"Should've went home instead of Josh"— American Idol fans react to Mattie's rendition of Always Been You by Jessie Murph

American Idol season 23's Mattie Pruitt found herself in the bottom along with Josh King during the latest episode that aired on Monday, May 5, 2025. Mattie and Josh received the least number of votes, but the judges had the power to save one of them from being eliminated.

After much discussion on who should move on, the judges picked Mattie as the contestant who would advance to the next round, the Top 7. However, fans online believed it was the wrong call and commented on her performance online. One person wrote on X:

"See? I told you but Mattie Pruitt should’ve went home instead of Josh. She can’t sing but what saved her (aside from the judges) were her vocals in that group performance lol she should’ve been singing to that extent right when the competition started."

"I don’t understand the judges. We were so close having Mattie eliminated and yet they saved her from going home when Josh King serenaded us with a Michael Bublé classic. She better not send home Breanna, Gabby or Jamal," a fan commented.

"Mattie absolutely didn’t deserve the save on #Americanidol tonight. Josh was better tonight and she has been mediocre the past two weeks," a tweet read.

Fans of American Idol season 23 felt that despite surviving the latest elimination, Mattie was "doomed":

"The right choice saving Mattie but methinks she doomed next week. Good run on this show for Josh," a person wrote.

"The judges found a way of saying she wasn't very good without being direct," a fan commented.

"Sounds worse than nails on a chalkboard. Or a wounded goat," a tweet read.

Fans of American Idol season 23 further said:

"Mattie should have been off WEEKS ago saving here will done this show," a person wrote.

"and she's a sweetheart! but she needs ten years of life experience before she can be a real artist," a fan commented.

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"Vocally, it was amazing"— American Idol season 23 judge Luke Bryan comments on Mattie Pruitt's rendition of the Jessie Murph song

In American Idol season 23 episode 16, Mattie Pruitt was given the choice to sing one of three tracks and she picked Always Been You by Jessie Murph. After her performance ended, Ryan asked who she believed selected the song for her and she said judge, Luke Bryan.

The host asked in house mentor, Jelly Roll, what he thought and he said he was struggling to guess. He added that it brought the "sass" Carrie Underwood had mentioned but he wasn't going to count Luke out either. He named the latter as the judge who picked the song and that was the right answer.

The American Idol season 23 judge commented on Mattie's performance and said he believed she did a good job. He stated that they had all heard the "Jessie Murph" thing in her voice and didn't need to worry about being compared to the Always Been You singer. However, he added that Mattie should make it her own.

"And vocally, it was amazing, amazing! But still give us more," Luke added.

Lionel Richie was next and he said that Mattie looked like an angel. Carrie Underwood agreed with Luke's feedback and said the American Idol season 23 was taking "baby steps in the sass department." At the end of the episode, Josh King and Mattie Pruitt were the bottom two contestants. As the judges saved the latter, she entered the Top 7 of the competition.

Fans online reacted to Mattie's performance and thought Josh should have been in the Top 7 instead of her.

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Epsiode 16 of American Idol season 23 is available to stream on Hulu.