KAREN VIBERT-KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette American Idol contestant Penny Samar, sings for the South Williamsport Area High School students during a visit to her alma mater on Monday morning.

Following a powerful performance of Billie Eilish’s “WILDFLOWER,” South Williamsport native and American Idol contestant Penny Samar is moving on to the top 24.

Monday’s episode featured a segment new to season 23 of the show called Head-to-Head, in which the contestants chose a partner to perform with.

Adding to the pressure was the fact that each singer was being judged individually, so while one might be eliminated, the other could be chosen to move on.

For her performance, Samar teamed up with Grayson Torrence, of New Kent, Va., who she referred to as her “Snow Angel sister” on social media, calling the song great for both of their voices.

Samar and Kent both performed “Snow Angel,” originally by Renne Rapp, during the “Idol Arena” round of the competition.

“For the arena round, we actually chose the same song,” Samar said during the show.

“We just had the same brain wavelength. And then all of a sudden we’re like ‘why are we are like the same person,'” she said.

“I love that song, and it went really well, obviously, because I went to the next round,” Samar said when reached for comment by the Sun-Gazette.

Although Samar’s performance did not air during the Idol Arena episode, fans and students were treated to a preview of the song when Samar visited the South Williamsport Area School District last month.

The Idol Arena segments saw the competitors reduced from 144 to only 62, who then competed in Sunday’s Showstoppers round, before that number was cut further for Monday’s Head-to-Head segment.

“This is the biggest cut of Hollywood Week, going to the top 24, and only one of us could go through,” Torrence said during the Head-to-Head episode.

“I’m definitely nervous because Penny’s such an amazing vocalist, and I’m trying to be more confident with myself, but it’s hard sometimes,” Torrence said through tears.

“She’s got it,” Samar reassured her co-vocalist.

At the conclusion of their performance, the pair received a rare standing ovation from judges Lionel Richie, Carrie Underwood and Luke Bryan.

“Truthfully, that was a perfect performance,” Ritchie told Samar and Torrence.

“You were holding on to your artistry in a duet, but neither one of you were running over the other one. It was really wonderful,” Underwood told the girls.

“You guys went and chose one another and, wow, what a head-to-head that was,” Bryan said, adding that he was left questioning which was the better singer.

“But I know they are both great, and it left us with decisions we had to make,” he said, adding some suspense.

“But you guys complemented each other amazing, and both of you are going through to the next round,” Bryan announced.

“We’re gonna get some pizza,” the pair agreed when asked how they were going to celebrate by host Ryan Secrest.

“It was scary, but it was more scary for the fact of, like, ‘oh crap. I don’t want to mess up myself, because everybody there is already so good,’ because you have to be to get to that point,” Samar told the Sun-Gazette of her experience during the Idol Arena phase.

“At that point, it was like having a bunch of friends around you, cheering you on. I think everybody gave a standing ovation for every person, almost by the beginning of each person’s song, which is really cool,” she said.

Samar said the scariest part of the competition has been not knowing exactly what the judges are looking for.

“You just have to kind of give it your all, and everyone else is also doing the same. So it feels so lucky if you get to the next round,” she said, adding that she was pretty confident in her performance.

“I was just super happy that I went through, and a few of my friends made it through, and a few didn’t,” Samar said, calling some of the judges’ decisions “shocking.”

During the Idol Arena portion, the singers were called at random, adding to the anticipation of the moment.

“You have no idea when you’re going. They just said ‘Penny Samar from Williamsport’ and it’s just like, ‘oh, my turn. There’s like, no real time to warm up or get ready or prepare,” she explained.

The realization that she’s continued to progress through the massive cuts made so far is one that Samar is still coming to grips with.

“I just can’t believe I haven’t been told no yet. That’s the craziest thing to me,” she said.

“There’s so many people who are competing in this whole thing, so it’s crazy to hear ‘yes’ from the judges,” Samar said.