Season 20 of American Idol returned on Monday evening (April 11) with the second half of the Top 24 performances. As with its most recent episode, which featured 12 hopefuls performing for a shot in the Top 20, fans were able to cast their votes to keep their favorite artist in the competition.

Taking the outdoor stage at Disney’s Aulani Resort & Spa in Ko Olina, Hawaii, was Lady K. She delivered a slower, bluesy take on Carrie Underwood’s “Before He Cheats.” In true Hawaii fashion, Lady K, whose real name is Kezia Istonia, sported a flower in her hair while delivering the hit song with plenty of attitude.

"Great job on song choice," Luke Bryan, who was impressed by the performance, told Lady K. "It has an attitude. It has angst. You can feel the crowd moving. Going forward, I want to hear more of that angsty side from you.”

“I know you can get a little bit more dirty,” Katy Perry added, echoing Bryan’s sentiments. “I know you can get a little more nasty. We heard it toward the end, and now is the time to pull out every single ace, every single time you sing. I'm just so proud of you for how far you've come."

Up to this point, Lady K has strayed away from singing songs from the country genre. Heading into her performance, she told viewers why she decided to step outside of her comfort zone, saying she was finding it difficult to choose between Underwood’s song and Fantasia’s “Collard Greens & Cornbread.”

"I'm stuck between what I'm used to, and what I want to do," the standout told pop star Bebe Rexha, who was mentoring the performers for the night. "'Collard Greens & Cornbread,’ that’s comfortable for me. But, ‘Before He Cheats' forces you to work the entire stage. That's something that I want to work on individually."

Luckily, Lady K didn’t have to worry too much about either song, as she proved to Rexha that she could sing both songs.

Lady A, who hails from Tuskegee, Ala., shocked fans early on in the season with her heartbreaking backstory, where she revealed she had struggled to live with a young single mother. She revealed her family was homeless for some time, often living in and out of shelters. And, it turns out her personal story touched Lionel Richie’s heart.

“This is from homeless to Hawaii. For her to come this far, I know there's a town screaming for you, but more importantly, it's for you,” Lionel Richie told Lady K, letting her know how proud he is to see her blossoming on her Idol journey.

Fans will find out whether or not Lady K’s Top 24 performance was enough to send her into the Top 20 when American Idol returns next Sunday and Monday on ABC.

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