I believe American Idol singers could've used a little variety for Ladies' Night
**Disclaimer: This American Idol article is based on the writer's opinion. Readers' discretion is advised.**
Season 23 of American Idol celebrated the "iconic women of music" in its May 4, 2025, episode. Titled Ladies' Night, the segment saw the Top 10 contestants perform covers of songs by renowned and celebrated female artists from different genres. From Adele to Reba McEntire, the contenders presented renditions of singers alike.
The American public voted for their favorite artists based on their performances, determining who advanced into the Top 8 and who got eliminated. While each attempted to give it their best shot, two contenders fell short of making it to the next round of the contest. Kolbi Jordan and Canaan James Hill failed to make the cut and were eliminated from the show.
An analytic glimpse at the lineup of songs performed revealed that a few female artists emerged as go-to choices for the American Idol contestants. Three singers performed covers of Adele songs, while two sang judge Carrie Underwood's songs.
With five performances dedicated to just two artists, the remaining five took on other female singers. I believe the contenders could have benefited from some variety for Ladies' Night. The night was a celebration of "iconic women of music," which, in my opinion, was a great opportunity to present a mix of artists from different genres.
That way, the sense of monotony would have been removed, making the show an enjoyable experience for the viewers. Moreover, it would have allowed singers to celebrate ten different female artists from the industry, instead of prioritizing a few, justifying the episode's purpose. Even genre-wise, a little variety could have made the episode more wholesome.
Adele becomes a top choice for American Idol singers
While acknowledging Grammy winner Adele's significant impact on the music industry, I question why three American Idol contestants were allowed to sing her songs. Opportunities that could have been used to honor other renowned female singers were dedicated to one artist alone.
Breanna Nix presented her rendition of Water Under the Bridge (Adele), Josh King sang Rolling in the Deep (Adele), and Thunderstorm Artis covered When We Were Young (Adele). While the performances were noteworthy and Adele is an artist deserving of a spot in the lineup, I believe it was unnecessary to have three contestants sing songs by one singer.
In my opinion, the episode appeared non-inclusive as it did not allow other female artists like Mariah Carey, Madonna, Christina Aguilera, Britney Spears, Lady Gaga, Amy Winehouse, Alicia Keys, Whitney Houston, Miley Cyrus, and more to be featured in the show.
In my opinion, the abovementioned artists and others have songs that are not only intricate but also challenging in terms of range. If the purpose of prioritizing Adele was to showcase their vocal range, I believe the American Idol contestants missed out on other singers with an equally impressive portfolio.
Netizens also expressed a similar sentiment, disappointed with the song choices made for this week's episode.
In my opinion, the American Idol contenders' song choices made the show monotonous and even defeated the purpose of the episode, which was the celebration of women in music.
Another popular choice was American Idol judge Carrie Underwood, with two contestants singing her songs. Jamal Roberts sang Undo It and Canaan James Hill covered Love Wins.
Besides Adele and Carrie Underwood taking up half of the performances, I noticed country emerging as a popular genre as well. Apart from Carrie, Miranda Lambert and Reba McEntire were other renowned country singers featured in the episode.
Mattie Pruitt covered Miranda's The House That Built Me and Slater Naller sang Reba's Whoever's in New England. While it added some variety to the mix of songs, it also added to the country songs presented in the episode.
In my opinion, more rock, pop, soul, and R&B alternatives could have been utilized in the American Idol episode.
Thus, I believe the contestants could have used a little variety for this week's Ladies' Night episode, allowing for a proper representation of the female artists. In my opinion, the ABC show missed out on a great opportunity to showcase the talents by permitting contestants to focus on one or two artists and genres.
It not only added to the displeasure of the viewers but also failed to celebrate the objective of the episode.
American Idol season 23 episodes an be streamed on Hulu.
