State Champ Radio abc
Dreams came true for three American Idol contestants on Sunday night (May 12), as the remaining contestants travelled to Walt Disney World for the adventure of a lifetime.
Explore
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
Disney Night was the theme for the penultimate episode of this 22nd season, as the top 5 visited the theme park with mentor Kane Brown.
When the fun was done, Abi Carter, Will Moseley and Jack Blocker were announced as the three finalists, while Triston Harper and Emmy Russell were eliminated.
For their spot in the final, Carter sang “Part of Your World” from The Little Mermaid and “The Chain” from Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2; Blocker performed “Nobody’s Fool” from Cars 2 and “Space Oddity” from Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny; and Moseley hit “Born To Be Wild” from D3: The Mighty Ducks and “The Ballad of the Lonesome Cowboy” from Toy Story 4.
Trending on Billboard
[embedded content]
[embedded content]
[embedded content]
[embedded content]
[embedded content]
Jenifer Lewis and Terence Blanchard joined in on the action with a performance of “Dig A Little Deeper” from The Princess and the Frog, while Katy Perry, Luke Bryan, and Lionel Richie nailed a rendition of “You’ve Got A Friend In Me” from Toy Story.
[embedded content]
[embedded content]
Also on the night, The Walt Disney Company used the platform of Idol to announce that new Walt Disney World Resort attraction, Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, will open in Florida on June 28, and Idina Menzel was presented with an award for “Let It Go” from Frozen becoming certified Diamond by the RIAA.
Carter, Moseley and Blocker move into the three-hour grand final, which will feature Rock And Roll Hall of Famer Jon Bon Jovi as guest mentor, along with special performances from Nick Fradiani, New Kids On The Block, Jason Mraz, Hootie And The Blowfish, Cece Winans, James Bay, Wyonna Judd, Seal, Bishop Briggs and Cody Johnson.
American Idol airs live coast-to-coast next Sunday (May 19) at 8:00pm ET/5:00pm PT on ABC, and the next day on Hulu.
Music industry professionals are often reminded, it ain’t the glitter or the glamor, the magic is all in the song. And, yes, the delivery.
Cher’s “Believe” is a case in point.
The veteran entertainer dropped “Believe” in 1998, a dreamy club thumper that featured Cher’s vocals reimagined with the input of AutoTune. In the late ‘90s, no veteran mainstream artist was messing Autotune. Only Cher.
In 1999, Cher’s “Believe” went to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, just days short of 25 years after her previous leader, 1974’s “Dark Lady.” That meant Cher had the longest gap between No. 1 hits in the chart’s history, Fred Bronson wrote in the Chart Beat column at the time.
Explore
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
“Believe” took on another guise, had another life, this time when DMA’S performed the song live in 2016 for listeners of Australia’s triple j network. On this occasion, the song was stripped to its heartbroken bones, Tommy O’Dell’s impressive pipes driving it home. DMA’s are on fire. Their last two studio albums peaked at No. 4 and No. 3 in the U.K., the Aussie band’s spiritual home.
“Believe” reminded music fans about the power of a great song, and the importance of delivery, when Jack Blocker tackled this classic song on ABC‘s American Idol for a spot in the final eight.
Trending on Billboard
The 25-year-old native of Dallas, TX, Blocker turned “Believe” into a country number, and earned a standing ovation from the three mentors Luke Bryan, Katy Perry and Lionel Richie.
Blocker played in a student-led worship band at high school, is self-taught on guitar (using YouTube videos for guidance), and never had vocal coaching until he auditioned for this 22nd season of American Idol.
With his latest performance on season, he’ll believe he can go all the way.
America voted live, and Blocker won passage into the top 8 where he’s joined by Abi Carter, Emmy Russell, Julia Gagnon, Kaibrienne, McKenna Faith Breinholt, Triston Harper and Will Moseley.
Watch below.
[embedded content]
The stars came out as the Rock Hall class of 2024 was unveiled to the world Sunday night (April 21) during ABC‘s American Idol.
Another star-in-the making, Julia Gagnon, used the special occasion to announce herself as a strong candidate for this year’s title.
For a shot at the top 12, Gagnon, the college student from Cumberland, Maine, wore a long red dress and rows of pearls, and channeled the “greatest singer of her generation” — Whitney Houston.
Gagnon and the other top 13 contestants performed songs by Rock And Rock Hall of Fame inducted artists, and two more contestants were eliminated.
Explore
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
Gagnon delivered with a rendition of “Run To You,” by class of 2020 singer Houston, which appeared on The Bodyguard soundtrack.
During the season 22 auditions, Gagnon shared the story of her tough upbringing. Born in Guatemala, and put up for adoption as a baby, the youngster was raised by a loving family in the U.S. At school, she experienced bullying, but she found her voice through singing.
Trending on Billboard
Curious of her background, Gagnon went and located her birth mother. The Idol stage would provide a platform for the contestant to “do something for” her birth mom. “I felt really helpless, because I can’t go to her in Guatemala. It’s really far. But she’s really proud of my voice,” she said during the auditions. “And she wanted to see me do something big.”
There was nothing small about her performance on Sunday night, which showcased her vocal power and range. A standing ovation awaited from the audience and the three judges: Luke Bryan, Katy Perry and Lionel Richie. And on she advances, into the final dozen.
Gagnon wasn’t the only must-see moment on Idol.
During the show, Ryan Seacrest and Rock Hall inductee Lionel Richie revealed the Rock Hall of Fame’s Class of 2024. As previously reported, Queen of Hip-Hop Soul Mary J. Blige, stalwart pop icon Cher, roots rock jam band Dave Matthews Band, stadium rock hitmakers Foreigner, guitar pro Peter Frampton, funky R&B legends Kool & the Gang, metal god Ozzy Osbourne and alt hip-hop progenitors A Tribe Called Quest are all entering the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame this year in the performers category.
Watch Gagnon’s performance during the Rock Hall-themed episode of Idol below.
[embedded content]
Season 25 of NBC’s The Voice has entered the cutthroat business of the Knockouts.
It’s time for the contestants to get the job done or get out. And decision time for the coaches, who have to make the hardest of cuts, or choose when to steal.
“It gets so hard to make a decision in the Knockouts,” coach John Legend said on Monday night’s episode (April 8). “Everybody’s so good, everybody survived the Battle. Nobody deserves to go home.”
Explore
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
If it’s tough for the cast, it’s a blast for viewers at home.
On night one of the Knockouts, newbies Dan + Shay learned that they had some tough calls to make. Teammates Anya True (singing “Runaway” by Aurora) and Kyle Schuesler (“Say You Won’t Let Go” by James Arthur) went toe-to-toe, with True getting the win.
Trending on Billboard
The country artists had to make a decision on Frank Garcia, who sang El Triste” by José José, and Olivia Rubini, who covered “Tiny Dancer” by Elton John.
Rubini took the Rocket Man’s classic song to another level, by singing it in a higher key, a suggestion of mega mentor Keith Urban. With it, she delivered a one-two. “There’s something special about what Olivia did,” Shay Mooney remarked, “she showed us that she was very coachable, that she was ready to go to that next level.” Her voice, added Dan Smyers, “just inherently has a bit of a retro thing to it. She was spot-on with all of her notes.”
Olivia, remarked Smyers, “I feel like that came such a long way from rehearsals.”
Rubini cruises through.
Dan + Shay served as mentors in season 20, and make their coaching debut on the show this season, where they’re joined by returning coaches Reba McEntire, John Legend and Chance the Rapper.
New episodes of The Voice air Mondays on NBC.
Watch below.
[embedded content]
[embedded content]
American Idol is down to its top 24, and with his confident performance in Hawaii, Triston Harper did his chances no harm of going deeper in the competition.
The teen took Idol to church on Monday night (April 8), with a performance of Blake Shelton’s “God’s Country”.
Explore
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
Aged just 15, Harper possesses a beefy voice, with twang, swagger and command that could — should — belong to a seasoned pro.
The McIntosh, AL school student had the Disney Aulani stage hollering, and, at various moments, judges Lionel Richie, Luke Bryan and guest mentor Jelly Roll on their feet and dancing.
Earlier, Billboard spoke with Jelly Roll about the young competitor. “He walked in with the spirit of a 75-year-old man that had been through a lifetime of pain. Just wise beyond his years, with that deep Southern drawl,” he told Billboard’s Fred Bronson. “He has you eating out of the palm of his hand the first two seconds you talk to him, and the coolest part is he has no clue that he’s charming. It’s just naturally kind of who he is and then for him to be so moved by me was really cool.”
Trending on Billboard
Hawaii week is an Idol tradition that began in 2018, which sees the top 24 perform over two nights at Aulani, a Disney resort and spa in Ko Olina.
Harper performed on the second of those nights.
The youngster melted hearts with his Idol audition, when he performed a cover of Jason Isbell’s “Cover Me Up,” shared the tough tale of surviving homelessness with his mom, and landed the golden ticket.
The top 20 will be revealed this Sunday, April 14 on ABC, when, as previously reported, Teddy Swims, Lauren Spencer Smith and Paul Russell will take the stage for a special three-hour episode. Voting on the top 20 closes Tuesday at 6 am ET.
Watch Harper’s performance below.
[embedded content]
American Idol loves a bit of drama. Hollywood is a drama factory. Match it up, and Sunday night’s Hollywood Week episode of Idol delivered so much of the stuff you could chew on it.
Explore
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
Ziggy, the so-called Dutch pop prince, has gone full diva during this 22th season, sporting colorful, custom suits with matching candy-colored hair. Ziggy isn’t just testing his talents, he’s keen to make his old man proud; the rocker passed away before the season began, before getting the chance to see Ziggy shine in the U.S. singing competition. Mackenzie Sol, a Las Vegas-based TikTok content creator known for his prank videos, has sailed through to LaLa Land, and made fans along the way.With a spot in the final 24, the drama intensified. Ziggy (real name: Ziggy Krassenberg) went first with “This Is Me” from The Greatest Showman. Sol followed up with a performance of The Beatles’ “With A Little Help From My Friends”.The judges couldn’t separate them, so a challenge was set: a sing-off to “Jealous” by Labrinth or Harry Styles’ “Falling,” with just one hour to prepare. “Jealous” it was. Drama.
Neither singer was happy about the scenario. Nerves were shredded. “I don’t like the fact I’ve got to sing against him, he’s incredible,” remarked Sol backstage.
Trending on Billboard
A crestfallen Ziggy took his concerns to another level. “This is just insane,” he stated. Sol is “such a good singer, such a pure soul.”
At one point, Ziggy was so freaked out, he stepped into Sol’s rehearsal space and asked him to stop singing. “I am so nervous and you’re making me really nervous,” was the explanation. More drama.
If Ziggy was mortified, he had right to be. Sol, we learned, isn’t just familiar with the song, he used to sing it with his ex, to whom he assured he’d never sing it again if they broke up. “Why not use that pain and sing it for the last time ever,” Katy Perry remarked.
The youngsters took their turn to belt it out. “They both are really good,” Perry later remarked. Good, however, isn’t enough for one competitor.
Perry, speaking on behalf of the three judges, praised Sol’s energy that is “a little unbridled.” Ziggy “you should be so proud because you were so pure and honest,” she enthused. “It’s going to take you to the highest of heights.”
Not in this competition.
Sol shone bright enough to secure a spot in the top 24, and progress to filming at Disney’s Aulani Resort & Spa in Ko Olina in Hawaiʻi.
Watch the sing-off below.
[embedded content]
Never let it be said that Jimmy Kimmel doesn’t have a sense of humor.
The late-night talk-show host and Academy Awards MC was the butt of a joke when Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, 50 Cent and Eminem piled in for a surgery sketch which aired Tuesday (March 19) on Jimmy Kimmel Live.
Dre, the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame-inducted producer and hip-hop’s first billionaire, takes the lead in the “Dre’s Anatomy” sketch, which sees Kimmel on his back in the ER, with his privates under scrutiny.
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
As Dre struggles to locate the issue, Snoop, then “Dr Jackson,” introduce an array of instruments fit for task.
Trending on Billboard
Snoop applies some of his special smoke, Kimmel flatlines, the unmistakable sounds of “Still D.R.E.” kick in and the hip-hop legends get down to operate on some beats. Crisis averted.
Eminem appears late to give it “one shot” – a mean looking green goo prepped in a horse-sized syringe.
Though Dr. Dre might not have the letters M.D. after his name, the West Coast legend does now have a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Dre officially received the 2,775th star during a star-studded presentation on Tuesday afternoon (March 19), with the likes of Snoop Dogg, 50 Cent, Eminem and Beats co-founder Jimmy Iovine in attendance and sharing words of praise for the creative.
“Growing up in Compton, I never imagined that I would one day be represented here among some of my childhood heroes,” Dre told guests.
“I’ve been fortunate enough to make a living doing exactly what I love to do. How about that? Isn’t that the dream?” he continued. “Over the course of my career, I’ve had the privilege of finding and nurturing new talent as well as pushing the boundaries in hip-hop both in content and substance.”
As a member of N.W.A., Dre was inducted into the Rock Hall in 2020, and last year was named by Billboard as the greatest rap producer of all-time. Eminem was a member of the Rock Hall class of 2023.
Watch the “Dre’s Anatomy” spot from ABC‘s Jimmy Kimmel Live below.
[embedded content]
Go west, they said. Scarlett Lee did just that with an audition on American Idol, for a glittering result. Raised in London, the Brit stepped into auditions Sunday night (March 3) and showcased her warm tones and extensive range, performing a cover of Emeli Sandé’s “Clown.”
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
The three judges lapped it up.
“Oh, my goodness,” was Lionel Richie’s immediate response. “You do know that your trip was worth it. It was so well executed. I really enjoyed what you did.”
Luke Bryan chimed in: “What I do love is you have a neat personality. You have a neat little aura and vibe going on.”
Trending on Billboard
Katy Perry admitted she was hesitant when she heard the song choice. “Are we being pranked here,” was her initial thought. No, no it wasn’t. “That is one of my favorite songs,” the “Firework” singer continued. “It’s so vulnerable.”
It’s not the 26-year-old’s first rodeo. In 2018, Lee competed in the 15th season of the U.K.’s X Factor, finishing in second place, behind winner Dalton Harris; and participated in the 14th season, reaching the six-chair challenge.
Wearing a red dress, heels and bringing a “vibe” to the Idol auditions, Lee immediately won fans. “You’re fun and a little bit funky,” Perry continued. “Your personality is so big, and sometimes people don’t take you seriously. But when you sing a song and you sing a song like that, then you cut through all of the layers. It doesn’t matter the makeup, it doesn’t matter the outfit. You become Scarlett Lee the artist. The possible next American Idol. You become serious. So I’m taking you seriously. Your soul is shining through.”
It’s three yeses for Lee. And a golden ticket to Hollywood.
Judges Richie, Perry and Bryan and host Ryan Seacrest have all returned for the current, 22nd season of American Idol, which will be Perry’s last, she revealed in an interview with Jimmy Kimmel Live! ahead of the season premiere on Feb. 18.
The talent show airs on Sundays at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.
[embedded content]
Katy Perry is ready to close the door on American Idol, and open another chapter in her music career.
Idol will premiere on ABC this Sunday (Feb. 18), marking the TV talent show’s 22nd overall season. It’ll be Perry’s seventh and final season as a judge.
Perry broke the news when she stopped by Jimmy Kimmel Live on Monday night (Feb. 12). “I love the show so much,” she tells the host, “but I want to go see the world and maybe bring new music.”
Explore
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
The “Firework” singer has been a judge on alongside Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan since it was revived by ABC in 2018.
“I think this will probably be my last show, my last season for Idol,” she continues. “I love Idol so much. It’s connected me with the heart of America, but I feel like I need to go out and feel that pulse to my own beat.”
Perry is buzzed about visiting Brazil this September to perform at the Rock In Rio festival. “It’s really exciting. It’s a big deal,” she says of her spot on the bill.
By leaving her regular gig on Idol, “let’s just say I’m creating space for my new wingspan.”
Perry can spread those wings far and wide. Last year, Litmus Music, a catalog rights company backed by private-equity giant Carlyle Group LP, said it acquired the rights in five studio albums released for Capitol Records, including her Grammy-nominated Teenage Dream.
Sources told Billboard that Litmus paid $225 million for Perry’s stake in the master recording royalties and music publishing rights to her five albums released between 2008 and 2020 — One of the Boys, Teenage Dream, PRISM, Witness and Smile.
Perry remains the first woman and only second artist ever (after Michael Jackson) to send five songs from the same album to the summit of the Hot 100, which she did with 2010’s Teenage Dream (“California Gurls,” “Firework,” “E.T.,” “Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)” and “Teenage Dream”).
2020’s Smile peaked at No. 5 on the Billboard 200 chart, and is Perry’s last full-length studio album.
During her late-night TV stint, Perry also discusses Usher’s Super Bowl performance (“he was awesome”), singing at King Charles’ Coronation, and lodging at Windsor Castle (her mother tagged along. “That’s like the best gift you could ever give your mom”).
Watch the full interview below.
[embedded content]
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame‘s primetime airing on ABC was a hit on New Year’s Day, drawing 13 million total viewers and a 0.38 rating among people people aged 18 to 49, according to Nielsen data. The Jan. 1 airing, which was the ceremony’s first time on a broadcast network after decades on HBO, […]
