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American Idol Season 20 has only two rounds left, and ABC is stretching out the schedule as much as possible. So, for the next couple of weeks, the singing competition will only air once per week. But is American Idol still going to air tonight, May 9? Here’s what to expect for the rest of the season.

[Spoiler alert: The following story contains spoilers for American Idol Season 20 Episode 18, “Top 7.”]

HunterGirl performs on the May 8 episode of American Idol
HunterGirl performs on ‘American Idol.’ | Raymond Liu/ABC

‘American Idol’ Top 7 recap: TikTok hits and Mother’s Day dedications

The Sunday, May 8, episode of American Idol featured double performances from the Top 7. In the first hour, they sang tunes from TikTok, while the second hour showcased songs in honor of Mother’s Day. Rapper will.i.am guest-starred to mentor the contestants.

Unfortunately, Fritz Hager and Noah Thompson both tested positive for COVID-19 prior to the live show. However, Idol aired Fritz’s rehearsals from the previous day, while Noah performed from the safety of his hotel room. And COVID-19 didn’t seem to slow either one of them down: both singers made it to the Top 5. In fact, the judges said Noah delivered his best performances of the season.

Leah Marlene, Nicolina Bozzo, and HunterGirl rounded out the Top 5. Unfortunately, that did mean the end of the road for platinum ticket winner Jay Copeland and Long Island singer Christian Guardino.

Is ‘American Idol’ on tonight, May 9? When to expect the next episode

Unfortunately, American Idol will not be on tonight. The rest of the season will be moving to Sunday nights only. So, fans can expect to see the newest episode on Sunday, May 15, at 8 p.m. ET. Like previous weeks, American Idol will continue its coast-to-coast live voting.

Fans can watch the Top 5 perform before the final round of eliminations. Additionally, as Idol revealed on Twitter, the new episode will include a performance by Grammy Award winner Finneas. Carrie Underwood, winner of American Idol Season 4, will also return as a mentor to the Top 5.

Here’s the rest of the American Idol Season 20 schedule:

  • Top 5 performances — May 15, 2022
  • Grand Finale — May 22, 2022

Instead of American Idol, ABC will air Moana on May 9 at 8 p.m. ET, so Disney fans may want to tune in. Meanwhile, those who need to catch up on any episodes can do so via ABC’s website, as well as Hulu (with a subscription).

Judges Katy Perry, Lionel Richie, and Luke Bryan reflected on season 20 and looked ahead to the finale

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Judges Katy Perry, Lionel Richie, and Luke Bryan have recognized that the competition is very close as American Idol Season 20 reaches its finale. In a recent interview with ABC7, Lionel commented on the contestants’ “survival” this season.

“What they’ve survived up to this point, Luke, Katy — we wouldn’t want to go through this. I wouldn’t want to go through this,” he said. “This is like having the Bee Gees on stage, and James Brown comes on before you. I mean, give me a break!”

Meanwhile, Katy and Luke highlighted their favorites this season. Katy said she thought HunterGirl and Nicolina delivered their best performances on Disney Night last week, and Luke complimented Noah’s growth thus far.

“The beauty of Noah is the innocence of Noah. I mean, Noah is literally learning who he is in front of America, which is so endearing, so intriguing,” he added.

Stay tuned to Showbiz Cheat Sheet for more updates on American Idol.

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