The American Idol duets can make or break contestants. This season, the singers get to choose their duet partners. Platinum Ticket winner Elijah McCormick picks Lucy Love as his partner. They’re the first duo to perform for the judges.
Their rendition of “My Girl” by The Temptations is a slam dunk. They have great chemistry. “And that’s how you do it,” Lionel Richie declares. Katy Perry tells the pair that she’s “never heard ‘My Girl’ like that” before. The judges are quick to decide that Elijah and Lucy are headed to the Showstoppers round.
Nutsa and Carina DeAngelo’s partnership starts great, but it slowly devolves as the night goes on. Nutsa ends up going to bed early and wants to finish putting together their duet in the morning, which is not what Carina had in mind.
Nutsa does come downstairs eventually and feels confident in her abilities. Carina thinks that this rendition only shows off Nutsa’s best qualities. Before their performance, Carina tells the judges that she and Nutsa had a “couple of issues.” She adds, “Some people wanted to sleep instead of work.”
Their performance of “I Put A Spell On You” is fine, but it feels like two separate performances. Lionel points out that they have two completely different styles, and he “felt the tension” between them. “The energy was broken,” Katy says. The judges decide to push Nutsa forward, but it’s the end of the line for Carina. Katy makes sure to tell Nutsa to not “forget about grace.”
Matt Wilson and Elise Kristine are up next. They create perfect harmony with their rendition of “You Are The Reason” by Calum Scott. Luke Bryan says that Matt has “one of my favorite voices.” Katy tells Matt, “You’re soaring now.” Luke thinks that Elise’s voice at 18 is “pro level.” They’re both moving on!
Hannah Nicolaisen and Warren Peay team up for a gorgeous duet of Tim McGraw’s “It’s Your Love.” Luke tells the duo, “You took a country music classic, and you really made it your own.” They’re both headed to the Showstoppers round.
Zachariah Smith and Isaac Brown decide upfront to perform Elton John’s “I’m Still Standing,” but it ends up being a very tough song for them. After working all night, they’re both forgetting words in rehearsals. They both have to lean on their phones when they begin their performance. Katy stops them and tells them to just sing.
Zachariah forgets some of the lyrics right from the jump. Isaac does as well. They just start running with it and make it work. Luke admits that he and the judges wanted “better execution and more preparation” from them. The judges discuss Zachariah and Isaac’s fate. They both manage to survive because the judges love their teamwork.
Platinum Ticket winner Tyson Venegas picks fellow Platinum Ticketer Kaylin Hedges as his duet partner. Their performance of Queen’s “Don’t Stop Me Now” is a really strong showcase of their vocals. Lionel tells the singers that they “complimented each other perfectly.” Katy admits she got full-body chills. Tyson and Kaylin are both moving on. “He may be about the biggest star we’ve ever encountered,” Luke says about Tyson.
Country boys Preston Duffee and Jon Wayne Hatfield have become instant friends. They pick the song “Buy Dirt” by Jordan Davis and Luke for their duet song. The performance is very safe, and the judges notice how similar their voices are. They decide to keep Preston but send Jon Wayne home. Luke encourages them both to stay friends.
Iam Tongi and Oliver Steele connect over their fathers and decide to be duet partners. Right before their performance, Iam’s guitar breaks. His dad gave him that guitar, and he’s torn up about it. He has to switch guitars at the last minute, which makes him feel less confident.
Iam starts to cry when Luke brings up the guitar. Luke promises they’ll get it fixed for him. Iam and Oliver deliver a unique and very cool cover of The Weeknd’s “Save Your Tears.” Iam mixes up some of the lyrics, but he makes it work. They get a standing ovation from the judges. “I love what you guys bring to the table,” Luke says. Iam and Oliver are headed to the next round. Their friendship is truly everything.
After the contestants are left to choose their partners, Adin Boyer begins to experience extreme anxiety and has to take a break. There’s an odd number of contestants, so there will have to be one trio. Jayna Elise raises her hand for Adin to join her group with Summer Joy.
They perform Elton John’s “I’m Still Standing.” Katy calls them the Holy Trinity. She really appreciates the “team vibe” they have. The judges all agree that Summer has the best voice, but they love the group’s teamwork after welcoming Adin in. The judges let them all move on to the next round.
Wé Ani and PJAE put a twist on Blu Cantrell’s “Hit ‘Em Up Style.” The performance is powerful and fun. “We’ve never had more fun watching a duet,” Katy says. She adds, “That was so in sync. You were one.” Needless to say, Wé and PJAE are going to Showstoppers.
Platinum Ticket winner Cam Amen picks J Valerione to be his duet partner because he instantly connected with J’s story. In the middle of rehearsals, J packs up and leaves. They say they’re withdrawing from the competition. Cam continues as a solo performance.
However, J shows up at the last minute. They apologize to Cam and still wants to do the duet. Their lack of preparation is obvious in the performance, but they make the best of it. The judges appreciate how J helped Cam through the performance, and they also acknowledge how compassionate Cam has been with J. They’re both moving on.
Kaya Stewart and Fire are the final duo to perform. While working on their performance of Adam Lambert’s “What Do You Want From Me,” Kaya gets sicker and sicker.
Kaya doesn’t think performing right now is a “fair representation” of her as a singer, nor is it fair to Fire. They both head to the stage, but Kaya tells the judges right from the jump that she got sick at the start of Hollywood Week. “I’ve decided not to perform,” she says.
Katy asks Kaya if this means she’s leaving the competition. “So, me not performing means I’m no longer going to be in the competition,” Kaya tells the judges. She tears up and walks off the stage. Katy is stunned.
Fire starts crying after being left up there alone. Katy asks the contestants in the audience who would like to sing with Fire. Jayna comes up and sings with her. Jayna and Fire perform the song together, and Katy starts crying when she sees Fire in tears.
Katy is beyond proud of Fire for not quitting. The judges send Fire to the next round. Jayna is there to support her through it all. Outside the auditorium, Kaya is still around and hugs Fire. There’s only one more round of Hollywood Week: Showstoppers. After that, the judges will make their Final Judgment and assemble their top 24.