Cumberland singer Julia Gagnon voted into ‘American Idol’ top 14

“American Idol” viewers want to see more of Cumberland singer Julia Gagnon.

The University of Southern Maine student found out on Monday’s episode that she’ll continue competing next week, as one of the top 14 contestants.

Host Ryan Seacrest on Monday called on each of the top 20 contestants, one by one, letting them know if they were among the top 10 chosen by public vote after Sunday night’s episode – which Gagnon was.

Each announcement was followed by a performance, which held more weight for those not in the top 10. They were vying for the support of judges Lionel Richie, Katy Perry and Luke Bryan, who chose four additional contestants to move onto the next round.

After Gagnon performed “Need A Favor” by Jelly Roll, Seacrest asked her how it felt to know she was moving on.

“It feels amazing. I’m just really grateful,” she said.

On Sunday, she and the other top 14 contestants will perform songs by Rock & Rock Hall of Fame inductees, and two more contestants will be eliminated. On Monday, the remaining group will perform Billboard No. 1 hits and get narrowed down to the top 10.

Episodes air weekly at 8 p.m. Sundays and Mondays on ABC. For information on how and when to vote, go to AmericanIdol.com/vote.

Gagnon, 21, was the last contestant named to the top 20 on Sunday, when she performed “I Believe” by Fantasia, a previous “American Idol” winner.

Nearly 30 million people cast votes for the top 20, Seacrest said at the beginning of Sunday’s episode.

A week earlier, Gagnon took to the “American Idol” stage at Aulani Disney Resort and Spa in Hawaii to deliver a performance of Adele’s “Rumour Has It” that had the judges urging the public to vote for her.

Previously, she had competed against 150 others in the show’s Hollywood Week competition, advancing to the top 24 after impressing the show’s judges by singing “And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going” from the Broadway musical “Dreamgirls” on the April 1 episode.

Gagnon, who graduated from North Yarmouth Academy and told the Press Herald that she kept quiet about her talent as a child, was the last person to audition for season 22 in November. The judges awarded her one of only three platinum tickets for the singers with the strongest performances, which meant she got a pass through the first round of Hollywood Week.