Lionel Richie Reveals His Favorite Performance from Taylor Swift Night on “American Idol”: 'Religious Experience'

Daniela AvilaTue, April 28, 2026 at 7:35 PM UTC

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Lionel Richie on 'American Idol'Credit: Disney/Eric McCandless -

Lionel Richie praised Jordan McCullough's performance of "Tim McGraw," calling it a "religious experience" during Taylor Swift night

McCullough was surprised by how many Taylor Swift songs he knew, joking that he might be a "Swiftie"

By the end of the episode, McCullough advanced to the Top 5

One particular performance stuck out to Lionel Richie on American Idol's Taylor Swift night.

During the Monday, April 17 episode of the singing competition show, the Top 7 took the stage to perform a Taylor Swift song of their choice. Speaking with a small group of reporters after the live show, the "Hello" singer revealed his favorite of the night.

"Oh my God — that's tough," Richie, 76, said. "You know what, Jordan [McCullough]. Jordan put some BBQ sauce."

"He has an ability to turn everything into a religious experience," he continued. "Even a Taylor Swift song."

McCullough performed "Tim McGraw" from Swift's debut album. Going into Taylor Swift night, he was shocked by how many songs he knew.

"I can't believe how many songs I actually knew... maybe I am a Swiftie," he said.

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By the end of the episode, McCullough was voted into the Top 5, alongside Keyla Richardson, Braden Rumfelt, Hannah Harper and Chris Tungseth. Brooks Rosser and Daniel Stallworth were sent home.

Regarding the elimination, the "All Night Long" singer shared some words of wisdom for those no longer in the running.

"Oh my God — from this point on, enjoy it," he said. "So at this point on it's — what do you do immediately after this? You go get a hit record. Don't worry about anything else. Find a manager that is for you. Find your hit record and enjoy the rest of your life."

Jordan McCullough on 'American Idol'Credit: Disney/Eric McCandless

Richie added, "As soon as you get one hit record, they're going to ask for the next one. So in other words you're never going to be comfortable... I'm 97 years int this business and I'm still not comfortable."

"There's always another day, another challenge, another opportunity," he concluded.

American Idol airs Mondays at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.

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Source: “AOL Entertainment”