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

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American Idol season 20 has been full of surprises, and the Judges' Song Contest, which asked Lionel Richie, Katy Perry, and Luke Bryan to pick songs for the Top 11 contestants, was one of the show's best ideas. During the contest, the contestants were presented with three song choices from the judges without knowing which judge selected which song. After their performances, they had to try to guess the judge who picked the song for them. The judges accumulated points every time one of their selections was sung, and, in a surprise twist, the judges with the most points earned the privilege of saving one of the two eliminated contestants and giving him or her a place in the Top 10.

Although Katy was jokingly distraught that she was trailing the other judges for most of the night, in the end, she and Luke tied for first place with four points, while Lionel came in second with three points. She and Luke earned the opportunity to save either Lady K or Tristen Gressett, who were in the bottom two after America's vote. They saved Lady K, who took the last spot in the Top 10. The American Idol contestants will now head to Disneyland to be mentored by Ben Platt for the annual fan-favorite Disney Night.

Related: American Idol: One Quote From Each Judge That Sums Up Their Personality

The American Idol Judges' Song Contest was a huge success, delivering one of the greatest episodes of the show in recent memory. The reason that it was such a fantastic idea was that the contest gave the judges the opportunity to impose some of the ideas from their critiques onto the contestants in a fun and unique way. By choosing the songs for the contestants, the judges were able to force them out of their comfort zones, push them to new heights,