American Idol returned to its roots Sunday with a tribute both to moms and Season 4 winner Carrie Underwood.
The Top 5 singers in the ABC reality singing competition also became the Top 3, with Cade Foehner and Michael J. Woodard being eliminated in a nationwide live vote after performing one song from Underwood’s repertoire and one song that reminded them of their own mothers. The remaining competitors will compete in the finale next week.
Videos by PopCulture.com
Introducing your #IdolTop3! @calebleemusic @MaddiePoppe and @GabbyBarrett_! #AmericanIdol pic.twitter.com/SDRPUFcqsz
โ American Idol (@AmericanIdol) May 14, 2018
Underwood herself also returned to the Idol stage, performing her single “Cry Pretty” and acting as a guest mentor to the contestants.
Keep scrolling to see who will be performing in the season finale and who has a chance to become the next American Idol. The finale will air in two parts on Sunday and Monday, May 20 and 21 at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.
CALEB LEE HUTCHINSON

Caleb impressed the judges with a cover of Underwood’s “So Small.” The 19-year-old singer, also sang “Stars in Alabama” by Jamey Johnson.
GABBY BARRETT

The 18-year-old songstress took on the Underwood challenge with “Last Name” and then performed “I Have Nothing” by Whitney Houston.
ย
MADDIE POPPE

The 20-year-old singer performed Underwood’s “I Told You So,” and also captivated the audience with The Beach Boys’ “God Only Knows.”
ELIMINATED: CADE FOEHNER

The 21-year-old Cade performed the Carrie Underwood song “Undo It” and also rocked out to Lynyrdย Skynyrd’sย “Simple Man.”
ELIMINATED MICHAEL J. WOODARD

The 20-year-old fan favorite took on Underwood’s “Flat on the Floor” and also performed “Still I Rise,” by Yolanda Adams.
Special Guest

The Top 5 had a very special guest in the form of country superstar Carrie Underwood, who acted as a mentor for them prior to Sunday’s episode.
Underwood, who got her start as the winner for Season 4 of American Idol, also performed her latest single, “Cry Pretty,” after showing a clip of the video during the May 6 episode of Idol.
ย
ย
How to vote
Each week, you can submit up to 10 votes for each remaining contestant per voting method โ online at AmericanIdol.com/vote, in the American Idol app, and via text voting.
For text message voting, text the number of the contestant you would like to vote for to “21523.” Numbers for contestants change every week, and will be updated via social media.
Voting opens each Sunday at 8 p.m. ET and closes during the last commercial break. The results are revealed at the end of each live episode.
American Idolย airs Sundays at 8 p.m. ET onย ABC.
Photo credit: ABC,ย Kevork Djansezian / Getty
More Reality
-

โReverse the Curseโ โ Back from tribal, tensions rise following the exit of a particularly historic player. The final five immunity challenge ends in a showdown and features one of the closest finishes the show has ever seen. Jeff reveals the outcomes of the remaining in-game fan votes and how they impact the final stage of the competition. Then, one castaway will be crowned Sole Survivor and awarded the $2 million prize, during the three-hour live season finale, on SURVIVOR 50, Wednesday, May 20 (8:00-11:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network, and streaming on Paramount+ (live and on-demand for Paramount+ Premium plan subscribers, or on-demand for Paramount+ Essential subscribers the day after the episode airs)*. Jeff Probst serves as host and executive producer. Pictured: Aubry Bracco Photo: Robert Voets/CBS ยฉ2025 CBS Broadcasting, Inc. All Rights Reserved. -

โA Side Dish of Chaosโ โ One castaway comes clean to the tribe about a previously deceptive move. The crowd favorite SURVIVOR auction returns, with an extra special season 50 spin. Chaos ensues when social media icon MrBeast arrives on the scene, on SURVIVOR 50, Wednesday, April 29 (8:00-10:00 PM, ET/PT). Photo: Robert Voets/CBS ยฉ2025 CBS Broadcasting, Inc. All Rights Reserved.






