"Long overdue": American Idol season 23 fans react to judges' latest top 14 picks after surprising eliminations

The results from American Idol season 23’s latest Top 14 reveal drew immediate and sharp reactions online. Following back-to-back eliminations on April 20 and April 21, viewers expressed frustration, confusion, and commentary about both the public vote and judges' saves. While some pointed to a shift in musical direction, others questioned the selection process.

The main concerns included perceived favoritism, genre bias, and the impact of storytelling over vocal performance. Across social media, reactions echoed among viewers responding to the latest roster and who was sent home on American Idol.

Immediately after the results were revealed, social media platforms saw a spike in audience feedback. Some viewers expressed dissatisfaction with the show's direction and questioned its current format.

"I guess they had to pick at least one weak link 🤷 #americanidol" a tweet read.

"I stopped watching @AmericanIdol years ago because it stopped being about real talent and became all about flashiness and sad stories. This season I decided to give it another shot. Nothing has changed. @ABCNetwork, either fix it, or cancel the show. This is awful. #AmericanIdol" a person commented.

Other American Idol fans focused on the judges' save decisions, suggesting a pattern of favoritism or inconsistency in their choices.

"honestly i’m disgusted with the results for American Idol. did only MAGAts vote bc what the F*CK are those results… #Idol #AmericanIdol" a person wrote.

"#AmericanIdol these judges s*ck. Their blatant bias for these “underdogs” Josh, Amanda and Madi is what caused the real ones to go home too early. Now I remember why I stopped watching this show years ago. Done watching." a user commented.

"So tired of all the screaming singing, don’t think it does anything for their voices. But I guess it is the music these days. #americanidol" a tweet read.

While some viewers turned to negative reactions, others highlighted positive aspects of the recent episodes of American Idol. A portion of the audience commented on the increased presence of gospel and faith-based performances during the “Songs of Faith” episode.

"Lord the way these Black sangers on #AmericanIdol this season has turned it into a Gospel Fest that I’m LOVING 😇 They preaching while singing country songs & trying not to run off stage 🔥" a user wrote.

"Wow I haven’t watched #AmericanIdol for years! If I had known they were going to perform praise music I would have tuned in live! And Carrie Underwood’s performance was breathtaking!!!" a person commented.

"This is THE MOST Black people I have EVER seen make into #AmericanIdol top 14, EVER." a tweet read.

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American Idol season 23 Top 14 results

American Idol's April 20 episode followed a "Songs of Faith" theme, in which all Top 24 contestants performed spiritual or faith-inspired music in celebration of Easter Sunday. These performances were subject to public voting, and the results determined which contestants would automatically advance.

By the end of the April 20 episode, four contestants – Kyana Fanene, Grayson Torrence, MKY, and Penny Samar – were eliminated from the competition, based solely on viewer votes. The remaining 20 singers returned in the April 21 episode to learn their fate.

At that point, the audience votes locked in the first nine contestants for the Top 14, and the six contestants who received the lowest vote counts were immediately sent home: Baylee Littrell, Zaylie Windsor, Drew Ryn, Isaiah Misailegalu, Olivier Bergeron, and Victor Solomon.

With the field narrowed to 14, the five remaining contestants who were placed in the so-called “danger zone” awaited a decision from the judges. Luke Bryan, Lionel Richie, and guest judge Carrie Underwood had the responsibility of selecting which singers to save. Ultimately, they chose Desmond Roberts, Josh King, Ché, Amanda Barise, and Madi to move forward.

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