two groups of twelve. The first group aired on April 4, and the second group on April 5. Each contestant performed one solo and then one duet with a celebrity singer. Four contestants from each group were eliminated based on the public vote, and the rest advanced to the top 16. Contestants are listed in the order they performed.
The artists who performed duets with the top 24 were Jason Aldean, Jimmie Allen, Brandon Boyd, Jewel, Josh Groban, Tori Kelly, Brian McKnight, Katharine McPhee, PJ Morton, Ben Rector, Joss Stone, and Ryan Tedder.[11]
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The Top 16 performances aired on Sunday, April 11, followed by the live results show on Monday, April 12.[14] Paula Abdul served as a guest judge on April 12 after Luke Bryan tested positive for COVID-19.[15]
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Contestants are listed in the order they performed.
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Each contestant performed one Oscar-nominated song.[18] Contestants are listed in the order they performed.
| Song | Film | Result | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grace Kinstler | "Happy" | Despicable Me 2 | Safe | |
| Ava August | "City of Stars" | La La Land | Eliminated | |
| Caleb Kennedy | "On the Road Again" | Honeysuckle Rose | Safe | |
| Hunter Metts | "Falling Slowly" | Once | Safe | |
| Madison Watkins | "Run to You" | The Bodyguard | Eliminated | |
| Chayce Beckham | "(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" | Safe | ||
| Beane | "(I've Had) The Time of My Life" | Dirty Dancing | Eliminated | |
| Alyssa Wray | "This Is Me" | The Greatest Showman | Safe | |
| Deshawn Goncalves | "The Way We Were" | The Way We Were | Safe | |
| Casey Bishop | "Over the Rainbow" | The Wizard of Oz | Safe | |
| Cassandra Coleman | "Writing's on the Wall" | Spectre | Safe | |
| Willie Spence | "Stand Up" | Harriet | Safe |
Ten contestants from last season were brought back to compete for a second chance since last season's production was forced to go entirely remote because of the COVID-19 pandemic.[19] Only one was allowed to re-enter the competition. Contestants are listed in the order they performed.
| Song | Result | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Cyniah Elise | "Edge of Midnight (Midnight Sky Remix)" | Eliminated | |
| Nick Merico | "City Lights" | Eliminated | |
| Aliana Jester | "I'll Never Love Again" | Eliminated | |
| Franklin Boone | "Meant to Live" | Eliminated | |
| Faith Becnel | "Cry Baby" | Eliminated | |
| Arthur Gunn | "Iris" | Re-entered | |
| DeWayne Crocker, Jr. | "Voice of God" | Eliminated | |
| Makayla Phillips | "Anyone" | Eliminated | |
| Olivia Ximines | "Say Yes" | Eliminated | |
| Louis Knight | "Maybe That" | Eliminated |
| Performers | Song | |
|---|---|---|
| Lionel Richie | "Say You, Say Me" | |
| Harry Connick Jr. | "Alone With My Faith" "Old Time Religion" | |
| Lauren Daigle | "Look Up Child" |
John Stamos served as a guest mentor this week. Each contestant performed one song from a Disney movie.[20] Contestants are listed in the order they performed.
| Song[21] | Disney film | Result | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Caleb Kennedy | "Real Gone" | Cars | Safe | |
| Willie Spence | "Circle of Life" | The Lion King | Safe | |
| Deshawn Goncalves | "When You Wish Upon a Star" | Pinocchio | Eliminated | |
| Casey Bishop | "When She Loved Me" | Toy Story 2 | Safe | |
| Chayce Beckham | "Baby Mine" | Dumbo | Safe | |
| Alyssa Wray | "A Dream Is a Wish Your Heart Makes" | Cinderella | Eliminated | |
| Arthur Gunn | "Remember Me" | Coco | Safe | |
| Cassandra Coleman | "Go the Distance" | Hercules | Eliminated | |
| Hunter Metts | "You'll Be in My Heart" | Tarzan | Safe | |
| Grace Kinstler | "Into the Unknown" | Frozen II | Safe |
| Performers | Song | |
|---|---|---|
| Top 9 with Sofia Carson | "A Whole New World" (from Aladdin) | |
| Jon Batiste | "It's All Right" (from Soul) |
Chris Martin served as a guest mentor this week.[22] Each contestant performed two songs: one song from the Coldplay discography and one song in honor of Mother's Day. Contestants are listed in the order they performed.
| Order | Song[23] | Result | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Casey Bishop | 1 | "Paradise" | Safe |
| 8 | "Ironic" | ||
| Chayce Beckham | 2 | "Magic" | Safe |
| 9 | "Mama" | ||
| Willie Spence | 3 | "Yellow" | Safe |
| 10 | "You Are So Beautiful" | ||
| Caleb Kennedy | 4 | "Violet Hill" | Safe |
| 11 | "Mama Said" | ||
| Arthur Gunn | 5 | "In My Place" | Eliminated |
| 12 | "Simple Man" | ||
| Grace Kinstler | 6 | "Fix You" | Safe |
| 13 | "When We Were Young" | ||
| Hunter Metts | 7 | "Everglow" | Eliminated |
| 14 | "The River" |
Finneas served as a guest mentor this week. Each contestant performed four songs: one song from their personal idol, their winner's single, a repeat of their favorite performance from the season, and one song from the Finneas discography performed as a duet with a fellow contestant.[24]
| Order | Song[25] [26] [27] | Result | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chayce Beckham | 1 | "Colder Weather" | Safe |
| 5 | "23" | ||
| "You Should Probably Leave" | |||
| Casey Bishop | 2 | "Wish You Were Gay" | Eliminated |
| 6 | "Love Me, Leave Me" | ||
| "Live Wire" | |||
| Grace Kinstler | 3 | "A Moment Like This" | Safe |
| 8 | "Love Someone" | ||
| "Father" | |||
| Willie Spence | 4 | "Glory" | Safe |
| 9 | "Never Be Alone" | ||
| "I Was Here" | |||
| Grace Kinstler & Willie Spence | 7 | "What They'll Say About Us" | |
| Chayce Beckham & Casey Bishop | 10 | "Break My Heart Again" |
| Ashe & Finneas | "Till Forever Falls Apart" | |
|---|---|---|
| Luke Bryan | "Waves" |
Each contestant performed two songs – one song chosen by the judges and one song dedicated to the contestant's hometown – before the one contestant who had the fewest votes up to that point was eliminated, thereby finishing in third place. The remaining two contestants performed one last song as voting continued. Contestants are listed in the order they performed.
| Order | Song[28] | Result | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grace Kinstler | 1 | "All by Myself" | Third place |
| 4 | "I Have Nothing" | ||
| Willie Spence | 2 | "Georgia on My Mind" | Runner-up |
| 5 | "A Change Is Gonna Come" | ||
| 8 | "Stand Up" | ||
| Chayce Beckham | 3 | "Blackbird" | Winner |
| 6 | "Fire Away" | ||
| 7 | "Afterglow" |
| Performers | Song | |
|---|---|---|
| Top 3 with Macklemore | "Can't Hold Us" | |
| Alyssa Wray with Mickey Guyton | "Black Like Me" | |
| Tom McGovern | "Story of the Season" | |
| Chayce Beckham, Willie Spence, Casey Bishop & Arthur Gunn with Fall Out Boy | "My Songs Know What You Did in the Dark (Light Em Up)" | |
| Grace Kinstler, Cassandra Coleman, Deshawn Goncalves, Alyssa Wray & Ava August with Chaka Khan | "Sweet Thing" "I'm Every Woman" "Ain't Nobody" | |
| Willie Spence with Leona Lewis | "You Are the Reason" | |
| Graham DeFranco with Sheryl Crow | "If It Makes You Happy" "Everyday Is a Winding Road" | |
| Murphy | "Am I Still Mine?" "The Painted Man" | |
| Casey Bishop with Luke Bryan | "Livin' on a Prayer" | |
| Top 8 with Lionel Richie | "One World" | |
| Cassandra Coleman with Lindsey Buckingham | "Go Your Own Way" | |
| Grace Kinstler with Alessia Cara | "Scars to Your Beautiful" | |
| Chayce Beckham with Luke Combs | "Forever After All" | |
| Hunter Metts with Katy Perry | "Thinking of You" | |
| Chayce Beckham | "23" |
Color key:
| Top 24 | Top 16 | Top 12 | Comeback | Top 10 | Top 7 | Top 4 | Finale | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4/4 | 4/5 | 4/11 | 4/18 | 4/19 | 5/2 | 5/9 | 5/16 | 5/23 | ||
| Chayce Beckham | 1 | N/A | Safe | Safe | Safe | N/A | Safe | Safe | Safe | Winner |
| Willie Spence | 2 | Safe | N/A | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | ||
| Grace Kinstler | 3 | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | Third Place | ||
| Casey Bishop | 4 | N/A | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | Eliminated | ||
| Caleb Kennedy | 5 | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | Withdrew | ||||
| Arthur Gunn | 6 | Not in competition | Safe | Safe | Eliminated | |||||
| Hunter Metts | N/A | Safe | Safe | Safe | N/A | Safe | ||||
| Cassandra Coleman | 8 | Safe | N/A | Safe | Safe | Eliminated | ||||
| Deshawn Goncalves | Safe | Safe | Safe | |||||||
| Alyssa Wray | Safe | Safe | Safe | |||||||
| Beane | 11 | N/A | Safe | Saved | Eliminated | |||||
| Ava August | Safe | Safe | ||||||||
| Madison Watkins | Safe | Saved | ||||||||
| Graham DeFranco | Safe | N/A | Eliminated | |||||||
| Colin Jamieson | N/A | Safe | ||||||||
| Alanis Sophia | Safe | N/A | ||||||||
| Wyatt Pike | Safe | Withdrew | ||||||||
| Hannah Everhart | N/A | Eliminated | ||||||||
| Liahona Olayan | ||||||||||
| Jason Warrior | ||||||||||
| Mary Jo Young | ||||||||||
| Alana | Eliminated | |||||||||
| Anilee List | ||||||||||
| Cecil Ray | ||||||||||
| Andrea Valles | ||||||||||
| Faith Becnel | Not in competition | Eliminated | ||||||||
| Franklin Boone | ||||||||||
| DeWayne Crocker Jr. | ||||||||||
| Cyniah Elise | ||||||||||
| Aliana Jester | ||||||||||
| Louis Knight | ||||||||||
| Nick Merico | ||||||||||
| Makayla Phillips | ||||||||||
| Olivia Ximines | ||||||||||