“American Idol”: Judges Begin Paring Contestants Down to Top 20 in Hawaii Showcases

The American Idol crew were in Hawaii Sunday, in a pre-recorded episode where Lionel Richie, Luke Bryan, Katy Perry had to narrow down contestants into a Top 20, per the Hollywood Reporter.

One of the show’s frontrunners Nick Merico kicked it off with “When I Was Your Man” by Bruno Mars, telling Richie that he incorporated his feedback into the song. It worked, as Richie told him he’d moved on. DeWayne Crocker Jr. impressed with his original take on “Old Town Road,” which also earned him a ticket into the Top 20.

Louis Knight’s Ed Sheeran cover wasn’t perfect, but was enough to keep him in contention, while Francisco Martin moved on as well, and earned praise from Perry, who quipped, “is that Bruno Mars up there?”

Other singers who moved on included Jovin Webb, Faith Becnel, Just Sam, and Jonny West, while viewers will have to wait until next week to see if Dillon James will move on. In fact, next week’s episode may be the show’s last: Idol will either have to postpone or come up with an alternative way to proceed due to COVID-19 concerns.