Zoanette Johnson is “Queen of The Jungle” on American Idol

Zoanette Johnson is “Queen of The Jungle” on American Idol

No one saw Zoanette Johnson – the huge-haired, larger than life, Liberian-born singer – getting this far in American Idol. She made the National Anthem sound like rallying cry during her initial try-outs, and erratic drum-bashing got people wondering how she made it through.

But now she’s through, she’s making the most of it. "First of all, I love that I have no clue what you’re gonna do. I sometimes wonder if you do, said Keith Urban. Forget the king of the jungle. Kudos to the queen of the jungle!" he continued. Nicki Minaj, who started crying (she always cries) told Zoanette, "You just served it. You're unforgettable. You're a superstar.” And Mariah Carey – so often at odds with Minaj but this time in total concurrence: "It's almost like your spirit is too big to be contained." Fellow top 20 Idol Aubrey Cleland took on Beyoncé’s Sweet Dreams while Breanna Steer sang Jazmine Sullivan's Bust Your Windows. "You had your swag on," Minaj said of Steer’s performance. "You're giving me sexy on a stick right now."

As ever, there were those who didn’t make the grade, and were asked to leave the show. Melinda Ademi, who didn’t quite nail Jessie J's Nobody's Perfect, left, and so did Jett Hermano whose version of Rihanna's Only Girl (In The World) didn’t impress. Cristabel Clack didn’t do enough with Alicia Keys' No One while Rachel Hale and Juliana Chahayed also departed.