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American Idol season 23 fans saw the Top 7 results get revealed on Monday, May 5, 2025, after the Judge's Song Contest. After the performances wrapped up and it was revealed which judge won the contest, the host, Ryan Seacrest, announced who made it through to the next round.
Amongst others, Gabby Samone's rendition of Hero by Mariah Carey earned her one of the coveted spots. Fans online reacted to the contestant's inclusion in the Top 7 as well as her performance on X.
"By far her worst performance of the season. The arrangement was terrible and she could not find the key. She’s a much better singer than that," one person wrote.
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"I'm happy for Gabby. I'm a fan of hers. She had a bad night. She was voted forward because of past performances. Hopefully she never slips again," a fan commented.
"Why did the judges lie to Gabby? It was her worst performance, just ridiculous. She's amazing but that was not great," a tweet read.
Some fans of American Idol season 23 supported and praised Gabby:
"It’s clear Gabby is going to be the biggest star out of all them, because the haters want to send her home after some beginning hiccups. Meanwhile there are folks that sound like paint drying being voted through over and over. Celine commented on Gabby!" a person wrote.
"Y’all on here criticizing Gabby, but praising Mattie and she doesn’t even sound that well…" a fan commented.
"Gabby atoned for that trio by absolutely KILLING her version of Mariah's "Hero" (and she just MIGHT be LEAPFROGGING what I would've still called Breanna's front-runner status up to now)," a tweet read.
Fans of American Idol season 23 further said:
"Gabby no baby- there has been 3 times gabby has messed up in the beginning! Like yes, she can sing, but it’s like they bypass everything the moment she hits runs or high notes. ATP someone get Simon Cawell back," a person wrote.
"Gabby- Stunning. She looked it and sounded it. This girl knows how to make every performance a moment on this show. She absolutely commands attention," a fan commented.
Gabby Samone's rendition of Hero earns her a standing ovation on American Idol season 23 episode 16
On American Idol season 23 episode 16, Gabby Samone picked Hero by Mariah Carey, one of the choices she had out of the three songs the judges had picked out for her.
After her performance, the judges stood up in appreciation as host Ryan Seacrest asked her how she had "so much air to hold those notes." The contestant joked that the nerves she felt pushed the air out.
He asked her who she thought had picked the song for her, and while she initially guessed Carrie Underwood, her final guess was Lionel Richie, which was correct. The American Idol season 23 judge hugged Gabby before making his way back to the panel and praising the participant.
He said she took a Mariah song and turned it into her own. He told her she had a unique texture, delivery, and "undeniable" stage presence.
"And I'm just telling you when I picked the song, I kept thinking "it's going to be perfect," but then you took it to another level of incredibility," he added.
Carrie told Gabby that it was a "really great song choice" for the American Idol season 23 contestant and that she delivered it "beautifully." Luke Bryan noted that it was the "perfect song choice" for Gabby. He added that her ability to navigate the "big notes" was powerful.
At the end of the episode, Gabby was revealed to be one of the contestants who made it to the Top 7 of season 23.
Fans online reacted to her performance, and although they believed she had better performances in the past, they were happy to see her advance to the next round.
Fans can watch Gabby Samone and the other Top 8 contestants' performances by streaming American Idol season 23 episode 16 on Hulu.
