‘American Idol’: Top 3 Finalists Selected For 2024 Finale
Dreams came true for three American Idol contestants on Sunday night (May 12), as the remaining contestants travelled to Walt Disney World for the adventure of a lifetime.
Disney Night was the theme for the penultimate episode of this 22nd season, as the top 5 visited the theme park with mentor Kane Brown.
When the fun was done, Abi Carter, Will Moseley and Jack Blocker were announced as the three finalists, while Triston Harper and Emmy Russell were eliminated.
For their spot in the final, Carter sang “Part of Your World” from The Little Mermaid and “The Chain” from Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2; Blocker performed “Nobody’s Fool” from Cars 2 and “Space Oddity” from Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny; and Moseley hit “Born To Be Wild” from D3: The Mighty Ducks and “The Ballad of the Lonesome Cowboy” from Toy Story 4.
Jenifer Lewis and Terence Blanchard joined in on the action with a performance of “Dig A Little Deeper” from The Princess and the Frog, while Katy Perry, Luke Bryan, and Lionel Richie nailed a rendition of “You’ve Got A Friend In Me” from Toy Story.
Also on the night, The Walt Disney Company used the platform of Idol to announce that new Walt Disney World Resort attraction, Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, will open in Florida on June 28, and Idina Menzel was presented with an award for “Let It Go” from Frozen becoming certified Diamond by the RIAA.
Carter, Moseley and Blocker move into the three-hour grand final, which will feature Rock And Roll Hall of Famer Jon Bon Jovi as guest mentor, along with special performances from Nick Fradiani, New Kids On The Block, Jason Mraz, Hootie And The Blowfish, Cece Winans, James Bay, Wyonna Judd, Seal, Bishop Briggs and Cody Johnson.
American Idol airs live coast-to-coast next Sunday (May 19) at 8:00pm ET/5:00pm PT on ABC, and the next day on Hulu.
Lars Brandle
Billboard