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It was the end of an impressive, talented run for Thia Megia and Naima Adedapo on American Idol last night. The singers were both eliminated, as the show cuts its number of finalists down to nine.

How did they react to the news?

Backstage, shortly after hearing her name called by Ryan Seacrest, Thia told Entertainment Weekly she was proud of her song choice (“Daniel,” dedicated to her brother, which she said made him “cry) and that she has a lot to offer the music world.

Maddie Poppe Wins American Idol
(ABC)

I can do “so much more than just slower songs and ballads,” Megia said. “In the future, I see me as being my own artist and definitely not a ballad singer!”

 
Adedapo, meanwhile, says she wasn’t surprised to be eliminated because she knew turning “I’m Still Standing” into a reggae song was a huge risk. But…

“rRggae is a part of me,” she said. “It’s a part of who I am and a part of my culture. For me, it would’ve been tragic to do an Elton John song just like Elton John and then get cut, versus showing who I am creatively as an artist and getting cut happy about the choice that I made.”

We wish both these aspiring artists the very best of luck.