‘American Idol’ fans think this Top 10 singer didn’t deserve to stay — and they’ve a point: ‘It's time...’
From Carrie Underwood joining as a judge to Fantasia Barrino stepping in as a mentor, 'American Idol' Season 23 is grabbing major headlines. The show is soaring high with its talented lineup of singers, each carving a place in fans' hearts with their distinctive vocal ranges. However, not all partciapnts are loved, as fans are unimpressed with Josh King’s entry into the Top 10. So much so that the viewers demanded King's elimination from 'American Idol'.
The 24-year-old King from Charlotte, North Carolina, performed 'All By Myself' by Eric Carmen on 'American Idol,' as per Sportskeeda. Before his performance, King reminded Barrino, ''I sang vocals for you at church in North Carolina.'' Barrino replied, ''I remember you'' and asked, ''Will you play for me the whole song?'' to which he agreed. Explaining his song choice, King said, ''I was a lonely child.'' After his emotional performance, King received a standing ovation from both his fellow contestants and the judges.
Underwood responded with encouragement, saying, ''You're not alone,'' and added, ''You helped some people out there tonight who feel the same way.'' Lionel Richie gave a strong vote of confidence, stating, ''There's never been a class this talented. You will never be alone again.'' Luke Bryan also praised him, noting Josh's emotional evolution as he said, ''The fact that you had that experience with us is just incredible.'' Though King advanced to the next round, the decision stirred mixed reactions among fans. As soon as the episode aired on ABC, fans quickly flocked to X to slam King's performance.
A fan said, ''It's time for y'all to let Josh go home right along with Mattie." While another noted, "How did Josh beat the 3 of them?! America was we watching the same thing? He's so undeserving." another shared, ''Sorry but it is time for Josh to go home.'' A social media user remarked, ''All my favs are still in but Josh over Filo is so insane to me like wtf did yall watch.'' A fan said, ''I relate to Josh's testimonial SO much (but I never had the outlet even HE has had w/ AI) -- I WANT to like this a lot, but he just doesn't really have the SOARING voice you need fo this song (though I think he did about as good as he could do).''
It’s time for y’all to let Josh go home right along with Mattie #AmericanIdol
— ~*Tavia*~ (@ItsTaviBaby24) April 29, 2025
Coming to King's 'American Idol' audition, the budding singer introduced himself by saying, ''My name is Josh King. I'm 24 years old and I'm from Charlotte, North Carolina.'' When host Ryan Seacrest asked what brought him to 'American Idol,' King replied, ''A lot of people told me to try out for American Idol. I mean, why not? What could go wrong? What's the worst that could happen?'' as per TV Insider. When Richie asked what song he'll be performing, King responded, ''The song I'm going to do is '[Somewhere] Over the Rainbow.' I know it's kind of overplayed, but it's my own arrangement of it.''
King performed the song at the piano with a jazzy twist. While the judges were seemingly intrigued, they seem a bit unsure at first. Underwood offers constructive feedback, saying, ''My favorite times when you were singing were the times when it was simpler.'' Bryan then suggests a different direction, noting, ''Just play the note and sing it,'' As King begins the song, Bryan gets on his feet dancing, while Underwood and Richie sing along. Afterward, Bryan enthusiastically tells him, ''You got groove!'' King's stellar performance luckily earned a golden ticket, and the opportunity to head to Hollywood.