If tension got any higher inside the historical Orpheum Theater in Los Angeles, it would have gone up in flames, but the Solo Round of American Idol was a big one. The solo performances determined who would make it into the Top 40 of season 18.
Fortunately, host Ryan Seacrest had an ace in the hole for the young singers. He brought in season 17 runner-up and fan favorite Alejandro Aranda to help calm nerves and offer advice.
Judges Luke Bryan, Katy Perry and Lionel Richie also had a bit of sound advice before the singers took the stage and that included cautioning the contestants against performing original songs. “It’s all about song choice,” Katy said with Luke adding, “Picking the right song is so critical, because if they can’t pick out songs to impress us, they certainly can’t pick out songs to record in the future.”
A lot of the contestants were folding under the pressure. They were sick from too many late nights of rehearsal and were over compensating by trying too hard. It got so bad that, at one point, Katy couldn’t take it anymore. “I just told them to calm down,” she said.
In spite of fair warning, there were still many artists who insisted on performing original material. Fortunately, the following singer-songwriters made it through to the Top 40:
ROBERT TAYLOR
LIONEL: “That was the wrong song. That did not work.”
AMELIA JOYCE
LUKE: “She sings great, it’s really about songs.”
JULIA GARGANO
KATY: “It’s just not a song that holds me.”
LAUREN MASCITTI
Judges were floored.
LIONEL: “That was a strong song.”
KATY: “She has so much potential, but she’s definitely got some competition.”
JIMMY LEVY
KATY: “That was disappointing.”
DILLON JAMES
Recovering addict, two years sober
JONNY WEST
Girlfriend, Margie Mayes, is also in the competition
There were also multiple multiples – groups of contestants who were singing the same popular song. The following four singers all performed Whitney Houston’s “I Wanna Dance With Somebody”:
CYNIAH ELISE
GEENA FONTANELLA
YZTHASINGER
OLIVIA XIMINES
These singers both sang “I’m Here” from the musical version of The Color Purple:
KIMMY GABRIELA
KATY: “I want to figure out who she is as an artist, but I feel like she’s Top 10.”
JUST SAM
And these two singers both performed “Always Remember Us This Way” by Lady Gaga during the broadcast:
KAT LUNA
CAMRYN LEIGH SMITH
To be fair, there were plenty of contestants who heeded the judge’s advice and delivered solid covers of recognizable songs that they made their own with thoughtfulness and creativity.
GENAVIEVE LINKOWSKI
Had previously auditioned and made it to Hollywood before she was cut.
JOVIN WEBB
PERRIN YORK
“The caliber of the band is so high, you get one run-through.”
JEB VONDERBRUEGGE
ARTHUR GUNN
Band didn’t have time to learn the arrangement, so his performance was acoustic.
SOPHIA WACKERMAN
Roommates with Sarah
Standing ovation from the judges
SARAH ISEN
Roommates with Sophia
FRANKLIN BOONE
Related to Alejandro’s quiet personality and was surprised he was still in the competition
LAUREN SPENCER-SMITH
Had never heard the song she sang until the night before her performance
LOUIS KNGHT
Struggling with the loss of his best friend to suicide
MAKAYLA PHILLIPS
KATY: “That was the worst song she could have picked.”
LUKE: “It was.”
MARGIE MAYES
Boyfriend, Jonny West, is also in the competition
The night wasn’t without a heart wrenching bit of drama, though.
MIKAYLA BROWNLEE
Became disoriented on stage and walked off. She has a heart condition – vasovagal syncope – which can be triggered by stress. She returned later that day and gave a stirring performance.
Received a standing ovation from the judges
After the competition, the remaining contestants were divided into three groups where they waited to learn their fate. At the end of the night, the competition was cut down to 40 singers who would continue to the first showcase in Hawaii. In addition to those noted above, the following singers are going to Showcase Rounds in Hawaii:
DEVON ALEXANDER
BILAAL AVAZ
FAITH BECNEL
DEWAYNE CROCKER, JR.
AMBER FIEDLER
TRAVIS FINLAY
SHANNON GIBBONS
CAMERON HAVENS
NATALIE JANE
ALIANA JESTER
JORDAN JONES
GRACE LEER
GRACE LUNDY
FRANCISCO MARTIN
NICK MERICO
DEMIE RAE MORENO
ELYJUH RENE
EMMA VALENTINE
Unfortunately, after the March 29 and 30 Hawaii rounds, the remainder of the American Idol season is up-in-the-air as taping was suspended due to the coronavirus.
