American Idol determined its Top 3 finalists and eliminated We Ani and Zachariah Smith during the Season 21 performance episode that aired Sunday night on ABC.

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We Ani, a 23-year-old performer from Harlem, NY, and Zachariah, a 19-year-old grill cook from Amory, MS, were ousted from the American Idol competition based on the nationwide votes -- over three million more votes than last year at this time, according to Idol host Ryan Seacrest -- that poured in throughout the two-hour "Disney Night" broadcast.

The live votes decided which three contestants will compete in next week's Season 21 finale.

The Top 3 finale contenders will be Colin Stough, an 18-year-old Hvac technician from Amory, MS; Iam Tongi, an 18-year-old high school student from Kahuku, HI; and Megan Danielle, a 20-year-old server from Douglasville, GA.

The results were determined after the Top 5 contestants, who were mentored by actress and singer Sofia Carson, performed Disney songs in two rounds of competition for American Idol judges Katy Perry, Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie.

We Ani took the stage first and performed "Into the Unknown" from Frozen II.

"You look like a star, you sound like a star, you act like a star, and your stage presence is amazing!" Lionel gushed, adding how she did a "fantastic" job.

Katy called the performance "incredible," like she was karate chopping through notes and transitions like a superhero. And Luke said We impresses week after week and is a "superstar."

Zachariah then belted out "I Just Can't Wait to Be King" from The Lion King.

Katy gushed about how Zachariah "may actually become King" and he's no longer an underdog.

Luke complimented Zachariah on his "entertainability," advising the singer to keep performing with his heart, mind and soul on a high level. Lionel praised Zachariah for conquering a tough arrangement with energy and "walking on sunshine."

Colin sang "Real Gone" from Cars, and Luke said he finally let loose and appeared to have a lot of fun on the stage. Luke said it was his favorite performance of Colin's yet, and Lionel agreed that Colin was in his comfort zone with confidence exuding.

Katy said the song sounded so good on him and he needs to keep doing the same thing.

Megan took the stage with "You Can't Stop The Girl" from Maleficent: Mistress of Evil.

Lionel complimented Megan on how much she's grown, adding how she delivered a "stellar" performance and the high note she hit at the end of the song was amazing.

Katy told Megan she had stretched her vocals and was competing with the best of them, and Luke dubbed Megan a "vocalist," which is bigger than the girl who had auditioned to be on the show and competed in a singoff against another contestant.

Iam serenaded the audience with "Lava" from Lava.

As the crowd applauded loudly, Katy told Iam that his identity is his most valuable possession.

Luke said Iam is totally authentic and has his "thing" that people gravitate towards. Luke said Iam lights up a room and it's very special.

Lionel noted, "Who knew that this phenomenon was going to happen. But let me just say this: I consider you a master storyteller... and your dreams have come true."

For Round 2, We Ani performed "The Climb" from Hannah Montana: The Movie.

Luke said he loved We Ani's arrangement and elegant delivery, and Lionel admitted that, as a writer and producer, he's "in love" with the singer because she feels what she sings.

And Katy told We Ani that she had climbed to the top and her dynamics in the performance were "superb." She called We Ani "a master of her craft" and said she's going to see it through.

Zachariah's second song was "Life Is a Highway" from Cars.

Lionel got up on his feet and asked, "Who do you think you are?!... You are the entertainer's entertainer. I love when you bring a fire to the stage."

Katy said Zachariah performed 100 miles per hour and the song was "perfect" for his voice. Luke said he was running out of things to say because everyone was putting on a concert.

Colin then took the stage with "Nobody Knows" from Pete's Dragon.

Luke praised Colin for holding the room's attention, which sometimes takes people years to develop as artists. Lionel said Colin has stage presence -- which can't be taught -- and Katy noted how Colin had another life-changing moment.

Megan belted out "Carried Me With You" from Onward.

Luke said Megan has a "magic voice" and "magic tone" that God had given her, and Lionel gushed about how the singer has "instant identity" with a real cry in her voice. And Katy added how Megan is a light who took her to a beautiful and angelic place with her voice.

"When God calls on people, a lot of people go, 'Why me?' But I think you need to just accept it; you are The One," Katy shared.

And for the second round, Iam sang "Father and Son" from Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 2.

Lionel announced how magic happened on that stage and all the stars aligned for Iam, and Katy said this was written in the stars for Iam.

"When I see your name, I see 'I AM the next American Idol,'" Katy declared.

Luke thanked Iam's mother for signing him up for the show, and he gave credit to all the American Idol contestants for putting on a great show every week.




About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski

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