American Idol’s Rae Reacts To Lionel Richie Saving Her, While His Fellow Judges Reveal If They Agree With His Decision.

Credit: Disney/Eric McCandless

After winning the American Idolseason 24 Judges’ Song Contest, Lionel Richie chose to save Rae over Jesse Findling during the elimination, and now she and his fellow judges, Carrie Underwood and Luke Bryan, are sharing their reactions to his decision. After the Songs of Faith Night results were revealed and Jake Thistle and Julián Kalel were sent home, the Top 12 contestants competed during the Judges’ Song Contest, in which Lionel, Carrie, and Luke chose ’90s songs for the contestants.

Lionel won the ’90s-themed Judges’ Song Contest with an astonishing seven songs that were selected by the contestants, versus Carrie’s three and Luke’s two. Not only did Lionel win bragging rights when he took home the Judges’ Song Contest trophy, but he also earned the privilege of saving one of the bottom two contestants: Rae or Jesse. Rae had performed “Love Will Lead You Back” by Taylor Dayne, selected by Carrie, while Jesse had sung “Wonderwall” by Oasis, which was Lionel’s pick.

When it came time to make his decision, Lionel asked his fellow judges for help, but he revealed that they gave him nothing, so he chose Rae over Jesse on his own, sending her to the Top 11.

Lionel Richie Made His Decision To Save Rae Based On ‘Vibe’

Via: Instar

In an interview with People and a small group of other reporters, Lionel shared that he was happy about winning the Judges’ Song Contest. He playfully said, “I feel so good about winning, let me make that clear. At one point, I was doing so well, it got embarrassing because it’s like, what about the rest of my judges? So that’s No. 1.”

Lionel then revealed how he chose to save Rae instead of Jesse. He stated, “Secondly, which made it kind of strange for me, was I now had to select this person… So I picked vibe. I picked attitude. I picked stage presence. I chose vibe over everything else.”

Luke Bryan & Carrie Underwood Agreed With Lionel’s Decision To Save Rae

Credit: Eric McCandless/Disney via Getty Images

Lionel didn’t receive any pushback from his fellow judges, Luke and Carrie, about his decision to save Rae over Jesse. Luke said, “It was a good decision. Rae has been really solid singing all year. I think if she had any bump on the road it was because she really didn’t know any of the songs and was rushing, but she has been solid every round.” Luke also acknowledged that Jesse was a great contestant too, but he fully supported Lionel in his decision.

Carrie called Lionel’s choice “impossible,” stating, “There was no right answer. I didn’t think those two would be in the bottom but you don’t know what America is hearing at home. In the room it’s a different energy.”

American Idol Season 24 Finalist Rae Had A Mix Of Emotions After Lionel Saved Her

Rae confessed that she was experiencing a mix of emotions after Lionel saved her because, while she was thankful to stay in the competition, she was sad to say goodbye to her close friend, Jesse.

Rae explained, “Jesse is my closest friend here. It was just all running through my head. This has been a long period of my life. But I just miss Jesse, and he’s destined for amazing things. He’s so young and so talented, and I’m excited to see his career blow up.”

In addition to Rae, the American Idol season 24 Top 11 finalists consist of Braden Rumfelt, Brooks, Chris Tungseth, Daniel Stallworth, Hannah Harper, Jordan McCullough, Keyla Richardson, Kyndal, Lucas Leon, and Philmon Lee. They’ll next compete on Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Night, during which Pat Benatar and Neil Giraldo will serve as their mentors. During that episode, two more contestants will be sent home, and the Top 9 finalists will be revealed. There’s no longer a judges’ save in play, so the competition will be even fiercer.

It’ll be interesting to see how Rae steps up her game now that she’s been saved by Lionel. All of the Top 11 finalists are phenomenal singers, so anything could happen. American Idol season 24 has been a spectacular ride so far, and it’ll only get better as it approaches the finale.

American Idol airs Mondays at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.