“American Idol” season 24 resumes Monday night with Mississippi native Daniel Stallworth vying to be in the show’s Top 5 – but he needs your help to get there.
Stallworth, an elementary school teacher from Moss Point, will take the stage as part of the inaugural “Celebrating Taylor Swift on American Idol” episode starting at 7 p.m. CT on ABC. As the name of the episode suggests, each of the remaining seven contestants will be tasked with singing a Swifty hit of their choice.
Throughout the two-hour showing, viewers can cast up to 50 votes for the contestant of their choice. Millions of votes will be counted in real time with the show’s Top 5 announced at the end of the episode.
How to vote for Daniel Stallwoth on ‘American Idol’
There are three ways to vote on “American Idol.”
Traditional voting methods – online and through text message – are available. Plus, for the first time since the show’s inception, the rise of social media has made its way into the voting methods. Fans can vote on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.
To vote specifically for Stallworth:
- Cast 10 votes at americanidol.com/vote
- Text 4 to 21523 10 times
- Go to the show’s official Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok accounts, and pinned posts will be available for comments. Comment “Daniel” 10 times on each.
Voting will open at 7 p.m. CT and close during the episode’s final commercial break.
Who is Daniel Stallworth?
Stallworth is a 28-year-old from Moss Point who later graduated from Alcorn State University, where he was chair of the HBCU’s gospel choir. Since graduating, he has been working as an elementary music teacher and currently teaches outside of Houston, Texas.
Stallworth explained in an interview with SuperTalk Mississippi News last month that family members first noticed his musical talent when he was just a toddler “beating on pots and pans” in the kitchen. His mother signed him up for lessons, he began performing at church, and later learned piano around age 15.
While his run on “American Idol” may be the first the masses of ABC viewers have seen of Stallworth’s talent, he’s no stranger to going viral. Before the show, he had already garnered tens of thousands of followers on social media by posting videos of himself singing.
Throughout the show, Stallworth – who said he leans gospel – has shown an inept ability to cross genres. His climb to the Top 7 has included renditions of Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin’,” Miley Cyrus’ “The Climb,” Lionel Richie’s “All Night Long,” Ben E. King’s “Stand By Me,” Lenny Kravitz’s “It Ain’t Over ‘Til It’s Over,” Blessing Offor’s “Brighter Days,” and Brad Kane and Lea Salonga’s “A Whole New World.”
Has a Mississippian ever won ‘American Idol’?
Mississippi singers have a history of success on “American Idol.” Stallworth is the fourth Magnolia State native in the past four seasons to make it this far on the show. Monroe County’s Colin Stough and Zachariah Smith both made the Top 5 in season 21 before Meridian’s Jamal Roberts went on to win season 23.
Roberts, who was also an elementary teacher at the time of his “Idol” run, was the first Mississippi winner since Amory’s Trent Harmon won in season 15. That same season, McComb’s La’Porsha Renae finished as runner-up.
What happens next?
“American Idol” season 24 will see its contestant pool that stood at 127 after auditions narrow to five by the end of Monday’s episode.
The show’s schedule then goes as:
- Monday, May 4: “Class of 2006 Reunion / Idol X DWTS”
- Monday, May 11: “Grand Finale”