On "American Idol," the good news Monday night was that 12 of the 24 finalists got to sing with some of the biggest stars in the business. The bad news was that after they were done, five of them were sent home.
After the first dramatic elimination of the season, the following contestants were sent home by judges Katy Perry, Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan: Dominique, Brandon Diaz, Layla Spring, Trevor McBane and Kay Kay.
Read: American Idol' contestant nearly makes Katy Perry faint, as 12 of the top 24 perform
The seven who'll go on to compete for America's vote include: Cade Foehner, Michelle Sussett, Dennis Lorenzo, Michael J. Woodard, Gabby Barrett, Jonny Brenns and Catie Turner.
Here's how it went down:
Catie Turner sang Andy Grammer's hit "Good to Be Alive" with the man himself. The judges were impressed with her harmonies; Richie said, "You killed it," while Perry said, "You're such a natural, you are amazing."
.@hashtagcatie teamed up with @andygrammer for a jaw-dropping performance of “Good To Be Alive.” Plus a few hugs after. ?? #AmericanIdol #IdolDuets https://t.co/PQawnJkxNA
— American Idol (@AmericanIdol) April 10, 2018
Cade Foehner sang INXS' "Never Tear Us Apart" with alt-rock singer Bishop Briggs. The two were delighted with how well their voices blended together, but they decided to dispense with the song's delicate melody in favor of bluesy shouting.
Michelle Sussett and "Despacito" singer Luis Fonsi sang a duet on Bonnie Raitt's ballad, "I Can't Make You Love Me."
"You've made me a believer," said Perry, while Richie raved about the duo's chemistry.
It’s all about the chemistry between @MichelleSussett and @LuisFonsi for their duet of “I Can’t Make You Love Me” #AmericanIdol #IdolDuets https://t.co/kGcymwGoZp
— American Idol (@AmericanIdol) April 10, 2018
Dennis Lorenzo and soul singer Allen Stone teamed up to sing Stone's "Unaware," the song that Dennis sang at the first audition. Allen couldn't get over how great Dennis sounded on his song, saying it was "the best it's sounded since I wrote it." The judges agreed, with Richie giving the pair a standing ovation mid-song.
Michael J. Woodard and Train's Pat Monahan teamed up to sing Train's hit "Angel in Blue Jeans." Perry called Michael a "beautiful chameleon," while Richie praised him for "rising to the occasion."
Gabby Barrett teamed up with country duo Sugarland to sing their hit "Stay," and Gabby was pure perfection, harmonizing with Sugarland's Jennifer Nettles.
"Way to show up, Gabby," said Perry.
"I don't think we've seen anyone tonight nail it from top to bottom like that," noted Bryan.
.@GabbyBarrett_ floored the judges with her performance of “Stay” with @Sugarlandmusic! #AmericanIdol #IdolDuets https://t.co/mcEVrukrZI
— American Idol (@AmericanIdol) April 10, 2018
Andy Grammer returned to sing his hit "Back Home" with Jonny Brenns, and despite the fact that the judges weren't crazy about Jonny's stage presence -- Perry suggested he take "undercover" ballet lessons or movement lessons -- they still sent him through.
As for the singers who didn't make it:
Trevor McBane sang Bishop Briggs' hit "River" with Briggs, and even though they both seemed to thoroughly enjoy collaborating, Richie didn't think Trevor's performance was entertaining enough. Perry praised Trevor for coming out of his shell, though.
Layla Spring sang Sugarland's hit "Stuck Like Glue" with the duo, and even though the judges loved the performance and Layla's ability to hold her own against Jennifer Nettles, it wasn't enough.
Kay Kay sang the Train hit "Drive By" with Pat Monahan, and the song just didn't fit the singer's voice very well, the judges said.
Brandon Diaz really impressed the judges by singing Luis Fonsi's "Despacito" with Fonsi in Spanish, but it wasn't enough to make it to the next round.
Dominique sang Aloe Blacc's hit "Wake Me Up" with Blacc, who became a big fan, raving of the finalist, "This is an American Idol right here!"
The judges also praised the performance as "smooth" and "world class," but only seven could advance!
This Sunday night on ABC at 8 p.m. ET, the other 12 contestants will perform solo, and then Monday night, they'll perform duets with Rachel Platten, Bebe Rexha, Lea Michele, British singer/songwriter Banners, Colbie Caillat, Allen Stone and country star CAM.
