Breanna Nix Flubs Lyrics To “Independence Day” During Top 8 Performance, But Still Earns High Praise

Breanna Nix performing “Independence Day” for the Top on American Idol (Photo Credit: American Idol / YouTube)

Monday Night’s (May 5) Episode Of American Idol Was Judges’ Choice Songs

One night after Ladies Night and the Top 8 reveal, the Season 23 American Idol contestants took on Judges’ Choice night.

Each judge chooses a song for an artist, and then the singer gets to choose between those three songs, not knowing which judge picked which song. The judge who has the most songs chosen wins bragging rights.

Ryan Seacrest, Carrie Underwood, Lionel Richie, and Luke Bryan from American Idol (Photo credit: Disney/Gizelle Hernandez)
The first contestant to sing was Breanna Nix, who has been wowing the judges—and the audience—with her pop and Christian covers. She hasn’t ventured too far into the country genre until now.

Breanna Nix Performs Martina McBride’s “Independence Day” In Top 8 Episode

Following her incredible Adele cover on Ladies Night, Breanna Nix proved she was a force to be reckoned with with her incredible cover of Martina McBride’s 1993 hit song “Independence Day.”
Artwork for Martina McBride’s 1993 song “Independence Day” (Photo Credit: RCA Records)

The song is personal for Nix, so she chose it instead of “The Blessing” and “Dangerous Woman.”

Nix’s mother is a domestic abuse survivor, and every time she has heard “Independence Day” in her lifetime, she has thought of her mom. She even tears up when talking about it. We don’t blame her.

Even though she flubbed some lyrics, Nix’s voice is perfect for this song. The rest of her performance is so good that you can forgive a few missed lyrics.

Carrie Underwood agreed, saying, “It was a good song choice. You tripped up…and didn’t miss a beat,” Lionel Richie said, “You know your voice so well. Those high notes are out of this stratosphere.”

Luke Bryan added, “That is an amazingly challenging song. The ease with which you hit those high notes was tremendous.”

Host Ryan Seacrest asked the stay-at-home mom who she thought chose the song. She correctly guessed Luke Bryan!

Was It Enough To Advance Her To The Next Round?

After all eight contestants performed their judges’ choice songs, Seacrest revealed who America voted through to the next round. The judge(s) who won the bragging rights chose one person as their wildcard to join them in the Top 7.

Lionel and Luke tied, so they were responsible for choosing the wildcard.

Slater Nalley, Thunderstorm Artis, Gabby Samone, Breanna Nix, Jamal Roberts, and John Foster were all voted through by America, leaving Mattie Pruitt and Josh King vying for the last spot.

Luke and Lionel tried asking Carrie for help, but she said she wanted no part in the decision! The two male judges conversed briefly before deciding on a singer to save. Josh King was motioning towards Mattie, as though he was telling the judges to save her.

And they did.

Watch Nix’s performance of “Independence Day” below, which advanced her to the Top 7!