American Idol: Katy Perry Explains Why She Saved Lady K Instead Of Tristen

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AmericanIdol season 20 judge Katy Perry saved Lady K from elimination along with Luke Bryan, choosing her instead of Tristen Gressett as a member of the Top 10, and now she explains why she made this decision. Katy earned the opportunity to save one of the bottom two contestants after she won the Judges' Song Contest, tying with Luke Bryan. The first-ever contest asked the judges to choose songs for each American Idol contestant. The finalists then picked one of the songs from the list without knowing which judge selected it. After their performances, the contestants guessed which judge chose their songs, and the judge earned a point.

Lady K, a 25-year-old musician from Tuskegee, Alabama, sang «traitor» by Olivia Rodrigo, which American Idol judge Lionel Richie chose for her. Lionel and Lady K have had a connection since her audition when he discovered that she was from his hometown. He told her that he chose «traitor» for her because it was something different and out of the box, and that he wanted to take her out of her wheelhouse and challenge her. He said that she won the challenge, and that he loved what she did. Lionel also chose the song for Tristen, a 17-year-old high school student from Pell City, Alabama. Tristen worked the whole stage during his rousing rendition of «You Can't Always Get What You Want» by The Rolling Stones. He delivered an electric and energetic performance that Katy said was amazing. At the end of the episode, although both contestants put their hearts and souls into their performances, they found themselves in the bottom two. After a discussion, Katy and Luke chose Lady K to advance into the Top 10, thus eliminating Tristen.

Related: American Idol: Why The Judges’ Song Contest Was A Great