It all boils down to this night as seven "American Idol 2020" hopefuls battle it out to earn the title. This year's finale, however, will be different as millions of fans will have to witness it online, the first in the reality show's history.
The talent show's producers were forced to switch to online streaming due to coronavirus pandemic. In fact, "Idol" has been airing remotely since late April. Contestants' performances were filmed in advance from their homes while the judges' reactions and voting results were aired live.
"The American Idol 2020" finale will air live on ABC today at 8 p.m. ET/PT. It will start with the Top 7, including Julia Gargano, Arthur Gunn, Dillon James, Just Sam, Louis Knight, Francisco Martin, and Jonny West, according to Toms Guide.
The show's host, Ryan Seacrest, will then announce the two hopefuls that will be eliminated based on last week's vote. Seacrest will be joined by pop icon Katy Perry, music legend Lionel Ritchie, and country music star Luke Bryan in the judging panel.
After that, the Top 5 will perform two songs. The first one is their celebration song for making it to the finale, and the second will be a song they previously performed on the show.
Following the performances in real-time, voting will start that will determine the show's results. "The American Idol 2020" winner will debut his or her new official single at the end of the show.
How to watch the finale online
American TV network ABC will air the grand finale. However, those without cable can easily watch ABC via Hulu + Live TV package, which offers a free trial for seven days.
TechRadar also suggests those outside the US to try out a Virtual Private Network (VPN) service to watch the American show. A VPN is a simple and legal software kit that allows users to change their IP address to access life or on-demand shows like the American Idol.
Among thousands of VPN companies, ExpressVPN is a practical choice as it gives a flexible 30-day money-back guarantee. Once installed, simply select the location of the home country and click connect. It will give users prime access to watch tonight's "American Idol 2020" grand finale from across the globe.
This will be particularly helpful for those in Australia after Foxtel dropped its rights to air American Idol since Season 17.
Star-studded finale
Judges Katy Perry, Lionel Richie, and Luke Bryan are also expected to perform during the show, along with top musical artists like Oscar-nominated singer and actress Cynthia Erivo who will cover Aretha Franklin hits with the Top 11.
Grammy winner Lauren Daigle will sing her hit "You Say" with the Top 5 while The Rascal Flatts and Doug Kiker will collaborate on "Bless the Broken Road".
Bryan and Perry will sing their respective hits "One Margarita" and "Daisies." Richie will perform "We Are The World," the first time on TV in 35 years. He wrote the song along with Michael Jackson in 1985 while proceeds went to the USA for Africa, a non-profit organization in aid of famine in both countries.
However, unlike the star-studded original, fellow judges and Idol alumni Alejandro Aranda (aka Scarypoolparty), Gabby Barrett, Jordin Sparks, Katharine McPhee, Kellie Pickler, Laine Hardy, Lauren Alaina, Phillip Phillips, Ruben Studdard, and Scotty McCreery will join Ritchie in the new rendition.
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