'American Idol' recap: Shania Twain helps Abi Carter set a high bar; two singers go home
Some "American Idol" Season 22 contestants were born just as Blink-182 was making it big.
Feel old yet?
On Sunday night, the Top 8 took to the stage with songs from the year they were born, taking viewers back to the pop-punk of the late '90s and country hits from the 2000s. Shania Twain was on hand to push these singers to new heights and, when necessary, lead them away from some bad decisions (See: Kayko's insistence at singing Britney Spears' "Oops!…I Did It Again" like it's "Bohemian Rhapsody).
Katy Perry, Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie saw the payoff from the rare criticism they leveled the Top 12 contestants with last week as some of the "Idol" hopefuls pushed themselves to reach new heights.
Here are some of the night's highlights and which contestant was sent home after the judges' save.
What happened last week? Judges dole out criticism (and hugs), and two contestants are voted off
Abi Carter gets rid of the instrument – and sets a new bar for herself
Abi Carter is back.
It seems like her first bout with criticism from the judges last week, set a fire under the 21-year-old musician, who's one of the season's frontrunners since her Billie Eilish cover earned her a platinum ticket and a declaration from Bryan that she "may be the winner of 'American Idol.'"
She heeded Bryan's advice, ditched the guitar and the piano, and taking the risk paid off.
As Abi started her rendition of Coldplay's "Clocks" (2003) in the audience, it was immediately clear we'd be seeing something new from her. She engaged with the crowd and touched their hands as she made her way onto the stage. Abi simultaneously looked like she was having a blast while controlling her pitch.
Previously, she had the voice and the talent. Now she's got the stage presence to back it up.
The performance made Perry eat her words. She acknowledged Bryan might have been right last week to encourage her to "start working the room," which was a criticism Perry disagreed with at the time.
Luke Bryan says Emmy Russell showed her 'best vocals' so far with a Blink-182 song
Emmy Russell took to the stage dressed like a country pop star to perform a pop-punk 1999 song.
She sang Blink-182's "All the Small Things" (1999) pleasantly and in a singsong voice, which was not a choice that you'd expect for this particular chart-topping hit. The juxtaposition with Kayko's barely-contained energy as he sang Wheatus' "Teenage Dirtbag" minutes prior didn't do Emmy any favors.
Though she still gave shrinking violet energy, Emmy looked significantly less nervous than in previous weeks as she experimented with walking around the stage a bit with what Richie calls her "storytelling voice."
Her effort didn't go unnoticed. "Comfortable looks beautiful on you," Perry said. "You sounded the most solid from A to Z that I’ve ever heard from you."
Bryan hailed the performance, sharing he was shocked that "one of your best vocals would be a Blink-182 song."
Who was eliminated from 'American Idol'?
Sam "Kayko" Kelly-Cohen rocked hard to Wheatus and Mia Matthews took on her idol, Shania Twain, but unfortunately they didn't garner enough votes to get into the Top 8.
Who's in the 'American Idol' 2024 Top 8?
Triston Harper
Kaibrienne "KB" Richins
Jack Blocker
Julia Gagnon
Abi Carter
Mckenna Breinholt
Will Moseley
Emmy Russell
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 'American Idol' recap: Shania Twain helps Abi Carter set a high bar
