‘American Idol’ Recap: Keyla Richardson Stands Out as The Rest of the Top 20 Hit the Stage

The remaining 10 artists in American Idol‘s Top 20 hit the stage in Hawaii for performances on the Monday, March 23, episode. Like last week’s contestants, they were mentored by Brad Paisley and Keke Palmer before they sang in front of the judges.

Palmer also joined Carrie Underwood, Lionel Richie, and Luke Bryan to offer commentary from the judges’ table. Throughout the show, viewers were able to vote for their favorites on social media, the American Idol website, and by text. This is the first time fans have had a say in who moves forward during Season 24.

We’ll find out which artists move on during the first Live Show of the season on March 30. Until then, scroll down for a recap of the night’s performances.

Philmon Lee

The first to perform was Philmon Lee. He sang “Don’t Stop Believin'” by Journey, hoping to build up his confidence amid his nerves and jitters.

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The judges noticed that things were a bit shaky at the beginning of Philmon’s performance, but Richie pointed out, “The first half I was a little scared for you, but then you leaned into it. You did a great job, man.”

Palmer agreed that she was “nervous for a second,” but said once Philmon took the microphone off the stand and started walking, he “got a little swag” in his step and “hit every note.” Underwood praised Philmon for making the song his own, but urged him to “just relax” moving forward. “I felt your brain working a little bit, and it’s not a bad thing because this is a big deal, but just get into it and try to shut your brain off,” she said.

Bryan added, “Vocals, you don’t need to worry about vocals. Now, channel that inner tiger, that warrior. If you could just amp your performance energy up a little bit, man, you’re going to surprise yourself.”

Rae

For her Top 20 performance, Rae hit the stage with a rendition of “Respect” by Aretha Franklin. Although it was a tall order, Rae explained that she grew up on Franklin’s music and wanted to “command the stage” like her.

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The judges got up on their feet to applaud Rae with a standing ovation. Mostly, they were impressed by Rae’s ability to perform and entertain, as well as sing.

“You set the whole show on fire,” Palmer admitted. “I’m not playing. You were singing down. I even heard a little talking [and] personality throughout. When you hit that move at the end? The performance was fabulous from top to bottom.”

Underwood noted that Rae’s past performances were “more subdued situations,” and this one was the “missing ingredient.” She added, “We always knew you could sing, but you can entertain. You completely made it your own.”

Richie called the performance “amazing,” while Bryan concluded, “You got my respect. You’re one of our best singers, if not the best singer. Way to come out and work the crowd.”

Lucas Leon

Next to take the stage was Lucas Leon. After bonding with Paisley during rehearsals, he performed Tim McGraw‘s “Just to See You Smile,” and the country singer praised him for making the rendition his own, instead of just copying McGraw.

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Richie began the judges’ commentary by pointing out how “comfortable” Lucas is on stage. “I almost forgot that you were a contestant,” he admitted. “That’s what you want. You want comfort. You want people to understand that this is what you do naturally and what you just performed there was as natural as you’re ever going to get.”

Palmer “agreed with everything” Richie said. “You literally transported us into your world,” she added, while Underwood raved over the teenager’s “powerful” and “beautiful” voice. “There’s something really special about the simplicity,” she explained. “You don’t try to over sing. You’re laidback in the pockets. It’s so easy to listen to you and to watch you.”

Bryan concluded, “Keep delivering. Keep making us feel comfortable, but also keep adding the pressure and the intensity and pick songs that really pull you outside of your comfort zone.”

Jordan McCullough

Jordan McCullough, who earned the platinum ticket from his fellow contestants in the Top 30, hit the stage in Hawaii and performed U2’s “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For.” He stepped out of his comfort zone by keeping things simple, rather than his usual “showstopper” ways, for the performance.

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By the end of the set, Jordan even got emotional and overwhelmed by where he made it in the competition so far. “To take a U2 song and turn it into spiritual, that’s a feat. Then, on top of that, turn the U2 song into your song, is the way you win competitions,” Richie began.

“I love that Lionel used the word spiritual because I feel like I just had the most amazing moment listening to you,” Underwood continued. “We’re in this heavenly-made place, listening to your anointed voice. Praise the Lord for all of this because it was absolutely just mind-blowing. That was incredible. You are so blessed.”

Palmer urged everyone to vote for Jordan because he “has to be in this competition,” while Bryan said, “Your vocal command and your presence … when you hit your first note, everybody pays attention to you because you really know how to own that moment and your voice is that big. To be able to navigate the notes and take us on this journey … you’re a powerhouse singer. You keep surprising me.”

Abayomi

Following Jordan’s performance was Abayomi, who sang “Mama Knows Best” by Jessie J, which she dedicated to her own mother, who was in the audience.

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“That was absolutely in charge, in power. You were rolling down the road just killing it. You killed it,” Richie told Abayomi. Underwood called her a “Disney star in the making,” adding, “You’re so relatable. You’re living your best life on the stage and you’re doing so with such a vocal maturity, but also just the way you’re handling yourself. I feel like we’re just going to watch you blossom in front of us in this competition. And I’m excited to see where it takes us.”

Palmers said, “It is not easy to command a stage in a competition like this, especially as a youngin’, but you did just that. No matter what happens from here on out, you belong on that stage. I’m telling you the truth.”

Finally, Bryan noted that Abayomi has “so many star qualities” and said, “You don’t operate like you’re a 16-year-old and don’t start any time soon. Just be confident in what you are because you have every right to be. Great performance from top to bottom.”

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Madison Moon

This season’s resident pop-rocker Madison Moon chose to sing “Since U Been Gone” by Kelly Clarkson for the Top 20. Madison recognized that it as a “very bold” choice, since Clarkson previously won the show, but wanted to keep taking risks on the show.

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“Earlier today, I was over in my room and I could hear this song being played, I couldn’t see anything so I didn’t know, but I was like, ‘I bet that’s Madison,'” Underwood smiled. “She’s the only one who could go for this and pull it off, and you did. I love your voice so much. I love that you’re just you. You’ve got incredible pipes. That’s a tall order song. Nobody wants to sing this song because it’s really hard, and you tackled it, girl.”

Richie was blown away, adding, “Honestly, you just blew my wig off my head. No doubt about it. When I tell you … power. You have it in spades.” Bryan urged Madison to “keep that rocker energy” and told her she “nailed” the performance.

Meanwhile, Palmer admitted she was nervous that Madison wouldn’t hit the big note at the end of the song, but exclaimed, “You did it!”

Chris Tungseth

For Chris Tungseth’s Top 20 performance, he sang “Apologize” by One Republic, which he used to listen to as a preteen paperboy. He wanted to make the performance fun, but also intimate.

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“You have a great voice, but you also have a great vibe,” Palmer shared. “The way you transformed the song … I want to hear more of you, to really get into that vibe of what makes Chris Chris. I want to see you get more comfortable, I want to see you get more relaxed, I want to come into your world because I know there’s a lot there.”

Bryan agreed, telling Chris to “set yourself free and start singing,” while also praising the “power” he has in his voice. Meanwhile, Underwood gushed over how much she “loves” Chris’ voice and “gorgeous laidback vibrato,” but told him to lean into his “mysterious sexy vibe” moving forward.

“I mean this as a compliment,” she said. “It’s one of your superpowers, and if you own that, they will just eat it up.”

Ruby Rae

Teenager Ruby Rae chose “Drag Me Down” by One Direction for her Top 20 performance song. She dedicated the performance to her older brothers, who stood up for her against bullies in middle school.

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“You are such a ray of sunshine. You always got this gazillion watt smile and you can’t help but smile watching you,” Underwood told Ruby. However, she challenged her to “find her sassy side” in future performances.

Richie admitted that he worried Ruby would “run out of air” in her performance, but praised her big note and urged her to stop “overthinking” because she doesn’t need to. Palmer added, “The only thing I would have wanted is for you to be able to take your time with it and let the band catch up to you instead of being a little bit in front of them, but these are small things.” She also said Ruby did an “incredible job.”

Bryan said this was the first time that Ruby actually seemed like a 16-year-old on stage. “You need to work on getting in that mentality of, ‘I’m going to get out here and almost create a little alter ego,'” he advised. “Where you get a little more angst in there. I love your voice and we know you got all the goods in there.”

Julián Kalel

Julián Kalel returned to the stage for the Top 20 and performed “Tourniquet” by Zach Bryan, which he said is a song that means a lot to him.

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“I can tell how much it means to you and that it’s so true to you,” Palmer said. “Your voice is beautiful. I could listen to you go on and on and on.” She said she “loved” the performance and called it “beautiful.”

Underwood raved over Julián’s artistry and how “believable” he is when singing. “It’s a joy to get to listen to you,” she gushed, while Richie said it’s “exciting” for the judges to “see you stand there in the light of your artistry, strong and powerful.”

Bryan said it was A Star Is Born moment for Julián and told him, “It’s so fun when someone’s just got it, and you just got it.” He also called the singer the “frontrunner of the competition” after that performance.

Keyla Richardson

Keyla Richardson gave the final performance of the Top 20. She sang “With a Little Help From My Friends” by The Beatles.

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“I have never had any contestant walk out on this stage and tear the place up. The place got blown up. That Janis Joplin-sounding, Tina Turner-sounding, I don’t know who you are … but that right there was the greatest performance I have ever seen on this stage,” Richie confirmed.

Palmer joked that she had to be brought “back to life” after Keyla sang. “The last time I’ve had somebody make me feel like this and get turned up like this was Fantasia Barrino, and she won American Idol,” Palmer added.

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Underwood said, “The thing that I love about you is I feel like you don’t think about what you’re doing as it’s happening. It just flows out of you. You were in the moment, you were having fun with the audience, it was just pouring out of you. It was like from the heavens, to Keyla, and then out to us.”

American Idol, Season 24, Mondays, 8/7c, ABC

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