The next episode of American Idol will see Teddy Swims, Paul Russell and Lauren Spencer Smith stopping by to perform as guest artists. Over the years, Idol has seen a ton of superstar singers take to the stage to perform. In the two most recent episodes of American Idol season 22, which saw the Top 24 perform in Hawaii, mentors Tori Kelly and Jelly Roll sang their respective singles, “High Water” and “Halfway To Hell.” What made Tori’s appearance so special was that she competed in American Idol season 9 back in 2010.
The Top 20 are about to be revealed in a special three-hour episode of American Idol season 22. In between their highly anticipated covers, the rest of the episode will be filled up by performances from Teddy, Paul and Lauren, according to Billboard (and shared by Lauren on Instagram).
Teddy is best known for his single “Lose Control,” which reached the top position on the Billboard Hot 100 last month. The singer, whose birth name is Jaten Dimsdale, released four EPs in 2021 and 2022 before finally dropping his debut album I’ve Tried Everything But Therapy (Part 1) in fall 2023.
Lauren is no stranger to the singing competition series. She auditioned for American Idol season 18, which aired at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Lauren received a golden ticket to Hollywood from the judges. While she made it past Hollywood Week and the Showcase Round, she was sent home during the Top 20. That elimination didn’t deter her, though, as she began posting performances on TikTok, including her singles “Fingers Crossed” and “Flowers,” and gained an impressive following. Her debut album, Mirror, was released in 2023, and she went on a sold-out headlining tour.
Paul also had a very successful 2023 when he released his hugely successful and viral single “Lil Boo Thang,” an extremely catchy and dance-worthy tune that samples the Emotions’ “Best Of My Love.” He now has a record deal with Arista Records, which released his next two singles “Say Cheese” and “Eat Pray Love.” Before his viral success, he dropped his first album Once In A Dry Season in 2019. Now he’s about to head out on the road later this year as one of Meghan Trainor’s opening acts.
When Tori returned to mentor the American Idol season 22 contestants, she called it a full circle moment after being a contestant herself. Lauren made it to about the same point in the competition during her year, so it’ll be interesting to hear more from her as she returns to American Idol after launching her own career. The next American Idol season 22 episode, despite being three hours, will be jam-packed with 20 performances from the contestants as well as three guest performers. Hopefully, there’s time for host Ryan Seacrest to chat with Lauren about her time on American Idol.
Sources: Billboard, Lauren Spencer Smith/Instagram