“THE American Idol” contestant pool was whittled down Monday to a top 40 on the third night of Hollywood Week. Following a genre challenge and duets in the previous episodes, the remaining contestants had to sing solo showcases. Judges Katy Perry, Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie made more cuts. Last season’s runner-up Alejandro Aranda also dropped by Hollywood Week to offer guidance. One of the standout performances came at the top when Kimmy Gabriela sang “I’m Here” from “The Color Purple.” She brought Perry to her feet and exceeded her performance in the duets. Sophia Wackerman also tried to tackle a show tune later in the episode, singing “Somewhere” from “West Side Story,” but she couldn’t quite pull it off. Her friend Sara Isen, with whom she sang a duet on the previous night, fared better with her solo performance. Genavieve Linkowski sang “In My Blood” by Shawn Mendes, and the pressure was on since this was as far as Linkowski made it when she previously competed on the show. Singing “Parachute” by Chris Stapleton, Jovin Webb gave an entertaining performance, and the show introduced Perrin York, who hadn’t previously been given much screen time and who sang “Good as Hell” by Lizzo. Faith Becnel sang “Cry Baby,” and Jeb Vonderbruegge sang “Rocket Man,” which was a risky song choice. Arthur Gunn took a huge risk by repeating the same song he did for his audition. He sang “Have You Ever Seen the Rain” again, and he put some of his own twists on it, shaking up the melody. Several of the singer-songwriters on the show decided to channel Aranda and sing original songs, even though Perry cautioned against it. Robert Taylor, Amelia Joyce, Julia Gorgano and James Levy all sang originals that had some weak spots. However, Lauren Mascetti managed to pull off singing an original. Dillon James also managed to pull it off. Then it was time for the judges to make their deliberations. In usual Hollywood Week fashion, they divided the contestants into three rooms. The Top 40 will perform next week on ABC. (SD-Agencies) | 