In addition to fellow American Idol alums Scotty McCreery, Lauren Alaina, Laine Hardy, Caleb Lee Hutchinson and Maddie Poppe, Grace Kinstler and Willie Spence will also return for the Great Idol Reunion special in honor of the show’s 20th season May 2.
The pair will perform a duet together, but it won’t be their first time sharing the Idol stage.
Kinstler and Spence, who were both contestants on season 19, previously performed FINNEAS’ song, “What They’ll Say About Us” on the show.
The pair was praised for their emotional performance and even earned a standing ovation from the audience as well as judges Lionel Richie, Luke Bryan, and Katy Perry. The song, which was written by FINNEAS, brother of singer Billie Eilish, paid tribute to Broadway star Nick Cordero, who contracted and eventually died from COVID-19.
Idol host Ryan Seacrest reacted to the pair’s breathtaking duet, saying “wow.”
Kinstler and Spence ultimately lost their season of Idol to country singer, Chayce Beckham, with Kinstler coming in third place and Spence being named the runner-up.
Following their time on Idol, both Kinstler and Spence have kept busy.
Kinstler announced via Instagram that her latest single, “Breaking Myself” will be released on April 29. She’s also moved to Los Angeles and has begun working on her debut album, which honors her late father, who died unexpectedly in February 2020, according to Mass Live.
Meanwhile, Spencer released his debut EP titled, The Voice along with follow-up single, “Never Be Alone” in April 2021. He also teased a demo of a new song called “Myself” he’s working on this February via Instagram.
Additionally, Spence reflected on his time competing on Idol, sharing a clip from his audition on Instagram ahead of the season 20 premiere.
“Wow! 20 years of Greatness ✨,” Spence wrote. “I’m so honored to say that I was even a part of @americanidol. Y’all tune in tonight at 8 on @abcnetwork for the Season 20 Premiere! Good luck to all contestants 😉…,” he added.
Kinstler has done similarly, saying she is “excited” to begin releasing her own original music. “I was so grateful to Idol for giving me the platform and the audience to do that with,” she previously told Music Mayhem.
The Great Idol Reunion special which features Kinstler, Spence, and their fellow Idol alums airs on May 2 at 8/7c on ABC.
