On April 20, 2025, American Idol celebrated its inaugural Easter special titled ‘Songs of Faith.’ This significant three-hour event marked the show’s 23-season history and featured an array of faith-infused performances by contestants along with special celebrity guests, notably Jelly Roll and Brandon Lake. The highlight of the night was their rendition of the duet “Hard Fought Hallelujah.”
This episode was particularly exciting as it also revealed the Top 20 contestants, following the first viewer vote of the season. Jelly Roll, a prominent figure with hits like “Need a Favor”and “Liar,”has made history by becoming the first artist-in-residence for American Idol this season.
Brandon Lake, a three-time nominee at the 2025 ACM Awards and a rising Christian artist, added a profound spiritual dimension to the performances. The judging panel consisting of Carrie Underwood, Luke Bryan, and Lionel Richie also showcased their vocal talents during this memorable episode. An astounding 30 million votes were cast, narrowing the contestant pool from 24 to 20, with the next episode on April 21, 2025, set to eliminate six more participants.
Highlighting the Performance by Jelly Roll and Brandon Lake
During the Easter special, Jelly Roll and Brandon Lake captivated the audience with their powerful rendition of “Hard Fought Hallelujah.”This duet not only stood out but also served as one of the most memorable performances of the night.
Originally released in November 2024, “Hard Fought Hallelujah”marked a turning point for Brandon Lake, allowing him to enter the Billboard Hot 200 for the first time. A revamped version featuring Jelly Roll was released in February 2025, introducing a rock-inspired element to the song. Jelly Roll expressed the track’s deep personal significance, stating:
“I haven’t had a record touch me like that in so long. It’s been years since I worshipped the way that I worshipped to that song.”
This heartfelt remark, made to Billboard in March 2025, underscored the song’s impact leading up to their Easter performance. The special provided a perfect platform for both artists to fuse their country and Christian rock backgrounds in a celebrated live setting, highlighting the spiritual essence of the night.
Recapping Other Key Moments from the Episode
The April 20 episode of American Idol served dual purposes: it celebrated Easter while also functioning as the season’s first results episode. Viewers actively participated in voting to determine the Top 20, with six contestants eliminated by the end of the show.
The eliminated contestants included Grayson Torrence, Kyana Fanene, MYK, and Penny Samar. The lucky 20 who advanced are: Amanda Barise, Baylee Littrell, Breanna Nix, Canaan James Hill, Ché, Desmond Roberts, Drew Ryn, Filo, Gabby Samone, Isaiah Misailegalu, Jamal Roberts, John Foster, Josh King, Kolbi Jordan, Mattie Pruitt, Olivier Bergeron, Slater Nalley, Thunderstorm Artis, Victor Solomon, and Zaylie Windsor.
Performances highlighted by Platinum Ticket holders included Kanaan James Hill delivering “Better Days” by Le’Andria Johnson, prompting Lionel Richie’s remark about it being “a performance to be remembered on American Idol for a very long time.” Filo delivered an emotional take on “Bridge Over Troubled Water,” while Kolbi Jordan moved the audience with “Amazing Grace,” earning praise from Carrie Underwood for its spiritual resonance.
Additionally, 16-year-old Mattie Pruitt stunned with “Rescue” by Lauren Daigle, which Luke Bryan described as “incredible.” Other noteworthy performances included Drew Ryn’s take on “Yellow”by Coldplay and Slater Nalley’s rendition of “Soulshine.”
Thunderstorm Artis rocked the stage with “Reckless Love,”prompting Bryan to declare it a “big Christian rock concert.” Victor Solomon sang “For Every Mountain,”while Josh King offered a soulful rendition of “You Are So Beautiful.”Additionally, Isaiah Misailegalu performed “Give You Blue” and later presented “I Am Changing.”
Other performances included Zaylie Windsor’s “Silver Springs” by Fleetwood Mac, Olivier Bergeron’s cover of “Stay”by Rihanna, Jamal Roberts’ heartfelt “Forever”by Jason Nelson, and Desmond Roberts’ “Worship” by Jon Batiste.
Special appearances featured Grammy winner CeCe Winans along with American Idol alum Roman Collins, who performed “Come Jesus Come.” The Brown Four also contributed a medley of “How I Love Jesus,” “This Little Light of Mine,” and “Oh Happy Day.”
The judges brought their own flair to the episode: Lionel Richie started with “Eternity,” Luke Bryan delivered “Jesus ‘Bout My Kids,” and Carrie Underwood concluded the evening with “How Great Thou Art.”
American Idol will return on Monday, April 21, 2025, at 8 PM ET/PT on ABC, where viewers will see the next round of eliminations as the Top 20 is narrowed to 14. For those who may miss the live show, the results will also be available for streaming on Hulu the following day.