‘American Idol’ Viewers Reeling After ‘One Of The Most Talented Singers’ Gets Cut

American Idol is just a week away from naming a new winner, but according to some vocal viewers, one of the contestants most deserving of that honor isn’t even in the running anymore.

Sunday’s “Disney Night” episode saw each of the Top 5 contenders of season 21— Wé Ani, Meghan Danielle, Zachariah Smith, Colin Stough and Iam Tongi—perform two on-theme tunes to give the audience yet another demonstration of their talents before the evening’s live vote whittled them down to the Final 3.

After it was all over both Smith and Ani were out of the competition, with fans taking to social media and claiming the loss of the latter proves the long-running reality TV competition is more of a popularity contest than a true talent show.

On Twitter, Ani was heralded as “one of the most talented singers this show has seen in years,” with many expressing shock that her powerhouse vocals didn’t carry her to the finals.

But why didn’t those vocals get her further in the competition? After all, she showcased her skills with formidable takes on Idina Menzel’s 2019 Frozen hit, “Into the Unknown,” and on Miley Cyrus’ “The Climb” from the 2009 “Hannah Montana” movie, and she earned a standing ovation for both.

Ani’s fans believe the answer can be found in a trend that’s led to surprising cuts near the end of past seasons, too. Country music is popular with the voting public, therefore country crooners often make it to the finals—regardless of who has the top talent. This time, that meant the twangy styles of both Stough and Danielle beat out Ani’s soulful sounds.

And according to a popular hashtag on Twitter, it also means American Idol should really be called #CountryIdol.

Tongi is now officially the only singer from Team Not-Country left in the running. But even if the favored genre was what led to Ani’s ouster, judge Katy Perry doesn’t think that will stand in Tongi’s way next week.

“I don’t believe in coincidences,” Perry, who dressed up as Elastigirl from The Incredibles for “Disney Night,” told Tongi. “I know that you’re Iam, but I when I see your name, I see ‘I am … the next American Idol.’”

And while both Ani and Smith’s supporters are sad they can’t make that prediction about their faves now, one of them pointed out that winning Idol isn’t always the surest path to fame.

Some of the show’s most successful “losers” include Oscar winner Jennifer Hudson, Queen frontman Adam Lambert and film, TV and Broadway star Katharine McPhee.