American Idol’s Abi Carter Sings Taylor Swift’s ‘All Too Well’ and Earns Spot in the Top 10

Abi Carter did Taylor Swift justice when she sang one of the pop star’s biggest songs on American Idol. The talented contestant played piano as she belted out “All Too Well” during the show’s Monday, April 22, episode. 

The episode featured the top 12 contestants singing Billboard No. 1 hits. “All Too Well” wasn’t even a single when Taylor, 34, first released it in 2012, but it shot to the top of the charts when she dropped the rerecorded version of her album Red in 2021. 

Abi’s performance impressed the judges. Viewers were clearly taken by it, too, because she received enough votes to earn a spot in the top 10. Jayna Elise and Roman Collins were eliminated at the end of the episode.

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Meanwhile, the California native wasn’t the only artist to perform a Taylor track during the episode. McKenna Faith Breinholt sang the 2020 song “Cardigan” and also nabbed a top 10 spot. 

Abi, 21, has been a standout contestant since her American Idol audition, where she earned one of the three coveted platinum tickets. This allowed her to skip the first round of performances in Hollywood week and move directly to round two. Julia Gagnon was also a platinum ticket winner and is a fellow top 10 contestant. 

The competition continues with another new episode on April 28, where the remaining 10 artists will sing songs from their birth years. Two more will be eliminated and the top 8 will return to the stage on April 29 to perform songs anonymously selected by judges Luke Bryan, Katy Perry and Lionel Richie. The group of contestants will then be narrowed down to just six artists. 

In addition to Abi’s incredible voice, her story has also resonated with viewers. The college graduate revealed that she is the oldest of seven children who were raised by a single mother. Despite having to work during high school and help care for her younger siblings, Abi went on to graduate summa cum laude from California State University, San Bernandino, in May 2023. She has since been pursuing her singing career. 

While Taylor has not commented on Abi’s performance, she often has her finger on the pulse of what’s going on in the world of entertainment. However, the Grammy winner has a lot going on right now following the release of her album The Tortured Poets Department on April 19. She’s also preparing for her return to the Eras tour, which resumes in Paris on May 9.