Jesse Findling’s journey on season 24 of American Idol came to an end on the April 6 show’s ’90s-themed “Judges’ Song Contest” episode, cutting the competition down to 11 contestants.
All 12 contestants were presented with three carefully selected song choices picked by the judges Lionel Richie, Carrie Underwood and Luke Bryan.
Findling had to choose from “Hallelujah” by Jeff Buckley, “Everything I Do” by Bryan Adams and “Wonderwall” by Oasis— going into the challenge, Findling was a bit unsure since he was not too familiar with the song selection.
The top 12 contestants take on the “Judges’ Song Contest,” performing ’90s hits secretly picked by Luke Bryan, Lionel Richie or Carrie Underwood. Jesse Findling selected to sing ‘Wonderwall’ by Oasis for the April 6 episode.
All three judges gave a standing ovation after his performance of “Wonderwall.”
Before leaving the stage, Findling was asked who he thought chose the song. He said he was sure Luke Bryan was the judge to choose the song since he had recommended it in previous seasons, but to his surprise, the song was suggested by Lionel Richie.
Bryan gave his cowboy hat to Richie declaring a “new sheriff in town” for suggesting yet another song for a contestant that he did not think matched their aesthetic.
Richie calls them “Hail Mary” moments. He had several during the April 6 episode, giving contestants an opportunity to push their limits.
More: Binghamton student Jesse Findling gets into ‘American Idol’ Top 14
“When you started with this one, I looked at Luke and I was like ‘Really?’ because I would’ve picked that one as the last one that you would pick. But you did your thing and it worked,” Underwood said.
Findling and Rae Sparkles were in the bottom two and the elimination was decided by Richie.
Both performances were described as a “pound for pound” experience. In the end, Richie saved Rae Sparkles from elimination after her performance of “Love Will Lead You Back” by Taylor Dayne.
ABC’s “On The Red Carpet” spoke with Findling after his elimination.
“Now I can look ahead and I just want to start saying yes to more things, and I want to make my own music,” he said.
Keep up with Jesse Findling’s music journey on social media
Kalyn Grant reports on public service issues for the Press & Sun-Bulletin, focusing on schools and community impact. Have a story to share? Follow her on Instagram @KalynCarmen and on Facebook under Kalyn Kearney. Get in touch at [email protected]
This article originally appeared on Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin: Where to follow Jesse Findling after ‘American Idol’ run ends
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