American Idol has announced a dedicated Taylor Swift-themed night as the competition moves into its top seven phase, with contestants set to perform selections from the singer’s catalogue spanning her country beginnings through to her global pop success.
The announcement was made during the Monday, 20 April episode of American Idol. Host Ryan Seacrest confirmed that the remaining contestants would be performing Swift’s music in the following week’s broadcast.
“Next week, the top seven will officially enter their Taylor Swift era,” Seacrest said on air. He added that the performances would feature “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.”
The themed episode is scheduled for Sunday, 27 April, and will feature guest judge Nikki Glaser, who has previously expressed public admiration for Taylor Swift.
The format continues a long-running trend on American Idol, where contestants regularly perform well-known songs from major recording artists. Swift’s work has frequently appeared in recent seasons, reflecting its continued popularity among participants.
In season 22, winner Abi Carter performed Swift’s Red track “All Too Well”, while in a more recent episode, Bryant Thomas delivered a rendition of “Champagne Problems” from Swift’s 2020 album Evermore.
The top seven contestants advancing to the next stage, following the elimination round aired on 20 April, are listed below:
| Contestant | Status |
|---|---|
| Daniel Stallworth | Advanced to Top 7 |
| Keyla Richardson | Advanced to Top 7 |
| Jordan McCullough | Advanced to Top 7 |
| Chris Tungseth | Advanced to Top 7 |
| Hannah Harper | Advanced to Top 7 |
| Brooks Rosser | Advanced to Top 7 |
| Braden Rumfelt | Advanced to Top 7 |
The top seven were confirmed during an episode themed around Disney music, where the nine remaining contestants performed songs from productions including The Lion King and Hannah Montana: The Movie. Guest judge Jennifer Hudson appeared during the episode. At the conclusion of the broadcast, Lucas Leon and Kyndal Inskeep were eliminated from the competition.
The programme continues to air weekly on Mondays at 8 p.m. EST on ABC. Episodes are also made available for streaming on Hulu the following day.