Who Made the Top 3 on ‘American Idol’ 2025? The Top 5 Performs During Disney Night (Recap)

Season 23 of American Idol is quickly coming to an end, with the penultimate episode airing on Monday, May 12. With just five artists left, the remaining contestants took the stage twice during the live show, which was a continuation of Disney night.

Once again, the artists were mentored by Lin-Manuel Miranda, while Carrie Underwood, Luke Bryan, and Lionel Richie offered their feedback and criticism as judges. However, the decisions about which three of the Top 5 artists moved onto the finale was fully in America’s hands.

Voting was open throughout the episode for viewers to help get their favorites into the final episode on May 18. Two were eliminated at the end of the night. Scroll down for a recap and to find out who went home and who’s moving on to the finale!

Slater Nalley

Slater Nalley was up first with a performance of “You Got a Friend in Me.” After missing some lyrics last night, he made a major change by not playing guitar for the first time on Idol. And he crushed it!

ABC

“That was a fun way to kick things off tonight!” Underwood raved. “I did not realize this was the first time you’ve been without your guitar. You looked totally at ease, completely natural. It was very warm and friendly and sweet. Well done.”

Bryan added, “Slater’s playing the American Idol game right now! Tough song, classic microphone, classic look. That song’s always a classic for us on Disney night and that was certainly one of my favorite versions.”

John Foster

Next to take the stage was John Foster with a performance of “The Bare Necessities.” But first, he spent the day at Disneyland with his family as a way to give back to them for everything they’ve sacrificed for him.

ABC

“You got ’em right where you want ’em,” Bryan pointed out. “You got the fans and us as judges. There’s a reason you’re getting recognized at Disney parks.”

Richie praised John for his “likability” and told him that’s just as important as the singing abilities. Underwood added, “You took such a fun song that’s part of my childhood and made it your own and put your own spin on it. It was just such a good time.”

Thunderstorm Artis

Before preparing for his performance, Thunderstorm Artis got some time with his wife and kids at Disneyland. He then took the stage to sing “A Dream Is a Wish Your Heart Makes,” which he used to sing to his son.

ABC

Richie told Thunderstorm, “You’ve gone from crooner, Thunderstorm, tornado, and now you’re just this suave guy with this amazing voice. You knocked it out of the park. You did fantastic.”

Underwood said, “That song fit you perfectly. Throughout this whole journey that you’ve been on, you are all heart and you’re always so positive and you’re always smiling. When you sing about dreams and dreams coming true, it’s just so sweet and believable. Your ability to just deliver a song … you don’t do too much with it, you don’t do too little, you just do enough that we feel your heart behind it. That was a beautiful moment.”

Breanna Nix

For her first song of the night, Breanna Nix sang “This Will Be” after experiencing Disneyland with her son and other family members.

ABC

“I feel like the second half, you were like, ‘Okay, everything’s going to be okay.’ The first half I feel like you were a little bit unsure,” Underwood admitted. “People don’t realize at home how much is going on right now. You guys had last night, then had to prepare for today before last night, now you’re already preparing for the finale. There’s a lot going on. Family’s here. It’s a lot of pressure. Your next performance, just have fun.”

Bryan agreed and urged Breanna not to let the song choice hold her back. “I love your vibe, though. Your vibe is so classy and classic and you just deliver,” he said.

Jamal Roberts

Closing out the first round was Jamal Roberts, who took two of his daughters to Disney before the show, with a performance of “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough.”

ABC

“You had me emotional before you started seeing, and when I saw you doing ‘Ain’t No Mountain High Enough,’ then I got even more emotional,” Bryan said. “This morning, I watched your original audition, and to watch that and to sit here and watch you today … what a ride, buddy, you’ve taken us on. You deserve every bit of this.”

Slater Nalley

ABC

For his second performance of the night, Slater sang “Born to Be Wild.” Underwood had her biggest smile of the night afterwards, and the audience went wild. “There you go again,” Richie raved. “I can’t even get control on the crowd. There you go again making a mess of all of this. Crowd’s out of control, you’re out of control, and that’s how you do it.”

Thunderstorm Artis

ABC

Thunderstorm then returned to the stage for a performance of “Find Yourself.” Underwood promised him she would’ve stood up with Bryan and Richie if her dress and hair weren’t constricting her.

“You are all sunshine and positivity and all that is good in the world when you sing. Thank you for that. We felt it,” she said.

John Foster

ABC

Next, John sang his second song of the night: “Rainbow Connection” from The Muppets. Once again, the crowd went wild. “At this point we’ve seen you go all over the map and that was a different look,” Bryan said. “We’re glad you weren’t copying anybody, it was authentically you, and great job on that.”

Breanna Nix

ABC

When she returned to the stage, Breanna sang “You’ll Be in My Heart” and dedicated it to her husband. “I have to tell you, it is one of those sounds that you have in that high end that when you lock in on a note, it ain’t going nowhere,” Richie praised. “It’s so strong and then you can take it down to a whisper. I don’t know what has happened, but your confidence has taken a whole new level and vibe and it’s wonderful to watch.”

Underwood pointed out that Breanna shared a sweet moment with her family, but didn’t “alienate” anyone else. She also promised Breanna that she’s been “solid” throughout the whole competition.

Jamal Roberts

Jamal gave the final performance of the night with a rendition of “Beauty and the Beast.” Since he had trouble connecting to the song, he was stressed heading into the live show.

ABC

Even before he was done singing, Bryan and Richie were up on their feet. The judges couldn’t even get their comments in because the crowd was cheering so loud. “Let’s win this thing, baby!” Bryan said.

Who made the Top 3?

The three artists who are moving onto the finale are: John Foster, Jamal Roberts, and Breanna Nix. They’ll hit the stage again on Sunday, May 18, and America will vote for the winner.

Who was eliminated?

Unfortunately, the two artists with the least amount of votes, Thunderstorm Artis and Slater Nalley, were sent home, but they’ll likely still be back for the finale to give guest performances!

American Idol, Season 23 finale, Sunday, May 18, 8/7c, ABC