UPDATE: 2 Alabamians advance to top 14 in American Idol
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American Idol fans—we’ve come a long way since the auditions and the competition is heating UP. The April 18 episode of American Idol has been the most intense yet, cutting the competition down from 20 to 14. Is your favorite contestant still in the running? Let’s get into it.
Tristen Gressett
Pell City teen Tristen Gressett has garnered a lot of attention this season for his firecracker personality. While he had a few setbacks at first, he quickly blossomed into a true performer.
Out of the 20 remaining contestants, 10 were deemed safe after garnering enough votes from the audience. The other 10 contestants had to perform a song for the judges in hopes they could be saved from elimination. Tristen was the in the latter group.
He took a step away from rock songs to sing upbeat pop hit Sacrifice by The Weeknd—and it almost cost him the competition according to judge Luke Bryan who said, “That song may have put you in a little box vocally, and always make sure we hear those vocals.”
Luckily, during his shot at redemption, Tristen gave an electric performance of Are You Gonna Go My Way by Lenny Kravitz, earning a spot in the top 14.
Lady K
When Katy Perry compares you to Rihanna, you know you’re doing something right. That’s exactly what happened for Montgomery-born powerhouse Lady K, after her dazzling performance of Love On the Brain.
“You were just building, building, building and you are beautiful inside and out. Now you get to play and shine like the goddess that you always have been.”
Katy Perry to Lady K
Her standing-ovation worthy performance won over America’s hearts—and votes—earning her a spot in the top 10. As a cherry on top, she gave a stunning performance of break-up anthem Bust Your Windows by Jazmine Sullivan.
We can’t wait to see Lady K advance in the competition.
Cadence Baker
Cadence Baker has seen a flurry of ups and downs on her American Idol journey. Despite her impressive vocal talents, her nerves and homesickness before each performance have put her at a disadvantage.
To continue to shine in the competition, Cadence needed to bring her performances to the next level. Katy Perry deemed her April 17 performance of Train Wreck by James Arthur a “hallelujah moment”, adding that it was right on par with her original audition.
In the following episode, the Muscle Shoals native didn’t receive enough votes to secure a spot in the top 10. For a shot at redemption, she gave an encore performance of I’m Your Baby Tonight by Whitney Houston—the same song she auditioned with.
Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough to impress the judges this time around, and she was sent home.
What’s next?
Now, our Alabama reps Tristen Gressett and Lady K will compete in another live episode on Sunday, April 24th, with mentorship from “Idol” alum and country music star Gabby Barrett.
Watch American Idol Sundays and Mondays at 8PM (EDT) on ABC.
Catch up on our “Idol” coverage so far:
- Find out which American Idol contestants from Alabama made it through to the top 24
- UPDATE: See which Alabama contestants made it through competitive Hollywood Week on American Idol
- You’re going to Hollywood!—Watch 4 Alabama singers wow the judges on American Idol
- Watch local Montgomery singer Lady K audition on American Idol this Sunday, March 6
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