‘American Idol’ sets up Taylor Swift night as the 14-time Grammy winner’s possible appearance grabs spotlight
'American Idol' Season 24 has entered its Taylor Swift era. This season's Top 7 contestants will perform the singer's chart-topping hits in next week's episode, which is set to air on Monday on ABC. Host Ryan Seacrest announced that the finalists will be "celebrating the music of Taylor Swift, with iconic songs from Taylor's acclaimed catalog — from her early country roots to her global pop anthems, and all the Grammy-winning songs in between." Moreover, comedian Nikki Glaser, a self-described Swiftie, will join the panel as a guest judge alongside Luke Bryan, Carrie Underwood, and Lionel Richie. This will be the first time the long-running competition series features a Taylor Swift-themed night in its decades-long history. So, naturally, Swifties everywhere are wondering if the singer-songwriter will make an appearance in the episode.
Now, it is highly unlikely that the Grammy winner will be a part of the next episode as either a judge or mentor, as she will likely be spending her time planning for her summer wedding to Travis Kelce. Next week, Chris Tungseth, Daniel Stallworth, Braden Rumfelt, Jordan McCullough, Keyla Richardson, Hannah Harper, and Brooks will each perform songs from Swift's extensive catalog. As the competition ramps up, the singers will take to the stage not once, but twice, to perform two songs each. ABC released the episode's logline, which states, "The Top 7 celebrate Taylor Swift‘s chart-topping hits and defining eras as America votes live to reveal the Top 5." Furthermore, the finalists will also "perform songs from California’s biggest artists."
Swift's music has featured several times on 'American Idol' in recent seasons. Season 22 winner, Abi Carter, covered Swift's 'All Too Well' from her multi-platinum album 'Red' to secure a spot in the Top 10. Another contestant from Season 22, McKenna Breinholt, performed 'Cardigan' from her 2020 album, 'Folklore.' This season, Bryant Thomas covered 'Champagne Problems' from her album 'Evermore' (2020) during the Hollywood Week in February. So far in this season, we have seen two themed episodes: Disney Night, with Jennifer Hudson as the guest judge, and the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Night, with Pat Benatar and Neil Giraldo as guest judges.
Furthermore, Kyndal Inskeep and Lucas Leon were eliminated this week on Disney Night, which aired on April 20, leaving fans shocked, as Kyndal had the highest number of Instagram followers among the Top 9 contestants (around 400k). Next Monday, two more contestants will end their journeys on the show, leaving behind the Top 5. Make sure to tune in next Monday at 8 p.m. ET on ABC to watch the special themed episode. Viewers will also be able to stream the episodes on Disney+.
