American Idol contestant Riley Thompson sang for her spot in the Top 10 on Monday night (April 15), singing the country classic "It Must Be Love."

After performing Sara Evans' '"Suds in the Bucket" on Sunday night (April 14) and not garnering the viewer votes to move on, Thompson chose "It Must Be Love" to perform for her chance to stay in the competition.

Written by Bob McDill, "It Must Be Love" first reached No. 1 when Don Williams released it as a single in 1979, and it returned to the top of the charts when Alan Jackson covered it in 2000.

Thompson's version stuck close to both of those cuts, but raised the key to better suit her voice. The stage was filled with heart projections during her performance, while Thompson donned a bright pink cocktail dress.

Judge Luke Bryan was the first to comment on her performance.

"Well, great song choice, and as we keep saying, I mean, we could see where your confidence was a little shaken and I don't blame you one bit for that," he said.

Bryan continued, "But I love the song choice. It embodies what you've given us throughout this competition. I cannot believe America, it's like, 'What you doing, America? Come on!' I mean, I loved — I've loved all the song choices and I've loved your growth. Like I said, I know your confidence got a little hurt just then. But hang in there. We still might have your back."

When host Ryan Seacrest asked judge Katy Perry what advice she has for Thompson, she replied, "I think it would just be to brush it off your shoulders."

Perry admits that she was reading Twitter comments last night about the contestants and saw so many that shared their love for Thompson. "But I was reading the comments about you guys, and everyone was so in love with you. But this is a great example that if you think that your favorites are safe, they are not. You must vote and pull for your favorites. Because I think you've really grown so much on this competition, and you're 16."

Seacrest then asked Lionel Richie if he was surprised Thompson didn't make it into the Top 10. "I was surprised when she said I'm 16 years old," Richie replied with a laugh, adding words of encouragement for the singer.

Thompson ultimately did not make the Top 10, and was eliminated from the competition.

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