Last week on American Idol, the Top 9 became the Top 7 when frontrunners Lucas Leon and Kyndal Inskeep were eliminated in a shocking double elimination. It almost felt poetic that the night featured two shocking eliminations on the night Jennifer Hudson returned as guest judge and mentor, as Hudson herself was eliminated in seventh place years ago when competing on the show.
After Disney Night’s shocking eliminations, American Idol continues as the remaining seven contestants take on songs from Taylor Swift for Taylor Swift Night! That’s right, for this week’s episode the Top 7 will look to keep their American idol dreams alive by winning over the Swifties with their covers of Taylor’s iconic songs.
Interestingly, it seems that the night won’t be dedicated entirely to Taylor Swift, as the night will also include a salute to California’s biggest artists. That’s right, the artists will be taking on two songs for the first time this season, which makes perfect sense given that we’re nearly at the finale. By the end of the night, the Top 7 will become the Top 5 with yet another two artists going home based on America’s votes.
Read on for our complete recap of American Idol 2026’s Top 7 performance and results show!
Jordan McCullough performs “Tim McGraw” by Taylor Swift
The night opened with Jordan taking on “Tim McGraw” in a performance that Lionel called incredibly well done, quipping, “That is the way to put barbecue sauce on Taylor Swift.” Carrie praised Jordan for having the smoothest voice and proving how he can sing truly anything week after week, despite the theme.
Guest judge Nikki Glaser gushed about being such a fan, calling it an honor to get to hear him perform live. His performance impressed her so much that she admitted she’ll think of Jordan whenever she listens to “Tim McGraw.” Luke, meanwhile, admitted he was surprised when he saw Jordan’s song choice but praised him for a great job.
Chris Tungseth performs “Exile” by Taylor Swift featuring Bon Iver
Next up to take on Taylor Swift was Chris with a performance of “Exile” that had Carrie praising his tender voice that lends so well to storytelling. Nikki admitted she’s been watching all season and loves how she’s never nervous watching Chris perform, and praised him for a goosebump-inducing performance.
Luke loved how locked in Chris was through the performance and loved the delivery of the song. He admitted that he never would have imagined seeing Chris one day performing a Taylor Swift song but called the performance one of his favorites from the entire season. This was a sentiment shared by Lionel, who also commended Chris on his ability to take a song and make it his own.
Hannah Harper performs “Mean” by Taylor Swift
Taking on a timeless classic from Taylor’s early career, Nikki felt Hannah could not have picked a better song after the week she had, as she pointed out how the song was written after comments made by a critic of Taylor’s. Luke noted how week in and week out Hannah is killing it, calling this a great song choice and a performance that held his attention from start to finish.
Lionel praised Hannah for remaining true to herself and congratulated her on a fabulous performance. Carrie loved everything about the performance, from her look to her bringing out the banjo. She particularly loved the bluegrassy runs she worked into the song, which was such a smart choice.
Brooks Rosser performs “Love Story” by Taylor Swift
After a trio of performances that left the judges thrilled, they were left wanting more from Brooks and his performance of “Love Story.” Luke loved his interpretation of the song but was left wanting more energy as he encouraged Brooks to force himself to give more in his performances. Lionel agreed, noting that if Brooks had just taken the mic out of the stand and moved around, it could have made all the difference as he encouraged him to bring a bit more attitude.
Carrie praised Brooks for his special gift but admitted that he needed to breathe a bit, as it felt like he was a little ahead of the music through the song. Nikki echoed the judges, noting that Brooks is such a star; she just wants to see him let go.
Daniel Stallworth performs “Fearless” by Taylor Swift
With some help from his fellow contestant Jordan, Daniel landed on an unexpected song that Lionel felt was so perfect as when Daniel takes to the stage he’s truly fearless. Lionel praised Daniel for the way he not only sings incredibly but also always performs in a way that brings the crowd right there with him.
Carrie loved how he turned the song into his own, as Nikki loved how he brought something so different to one of her favorite songs from the Eras Tour. Luke praised Daniel for the entertainment quality he brought to the performance, commending him for the way he makes the room so comfortable and entertained the heck out of them.
Keyla Richardson performs “Lover” by Taylor Swift
Carrie admitted that she loves how they never have to worry about Keyla; they get to just sit back and watch her perform. Nikki admitted that Keyla made the performance her own in a way that she didn’t even recognize the song, calling it a stunning performance and commending her for making it look so easy to perform.
Luke praised Keyla for her confidence, noting how it’s been amazing getting to watch her get more and more confident as each week has passed. Lionel called the performance beautiful to watch, calling her talent, voice, and stage presence amazing.
Braden Rumfelt performs “cardigan” by Taylor Swift
Closing out the first round of performances from the night, Braden took on “cardigan” in a performance that wowed the entire judges’ panel. Nikki was shocked to learn that Braden wasn’t familiar with the song, as he “ate that song” and took her on such an amazing journey with his performance.
Luke called the performance his favorite performance from Braden this season so far and praised him for the emotional journey he took them on. Lionel and Carrie were both in agreement, commending him for the way he felt so comfortable in the performance, which Carrie agreed was one of her favorites he’s delivered.
Brooks Rosser performs “She Will Be Loved” by Maroon 5
Kicking off the second round of songs that celebrate California’s biggest artists, Brooks rebounded from his first performance in a major way. Luke called it the perfect song choice for his voice and praised him on rebounding from his first performance in such a major way. Lionel agreed it was a perfect song for his voice and loved the performance.
Carrie called his voice magical from the first note to the last, commending him on a solid performance. Nikki was impressed with how he took their notes from the first performance and put them right into this performance.
Jordan McCullough performs “I Can’t Make You Love Me” by Bonnie Raitt
For a song that he admitted he’d heard many times over the years, Lionel noted that Jordan’s rendition brought tears to his eyes, and his delivery was right on point. Carrie noted that it doesn’t matter what song he performs, as every time he opens his mouth, she hears the Holy Spirit through his voice. She didn’t stop there, calling his voice one of the best voices she has heard in her life and praising him for his incredible delivery.
Nikki admitted there were moments where she had to close her eyes to just get showered in the music, noting that it felt as though something had come over her through the performance. Luke called the performance beautiful and admitted he couldn’t stop thinking about how he’s going to have to perform after that.
Daniel Stallworth performs “Best Part” by Daniel Caesar featuring H.E.R.
Daniel’s performance left the judges nearly speechless. “You sang all the notes,” Carrie commented adding that his voice is like butter on hot toast. Nikki commended Daniel on delivering such a versatile performance, admitting that she can fully see a whole show from him as he’s such a pro.
Luke was wowed by the notes at the end, which Lionel added in musical terms were basically a z flat as he called the performance simply amazing.
Braden Rumfelt performs “This Love” by Maroon 5
“You owned that,” praised Nikki, calling Braden’s performance so much fun. Luke called it a great job, as Lionel noted that he gave them everything they could want, from his look to his performance to giving them the “ugly face.” Carrie called it such a great moment for Braden, noting that he looked like a rockstar and remarking about how it felt like the most comfortable she’d seen him all season long.
Chris Tungseth performs “What Was I Made For?” by Billie Eilish
Luke called it a really special and beautiful moment. Lionel noted that for a song that needs so much feeling, Chris felt it and he made them feel it through his performance. Carrie called the performance a moment, with the performance making her feel like she was at an award show. “What were you made for? That,” Nikki remarked.
Hannah Harper performs “That’s the Way Love Goes” by Merle Haggard
Lionel called Hannah’s performance absolutely amazing, noting that she not only looked like a star but sounded like a star tonight. Carrie asked Hannah to promise her she’d be releasing a proper version of the song, which she called a perfect song choice that sounded so wonderful.
Nikki pointed out how she felt like she got to know Hannah more in that song than in any other performance before, calling it a lullaby. Luke noted that if she wants, Hannah will get to do this for a very long time, as she’s a true star and has a bright future ahead in music.
Keyla Richardson performs “I’d Rather Go Blind” by Etta James
Closing out the night’s performances, Keyla left the judges practically speechless with her rendition of “I’d Rather Go Blind.” Nikki joked that she didn’t have any shoes to throw like Jennifer Hudson, calling the performance an iconic American Idol moment. Luke admitted the performance brought tears to his eyes, calling her growth this season inspiring. Lionel closed out the feedback noting, “Let the congregation say amen.”
Who went home on American Idol? Meet American Idol 2026’s Top 5
Following yet another week of amazing performances, America’s votes were tabulated, and the time came to reveal which two artists would be heading home and who would move on with a spot in the Top 5. Following the highest vote total of the season, in no particular order, Ryan Seacrest began to reveal the identities of the Top 5 one by one in the following order:
Keyla RichardsonBraden RumfeltJordan McCulloughHannah Harper
This left three contestants remaining with just one spot in the Top 5: Daniel Stallworth, Chris Tungseth, and Brooks Rosser. After the nationwide vote, the final artist moving into the Top 5 was revealed to be Chris Tungseth. This sadly led to the eliminations of Daniel Stallworth and Brooks Rosser.
Next week, the Top 5 will be teaming up with fan-favorite Idols from the class of 2006 as the show celebrates the American Idol 20th anniversary high school reunion with some help from original judges Paula Abdul and Randy Jackson dropping in as guest mentors. By the end of the night, two more contestants will be sent home, giving us our Top 3 finalists for the season finale!
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