American Idol 2023 Episode 11 Recap: Live Performances Begin

Allen Stone on American Idol 2023
Photographed: Allen Stone (ABC/Eric McCandless)

Tonight, American Idol 2023 kicks off its first live performances of the season. We’ll watch half of the top 26 perform and the other half perform on Monday night. These two nights allow the contestants to really showcase their voices and their performance skills. It also highlights their creativity with song choices and arrangement. This is the night when we start to see which contestants will capture our attention and ultimately win our votes. By next week, the contestants will start to be eliminated based on votes, which makes it so important to give impressive performances tonight. No one wants to be eliminated. 

From the preview, we know that PjaeOliver Stone, Warren Peay, and Iam Tongi are among the contestants who perform during tonight’s episode. They will be mentored by Allen Stone. Allen Stone has great songwriting abilities as well as a great voice. He also knows a lot about the importance of arrangements. He’ll surely be a valuable mentor to these contestants. 

This stage of the competition basically excels the process. Before we know it, it will be time to crown the winner of American Idol 21. Before dreams of the American Idol finale begins, let’s get right into the American Idol 2023 recap.

The Performances

Which of the top 26 American Idol 21 contestants will steal the show tonight?

Elise Kristine is the first to perform of the 13 performances tonight. She will be singing “Holding Out For A Hero” by Bonnie Tyler.  Allen Stone gives her some advice to feel the song and actually perform instead of just standing there on stage. You can text 1 to 21523 or vote on AmericanIdol.com/vote or the app to cast your votes for Elise. Lionel Richie tells Elise that she killed it and started the show in a great way. Katy Perry said that you couldn’t tell she was afraid at all and she had fangs with her performance. Luke Bryan said she did things that they didn’t know she could do.

Oliver Steele talks about how Allen Stone is one of his musical heroes. He’s a bit star-struck. He sings “Better Together” by Jack Johnson. You can text 2 to 21523 or vote on AmericanIdol.com/vote or the app to cast your votes for Oliver. Katy said he picked a cool song and she liked the grit of his voice. Lionel said that Oliver showed them his vocal identity with his performance.

You can vote for your favorites until 6 am ET tomorrow.

Matt Wilson is singing next. He’s singing “Speechless” by Dan + Shay. He wants to sing it because it reminds him of his wife and his wedding day. You can text 3 to 21523 or vote on AmericanIdol.com/vote or the app to cast your votes for Matt. They bring Matt’s wife Melissa on stage and Luke thanks her for being so supportive of him. Katy said that it’s been great to see his journey.

Kaeyra is singing “Don’t Let Go (Love) by En Vogue. Lionel said she really owned the song and Katy said it gave her “frozen stank face.” She called her the full package. You can text 4 to 21523 or vote on AmericanIdol.com/vote or the app to cast your votes for Kaeyra.

Pjae is up next. He’s singing “Golden” by Jill Scott. Katy said he picked a great song choice but she wanted a few more runs from him, but he proved he was golden. Luke said he should be very proud. Lionel said everyone has been giving a different twist to themselves. You can text 5 to 21523 or vote on AmericanIdol.com/vote or the app to cast your votes for Pjae.

Allen Stone performs a cover of “Is This Love” by Bob Marley.

Zachariah Smith sings “Lucille” by Little Richard. He’s singing it to dedicate it to his grandma.  You can text 6 to 21523 or vote on AmericanIdol.com/vote or the app to cast your votes for Zachariah. Luke calls him crazy and he can’t take his eyes off him. Lionel says he killed and Katy calls him crazy talented.

Mariah Faith is up next to sing for America’s votes. She sings “You Should Probably Leave” by Chris Stapleton. Lionel said that she has a signature sound and Luke encourages her to keep putting twists on country songs. You can text 7 to 21523 or vote on AmericanIdol.com/vote or the app to cast your votes for Mariah.

Emma Busse goes next to sing “Lay Me Down” by Sam Smith. Katy said that Emma makes her always want more and said she’s a constant professional. Luke said she has the ability to let the song speak through her. She is finding herself as an artist. You can text 8 to 21523 or vote on AmericanIdol.com/vote or the app to cast your votes for Emma.

Warren Peay wants to do something different by singing “Set Fire to the Rain” by Adele. Allen Stone wants him to throw his hat at the end of the performance, but Warren isn’t sure because it’s a lucky charm to him. He decides to not throw the hat. You can text 9 to 21523 or vote on AmericanIdol.com/vote or the app to cast your votes for Warren. Katy said she appreciates seeing different angles of him. Lionel also encourages him to keep surprising them.

Nailyah Serenity sings “Lovin’ You” by Minnie Riperton. She wants to pay homage to her with this performance. They all compliment her for hitting the high notes and taking it to another level. You can text 10 to 21523 or vote on AmericanIdol.com/vote or the app to cast your votes for Nailyah.

Haven Madison is torn between two songs, and Allen Stone helps her pick one. She decides to sing “The Middle” by Grey, Maren Morris, and Zedd. Luke tells her it’s okay to be a kid and let loose. Lionel also agreed that it’s okay to have fun on stage and not take things too seriously. You can text 11  to 21523 or vote on AmericanIdol.com/vote or the app to cast your votes for Haven.

Lucy Love sings “What’s Love Got To Do With It” by Tina Turner. Lionel tells her to enjoy the stage because that’s where she belongs. You can text 12  to 21523 or vote on AmericanIdol.com/vote or the app to cast your votes for Lucy.

Iam Tongi is the last to sing. He’s singing “Don’t Let Go” by Spawnbreezie. Katy said that he represented his state so well.

That’s it for the first 13 contestants. Three of them will be eliminated on Monday, and the other 13 performs next. Everyone tonight did so well that I have no clue who will be eliminated.

Join us Monday night for more live performances of American Idol 21. contestants Make sure to add us on Facebook and Twitter to stay updated on all things American Idol.

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