Haven Madison’s Fate Revealed On ‘American Idol’
Did her Top 8 performance earn enough votes to advance her in the competition?
Ryan Seacrest, Haven Madison; Photo by ABC/Eric McCandless
17-year-old Haven Madison has captured the hearts of millions during her time on American Idol and she continued to do so with her Top 8 performance. But was it enough to secure a spot in the Top 5?
Madison was excited to work with guest judge Alanis Morissette, who was also on hand to mentor contestants.
“Alanis Morissette laid the groundwork. I feel like created a culture about writing a song about whatever you want,” Madison said.
She Worked Directly With Guest Judge Alanis Morissette
During the mentoring session, Morissette shared a piece of advice she once received from her father.
“There’s three ways people will perceive you, Alanis… One is no matter what you do they’ll just love you, no matter what you do they’ll hate you and then there’s a whole other group of people who don’t give a shit. If that’s going to be the case, I might as well be exactly who I am in these songs,” she recalled of the advice he gave her.
Madison then explained her decision to cover “You Learn” from Alanis Morissette’s iconic Jagged Little Pill album.
A Clarksville, TN Native
“I chose that song because I just like the way she says do all the experiences, be yourself and you’re going to learn from everything,” she said.
Madison, who hails from Clarksville, TN, recently learned to love her falsetto and Morissette encouraged her to continue to showcase it.
“I’ve recently grown to love it and I haven’t been able to show it off on the show at all,” Madison acknowledged.
Morissette said she was “excited” for Haven Madison.
“Being able to have control over falsetto is actually challenging and for Haven to have experimented with and hit the perfect pitch notes is amazing and not something I have,” she added.
As her family watched on from the audience, Haven Madison delivered a standing ovation-worth rendition of “You Learn.”
Morissette’s reaction was priceless.
“Wow, just working with you a while ago and seeing you perform with the flip and confidence… you went small, big and gorgeous. I mean, you spoke about wanting to be authentic as you write as an artist yourself and you have that inside out music in your body thing. I want you to keep going if I have a say in it,” she said.
Ed Sheeran, who also appeared as a guest judge, added, “I was just really impressed vocally, it was nuts. It was just there and as soon as you kicked in with the chorus I was ‘oh.’ Really, really good, fantastic. Very captivating.”
Luke Bryan recalled first meeting Haven Madison during her standout audition and went on to praise how far she’s come throughout the season.
“I love that when we first met you, you were sitting at a piano playing original songs and now you’re up here… You’re real free with it, you’re smiling, you’re having fun, you’re making everybody comfortable in the moment and just what growth you’ve had,” he said. “I kept waiting for the falsetto, but you gave us the full voice, it was great. Great performance, love seeing it!”
Her Fate Was Revealed
At the end of the show, it was revealed that Haven Madison did not make the Top 5. She took to Instagram to reflect on her Idol journey and thank fans for their support.
“My @AmericanIdol journey has come to an end. It has been such an honor to perform on that stage and to have bonded with the people that have turned into extended family along the way,” she wrote. “I am so happy to have shared my music with all of you and I hope you keep listening because there’s more where that came from. 🥰 Thank you for helping me live this dream of a lifetime!”
Ed Sheeran and Alanis Morissette are temporarily replacing Katy Perry and Lionel Richie while they are in England performing as part of the Coronation Celebration for King Charles III.
“I can’t wait to guide you through this stage of the competition and career and yeah this is the first time I’ve done this on American Idol, I can’t wait to take the iconic American Idol stage,” Sheeran previously shared. “Mostly, I’m just looking forward to meeting all of you and talking through life and music and I hope you’re having a great time and I’ll see you very, very soon. Lots of love.”
“I am so excited to be mentoring and hearing your interpretations of my songs. I can’t wait to hear them and surprise I’m going to be guest judging with Luke as well. So I can’t wait to see you,” Morissette previously added.
Perry and Richie made a brief appearance during Idol with a video from Windsor Castle.
American Idol airs on ABC.
Lauren Jo Black is a longtime country music journalist, editor, host, and media personality whose work has helped shape the conversation around country music for nearly two decades. As the current Editor-in-Chief of Country Now, she has become one of the genre’s most respected voices, interviewing hundreds of country music’s biggest stars, including Dolly Parton, Garth Brooks, Reba McEntire, Shania Twain, Randy Travis, Luke Bryan, Carrie Underwood, Blake Shelton, Luke Combs, and countless others. Over the course of her career, Black’s written work and interviews have reached billions of country music fans worldwide. A 2009 graduate of the University of Central Florida, Black began her career by founding Country Music Is Love, one of country music’s earliest independent digital publications, which she later sold to a major record label in 2015 before it was rebranded as Sounds Like Nashville. She then served as the publication’s Editor-in-Chief for more than two years. Her work has also appeared in Forbes, and she previously served as the Country Music Expert for Answers.com. Widely recognized for her expertise, Black has appeared as a featured guest on The Bobby Bones Show, BobbyCast, and Scripps News Morning Rush, providing insight on country music’s biggest moments. She has also hosted Country Now Live, a concert series featuring performances from artists including Lady A, Dierks Bentley, Riley Green, Jordan Davis, Dustin Lynch, Gabby Barrett, Brett Young, Jon Pardi, Kip Moore, Chris Young, and more. The series has welcomed thousands of fans in person while reaching millions more online. In addition, she hosted Connect With Country Now, a weekly interview series featuring conversations with rising country stars. Throughout her career, Black has earned a reputation for discovering and championing artists long before they become household names. She has covered Luke Bryan since the early days of his career, beginning when he was writing songs for other artists, including Billy Currington’s No. 1 hit “Good Directions,” before stepping into the spotlight with his debut single, “All My Friends Say” and eventually becoming one of biggest names in music. She also gave Megan Moroney her first opportunity to walk a major red carpet as Country Now’s official guest correspondent at the 2022 CMA Awards. An interview she conducted in 2018 for Forbes.com with Luke Combs that inspired his multi-week No. 1 hit, “Doin’ This.” She has also hosted stages at CMA Fest, moderated an industry panel at Country Radio Seminar, and helped lead important conversations about the evolving landscape of country music media. Beyond journalism, Black has also used her platform to support charitable causes and highlight organizations making an impact. Through Country Now Live, she has helped raise awareness and support for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, while also advocating for animal rescue through Country Now’s Pupdate series, spotlighting organizations including MuttNation Foundation, Wags & Walks, and Proverbs 12:10 Animal Rescue. Black has been recognized as one of Country Aircheck’s Women of Influence and received the 2012 Rising Star Award from the University of Central Florida. She is a longtime member of both the Country Music Association (CMA) and the Academy of Country Music (ACM). After nearly 20 years covering country music, Lauren Jo Black has spent her career telling the stories behind the artists, songs, and moments that have shaped the genre. Her first-ever book, Country Music Forever: An A-to-Z Celebration of Icons, Songs and Stories, brings that same passion and firsthand knowledge to the page, celebrating not only the legendary artists and timeless songs that have become the soundtrack to generations of fans, but also the places, traditions, and cultural moments that have made country music one of the most beloved genres around the world.
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