# American Idol season 21

The twenty-first season of American Idol premiered on February 19, 2023, on the ABC television network. Ryan Seacrest returned as host; Luke Bryan, Katy Perry, and Lionel Richie returned as judges.
Iam Tongi won the season on May 21, 2023, while Megan Danielle was the runner-up, and Colin Stough finished in third place.

## Auditions

The Idol Across America virtual auditions program returned from the previous two seasons. Remote auditions took place from August 3 to September 14, 2022, as well as a number of open-call auditions, and from these, the producers selected the contestants who were then invited to audition in front of the judges.
The "platinum ticket" also returned from last season. During the audition round, a total of three platinum tickets were awarded, and they gave the recipients the opportunity to advance directly to the second round of Hollywood week as well as choose their partners for that week's duet challenge before the remaining contestants were paired. During the American Music Awards, three contestants advancing to Hollywood week also were given the opportunity to win a fourth platinum ticket. The platinum ticket recipients were Cam Amen, Kaylin Hedges, Elijah McCormick, and Tyson Venegas.
American Idol (season 21) – auditions :
| City | Filming date(s) | Filming venue |
| Las Vegas, Nevada | September 26–29, 2022 | Waldorf Astoria Las Vegas |
| New Orleans, Louisiana | October 10–13, 2022 | Four Seasons Hotel New Orleans |
| Nashville, Tennessee | November 10–13, 2022 | Kimpton Aertson Hotel |

## Hollywood week

Hollywood week was filmed December 4–7, 2022, at the Los Angeles Theatre in Los Angeles. There were some changes to the format this season. Instead of having the contestants choose a specific genre, the contestants instead had to choose one area of performance to work on: confidence, songwriting, and stage presence. Contestants were again mentored by American Idol alumni: Clay Aiken and David Archuleta (confidence), Phillip Phillips and Catie Turner (songwriting), and Justin Guarini and Jordin Sparks (stage presence). Those who impressed the judges and the producers were advanced to the next round. The contestants were paired up by the judges and performed duets. They were given twelve hours to rehearse, which included consultation with a vocal coach, a stage rehearsal, and advice from one of the judges. Judges could advance either, neither, or both of the contestants to the Showstopper round.

## Showstopper round

The Showstopper round featured the top 55 contestants performing for the judges and a live audience at the Los Angeles Theatre. This round was aired on April 9 and April 10, but only 35 contestants were aired. The judges then narrowed the number of contestants down to 26. The following is a list of the contestants who reached the top 26 and the song they performed. Contestants are listed in the order they performed.
Showstopper round (April 9 & 10) :
| Contestant | Song |
| Kaeyra | "River" |
| Warren Peay | "Whipping Post" |
| Nutsa | "Proud Mary" |
| Michael Williams | "Angels like You" |
| PJAE | "I Want You" |
| Malik Heard | "Can We Talk" |
| Wé Ani | "Ain't No Way" |
| Zachariah Smith | "Don't Stop Me Now" |
| Tyson Venegas | "Cuz I Love You" |
| Haven Madison | "Bird Set Free" |
| Lucy Love | "Flying Without Wings" |
| Paige Anne | "California Dreamin'" |
| Megan Danielle | "Always Remember Us This Way" |
| Marybeth Byrd | "Flat on the Floor" |
| Oliver Steele | "Everybody Wants to Rule the World" |
| Emma Busse | "Chasing Pavements" |
| Elijah McCormick | "Believe for It" |
| Elise Kristine | "Feeling Good" |
| Olivia Soli | "All by Myself" |
| Dawson Wayne | "Flying" |
| Mariah Faith | "I Ain't Living Long Like This" |
| Hannah Nicolaisen | "I Don't Want to Be" |
| Nailyah Serenity | "Superstar" |
| Matt Wilson | "Forever" |
| Colin Stough | "Cold" |
| Iam Tongi | "The Sound of Silence" |
* ↑ Paige Anne was originally eliminated, but was invited back after contestant Beckett Rex withdrew from the competition.

## Top 26 (April 16 & 17)

The top 26 contestants were split into two groups of thirteen and performed one solo each at the Aulani resort in Kapolei, Hawaii. The first group aired on April 16, and the second group on April 17. Allen Stone served as a guest mentor for the first group, and Noah Cyrus for the second group. Three contestants from each group were eliminated based on the public vote, and the rest advanced to the top 20. Contestants are listed in the order they performed.
Color key:
Group 1 (April 16) :
| Contestant | Song | Result |
| Elise Kristine | "Holding Out for a Hero" | Eliminated |
| Oliver Steele | "Better Together" | Safe |
| Matt Wilson | "Speechless" | Safe |
| Kaeyra | "Don't Let Go (Love)" | Safe |
| PJAE | "Golden" | Eliminated |
| Zachariah Smith | "Lucille" | Safe |
| Mariah Faith | "You Should Probably Leave" | Safe |
| Emma Busse | "Lay Me Down" | Eliminated |
| Warren Peay | "Set Fire to the Rain" | Safe |
| Nailyah Serenity | "Lovin' You" | Safe |
| Haven Madison | "The Middle" | Safe |
| Lucy Love | "What's Love Got to Do with It" | Safe |
| Iam Tongi | "Don't Let Go" | Safe |
Group 2 (April 17) :
| Contestant | Song | Result |
| Elijah McCormick | "Good Vibes" | Eliminated |
| Paige Anne | "Wrecking Ball" | Safe |
| Marybeth Byrd | "Heart Like a Truck" | Safe |
| Wé Ani | "Edge of Midnight (Midnight Sky Remix)" | Safe |
| Michael Williams | "Tuesdays" | Safe |
| Dawson Wayne | "Copycat" | Eliminated |
| Hannah Nicolaisen | "Glitter in the Air" | Safe |
| Megan Danielle | "The Chain" | Safe |
| Malik Heard | "Ain't It Fun" | Eliminated |
| Olivia Soli | "Emotions" | Safe |
| Colin Stough | "Midnight Train to Memphis" | Safe |
| Tyson Venegas | "It Will Rain" | Safe |
| Nutsa | "Paris (Ooh La La)" | Safe |
Non-competition performance (April 16) :
| Performer | Song |
| Allen Stone | "Is This Love" |
Non-competition performance (April 17) :
| Performer | Song |
| Noah Cyrus | "Everybody Needs Someone" |

## Top 20 (April 23 & 24)

The top 20 performances aired on Sunday, April 23, followed by the live results show on Monday, April 24.
Color key:
Contestants are listed in the order they performed.
Top 20 (April 23) :
| Contestant | Song | Result |
| Zachariah Smith | "I Want to Know What Love Is" | Safe |
| Matt Wilson | "Say You Won't Let Go" | Wild Card |
| Nailyah Serenity | "Baby Love" | Wild Card |
| Warren Peay | "Up There Down Here" | Safe |
| Kaeyra | "Bruises" | Wild Card |
| Mariah Faith | "Cry to Me" | Wild Card |
| Iam Tongi | "The Winner Takes It All" | Safe |
| Haven Madison | "Mean Girls" | Safe |
| Oliver Steele | "Too Soon" | Safe |
| Lucy Love | "Boulders" | Wild Card |
| Hannah Nicolaisen | "Somebody to Love" | Wild Card |
| Olivia Soli | "I Surrender" | Wild Card |
| Marybeth Byrd | "People Pleaser" | Safe |
| Michael Williams | "Lose You to Love Me" | Wild Card |
| Paige Anne | "Say Something" | Wild Card |
| Nutsa | "Un-Break My Heart" | Wild Card |
| Tyson Venegas | "180" | Safe |
| Megan Danielle | "Holy Water" | Safe |
| Colin Stough | "Pretty Heart" | Safe |
| Wé Ani | "Skyfall" | Safe |
Top 20 (April 24) :
| Contestant | Song | Result |
| Wé Ani | "This Is Me" | Safe |
| Michael Williams | "Golden Hour" | Eliminated |
| Hannah Nicolaisen | "Royals" | Eliminated |
| Warren Peay | "It's Not My Time" | Safe |
| Mariah Faith | "If It Hadn't Been for Love" | Eliminated |
| Haven Madison | "15" | Safe |
| Nailyah Serenity | "Alive" | Eliminated |
| Paige Anne | "I Am Here" | Eliminated |
| Matt Wilson | "For Tonight" | Eliminated |
| Tyson Venegas | "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me" | Safe |
| Colin Stough | "Dancing on My Own" | Safe |
| Marybeth Byrd | "Cover Me Up" | Safe |
| Kaeyra | "If I Were Your Woman" | Eliminated |
| Oliver Steele | "You're Still the One" | Safe |
| Olivia Soli | "God Is a Woman" | Eliminated |
| Iam Tongi | "Stuck on You" | Safe |
| Zachariah Smith | "Hold the Line" | Safe |
| Lucy Love | "Radioactive" | Saved by the judges |
| Megan Danielle | "Thank God I Do" | Safe |
| Nutsa | "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going" | Saved by the judges |
Non-competition performances :
| Performers | Song |
| Smokey Robinson | "I Second That Emotion" "If We Don't Have Each Other" |
| Noah Thompson & HunterGirl | "One Day Tonight" |

## Finals

Color key:

### Top 12 – Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (April 30)

Adam Lambert served as a guest mentor this week. Each contestant performed one song from inductees of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Contestants are listed in the order they performed.
Top 12 (April 30) :
| Contestant | Song | Result |
| Tyson Venegas | "For Once in My Life" | Safe |
| Warren Peay | "The House of the Rising Sun" | Safe |
| Haven Madison | "Livin' on a Prayer" | Safe |
| Lucy Love | "All Night Long (All Night)" | Eliminated |
| Oliver Steele | "Georgia on My Mind" | Safe |
| Colin Stough | "Midnight Rider" | Safe |
| Marybeth Byrd | "Dancing Queen" | Safe |
| Wé Ani | "Something's Got a Hold on Me" | Safe |
| Nutsa | "The Show Must Go On" | Eliminated |
| Megan Danielle | "Angel from Montgomery" | Safe |
| Zachariah Smith | "Don't Bring Me Down" | Safe |
| Iam Tongi | "Bring It On Home to Me" | Safe |
Non-competition performance :
| Performer | Song |
| Adam Lambert | "I Can't Stand the Rain" |

### Top 10 – Judges' song contest (May 1)

The judges chose songs for each of the contestants to perform. Katy Perry had the most song choices selected by the contestants, and was able to save one contestant from elimination. Contestants are listed in the order they performed.
Top 10 (May 1) :
| Contestant | Song | Result |
| Zachariah Smith | "Wanted Dead or Alive" | Safe |
| Haven Madison | "The Only Exception" | Safe |
| Wé Ani | "I Have Nothing" | Safe |
| Oliver Steele | "High and Dry" | Saved by Katy Perry |
| Warren Peay | "Colder Weather" | Safe |
| Iam Tongi | "What a Wonderful World" | Safe |
| Marybeth Byrd | "Wasted on You" | Eliminated |
| Tyson Venegas | "Someone You Loved" | Eliminated |
| Megan Danielle | "Go Rest High on That Mountain" | Safe |
| Colin Stough | "It's Been Awhile" | Safe |
Non-competition performance :
| Performer | Song |
| Chayce Beckham | "Till The Day I Die" |
* 1 2 3 Song chosen by Lionel Richie
* 1 2 3 4 Song chosen by Katy Perry
* 1 2 3 Song chosen by Luke Bryan

### Top 8 – Alanis Morissette & Ed Sheeran (May 7)

Alanis Morissette served as a guest mentor this week, and also served as a guest judge along with Ed Sheeran. Each contestant performed two songs: one solo from the Alanis Morissette discography and one song from the Ed Sheeran discography performed as a duet with a fellow contestant. Contestants are listed in the order they performed.
Top 8 (May 7) :
| Contestant | Order | Song | Result |
| Warren Peay | 1 | "All I Really Want" | Eliminated |
| Zachariah Smith | 2 | "Ironic" | Safe |
| Haven Madison | 4 | "You Learn" | Eliminated |
| Colin Stough | 6 | "Hand in My Pocket" | Safe |
| Megan Danielle | 8 | "Head over Feet" | Safe |
| Iam Tongi | 9 | "Guardian" | Safe |
| Wé Ani | 10 | "Uninvited" | Safe |
| Oliver Steele | 12 | "You Oughta Know" | Eliminated |
| Oliver Steele & Iam Tongi | 3 | "Photograph" | |
| Wé Ani & Warren Peay | 5 | "Perfect" | |
| Haven Madison & Zachariah Smith | 7 | "Thinking Out Loud" | |
| Megan Danielle & Colin Stough | 11 | "Dive" | |
Non-competition performances :
| Performer | Song |
| Alanis Morissette | "Thank U" |
| Ed Sheeran | "Eyes Closed" |

### Top 5 – Disney (May 14)

Sofia Carson served as a guest mentor this week. Each contestant performed two songs from Disney films. Contestants are listed in the order they performed.
Top 5 – Disney (May 14) :
| Contestant | Order | Song | Disney film | Result |
| Wé Ani | 1 | "Into the Unknown" | Frozen II | Eliminated |
| Wé Ani | 6 | "The Climb" | Hannah Montana: The Movie | Eliminated |
| Zachariah Smith | 2 | "I Just Can't Wait to Be King" | The Lion King | Eliminated |
| Zachariah Smith | 7 | "Life Is a Highway" | Cars | Eliminated |
| Colin Stough | 3 | "Real Gone" | Cars | Safe |
| Colin Stough | 8 | "Nobody Knows" | Pete's Dragon | Safe |
| Megan Danielle | 4 | "You Can't Stop the Girl" | Maleficent: Mistress of Evil | Safe |
| Megan Danielle | 9 | "Carried Me with You" | Onward | Safe |
| Iam Tongi | 5 | "Lava" | Lava | Safe |
| Iam Tongi | 10 | "Father and Son" | Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 | Safe |
Non-competition performances :
| Performers | Song |
| Top 5 with Sara Bareilles | "When You Wish Upon a Star" (from Pinocchio) |
| Halle Bailey | "Part of Your World" (from The Little Mermaid) |

### Top 3 – Finale (May 21)

Each contestant performed two songs – one from the Keith Urban discography and one dedicated to their hometowns – before the contestant who had the fewest votes up to that point was eliminated, thereby finishing in third place. The remaining two contestants performed one last song as voting continued. Contestants are listed in the order they performed.
Finale (May 21) :
| Contestant | Order | Song | Result |
| Megan Danielle | 1 | "God Whispered Your Name" | Runner-up |
| Megan Danielle | 4 | "Faithfully" | Runner-up |
| Megan Danielle | 7 | "Dream Girl" | Runner-up |
| Iam Tongi | 2 | "Making Memories of Us" | Winner |
| Iam Tongi | 5 | "Cool Down" | Winner |
| Iam Tongi | 8 | "I'll Be Seeing You" | Winner |
| Colin Stough | 3 | "Stupid Boy" | Third place |
| Colin Stough | 6 | "Either Way" | Third place |
Non-competition performances :
| Performers | Song |
| Pitbull & Lil Jon | "Jumpin" |
| Top 12 with Pitbull & Lil Jon | "Give Me Everything" |
| Lucy Love with TLC | "No Scrubs" "Creep" "Waterfalls" |
| Zachariah Smith with Kevin Cronin | "Take It on the Run" |
| Oliver Steele with Jelly Roll & Lainey Wilson | "Save Me" "Need A Favor" |
| Nutsa with Kylie Minogue | "Padam Padam" "Can't Get You Out of My Head" |
| Top 12 with Lionel Richie | "Sail On" |
| Keith Urban | "Wild Hearts" |
| Iam Tongi with James Blunt | "Monsters" |
| Ellie Goulding | "Miracle" |
| Tyson Venegas with Ellie Goulding | "Burn" |
| Lauren Daigle | "These Are the Days" |
| Megan Danielle with Lauren Daigle | "Thank God I Do" |
| Luke Bryan | "But I Got a Beer in My Hand" |
| Colin Stough with Luke Bryan | "Slow Hand" |
| Wé Ani with Jazmine Sullivan | "Bust Your Windows" |
| Marybeth Byrd & Warren Peay with Lainey Wilson | "Heart Like a Truck" |
| Haven Madison with Katy Perry | "I Still Need You" "By the Grace of God" |
| Iam Tongi & Megan Danielle with Ruben Studdard & Clay Aiken | "The Impossible Dream (The Quest)" |
| Iam Tongi | "Don't Let Go" |

## Elimination chart

Color key:
American Idol (season 21) - Eliminations :
| Contestant | Pl. | Top 26 | Top 26 | Top 20 | Top 12 | Top 10 | Top 8 | Top 5 | Finale |
| Contestant | Pl. | 4/16 | 4/17 | 4/23 | 4/30 | 5/1 | 5/7 | 5/14 | 5/21 |
| Iam Tongi | 1 | Safe | N/A | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | Winner |
| Megan Danielle | 2 | N/A | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | Runner-up |
| Colin Stough | 3 | N/A | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | Third place |
| Wé Ani | 4 | N/A | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | Eliminated | |
| Zachariah Smith | 4 | Safe | N/A | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | Eliminated | |
| Haven Madison | 6 | Safe | N/A | Safe | Safe | Safe | Eliminated | | |
| Warren Peay | 6 | Safe | N/A | Safe | Safe | Safe | Eliminated | | |
| Oliver Steele | 6 | Safe | N/A | Safe | Safe | Saved | Eliminated | | |
| Marybeth Byrd | 9 | N/A | Safe | Safe | Safe | Eliminated | | | |
| Tyson Venegas | 9 | N/A | Safe | Safe | Safe | Eliminated | | | |
| Lucy Love | 11 | Safe | N/A | Saved | Eliminated | | | | |
| Nutsa | 11 | N/A | Safe | Saved | Eliminated | | | | |
| Hannah Nicolaisen | | N/A | Safe | Eliminated | | | | | |
| Kaeyra | | Safe | N/A | Eliminated | | | | | |
| Mariah Faith | | Safe | N/A | Eliminated | | | | | |
| Matt Wilson | | Safe | N/A | Eliminated | | | | | |
| Michael Williams | | N/A | Safe | Eliminated | | | | | |
| Nailyah Serenity | | Safe | N/A | Eliminated | | | | | |
| Olivia Soli | | N/A | Safe | Eliminated | | | | | |
| Paige Anne | | N/A | Safe | Eliminated | | | | | |
| Dawson Wayne | | N/A | Eliminated | | | | | | |
| Elijah McCormick | | N/A | Eliminated | | | | | | |
| Malik Heard | | N/A | Eliminated | | | | | | |
| Elise Kristine | | Eliminated | | | | | | | |
| Emma Busse | | Eliminated | | | | | | | |
| PJAE | | Eliminated | | | | | | | |

## Ratings

Viewership and ratings per episode of American Idol season 21 :
| No. | Title | Air date | Timeslot (ET) | Rating/share (18–49) | Viewers (millions) | DVR (18–49) | DVR viewers (millions) | Total (18–49) | Total viewers (millions) |
| 1 | "Auditions, Part 1" | February 19, 2023 | Sunday 8:00 p.m. | 0.6/6 | 5.27 | 0.2 | 1.63 | 0.8 | 6.90 |
| 2 | "Auditions, Part 2" | February 26, 2023 | Sunday 8:00 p.m. | 0.7/7 | 5.25 | — | 1.35 | — | 6.60 |
| 3 | "Auditions, Part 3" | March 5, 2023 | Sunday 8:00 p.m. | 0.7/6 | 5.62 | 0.2 | 1.38 | 0.9 | 7.00 |
| 4 | "Auditions, Part 3A" | March 13, 2023 | Monday 12:15 a.m. | 0.6/11 | 3.34 | — | — | — | — |
| 5 | "Auditions, Part 4" | March 19, 2023 | Sunday 8:00 p.m. | 0.6/5 | 4.88 | — | — | — | — |
| 6 | "Auditions, Part 5" | March 26, 2023 | Sunday 8:00 p.m. | 0.7/6 | 5.25 | — | — | — | — |
| 7 | "Hollywood Week Part #1" | April 2, 2023 | Sunday 8:00 p.m. | 0.7/6 | 5.06 | — | — | — | — |
| 8 | "Hollywood Week Part #2" | April 3, 2023 | Monday 8:00 p.m. | 0.5/5 | 4.42 | — | — | — | — |
| 9 | "Showstopper/Final Judgment Part #1" | April 9, 2023 | Sunday 8:00 p.m. | 0.5/5 | 4.58 | — | — | — | — |
| 10 | "Showstopper/Final Judgment Part #2" | April 10, 2023 | Monday 8:00 p.m. | 0.6/5 | 4.46 | — | — | — | — |
| 11 | "Top 26 at Disney's Aulani Resort in Hawaii Part #1" | April 16, 2023 | Sunday 8:00 p.m. | 0.6/6 | 5.35 | — | — | — | — |
| 12 | "Top 26 at Disney's Aulani Resort in Hawaii Part #2" | April 17, 2023 | Monday 8:00 p.m. | 0.5/5 | 4.36 | — | — | — | — |
| 13 | "Top 20" | April 23, 2023 | Sunday 8:00 p.m. | 0.7/7 | 5.37 | — | — | — | — |
| 14 | "Top 12 Reveal!" | April 24, 2023 | Monday 8:00 p.m. | 0.6/5 | 4.90 | — | — | — | — |
| 15 | "Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Night" | April 30, 2023 | Sunday 8:00 p.m. | 0.7/7 | 5.92 | 0.4 | 1.58 | 1.1 | 7.50 |
| 16 | "Judge's Song Contest" | May 1, 2023 | Monday 8:00 p.m. | 0.6/5 | 5.41 | — | — | — | — |
| 17 | "Top 8: Alanis Morissette/Ed Sheeran" | May 7, 2023 | Sunday 8:00 p.m. | 0.8/7 | 6.12 | 0.3 | 1.58 | 1.1 | 7.70 |
| 18 | "Disney Night" | May 14, 2023 | Sunday 8:00 p.m. | 0.9/10 | 6.33 | 0.3 | 1.57 | 1.2 | 7.90 |
| 19 | "Journey to the Finale" | May 15, 2023 | Monday 9:00 p.m. | 0.3/3 | 2.70 | — | — | — | — |
| 20 | "Season Finale" | May 21, 2023 | Sunday 8:00 p.m. | 0.8/8 | 6.62 | 0.2 | 1.09 | 1.1 | 7.71 |