American Idol season 21 episode 11 release date, air time, and plot

Popular reality competition series American Idol season 21 is all set to air a brand new episode on Sunday, April 16, 2023, at 8 pm ET on ABC. The episode will document the contestants, who made the Top 26 last week, perform for America's vote. They will be performing in front of judges and a live audience in hopes of impressing them and garnering enough votes to stay in the competition.

On this week's episode of American Idol, the chosen contestants from the Showstoppers round will perform at Disney's Aulani Resort and Spa in Hawaii. They will put their best foot forward to ensure that their performance leaves a lasting impression on America. The fate of these singers is now completely in the hands of the audience who will vote and choose their Top 20 contestants.

The hit ABC series has been on the air for over two decades now and has established itself to be a legendary reality singing competition. Over the years, viewers have witnessed many contestants taking to the stage and becoming renowned artists with a massive global fanbase.

Season 21 of the competition saw the singers perform in front of the iconic judge trio - country superstar Luke Bryan, pop princess Katy Perry, and Oscar-winning singer-songwriter Lionel Richie.

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What to expect from this week's episode of American Idol?

Season 21 of American Idol saw an impressive amount of talent in the audition round. The past few weeks saw the three judges filter out a number of contestants during auditions, Hollywood Week, and the Showstopper round to pick the best candidates. Considering the number of talented participants this year, the judges decided to have a Top 26 for the first time in the history of the show instead of the usual Top 24.

The selected 26 contestants will be performing at Disney's Aulani Resort and Spa with a live band and in front of a live audience. The three judges will provide their feedback and criticism while enjoying the performances by participants without the burden of having to select one over the other, given that America will vote for their favorites from now on.

The official synopsis of the show, titled Disney's Aulani Resort in Hawaii Part 1, reads:

"America’s favorite singing competition returns to Aulani, A Disney Resort & Spa in Ko Olina, Hawaii. Soul and R&B singer-songwriter Allen Stone mentors Idol hopefuls vying for America’s first open vote of the season."

The upcoming American Idol episode will also feature two mentors - American singer Allen Stone and singer/actress Noah Cyrus. The mentors will ensure that contestants are well-prepared to perform in front of a large crowd and earn their votes to keep moving forward in the competition.

Below, we have listed the American Idol contestants all set to perform on Sunday. MjsBigBlog has also released their song choices. They are the Group 1 contestants who were mentored by Allen Stone.

1. Matt Wilson – Speechless by Dan + Shay
2. Mariah Faith – You Should Probably Leave by Chris Stapleton
3. Pjae – Golden by Jill Scott
4. Haven Madison – The Middle by Zedd, Maren Morris & Grey
5. Elise Kristine – Holding Out for a Hero by Bonnie Tyler
6. Kaeyra – Don’t Let Go (Love) by En Vogue
7. Emma Bussee – Lay Me Down by Sam Smith
8. Oliver Steele – Better Together by Jack Johnson
9. Nailyah Serenity – Lovin You by Minnie Riperton
10. Zachariah Smith – Lucille by Little Richard
11. Warren Peay – Set Fire to the Rain by Adele
12. Lucy Love – What’s Love Got to Do with It by Tina Turner
13. Iam Tongi – Don’t Let Go by SpawnBreezie

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Out of the 26 contestants performing on this week's American Idol episodes on Sunday and Monday night, six of them, who received the least number of votes, will be potentially eliminated from the competition to make the Top 20. Viewers will have to wait and see if the judges bring in more twists to the show.

Don't forget to tune in to the upcoming episode on Sunday, April 16, 2023, at 8 pm ET on ABC.