Michael Becker / Fox

After months of auditions, Hollywood Week, Rush Week and weeks of competition, American Idol revealed which two singers will go head-to-head in next week’s season finale.

On the show’s 500th episode, the Idol hopefuls performed songs selected by Randy Jackson, the judges, and their hometowns. On Thursday, it was time for the big moment.

“They performed and left everything on the stage,” said mentor Jackson ominously. “Whoever goes home tonight, will have missed the finale.”

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After the traditional Idol last supper, where the top three relived Caleb Johnson’s mic slamming moment and Alex Preston’s first go at singing while playing drums, it was time to unveil the top two.

But first, a few major revelations. After scenes of each of the hometown visits, Ryan Seacrest surprised each vocalist with news of their duet partners for the finale next Wednesday. For Jena Irene, she got her wish to sing with Paramore, Preston was gifted with Jason Mraz, and Johnson was elated to discover he would be rocking out with KISS.

Also the recorded Ford Fusion commercial teased viewers with all three Idols jamming out in the car to their new singles: “I Love This Feeling” for Preston, “We Are One,” for Irene (fun fact: season 8 competitor Felicia Barton is a co-writer on the song), and “As Long As You Love Me” (not the Backstreet Boys song) for Johnson.

In the house: third place Idol icons Elliot Yamin and Danny Gokey, who announced exciting news that he and his wife are expecting their second child and that he has a new album coming out. Yamin, who cheerily toasted Idol’s 500th episode with a “Mazel Tav,” has a fourth album in the works.

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Season 10 winner Scotty McCreery was warmly welcomed back to the stage with his fun new single, “Feelin’ It.” Still a cutie, McCreery managed to get a hug and a smooch from judge Jennifer Lopez during the performances.

“J Lo likes younger guys,” joked host Ryan Seacrest in one of the funniest off-the-cuff remarks of the season.

After all of the revelry, Seacrest got down to business.

“Unfortunately it is the end of the line for one of them tonight,” he said.

With that, it was time to dim the lights and read the results, Irene and Johnson were declared safe, sending Preston home—but not really. He’ll be back next week to rock the Nokia Theater.

Preston went out on a good note, doing his original song, “Fairytale,” which we hope to hear on the summer tour.

So we got ourselves a rocker showdown next week, Idol Worshippers! Who is pumped for the two-part season finale next week? 

Twitter: @Idol_Worship @MicheleAmabile