As the stage glows with immeasurable amounts of spotlights, the 2021 season of American Idol Top Ten is crowned. 

This year, the amount of talent displayed on the Idol stage is astounding; never in American Idol’s history has there been this many contestants all deserving of taking home the gold. 

Some of the contestants were separated by a mere 900 votes when it came to narrowing them down. 

Though of course, some contestants stand out in my eyes as more worthy than others of progressing into the top ten. Some have even surprised me with their expedited evolution—at first, I didn’t think they’d gain my vote, but they consistently prove me wrong.

The fate of the contestants has been in the hands of judges Katy Perry, Luke Bryan, and Lionel Richie up until the competition narrowed down to the top 16. Now, the decision is left up to America to crown their next American Idol winner. 

On Monday, April 12, the top ten American Idol finalists were revealed. Though, the judges couldn’t bear to fully hand the fate of the competition to America, so they were granted two “judge’s saves.” These saves allowed the judges to keep two extra singers in the competition even though they didn’t make it into America’s Top Ten. So essentially, this round should really be called the top 12 in a sense. 

In no particular order, each individual contestant was called to center stage as the host, Ryan Seacrest, revealed their status in the competition either in the “victory zone” or in the “danger zone.” The contestants not in the Top Ten were granted a chance to sing for their lives on the show in hopes of being saved by the judges. 

The first to be introduced as being part of the Top Ten was Casey Bishop. At only fifteen years old, Casey has an incredibly strong and powerful voice. Her style is punk rock with lots of angst, and she wears it well. I really like Casey’s voice, though I liked her style earlier in her show journey—a little bit gentler rock—than what she has been going for lately. Nevertheless, in my eyes, she is very deserving of this spot in the Top Ten.

I was actually pretty surprised that Deshawn Goncalves advanced into the Top Ten. Not because he is a bad singer, but just because he didn’t seem that memorable to me. He is a singer that tends to play the piano in his performance as well, making for a smooth, classic performance. 

Lighting up the Idol stage, Cassandra Coleman landed herself in the Top Ten, in my opinion, with ease. At the beginning of the competition, I was a bit worried that she wouldn’t make it very far because she is very shy. However, she has worked incredibly hard this season to improve her stage confidence, and it shows with every new performance. I was so happy to see that she continues to advance. 

The next chosen contestant was Caleb Kennedy; he is not only an incredible singer but a talented songwriter as well. He actually sang an original song on the Top Ten performance night. You wouldn’t guess by looking at Caleb that he could own the stage at American Idol due to his reserved, humble personality, but when he gets signing, a whole different personality comes out. I’m okay with him making the Top Ten, but I wouldn’t have been too sad to see him leave. 

The youngest contestant in the competition, fifteen-year-old Ava August, is one of my favorites this season, and I was very ecstatic to see her admitted into the Top Ten. Her voice has instant recognizability so much so that you could close your eyes and know exactly who’s singing simply based on her angelic voice. She’s an old soul who loves to sing elegant classics, and it suits her perfectly. 

Chayse Beckham gained America’s favor as well, but he was another one who surprised me. He is one of few country singers in the contest, but unlike others, his stage presence has been build upon sitting on a stool. The judges encourage the other contestant to move around and own the stage, but Chayse can achieve this by doing the opposite. I like his voice, but he hasn’t been someone I’ve been rooting for.

Bravely covering a Whitney Houston song, Alyssa Wray wowed the crowd—and me—with huge defining moments throughout her performance. Alyssa has a strong voice and isn’t afraid to take musical risks. I think Alyssa definitely deserves to be in this Top Ten due to her contagious personality and beautiful voice. 

“Brilliant” is just one word to describe Willie Spence, the eighth person to claim a Top Ten spot. It’s easy to say that Willie made America fall in love with his smooth voice. He can sing both pop songs and classical songs with ease, and I wouldn’t be surprised if he makes it very far in this competition.

As the audience held their breath, Hunter Metts was granted the last spot in the victory zone, putting him in America’s Top Ten. Hunter’s voice is like literal honey. He’s another one who has immediate voice recognition and is one I’m sure I would be able to listen to non-stop. 

Perry, Richie, and guest judge Paula Abdul ended up choosing Beane and Watkins as their two “judge’s saves.” 

Overall, there were a few contestants that I was surprised to see in the Top Ten, but thankfully, most of my season favorites were happily admitted.