| American Idol | |
|---|---|
| Season 15 | |
 Logo of season 15 | |
| Hosted by | Ryan Seacrest |
| Judges | |
| Winner | Trent Harmon |
| Runner-up | La'Porsha Renae |
| Finals venue | Dolby Theatre |
| No. of episodes | 24 |
| Release | |
| Original network | Fox |
| Original release | January 6 (2016-01-06) – April 7, 2016 (2016-04-07) |
| Season chronology | |
← Previous Season 14 | |
| List of episodes | |
The fifteenth season ofAmerican Idol, also branded asAmerican Idol: The Farewell Season,[1][2] premiered on theFox television network on January 6, 2016.Ryan Seacrest continued as the host, whileHarry Connick Jr.,Jennifer Lopez, andKeith Urban returned as judges.Scott Borchetta also returned as the in-house mentor. On April 7, 2016,Trent Harmon was announced as this season's winner andLa'Porsha Renae was the runner-up.
It was the series' final season to air on Fox. Despite the announcement that the series would be ending,ABC announced in May 2017 that they would reviveAmerican Idol.[3]
For the first time, performances by the top 24 were judged solely by the show's judges and producers, who determined which contestants were eliminated. From each group of twelve, seven were advanced and five were eliminated, resulting in a top 14 for the third week of the semifinals.
The voting limit for this season was set at ten votes per contestant per voting method, half of what it had been the previous season.[4]
TheAmerican Idol "Audition Bus Tour" visited the following cities:Seattle;Providence, Rhode Island;Baltimore, Maryland;San Diego, California;Pittsburgh;Tucson, Arizona;Indianapolis, Indiana;Santa Fe, New Mexico;Athens, Georgia;Tulsa, Oklahoma;Oxford, Mississippi; andWilmington, North Carolina.[5][6]American Idol partnered with two technology companies to allow people to audition using video recording kiosks andmobile apps inCulver City, California, andNashville.[7]
Auditions took place in:[5][8]
| City | Preliminary date | Preliminary venue | Filming date(s) | Filming venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Various cities | July 9–21, 2015 | Varied | Unknown | |
| Denver, Colorado | July 10, 2015 | Denver Coliseum | September 26–27, 2015 | Colorado Convention Center[9] |
| Savannah, Georgia | July 22, 2015 | Martin Luther King Jr. Arena | September 13–14, 2015 | W Midtown Hotel (Atlanta)[10] |
| Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | August 2, 2015 | Liacouras Center | August 15–16, 2015 | Pennsylvania Convention Center[11] |
| Little Rock, Arkansas | August 8, 2015 | Verizon Arena | August 22–23, 2015 | Statehouse Convention Center[12] |
| San Francisco, California | September 15, 2015 | Cow Palace | October 10–11, 2015 | Westin St. Francis[13] |
The top 24 semifinalists were split into two groups of twelve, and their performances were filmed atThe Vibiana inLos Angeles. Each round consisted of back-to-back performances: each contestant sang one solo in the episode which aired on Wednesday, and one duet with anAmerican Idol alumnus in the episode that aired on Thursday.[14][15]
Color key:
This contestant was chosen by the public. |
This contestant was chosen by the judges. |
This contestant was chosen by the judges to compete in the Wild Card round. |
This contestant was eliminated. |
Contestants are listed in the order they performed.
| Contestant | Order (2/10) | Solo song | Order (2/11) | Duet song | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stephany Negrete | 1 | "Mamma Knows Best" | 3 | "Superstar" (withRuben Studdard) | Eliminated |
| MacKenzie Bourg | 2 | "Say Something" | 7 | "I Hope You Dance" (withLauren Alaina) | Wild Card |
| Jeneve Rose Mitchell | 3 | "Angel" | 11 | "Gone" (withScotty McCreery) | Wild Card |
| Jenna Renae | 4 | "My Church" | 5 | "See You Tonight" (with Scotty McCreery) | Eliminated |
| James VIII | 5 | "Love Lockdown" | 10 | "Gimme Shelter" (withCaleb Johnson) | Eliminated |
| Sonika Vaid | 6 | "Safe & Sound" | 4 | "Skyfall" (with Caleb Johnson) | Wild Card |
| Gianna Isabella | 7 | "I Put a Spell on You" | 8 | "Beautiful Life" (withNick Fradiani) | Wild Card |
| Emily Brooke | 8 | "I Am Invincible" | 1 | "Flat on the Floor" (with Lauren Alaina) | Eliminated |
| Avalon Young | 9 | "Love Yourself" | 9 | "Flying Without Wings" (with Ruben Studdard) | Wild Card |
| Jordan Sasser | 10 | "All by Myself" | 12 | "I Believe" (withFantasia) | Eliminated |
| Thomas Stringfellow | 11 | "Creep" | 2 | "Man in the Mirror" (with Nick Fradiani) | Wild Card |
| La'Porsha Renae | 12 | "Proud Mary" | 6 | "Summertime" (with Fantasia) | Advanced |
Contestants are listed in the order they performed.
| Contestant | Order (2/17) | Solo song | Order (2/18) | Duet song | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shelbie Z | 1 | "Work Hard, Play Harder" | 12 | "Bohemian Rhapsody" (withConstantine Maroulis) | Eliminated |
| Manny Torres | 2 | "Adventure of a Lifetime" | 5 | "No Air" (withJordin Sparks) | Wild Card |
| Kory Wheeler | 3 | "Let It Go" | 2 | "Bennie and the Jets" (withHaley Reinhart) | Eliminated |
| Amelia Eisenhauer | 4 | "Wake Me Up" | 1 | "Suds in the Bucket" (withKellie Pickler) | Eliminated |
| Jenn Blosil | 5 | "Sorry" | 6 | "My Funny Valentine" (with Constantine Maroulis) | Wild Card |
| C. J. Johnson | 6 | "I'll Be" | 4 | "The World I Know" (withDavid Cook) | Eliminated |
| Lee Jean | 7 | "Runaway" | 3 | "Home" (withChris Daughtry) | Wild Card |
| Trent Harmon | 8 | "What Are You Listening To" | 11 | "To Love Somebody" (with Jordin Sparks) | Advanced |
| Tristan McIntosh | 9 | "Good Girl" | 7 | "Best Days of Your Life" (with Kellie Pickler) | Wild Card |
| Adam Lasher | 10 | "Black and Gold" | 9 | "Can't Help Falling in Love" (with Haley Reinhart) | Eliminated |
| Dalton Rapattoni | 11 | "Rebel Yell" | 10 | "Higher Ground" (with Chris Daughtry) | Advanced |
| Olivia Rox | 12 | "Confident" | 8 | "Light On" (with David Cook) | Advanced |
Following the judges' selection of four contestants to advance to the Finals,[16] the remaining ten semifinalists competed for the viewers' votes. Six of them advanced to complete the final group of ten.[17] Contestants are listed in the order they performed.
| Contestant | Song | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Manny Torres | "Master Blaster (Jammin')" | Eliminated |
| Gianna Isabella | "I Put a Spell on You" | Advanced |
| Thomas Stringfellow | "Story of My Life" | Eliminated |
| Tristan McIntosh | "What Hurts the Most" | Advanced |
| Avalon Young | "Yo (Excuse Me Miss)" | Advanced |
| Jenn Blosil | "True Colors" | Eliminated |
| Lee Jean | "Make It Rain" | Advanced |
| Sonika Vaid | "I Surrender" | Advanced |
| Jeneve Rose Mitchell | "Ring of Fire" | Eliminated |
| MacKenzie Bourg | "Roses" | Advanced |
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There were seven weeks of finals with ten contestants competing. For the first three weeks, the judges had the ability to save one contestant amongst the bottom three or two, that resulted from America's votes based upon the previous week's performances.[35] As of the Top 5, the results reverted back entirely to America's vote.
Color key:
This contestant was saved by America's vote. |
This contestant was in the bottom two or three, but was saved by America's vote. |
This contestant was eliminated. |
This contestant was saved from elimination by the judges. |
This contestant wonAmerican Idol. |
This contestant was the runner-up. |
Kelly Clarkson served as a guest judge this week.[36] Contestants are listed in the order they performed.
| Contestant | Song | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Olivia Rox | "Unconditionally" | Eliminated[a] |
| Gianna Isabella | "Listen" | Eliminated[b] |
| Lee Jean | "Skinny Love" | Safe |
| Avalon Young | "Stitches" | Saved by the judges[c] |
| Dalton Rapattoni | "Hey There Delilah" | Safe |
| Tristan McIntosh | "Nothin' Like You" | Safe |
| MacKenzie Bourg | "I See Fire" | Safe |
| La'Porsha Renae | "Diamonds" | Safe |
| Sonika Vaid | "Bring Me to Life" | Safe |
| Trent Harmon | "Like I Can" | Safe |
| Performers | Song |
|---|---|
| Kelly Clarkson | "Piece by Piece" |
Avalon Young, Olivia Rox, and Gianna Isabella were in the Bottom 3 based on America's votes from the previous week's episode. Rox performed "Trouble" while Isabella performed "If I Ain't Got You". However, Young's performance of "Earned It" earned the judges' save amongst the three, and consequently, the other two were eliminated.[37] Young's performance was nevertheless up for America's vote along with the other seven. Contestants are listed in the order they performed.
| Contestant | Song | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Dalton Rapattoni | "Radioactive" | Safe |
| Lee Jean | "Use Somebody" | Eliminated[d] |
| Sonika Vaid | "Since U Been Gone" | Saved by the judges[e] |
| MacKenzie Bourg | "I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)" | Safe |
| La'Porsha Renae | "Halo" | Safe |
| Trent Harmon | "When a Man Loves a Woman" | Safe |
| Tristan McIntosh | "Go Rest High on That Mountain" | Safe |
| Avalon Young | "Earned It" | Eliminated[c] |
| Performers | Song |
|---|---|
| Top 8 withDemi Lovato | "Confident" |
| Demi Lovato | "Stone Cold" |
| Harry Connick Jr. | "(I Do) Like We Do" |
Contestants performed two songs each: one duet with a fellow contestant, and one solo. Contestants are listed in the order they performed.
Avalon Young, Lee Jean, and Sonika Vaid were in the Bottom 3 based on America's votes from the previous week's episode. Duets were done before revealing the results from the previous week. Young performed "P.Y.T." while Jean performed "Let It Be". However, Vaid's performance of "I Have Nothing" earned the judges' save amongst the three, and consequently, the other two were eliminated.[35] Vaid's performance was nevertheless up for America's vote along with the other five. Contestants are listed in the order they performed.
| Contestant | Order | Song | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trent Harmon & La'Porsha Renae | 1 | "See You Again" | |
| Sonika Vaid & Avalon Young | 2 | "Rise Up" | |
| MacKenzie Bourg & Dalton Rapattoni | 3 | "I Want It That Way" | |
| Lee Jean & Tristan McIntosh | 4 | "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing" | |
| La'Porsha Renae | 5 | "Come Together" | Safe |
| MacKenzie Bourg | 6 | "You Are So Beautiful" | Safe |
| Trent Harmon | 7 | "Stand by Me" | Safe |
| Tristan McIntosh | 8 | "A Broken Wing" | Eliminated[f] |
| Dalton Rapattoni | 9 | "Eleanor Rigby" | Safe |
| Sonika Vaid | 10 | "I Have Nothing" | Saved by the judges[e] |
| Performers | Song |
|---|---|
| Nick Fradiani | "Get You Home" |
Contestants performed two songs each, one of which was chosen by the voters onTwitter. Contestants are listed in the order they performed.
Tristan McIntosh and Sonika Vaid were in the Bottom 2 based on America's votes from the previous week's episode. McIntosh performed "Independence Day". However, Vaid's performance of "Let It Go" earned the judges' final opportunity to rescue a contestant, and consequently, McIntosh was eliminated midway through the show, prior to singing a second song.[38] Vaid's performances were nevertheless up for America's vote along with the other four.
| Contestant | Order | Song | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trent Harmon | 1 | "Counting Stars"[i] | Safe |
| 8 | "Simple Man" | ||
| Dalton Rapattoni | 2 | "Numb"[i] | Bottom two |
| 6 | "The Sound of Silence" | ||
| La'Porsha Renae | 3 | "Ready for Love"[i] | Safe |
| 10 | "No More Drama" | ||
| MacKenzie Bourg | 4 | "Wild World"[i] | Safe |
| 7 | "Billie Jean" | ||
| Sonika Vaid | 5 | "Let It Go"[i] | Eliminated[e] |
| 9 | "Clarity" |
| Performers | Song |
|---|---|
| Adam Lambert | "Mad World" |
| Jussie Smollett andYazz The Greatest | "Never Let It Die" |
| Adam Lambert, featuringLaleh | "Welcome to the Show" |
Sia andStevie Van Zandt served as guest mentors this week. Contestants performed two songs: aclassic rock song and a song fromSia's discography. Contestants are listed in the order they performed.
In a deviation from other weeks, Sonika Vaid did not perform before she was eliminated, based on the previous week's votes.[39]
| Contestant | Order | Song | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| La'Porsha Renae | 1 | "Wanted Dead or Alive" | Bottom two |
| 5 | "Elastic Heart" | ||
| MacKenzie Bourg | 2 | "I Want You to Want Me" | Eliminated |
| 6 | "Titanium" | ||
| Trent Harmon | 3 | "Sharp Dressed Man" | Safe |
| 7 | "Chandelier" | ||
| Dalton Rapattoni | 4 | "God Only Knows" | Safe |
| 8 | "Bird Set Free" |
| Performers | Song |
|---|---|
| David Cook | "Heartbeat" |
| Katharine McPhee | "Over the Rainbow" |
| Sia | "Cheap Thrills" |
Each contestant performed three songs: one dedicated to the finalists' hometowns, one chosen by mentorScott Borchetta, and one chosen by the judges.[40] Contestants are listed in the order they performed.
MacKenzie Bourg performed "Hallelujah," but was eliminated based on the previous week's votes.
| Contestant | Order | Song | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dalton Rapattoni | 1 | "Calling You" | Eliminated |
| 4 | "Dancing in the Dark"[i] | ||
| 7 | "Everybody Wants to Rule the World" | ||
| Trent Harmon | 2 | "Tennessee Whiskey" | Safe |
| 6 | "Drink You Away"[i] | ||
| 9 | "Waiting Game" | ||
| La'Porsha Renae | 3 | "Glory" | Safe |
| 5 | "Stay with Me"[i] | ||
| 8 | "Hello" |
| Performers | Song |
|---|---|
| Keith Urban | "Wasted Time" |
Each contestant performed three songs, one of which was chosen by producerSimon Fuller, and are listed in the order they performed.
This episode is notable for the return ofBrian Dunkleman for one more episode.[41]
Dalton Rapattoni performed "Strike A Match," but was eliminated based on the previous week's votes.
| Contestant | Order | Song | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trent Harmon | 1 | "Falling" | Winner |
| 3 | "If You Don't Know Me by Now"[i] | ||
| 5 | "Chandelier" | ||
| La'Porsha Renae | 2 | "Battles" | Runner-up |
| 4 | "A House Is Not a Home"[i] | ||
| 6 | "Diamonds" |
| Performers | Song |
|---|---|
| Top 10 | "Stole the Show" |
| Top 10 withAmerican Idol alumni | "One Voice" |
| Trent Harmon andLa'Porsha Renae | "It Takes Two" |
| Kara DioGuardi with Tamyra Gray and Jordin Sparks | "Sober" |
| Colton Dixon | "Through All of It" |
| Jordin Sparks andJustin Guarini | "No Air" |
| Kimberley Locke with Allison Iraheta and Jordin Sparks | "8th World Wonder" |
| Tamyra Gray with Allison Iraheta, Justin Guarini, and Jordin Sparks | "Girl Crush" |
| Allison Iraheta andLarry Platt with Tamyra Gray, Kimberley Locke, Jordin Sparks, andPia Toscano | "No" "Pants on the Ground" |
| Pia Toscano with Colton Dixon, Tamyra Gray, Justin Guarini, Allison Iraheta, Kimberley Locke & Jordin Sparks | "All by Myself" |
| Kelly Clarkson | "Miss Independent" "Breakaway" "Since U Been Gone" "Because of You" "Behind These Hazel Eyes" "My Life Would Suck Without You" "Don't You Wanna Stay" "Stronger (What Doesn't Kill You)" "Heartbeat Song" "Invincible" "A Moment Like This" |
| Bo Bice withJames Durbin,Caleb Singer, andConstantine Maroulis | "Vehicle" |
| James Durbin, Caleb Johnson and Constantine Maroulis | "Hard to Handle" |
| Chris Daughtry with Bo Bice, James Durbin, Caleb Johnson, and Constantine Maroulis | "Torches" |
| Bo Bice, Chris Daughtry, James Durbin, Caleb Johnson, and Constantine Maroulis | "Tobacco Road" |
| Carrie Underwood andKeith Urban | "Stop Draggin' My Heart Around" |
| Diana DeGarmo,Kree Harrison, andSkylar Laine withBucky Covington, Constantine Maroulis, andAce Young | "You Belong with Me" |
| Bucky Covington, Constantine Maroulis, and Ace Young with Diana DeGarmo, Kree Harrison, and Skylar Laine | "Storm Warning" |
| Lauren Alaina andKellie Pickler with Bucky Covington, Diana DeGarmo, Kree Harrison, Skylar Laine, Constantine Maroulis, and Ace Young | "Done" |
| Scotty McCreery with Lauren Alaina, Bucky Covington, Diana DeGarmo, Kree Harrison, Skylar Laine, Constantine Maroulis, Kellie Pickler, and Ace Young | "Papa Loved Mama" |
| Lauren Alaina, Bucky Covington, Diana DeGarmo, Kree Harrison, Skylar Laine, Constantine Maroulis, Scotty McCreery, Kellie Pickler, and Ace Young | "Pavement Ends" |
| Harry Connick Jr. and Marley Fletcher | "What a Wonderful World" |
| Casey James andKatharine McPhee | "Need You Now" |
| Carly Smithson | "Here You Come Again" |
| Clay Aiken | "Annie's Song" |
| Amber Holcomb andRuben Studdard | "Here, There and Everywhere" |
| Jessica Sanchez | "The Prayer" |
| Jennifer Lopez | "Ain't Your Mama" "Let's Get Loud" |
| Fantasia,Jennifer Hudson, andLaToya London | "Bridge over Troubled Water" |
| Jennifer Hudson | "Remember the Music" |
| Clark Beckham,Danny Gokey, George Huff, Brandon Rogers, andElliott Yamin | "Ain't Too Proud to Beg" |
| Fantasia | "Ugly" |
| Taylor Hicks and LaToya London with Clark Beckham, Melinda Doolittle, Candice Glover, Mikalah Gordon, Danny Gokey, George Huff, Joshua Ledet, Brandon Rogers, and Elliott Yamin | "I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me)" |
| Joshua Ledet | "It's a Man's Man's Man's World" |
| Melinda Doolittle andCandice Glover with Clark Beckham, James Durbin, Danny Gokey, Mikalah Gordon, Taylor Hicks, George Huff, Joshua Ledet, Blake Lewis, Kimberley Locke, Brandon Rogers, Jordin Sparks, Elliott Yamin, andAmerican Idol Top 10 | "Joy to the World" |
| Kris Allen,David Cook, Lee DeWyze,Nick Fradiani, andPhillip Phillips | "Starman" "Rebel Rebel" "The Jean Genie" |
| William Hung | "She Bangs" |
| Carrie Underwood | "Something in the Water" |
| Trent Harmon | "Falling" |
Color key:
| Contestant | Pl. | Semifinals | Wild Card | Top 10 | Top 8 | Top 6 | Top 5 | Top 4 | Top 3 | Finale | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2/11 | 2/18 | 2/25 | 3/3 | 3/10 | 3/17 | 3/24 | 3/31 | 4/6 | 4/7 | ||
| Trent Harmon | 1 | N/A | Safe | N/A | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | Winner |
| La'Porsha Renae | 2 | Safe | N/A | N/A | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | Bottom two | Safe | Runner-up |
| Dalton Rapattoni | 3 | N/A | Safe | N/A | Safe | Safe | Safe | Bottom two | Safe | Eliminated | |
| MacKenzie Bourg | 4 | Wild Card | N/A | Saved | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | Eliminated | ||
| Sonika Vaid | 5 | Wild Card | N/A | Saved | Safe | Saved | Saved | Eliminated | |||
| Tristan McIntosh | 6 | N/A | Wild Card | Saved | Safe | Safe | Eliminated | ||||
| Lee Jean | 7 | N/A | Wild Card | Saved | Safe | Eliminated | |||||
| Avalon Young | N/A | Wild Card | Saved | Saved | |||||||
| Gianna Isabella | 9 | Wild Card | N/A | Saved | Eliminated | ||||||
| Olivia Rox | N/A | Safe | N/A | ||||||||
| Jenn Blosil | N/A | Wild Card | Eliminated | ||||||||
| Jeneve Rose Mitchell | Wild Card | N/A | |||||||||
| Thomas Stringfellow | Wild Card | N/A | |||||||||
| Manny Torres | N/A | Wild Card | |||||||||
| Amelia Eisenhauer | N/A | Eliminated | |||||||||
| C.J. Johnson | N/A | ||||||||||
| Adam Lasher | N/A | ||||||||||
| Kory Wheeler | N/A | ||||||||||
| Shelbie Z | N/A | ||||||||||
| James VIII | Eliminated | ||||||||||
| Emily Brooke | |||||||||||
| Stephany Negrete | |||||||||||
| Jenna Renae | |||||||||||
| Jordan Sasser | |||||||||||
Live + same day ratings
The fifteenth season premiered to 10.96 million viewers, the second lowest since the series premiere. It received an all-time-low 3.0/9 18–49 rating, down 9% from last season. The season finale however had 13.30 million viewers, 5 million more than the fourteenth season finale.[42][43]
| No. | Episode | Air date | Timeslot | Rating/Share (18–49) | Viewers (millions) | Nightly rank | Weekly rank | Ref. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Denver & Atlanta Auditions" | January 6, 2016 | Wednesday 8:00 p.m. | 3.0 | 9 | 10.96 | 1 | 5 | [44][45] |
| 2 | "Little Rock & San Francisco Auditions" | January 7, 2016 | Thursday 8:00 p.m. | 2.7 | 9 | 10.21 | 2 | 7 | [45][46] |
| 3 | "Philadelphia Auditions" | January 13, 2016 | Wednesday 8:00 p.m. | 2.5 | 8 | 9.77 | 2 | 5 | [47][48] |
| 4 | "Denver & Little Rock Auditions" | January 14, 2016 | Thursday 8:00 p.m. | 2.2 | 7 | 8.72 | 2 | 6 | [48][49] |
| 5 | "Atlanta, Little Rock, Philadelphia and San Francisco Auditions" | January 20, 2016 | Wednesday 8:00 p.m. | 2.4 | 8 | 9.22 | 1 | 4 | [50][51] |
| 6 | "Atlanta, Philadelphia and San Francisco Auditions" | January 21, 2016 | Thursday 8:00 p.m. | 2.4 | 8 | 9.36 | 1 | 4 | [51][52] |
| 7 | "Hollywood Week: Lines of Ten" | January 27, 2016 | Wednesday 8:00 p.m. | 2.5 | 8 | 9.63 | 1 | 3 | [53][54] |
| 8 | "Hollywood Week: Group Rounds" | January 28, 2016 | Thursday 8:00 p.m. | 2.3 | 8 | 8.77 | 1 | 5 | [54][55] |
| 9 | "Hollywood Week: Solo Round" | February 3, 2016 | Wednesday 8:00 p.m. | 2.3 | 8 | 9.18 | 1 | 7 | [56] |
| 10 | "Final Judgement" | February 4, 2016 | Thursday 8:00 p.m. | 2.2 | 7 | 8.94 | 2 | 9 | [57] |
| 11 | "Semi-Final #1: 1st 12 Solo Performances" | February 10, 2016 | Wednesday 8:00 p.m. | 2.2 | 7 | 9.16 | 1 | 7 | [58] |
| 12 | "Semi-Final #2: 1st 12 Duets & Judges' Vote" | February 11, 2016 | Thursday 8:00 p.m. | 2.1 | 7 | 8.96 | 3 | 9 | [59] |
| 13 | "Semi-Final #3: 2nd 12 Solo Performances" | February 17, 2016 | Wednesday 8:00 p.m. | 2.0 | 7 | 8.29 | 2 | 9 | [60][61] |
| 14 | "Semi-Final #4: 2nd 12 Duets & Judges' Vote" | February 18, 2016 | Thursday 8:00 p.m. | 2.0 | 7 | 8.19 | 4 | 9 | [61][62] |
| 15 | "Wild Card Night" | February 24, 2016 | Wednesday 8:00 p.m. | 2.1 | 7 | 8.92 | 2 | 10 | [63] |
| 16 | "Top 10 Perform: Contestants' Choice" | February 25, 2016 | Thursday 8:00 p.m. | 2.1 | 7 | 8.72 | 2 | 10 | [64] |
| 17 | "Top 8 Perform: Grammy Hits" | March 3, 2016 | 2.0 | 7 | 8.74 | 2 | 8 | [65][66] | |
| 18 | "Top 6 Perform: American Idol Songbook" | March 10, 2016 | 1.8 | 6 | 8.06 | 3 | 11 | [67] | |
| 19 | "Top 5 Perform: America's Choice" | March 17, 2016 | 1.7 | 6 | 8.22 | 2 | 17 | [68][69] | |
| 20 | "Top 4 Perform: Sia & classic rock songs" | March 24, 2016 | 1.7 | 6 | 8.02 | 3 | 18 | [70][71] | |
| 21 | "Top 3 Perform: Hometown Dedication" | March 31, 2016 | 2.1 | 7 | 9.11 | 3 | 7 | [72][73] | |
| 22 | "American Dream" | April 5, 2016 | Tuesday 8:00 p.m. | 1.4 | 5 | 5.98 | 4 | 23 | [74][75] |
| 23 | "Top 2 Perform" | April 6, 2016 | Wednesday 8:00 p.m. | 2.2 | 8 | 9.70 | 3 | 6 | [75][76] |
| 24 | "Series Finale" | April 7, 2016 | Thursday 8:00 p.m. | 3.0 | 10 | 13.30 | 2 | 3 | [75][77] |
Live + 7 day (DVR) ratings
| No. | Episode | Air date | Timeslot | DVR 18–49 | DVR viewers (millions) | Total 18–49 | Total viewers (millions) | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Denver & Atlanta Auditions" | January 6, 2016 | Wednesday 8:00 p.m. | 0.7 | 2.28 | 3.7 | 13.25 | [78] |
| 2 | "Little Rock & San Francisco Auditions" | January 7, 2016 | Thursday 8:00 p.m. | 0.8 | 2.24 | 3.5 | 12.45 | [78] |
| 3 | "Philadelphia Auditions" | January 13, 2016 | Wednesday 8:00 p.m. | 0.7 | 1.84 | 3.2 | 11.61 | [79] |
| 4 | "Denver & Little Rock Auditions" | January 14, 2016 | Thursday 8:00 p.m. | 0.7 | 2.05 | 2.9 | 10.77 | [79] |
| 5 | "Auditions No. 5" | January 20, 2016 | Wednesday 8:00 p.m. | 0.7 | 1.51 | 3.1 | 10.73 | [80] |
| 6 | "Auditions No. 6" | January 21, 2016 | Thursday 8:00 p.m. | 0.7 | 2.05 | 3.1 | 11.42 | [80] |
| 7 | "Hollywood Week: Lines of Ten" | January 27, 2016 | Wednesday 8:00 p.m. | 0.6 | 1.88 | 3.1 | 11.50 | [80] |
| 8 | "Hollywood Week: Group Rounds" | January 28, 2016 | Thursday 8:00 p.m. | 0.7 | 2.23 | 3.0 | 11.01 | [80] |
| 9 | "Hollywood Week: Solo Round" | February 3, 2016 | Wednesday 8:00 p.m. | 0.7 | 2.04 | 3.0 | 11.21 | [81] |
| 10 | "Final Judgement" | February 4, 2016 | Thursday 8:00 p.m. | 0.7 | 2.04 | 2.9 | 10.98 | [81] |
| 11 | "Semi-Final #1: 1st 12 Performances" | February 10, 2016 | Wednesday 8:00 p.m. | 0.5 | 1.55 | 2.7 | 10.71 | [82] |
| 12 | "Semi-Final #2: Judge's Vote" | February 11, 2016 | Thursday 8:00 p.m. | 0.4 | 1.48 | 2.5 | 10.44 | [82] |
| 13 | "Semi-Final #3: 2nd 12 Performances" | February 17, 2016 | Wednesday 8:00 p.m. | 0.5 | 1.47 | 2.5 | 9.76 | [83] |
| 14 | "Semi-Final #4: Judge's Vote" | February 18, 2016 | Thursday 8:00 p.m. | 0.4 | 1.57 | 2.4 | 9.76 | [83] |
| 15 | "Top 10 Wild Card Round" | February 24, 2016 | Wednesday 8:00 p.m. | 0.5 | 1.30 | 2.6 | 10.22 | [84] |
| 16 | "Top 10 Perform" | February 25, 2016 | Thursday 8:00 p.m. | 0.5 | 1.73 | 2.6 | 10.45 | [84] |
| 17 | "Top 8 Perform: Grammy Hits" | March 3, 2016 | Thursday 8:00 p.m. | 0.4 | 1.63 | 2.4 | 10.37 | [85] |
| 18 | "Top 6 Perform: American Idol Songbook" | March 10, 2016 | Thursday 8:00 p.m. | 0.5 | 2.02 | 2.3 | 10.08 | [86] |
| 19 | "Top 5 Perform: America's Choice" | March 17, 2016 | Thursday 8:00 p.m. | 0.5 | 1.66 | 2.2 | 9.89 | [87] |
| 20 | "Top 4 Perform: Sia & classic rock songs" | March 24, 2016 | Thursday 8:00 p.m. | 0.4 | 1.24 | 2.1 | 9.26 | [88] |
| 21 | "Top 3 Perform: Hometown Dedication" | March 31, 2016 | Thursday 8:00 p.m. | 0.4 | 1.50 | 2.5 | 10.61 | [89] |
| 22 | "American Dream" | April 5, 2016 | Tuesday 8:00 p.m. | 0.4 | — | 1.8 | — | [90] |
| 23 | "Top 2 Perform" | April 6, 2016 | Wednesday 8:00 p.m. | 0.4 | 1.53 | 2.6 | 11.23 | [90] |
| 24 | "Series Finale" | April 7, 2016 | Thursday 8:00 p.m. | 0.5 | 1.57 | 3.5 | 14.87 | [90] |
In celebration of her 25th birthday, La'Porsha Renae has released a modern cover version ofTina Turner'sGrammy-winning single…'What's Love Got to Do with It?'.
I still prefer the grittier Sonika we saw on 'Bring Me to Life' — and honestly, returning to that vibe is the only chance she's got to win this season — but I couldn't really be too mad that she's the one the judges chose to save.
You think I'm going to wring my hands that after being given an unprecedented amount of power to choose the Farewell Season Top 10, Harry, J.Lo, and Keith once again were allowed to meddle with America's choice, and save one person from the Bottom 3? I kinda sorta want to…
After the bottom two sang for their lives, the judges decided to save Sonika for the second week in a row, thereby sending home Tristan just prior to making the Top 5.
Vaid was voted off the show, and a montage of highlights from her journey this season followed.