American Idol eliminated Jordan Anthony and Nya, which determined the Top 12 contestants for Season 22 during the two-hour episode that aired Sunday night on ABC.

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Jordan, a 19-year-old artist from Perth, Australia, and Nya, a 28-year-old Broadway performer from Manhattan, NY, were eliminated from the American Idol competition based on the 19.9 million home viewer votes that poured in live while the Top 14 contestants performed songs from the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame for American Idol judges Katy Perry, Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan.

Iconic KISS bandmate Gene Simmons served as the mentor for the Rock & Roll-themed week.

Jordan took the stage with a slower version of "I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)" by Whitney Houston.

Lionel thought Jordan's performance was "fantastic," and Katy said, "You sounded like a super pro. That was the best performance you've ever given us... You've grown so much!"

Luke also thought Jordan had "nailed" the song from top to finish.

Nya belted out "I Say a Little Prayer" by Aretha Franklin.

Lionel dubbed Nya "a star," and Katy gushed, "That was the best you've ever done from top to bottom... You took a song that people want to hear and made it Nya... It was my favorite thing that I've ever heard you do."

Luke joked, "Just try to make it look a little bit difficult... It was so effortless and so smooth."

As for the Top 12 contestants' performances, Abi Carter, a 21-year-old musician from Indio, CA, took the stage with "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" by Elton John.

"Wow, the complexity of everything that just went on there... you just held the whole room. That is pro, pro -- far beyond your age in years," Luke said.

"From Day 1, it's always been you," Katy said, adding, "You sing with an angelic frequency, and I think a lot of things are going to happen in the future when you sing."

Jayna Elise, a 22-year-old performer from Washington, D.C., belted out "I Have Nothing" by Whitney Houston.

"The way you're approaching this is like, 'I'm going to show the world I'm a big star,' and that's what it looks like," Luke complimented the singer.

Lionel added, "You look like a star, you act like a star, you sound like a star. My dear, you are a star."

Jack Blocker, a 25-year-old graphic designer from Dallas, TX, performed "Don't Think Twice, It's All Right" by Bob Dylan.

"You're staying true to what you are, and you're growing like crazy," Luke gushed.

"You made a Bob Dylan song your song. It was fantastic," Lionel said, before Katy called the singer "the coolest."

Julia Gagnon, a 22-year-old college student from Cumberland, ME, sang "Run To You" by Whitney Houston.

"You commanded that stage tonight. It was absolutely beautiful," Lionel noted.

Katy shared, "Confidence is a mental decision. And you decided tonight to switch it on."

Kaibrienne, a 20-year-old B&B host from Henefer, UT, sang "I Hate Myself for Loving You" by Joan Jett and The Blackhearts.

"In under a week, you morphed into a whole different human being... To watch you guys grow, it's amazing," Luke said.

"You have to tell the story in your face. That 'ugly face' you just gave us is exactly what we needed in that song, and you were oh so ugly," Lionel praised the singer.

Kayko, a 23-year-old songwriter and producer from Fort Lauderdale, FL, performed "High and Dry" by Radiohead.

"You really dug into wanting to show the world your artistry, but way to pivot and make the song yours," Luke said.

Katy told Kayko that he did the song justice and she believes in him.

McKenna Faith Breinholt, a 25-year-old esthetician from Gilbert, AZ, performed "Hard to Say I'm Sorry" by Chicago.

Katy told McKenna -- who was feeling under the weather -- that she looked "like a rock star," and Luke said it was a beautiful song choice.

"That was a sexy sounding performance," Lionel added.

Mia Matthews, a 19-year-old singer from Centre, AL, took the stage with "The Memories of You" by Dolly Parton, Linda Ronstadt and Emmylou Harris.

"You bumped up your performance real good. That was authentic," Katy said, before Luke called the singer "amazing."

Roman Collins, a 24-year-old worship leader from Long Beach, CA, performed "You're All I Need To Get By" by Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell.

"Everything you do is authentically you. You are my favorite person to watch and hear right now," Katy admitted.

"Your talent level and what you're able to do with your voice is as good as anything I've ever seen in this chair. You have the ability to take the vibe in a room into the stratosphere," Luke gushed.

Triston Harper, a 15-year-old high school student from McIntosh, AL, took the stage with "Heartbreak Hotel" by Elvis Presley.

"You get what you give, even if it's just a little bit! The people are already in love with you," Katy gushed, before Luke added, "It was tremendous. It was perfectly done."

Emmy Russell, a 25-year-old songwriter from Nashville, TN, sang "I Can't Make You Love Me" by Bonnie Raitt.

Luke said Emmy's voice and the innocence she delivers gave him "full-body chills" and is "very special."

Will Moseley, a 23-year-old musician from Hazlehurst, GA, performed "Night Moves" by Bob Seger.

Katy was glad to see Will's sensitive side, and said, "That was the best performance he's ever given me. You gave us vocals and you're competing. It was awesome."

American Idol's Top 12 contestants will perform Monday night at 8PM ET/PT on ABC.
About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski

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