[VIDEO] American Idol recap: Top 24 – Watch the best All Star Duets and vote

Ryan Seacrest welcomed viewers back to the american idol studio on Sunday, when 12 of the top 24 of the season finally managed to compete for our votes – and in front of a “living, breathing” audience of fans (masked and socially distant), no less.

Before we look at each of Sunday’s presentations, here’s how voting works: After Sunday’s broadcast, you can vote for your favorites – 10 times per participant, per voting method.

The other half of the Top 24 will perform on Monday, and you can vote for them after that broadcast. Next Sunday (April 11), the eight best singers of each night will come together to form the best 16 of this season.

Got that? Anyway, it’s time to dissect this week’s 12 singers, each of whom performed a solo number before being paired with a music superstar for a series of unforgettable duets:

ALANIS SOPHIA, 19 | Kicking off this show shouldn’t have been easy, but Sophia did the damn thing with Sia’s solid “Alive” approach. It took her a minute to find the balance, but she was totally confident in the end – and you can’t say that she didn’t quite crush that final high note. Then came her duet of Bradley Cooper and “Shallow” by Lady Gaga, for which she joined the 10th season Idol Jimmie Allen, the competitor who became a superstar country. Despite being at opposite ends of the stage (the rules of social detachment are still in effect!), The two singers exhibited decent chemistry, and I was really impressed by the perfect way Sophia made the transition from the softer opening to the powerful chorus . I’m a little disappointed that we didn’t get Gaga’s full climax (“aaaa-AAAA-aaaa-AAAAAH !!!”), but it was still a good performance. The only real criticism from the judges, which they would later give to most of the other contestants, is that Sophia needs to get rid of her nerves and learn to dominate the stage. Click here to watch.

CASSANDRA COLEMAN, 24 | Katy Perry explained it better when she called Coleman’s voice “spiritual experience”. His solo performance by Sigma and Birdy’s “Find Me” really took his listeners elsewhere, even though it took me a minute to say that the tremor in his voice was more vibrato than nervousness. And while her second song – an “Apologize” duet with OneRepublic frontman Ryan Tedder – was also beautiful, I have a very big bone to choose from with Tedder. Of all the celebrities invited this week, he seemed the least willing to share the spotlight with his partner. Did he really need to show off with that final race, instead of letting Coleman get the last moment to shine? (Come on, man, you already proved yourself.) Despite the praise for her voice, the judges told Coleman the same thing they said to Sophia: “Master your moment and watch your nerves” See:

ALYSSA WRAY, 18 | Right from the start, this power did exactly what the first two singers failed to do, totally dominating the stage with a stunning performance of Carrie Underwood’s “Something in the Water”. The attitude! The growl! That puzzled look on Luke Bryan’s face said it all. Anyone who was not yet a big fan of Wray was certainly won over by this upturn in star creation. And that was before she joined Katharine McPhee for a phenomenal duet of Whitney Houston’s “I’m Your Baby Tonight”. Was I intrigued by McPhee’s 80s ball gown? Of course. But was I absolutely impressed with how perfectly they harmonized in these fast-paced lyrics? Absolutely. And that final Wray belt! This was a combination made in Idol heaven, and McPhee could teach Tedder a thing or two about how to work with your duet partner, rather than against they. To see:

WYATT PIKE, 20 | Here’s the deal – Pike gave us exactly what we expected with his Tate McRae “rubber band” performance. It was cold, solid and professional, as it always sounds. He was even dangling in his usual rolled-up pants and boots uniform. Bryan noted that Pike “felt like a star” and I can’t disagree, even if there was nothing in particular exciting about performance. Then came Pike’s “Brand New” duet with Ben Rector, which completely changed my opinion of the Park City native. Singing without the comfort of his guitar was definitely a risk on Pike’s part, but it was worth it, as it allowed his natural personality to shine. And the judges couldn’t have done a better match; if he closed his eyes, he honestly couldn’t tell where Rector ended and Pike started. It was a pleasant performance from start to finish, which left Bryan in real tears. “I can’t tell you anything to do differently,” he said to Pike. “Be you.” Click here to watch.

ALANA, 23 | This native from Ojai brought the damn party with a high-energy performance of “Blow Your Mind” by Dua Lipa. One of the few contestants of the night to connect directly with the audience, Alana made us feel like we all had a front row seat for her show, and I loved every second of it. Then came his duet “Back at One” with Brian McKnight. She was surprised to learn that he had never done this as a duet before, but maybe it is because … is it not a duet? Anyway, his voice is still as soft as before, and hers complemented it well. He showed it a little with some of those glorious runs, but it was more about the arrangement than about his talent. Still, Perry suggested that Alana take some more risks with her notes, saying, “Don’t be afraid to fly.” To see:

ANILEE LIST, 20 | I didn’t love this arrangement of Billie Eilish’s “My Future”, which traded the characteristic softness of the singers for a bonanza, but I have to praise List’s performance. I also have to praise Joss Stone, who may have been my favorite mentor of the night. (Am I the only one who somehow forgot that she is British?) Rufus and Chaka Khan’s “Tell Me Something Good” duet was funky with a capital F, and everyone was standing at the end of the performance. We saw a whole new side of List – someone I had little thought of before – and I liked what I saw. Although Perry compared the whole thing to a “gospel Sunday brunch,” she said she hoped for a few more vocal improvisations from List. Click here to watch.

DESHAWN GONCALVES, 20 | Speaking of arrangements I didn’t love, something seemed strange about this exciting version of Bob Dylan’s “Forever Young” (or, as I know, the Paternity theme song). Fortunately, this did not prevent Gonçalves from displaying those gold pipes. His talents were once again on display in his “I Lived” duet with Tedder – that is, when Tedder was not doing everything he could to overcome it. He even ended up with another big, unnecessary run. (Sir, you are simply the worst!) Even so, the judges gave Gonçalves more favorable feedback, reiterating the same thing they had been saying to everyone: “Go out and be the star, baby!” Click here to watch.

GRAHAM DEFRANCO, 28 | I have to admit, I never heard John Splithoff’s “Raye” before, but this is a baby making music over there. And DeFranco’s falsetto? Three words: Ooh. Over there. Over there. And I was even more impressed by his “Love Like This” duet with Rector, who challenged DeFranco to expand his range and deliver a great performance. It was a bonus that I could really distinguish their voices, unlike when Rector sang with Pike. Click here to watch.

ANDREA VALLES, 23 | Now this it was an Eilish disguise that I could use. Valles’ bilingual performance of “Lo Vas a Olvidar” by Eilish and Rosalia was as beautiful and dazzling as the eye patch that Valles was swinging on stage. (As she explained, she recently underwent retinal fixation surgery.) Her effortless passage between the belt and the falsetto was simply divine. I also loved her and McKnight’s duet of George Michael’s “Careless Whisper”, a truly unexpected but totally appreciated choice of music. The way she sang it, you would have thought it was her music all the time. I loved watching it vibrate up there, and like the judges, I kind of didn’t want the performance to end. Bryan said he sees her as “a great star quality”, noting that these performances put her back on the map. Click here to watch.

CECIL RAY, 20 | It would take a lot to get me excited about Ray, and his sleepy performance of Tracy Lawrence’s “Paint Me a Birmingham” just didn’t work. It was a choice of boring music, completely devoid of any impressive peaks or valleys, and his nerves were palpable everywhere. His “Freedom Was a Highway” duet with Allen was certainly better … but still not great. The judges were kind enough to tell him that he simply needs to work on his “attitude”, when I suspect that it will take much more to win America’s affection. Click here to watch.

WILLIE SPENCE, 21 | The purity and beauty of this man’s voice is beyond words. Each song he sings is lucky enough to be chosen by him, including Bette Midler’s “Wind Beneath My Wings”, which he sang with exciting excellence. It was a total departure from the original version, but unlike other questionable changes earlier in the evening, it worked absolutely at all levels. Then came one of the best moments of the night, if not the season: McPhee joined Spence for an unforgettable performance by Celine Dion and Andrea Bocelli in “The Prayer”. She was great, of course, but I had goosebumps all over the moment he joined her. They supported each other beautifully, and I loved that Spence had multiple chances to shine on his own. To see:

GRACE KINSTLER, 20 | This vocal bomb ended the night with Jessie J’s “Queen”, an explosive self-love hymn that Kinstler fully incorporated. Not only was she owning every inch of that stage, but Kinstler’s voice went to places I never would have imagined. And that ending didn’t just destroy me, it was me-and-checked. His duet with Stone, Gladys Knight and Pip’s “Midnight Train to Georgia” was a solid sequel; she followed her mentor’s advice for a T, resulting in a totally unexpected performance. In fact, I think Stone may be my favorite mentor. She was able to reveal a completely different – but no less wonderful – side to Kinstler. Richie put it best: “Wow! What do you want me to say? “See:

Time to regret: which eight singers from Sunday’s episode deserve to make it into the Top 16? Weigh in our poll below, so leave a comment with more of your thoughts.