Eliminated American Idol 2024 Top 10 Singers KAYKO and Mia Matthews reveal their Judges Song Contest picks
Earlier this week, American Idol said goodbye to two fan favorites from the Top 10: KAYKO and Mia Matthews. The episode featured a themes night in which each contestant performed a song from the year they were born with Shania Twain mentoring the group. Because the show aired consecutive episodes—Sunday followed by Monday—the full Top 10 rehearsed songs intended for Monday’s Judges Song Contest. Two contestants, however, were eliminated after the first episode and did not get the chance to perform their Judges Song Contest selections live.
When the votes were tallied, KAYKO and Mia received the lowest totals and were eliminated before the Top 8 Judges Song Contest. Both artists shared with fans on social media which of the three judge-selected song options they would have performed had they advanced. On Judges Song Contest night, each judge—Lionel Richie, Katy Perry and Luke Bryan—assigned three song options to each contestant, who then chose one. The judge whose options were selected most often by the contestants won the contest; Katy Perry emerged as that week’s winner.
Katy Perry chose “You Will Be Found” from Dear Evan Hansen for KAYKO (TIME TO BE MAD ALL OVER AGAIN!)
KAYKO shared an intimate acoustic rendition of “You Will Be Found,” the Broadway ballad from Dear Evan Hansen that Katy Perry had placed in his set of options. In his stripped-down clip, his phrasing and emotional delivery stood out—qualities that fans felt would have translated powerfully to a full live staging with lights, band and audience.
His social post highlighted what many viewers noted during his run on the show: KAYKO is an expressive vocalist who connects to lyrics in a raw, vulnerable way. Fans lamented that they would never see a full production of this arrangement on Idol, with one commenter exclaiming that America “deserved to see this on the big screen with the lights and fog.”
KAYKO revealed that the other song choices presented to him were “Comethru” by Jeremy Zucker and “The Way I Am” by Charlie Puth. A multi-instrumentalist and songwriter, KAYKO originally accompanied a friend to her audition and decided to audition himself; both were given tickets to Hollywood, though only he advanced to the live shows. He was eliminated after performing “Teenage Dirtbag” by Wheatus for his birth-year themed piece.
Mia Matthews sang Wynona Judd’s “No One Else on Earth” as her Judges Song Contest pick.
Mia Matthews posted a rehearsal clip revealing she would have performed Wynona Judd’s “No One Else on Earth.” She explained that the rehearsal footage fans saw was recorded from a monitor behind the band so she could time her connection with the cameras during the live performance. That monitor view helps contestants learn when camera cuts will occur so they can “play” to the audience at home with eye contact and movement.
Mia also described the presence of stand-in judges during rehearsals—dummies positioned in place of the real judges so producers can practice camera timing and shot selection. She mentioned that even a stand-in for Lionel stands during the number, which helps the production team map out camera reactions and transitions.
Fans and followers offered a mix of support and blunt commentary after Mia’s elimination. Her sister, Jacy, chimed in on social media, and some fans suggested constructive advice for any future performances. Mia left the competition after performing Shania Twain’s “No One Needs to Know” earlier in the episode and acknowledged that she missed some lyrics during that live set. Prior to Idol, Mia auditioned with her younger sister Jacy; Mia earned a Golden Ticket to Hollywood while Jacy did not. The family previously performed together on The Voice as the trio Worth the Wait, and their shared musical history is a recurring topic among fans.
Both KAYKO and Mia demonstrated strong artistic identities during their Idol journeys—KAYKO with his instrumental and songwriting chops and Mia with her country-tinged vocal strength. Their eliminations came during an especially competitive stretch of the season; the host repeatedly noted how close the vote totals were. While neither artist advanced to the Judges Song Contest, both left impressions on viewers and continue to share performances and behind-the-scenes insights with their followers.
As the season moves on, fans will watch to see which contestants survive the Judges Song Contest and who ultimately makes the next cuts. For KAYKO and Mia, the response on social media shows clear support: many fans are eager to follow their musical paths beyond the show and hope to hear more from both artists in future performances and recordings.