American Idol 2025: Everything to know about the Head-to-Head round, including PHOTO SPOILERS
Sunday night’s (April 6) American Idol ended with results that seemed confusing at first. But that was by design as the show presented a huge TWIST. After 62 contestants performed on stage with a full band as part of the Showcase Round, judges Lionel Richie, Carrie Underwood and Luke Bryan began eliminating contestants. (Read our Recap)
But then they advanced one short line of four contestants into the Top 24. But wait. The Head to Head round comes BEFORE the Top 24 airs next week! As it turned out, Canaan James Hill, Gabby Samone, Zaylie Windsor and Mattie Pruitt advanced STRAIGHT into the Top 24. Additionally, 16 contestants were eliminated on the spot, leaving 42. The judges explained that the remaining singers would move on to the Head-to-Head round to compete for the remaining 20 spots in the Top 24.
American Idol 2025 Spoilers: Top 24 Season 23 Contestant List & Song Picks
American Idol 2025 Contestant Preview: Ones to Watch
Producers are touting the Head-to-Head round as a brand new thing. But actually, it’s the Duets Round that typically comes after the initial solos and before showstoppers during Hollywood Week. The “new” format is basically familiar rounds from prior seasons ordered in a novel way.
Head-to-Head will sound familiar: The remaining contestants have 24 hours to find a duet partner, pick a song, rehearse it, and then perform it for the judges. At the end of the round, the judges will choose the Top 20 who will join the other four. Next week, American Idol will air the two part Top 24 round which too place at the DIsney Aulani Resort in Hawaii.
Jelly Roll joins the cast as “Artist in Residence”
Also, Jelly Roll will join the show at this point for the remainder of the season. In an interview with Billboard, the singer revealed that “the show brings me in when the kids are picking their head-to-head songs, so I am in the trenches with these babies. I watch them pick their songs. I give them advice and I catch them picking their partners. Some of them probably picked the wrong partner.”
A few more spoiler details from Jelly Roll:
“There was one group of singers who didn’t know how to communicate with each other, and I said, ‘This is the biggest decision you’re going to make because this is the last time the judges decide who goes forward. I’m going to give y’all my advice right now. Take it or leave it and I won’t be offended, but I think at this point your best bet is to pick a song that you feel safe doing together, not where one has to carry the other.’
“Another group picked a song that the girl knew really well, and the guy didn’t know, and they thought it was the best for them. I said, ‘At this point, if y’all aren’t going to change the song, then there’s going to be a point where you’re going to have to carry this song,’ and that’s exactly how it shook out. She ended up having to carry the song and then, as happens in American Idol, there’s a plot twist, but I can’t give that away.”
The Disney publicity website has posted photos for tonight. Check out all the matchups fans will see perform below.
American Idol 2025 Head-to Head Duet Match-Up Spoilers
Cali Morris and Olivier Bergeron
Sonny Tennet and CHÉ
Desmond Roberts and Jamal Roberts
Nina Daig and Slater Nalley
Kyana Fanene and Yani
Kam’Ron and Crews Wright
Lashon and Rileyy Laenz
Victor Solomon and Amanda Barise
Baylee Littrell and Keilene
MKY and Josh King
Bryson Quick and Lexi Tieffel
John Foster and Clara Rae
Breanna Nix and Rylie O’Neill
Penny Samar and Grayson Torrence
Krystal Molina and Isaiah Misailegalu
Filo and Kolbi Jordan
Thunderstorm Artis and Drew Ryn
Also, for some reason, reality star and rapper Flavor Flav drops by to hang out with Ryan Seacrest and the judges. OK then!
American Idol 2025 Head-to-Head episode airs Monday April 7 at 8 pm ET/PT on ABC, streaming next day on HULU.
The two-part Top 24 round which took place at the Disney Aulani Resort in Hawaii airs NEXT Sunday April 13 and Monday April 14 at 8 pm. ET/PT. The big Easter special featuring the Top 20 singing “Songs of Faith” airs Sunday April 20 at 8-11 pm ET/PT.
