Two American Idol contestants, Canaan James Hill and Breanna Nix, are taking their talents, and faith, into the Top Ten. Hill, 17, and Nix, 25, both gave outstanding performances of Christian songs, with Hill performing CeCe Winans’ “Goodness of God” and Nix performing Danny Gokey’s “Tell Your Heart to Beat Again.” Judge Luke Bryan, who is also a Christian, said of Hill’s performance, “He baptizes me every time he sings.”

Both Hill and Nix have been very open about their Christian beliefs on the show, with Hill, who hopes to be a preacher, stating he sometimes felt “overlooked” due to his Christian focus. The pair were joined by season 3 champion, Fantasia Barrino, who was also very open about her faith during her tenure on the show. Barrino is currently working on a Gospel album and shared some advice to Nix, who spoke about the challenges of being an open Christian and the criticism that comes along with that, even from other Christians. “You know, the show has been a wonderful blessing to me, but the hate sometimes on the internet… Being a Christian, there is a lot of opinions that come with it. You know, ‘That’s not what a Christian should wear,’ or, ‘That Christian shouldn’t sing a song like that,’” Nix commented to Barrino. “I had a comment that said, ‘She’s not a Christian anymore,’” she later added, “and it devastated me.”

Barrino offered Nix encouragement. “Doesn’t matter what you sing, You know that you love Him. So, stay away from social media.”  Judge Carrie Underwood would later mirror Barrino’s words after Nix’s performance, offering an “important trick.” “It’s called the ‘post and ghost.’ You put your stuff out on social media, and you don’t look at the comments. That’s how I live my life,” she said. During practice, Barrino asked about Nix’s decision to sing Gokey’s song for that night’s performance. “The very first line says, ‘You’re shattered. That’s kind of like where I am. You know, I feel like a lot of transition is happening,” she said. “He’s also a very inspirational artist in my life.” After telling Nix she thought Gokey would be proud of her rendition, Barrino arranged for a video call between the two. Gokey encouraged Nix as well, advising that she “think of a person that needs to hear this,” and that she was about to “set some people free.”

Nix was the last contestant to make it into the Top Ten. After her performance, she was asked to describe her feelings. “I felt like I was letting everything go, you know? I was singing for everyone, if that makes any sense. There’s many things that we are shattered by and it feels like it’s the end of the world, you know, but this gives us a moment to truly let go,” she said. “And that’s exactly what I felt like I was doing. Letting go and letting God because he deserves all the praise.”