The rivalry is heating up, as American Idol’s top ten finalists have been announced.
On Monday night’s episode of the singing competition series, 11 competitors sang a song picked by the judges, and after the top nine votes were cast, it was up to Luke Bryan and Katy Perry to rescue one of the last two singers.
The judges’ song contest on Monday’s programme was the first time they had any friendly rivalry, as they each picked a song for each participant anonymously. The competitor who opted to sing their song received a point, and after Perry, 37, made a swift return, she and Bryan, 45, tied for fourth place with a total of four points.
What is the prize? They had the power to decide who would proceed to the next round of the tournament. Lady K and Tristen Gressett were the final two contestants, and after a lengthy discussion, Perry and Bryan picked Lady K to advance to the next round.
“I didn’t think Lady K had her finest night today,” the “Firework” singer said in a group interview with PEOPLE, Us Weekly, and Parade regarding Lady K’s performance, which included her forgetting a few lyrics to Olivia Rodrigo’s “Traitor.” “However, I believe Tristen is a wild card.”
“It was difficult since it wasn’t super-obvious because of the performance,” she said of Lady K’s performance. “Based on tonight’s performances, I believe Lady K is always giving us the glow-up. It’s fantastic.”
Following Lady K’s performance, she assumed Perry would choose “Traitor,” but it was instead fellow judge Lionel Richie’s choice.
“Do you have a teenage girl locked within you?” When Perry realised his music choice, he approached Richie.