American Idol season 23 has made it to its live performances phase, where the Top 24 contestants perform at Disney's Aulani Resort in Hawaii over 2 days. Episode 9 was released on April 14, 2025, and documented part two of the live performances after part one aired a day before.
Canaan James Hill was among the 12 contestants who got the opportunity to perform onstage. He decided to sing Glory to Glory to Glory by Fred Hammond and Radical for Christ. He chose to stick to his gospel genre, something he had showcased previously.
While two contestants are set to be eliminated from both part one and two of the Top 24, by the public vote, on April 20, fans of American Idol took to X to give their remarks on Canaan's performance. Some thought it was a great performance, while some criticized his repetative song genre.
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"Canaan is very talented, but I'm very over all the gospel music. I don't leave my house for church so I sure as hell don't want it in my living room every week," a fan said.
"I HATE to compare but the difference btwn Jamal Roberts and Canaan James Hill is Jamal’s ability to make gospel sound more mainstream and crossover into pop music. Canaan(while I love this abt him) is all gospel BUT I don’t think the #AmericanIdol audience will embrace this genre," said another.
"Despite feeling a little off, Canaan delivers once again," added a third.
"I love Canaan so much! I want him in Top 2 but I’m just worried if he keeps singing gospel throughout the entire competition. I am fine with it but you know… America," wrote another.
While some fans of American Idol criticized Canaan's act and his genre, others liked what he presented and praised it on X.
"Canaan needs to sing the Commodores 'Jesus is Love'," an X user wrote.
"Canaan is so talented!" another user wrote.
"Canaan came through. My favorite on the show," commented one.
"Glory to God yessss Canaan," wrote another.
Canaan's performance and judges' remarks on American Idol season 23, episode 9
Canaan James Hill, 17-year-old Dallas resident, left a mark on the judges and audience with yet another gospel performance. Josh Gorban, the Grammy-winning guest judge, pointed out that Canaan skipped a vital part of the song. The contestant explained that his allergies were killing him and that he had dropped the key in the rehearsals but wanted to sing in a higher key on stage.
Carrie Underwood, the American Idol alum turned judge, complimented Canaan's vocals and acknowledged his allergies, saying:
"I love your personality. I know you've been dealing with allergies. We know you have tricks on tricks on tricks in your bag. I feel like that might have forced you to simplify a little bit, and it was really nice."
Lionel Richie stated that Canaan's voice was his "signature," adding that:
"Every once in a while we witness a possession. That was a possession."
Luke Bryan called the contestant's voice the most "dynamic" one he had heard on the show. He also stated that Canaan, being under the weather, was still better than the rest of the performers.
For more updates on American Idol season 23, fans can follow the show's official Instagram account, @americanidol.
