State Champ Radio American Idol
Three American Idol alumni will return to the show’s stage on Monday night (April 29) to pay tribute to late season five star Mandisa. The 47-year-old Grammy-winning Christian contemporary singer was found dead of as-yet-undisclosed causes in her home earlier this month. The performance will take place during Monday night’s Judge’s Song round of the […]
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.
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“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.
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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.
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Katy Perry is working late… with all her roles! The superstar took to Instagram to share a sweet video lip syncing along to Sabrina Carpenter’s summery new single, “Espresso,” while she changes from a casual outfit on the set of American Idol into a stunning purple leather dress ready for the taping. “I’m a singerrrr […]
Born: June 14, 2000 – Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
Favorite Alums: Chris Daughtry, James Durbin
Musical Influences: Bon Jovi, Journey, Whitesnake, Queen, Ed Sheeran
First Idol Experience: “When Chris Daughtry got voted off, I wrote a handwritten letter to American Idol and said, ‘You made a mistake. This guy’s a star.’”
“I have older parents and they looked in the Yellow Pages to find a piano teacher. My dad said, ‘I want you to teach my son. He’s three years old. And the teacher said, ‘We normally like them to read English before they read music.’ My dad told him, ‘He reads, let’s get him in. We’ve got to start him early.’ So I went to his studio and my little legs didn’t touch the floor. I was swinging off the piano bench and I learned how to read music along with English. When I was 10, my parents asked if I actually liked taking lessons. I said, ‘I’ve been doing it forever, so I might as well keep doing it. It’s a part of my identity at this point.’”
Kayko says he was always a music kid. “I did classical piano competitions for a long time and then I always wanted to change the song and not play what’s on the page, so I did jazz. And I thought, ‘This really isn’t really my vibe. I’m a rocker. I would never do a singing competition, not even American Idol. I would never try out for that.’ And then I did theater.”
After appearing in musicals like Side Show, In the Heights, Ghost, Cabaret and 9 to 5, Kayko turned to YouTube and Billboard to see what music was popular and was inspired to record cover songs. “I was definitely a YouTube kid and that’s how I learned how to produce my own music.”
Kayko attended Berklee College of Music for three semesters, until he realized he didn’t want go to school. “I quit and moved to Nashville. I needed to write and produce my own songs. I needed to book live shows. I had no mentorship or insight, just a dream of being an artist and putting out music.”
Kayko’s audition for Idol was unlike most other tryouts but he assures Billboard that what was shown on television was 100% true. “I don’t know if the world will ever believe that. One of my very good friends from college, Abby Blake, got a call to do American Idol and they wanted her to prepare two songs but said the accompanist would only play one. She said, ‘I feel more comfortable with you in the room.’”
Kayko agreed to go with her. They woke up at 4 a.m. for the Nashville audition and sat in a room all day without ever seeing the judges. The producers asked Blake to come back the next day and Kayko said he would return with her.
“Abby’s voice was shot and she wasn’t feeling well that day and I was thinking I have to break the ice for her, so I was probably talking way more than any accompanist has ever done before. Abby sang her song and got a yes. Katy Perry looks at me and says, ‘There’s something about you. You look like an artist.’ I said, ‘No, I’m not doing this.’ Abby said I should sing for these three music legends. I played an original song and they look at each other and tell me I’m going to Hollywood. What?!”
But Kayko had a huge conflict. “I booked a job in New York playing guitar for a new off-Broadway musical, Hard Road to Heaven, and I had this in place for a year. The guy who got me the gig put his neck on the line for me and now I have to call him and say, ‘I don’t know what to do. Katy Perry just told me that I have a thing and I need to go to Hollywood Week and I could get cut and get no airtime and lose this thing, or it could be great.’ He said, “I would never hold you back from doing something like that.’ So I spent a week and a half in New York and flew directly to L.A. for Hollywood Week. The only reason I went was for that chance for airtime and the potential viral moment and for my friend Abby. She got cut in Hollywood and I’m still here.”
It could have been an awkward situation, but it wasn’t. “Abby and I are real friends and we’re both in the music industry and know that it’s not personal. I didn’t take her spot. My dad always said, ‘If Simon Cowell walked into the bar and you’re playing a lousy gig, are you going to blow him away?’ And it actually happened with Katy Perry.”
Luke Bryan, “Small Town” (written and performed by John Cougar Mellencamp)
Triston Harper, “Heartbreak Hotel” (performed by Elvis Presley; written by Mae Boren Axton, Thomas Durden & Elvis Presley)
Julia Gagnon, “Run to You” (performed by Whitney Houston; written by Jud Friedman & Allan Rich)
Roman Collins, “You’re All I Need to Get By” (performed by Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell; written by Nick Ashford & Valerie Simpson)
Kaibrienne, “I Hate Myself for Loving You” (performed by Joan Jett & the Blackhearts; written by Desmond Child & Joan Jett)
Jayna Elise, “I Have Nothing” (performed by Whitney Houston; written by David Foster & Linda Thompson)
Mia Matthews, “Those Memories of You” (performed by Dolly Parton, Linda Ronstadt & Emmylou Harris; written by Alan O’Bryant)
KAYKO, “High and Dry” (written and performed by Radiohead)
Emmy Russell, “I Can’t Make You Love Me” (performed by Bonnie Raitt; written by Mike Reid & Allen Shamblin)
Jordan Anthony, “I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me)” (performed by Whitney Houston; written by George Merrill & Shannon Rubicam)
McKenna Faith Breinholt, “Hard to Say I’m Sorry” (performed by Chicago; written by Peter Cetera & David Foster)
Jack Blocker, “Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right” (written and performed by Bob Dylan)
Nya, “I Say a Little Prayer” (performed by Aretha Franklin; written by Burt Bacharach & Hal David)
Will Moseley, “Night Moves” (written and performed by Bob Seger)
Abi Carter, “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road” (performed by Elton John; written by Elton John & Bernie Taupin)
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.
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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.
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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.
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Katy Perry is on her way out of American Idol, with season 22 being her last before another musical sensation steps in to take over her role as a judge alongside Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan.
And in an interview with E! News posted Tuesday (April 16), the pop star revealed who she would choose to take the reins following her exit: a certain breakout country superstar with face tattoos and a heart of gold. “I gotta say Jelly Roll was crazy when he came on the show,” she told the publication. “I was convinced at anything he said.”
“He could run for president, he could be my pastor, I might go back to church for him,” she added. “He could sell me anything … To have any of these guys plus Jelly on the show would be amazing. I love you, Jelly!”
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The interview comes about a week after the “Son of a Sinner” singer appeared on the April 8 episode of Idol, serving as a guest mentor and coaching the show’s top 24 contestants in Hawaii. “I realized how life-changing this is for these kids,” he told Billboard at the time. “Even if they go on and don’t have music careers, they have this story forever and I felt it on them. I took away the spirit of genuine happiness to be where you are, because it happens so fast that sometimes you don’t realize how special a moment it is.”
Even if it isn’t Jelly, Perry said she hopes that her successor shares her knack for being straightforward with the singing show’s competitors. “I want a truth teller,” she told the publication. “I want someone that is not afraid to tell the truth in a graceful way.”
“Unfortunately, when you’re a woman and you have an opinion or you’re a boss, sometimes you’re also considered a B-I-T-C-[H],” she added. “So just someone that has a strong sense of self, that listens to their intuition.”
The “Firework” singer has been a part of Idol since 2018, when the show was rebooted after three years off the air. She now has her sights set on recording a followup to her 2020 LP Smile, telling Jimmy Kimmel in February that she wants to “go see the world and maybe bring new music.”
“I just have yet to make a record from a place of feeling really happy and whole and full of love,” Perry, who shares 3-year-old daughter Daisy Dove with fiancé Orlando Bloom, said in an April interview with Access Hollywood. “Sometimes artists are like, ‘Oh, that’s boring, you want to make music from kind of like a tougher place,’ but actually it’s very bright and joyful, like pure joy and fun and playful and celebratory and a party.”
In Katy Perry‘s words, American Idol viewers almost got way more than they bargained for on Monday night (April 15) when her elaborate metallic top nearly fell off during the top 14 episode. “I need my top to stay on,” the singer said before shooting a worried look at the camera as a team of fashion technicians descended. “If it’s not fixed, this show is going to get more than it wanted,” she added after some helpful crew members stepped in to repair the wayward steely bra.
Luckily, fellow panelist and part-time Tennessee gentleman farmer Luke Bryan stepped up to help, brandishing a pair of scissors and warning, “I’m going in!” before quickly deciding better of it. The show then cut to a clip of Perry cradling the shiny sculptural swoop and telling top 14 hopeful Roman Collins that his take on “It’s a Man’s Man’s Man’s World” by James Brown “broke my top off… I guess it is a woman’s world!”
Before long, Perry was hiding under the judge’s desk, with just her head peeking out as Lionel Richie and Bryan quipped, “ratings!” and an embarrassed Perry responded, “It’s a family show.” The final shot featured Perry holding a white pillow up to cover up the Kate Barton crop top that kind of looked like a heavy metal shark.
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Speaking of sharks, Perry later made a joke about the shape of her wayward costume, writing, “If you see a shark you’re left brained, if you see #idol tonight you’re my bestie.” And speaking to Access Hollywood, Perry explained, “I wouldn’t call it a malfunction, I just call it an interesting moment on live television. Seems like every season I’m either tearing the seam of my pants or I’m just super expressive physically. I love this outfit so much and I knew I was rolling the dice, but I was like, ‘who cares?’”
The episode also featured the top 20 being cut down to the top 14, which consists of Julia Gagnon, Roman Collins, Kayko, Nya, McKenna Faith Breinholt, Abi Carter, Will Moseley, Jordan Anthony, Mia Matthews, Kaibreinne, Emmy Russell, Jayna Elise, Jack Blocker and Tristan Harper.
Idol is back on Sunday (April 21) with a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame night, featuring guest mentor KISS bassist/singer Gene Simmons and the reveal of the 2024 RRHOF inductees and a live vote for the top 12. Monday night’s (April 22) show will feature guest mentor Meghan Trainor and the top 10 reveal on Billboard No. 1 hits night.
Watch Perry struggle with her top on Idol below.
The 2024 inductees into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame will be announced live coast-to-coast during a Rock Hall-themed episode of American Idol on Sunday (April 21). The inductees will be announced by American Idol host Ryan Seacrest along with judge (and 2022 Rock Hall inductee) Lionel Richie. The episode will air 8-10:01 p.m. […]
Emmy Russell is continuing on her late grandmother’s legacy — what could be a better birthday gift than that? Loretta Lynn‘s 25-year-old granddaughter stunned American Idol judges and viewers alike with a raw performance of an original song titled “Want You” on the show’s Sunday (April 14) episode, which aired the same day the legendary singer-songwriter would have turned 92.
Taking the stage backdropped by a blue screen of heavenly clouds, Russell channeled the “Coal Miner’s Daughter” star in a puffy-sleeved, collared floral dress and boots. Assisted by a backup band, she delivered crystal clear vocals while singing her self-written lyrics: “I want you to want me like I want you/ I want you to need me like I need you/ If you’re gonna leave me, then cut me loose/ I want you to want me.”
When cameras cut to the panel of judges, Katy Perry smiled, while Luke Bryan seemed mesmerized by the young hopeful’s moving performance.
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After the performance, Lynn’s official Instagram account posted a photo of Russell and wrote, “What a birthday gift!”
“Emmy was born on [Oliver “Doolittle” Lynn] and Loretta’s anniversary and now we have this milestone on Loretta’s birthday!” the caption continued. “Loretta told all who would listen that Emmy had something special and now the world is seeing for themselves.”
The episode — which found this season’s top 20 contestants going head to head as the competition pool continues to be narrowed down — came exactly 92 years after Lynn was born in Butcher Hollow, Ky. A three-time Grammy winner, she remains one of country music’s most prolific songwriters and scored 42 top 10 entries on the Top Country Albums chart before her death at age 90 in 2022.
Perry, Bryan and Lionel Richie were flabbergasted to find out about Russell’s famous lineage when the Nashville-based artist first auditioned for Idol, for which she performed another original song — “Skinny.” “My grandma’s a country singer so I grew up singing,” she told the judges at the time, with Richie exclaiming after the big reveal, “Your grandma is … what?!”
“You’ve got the gift,” Perry told Russell after her audition. “I don’t think you need to compare yourself to what grandma was … you’re totally different, you shouldn’t give yourself all that pressure.”
Watch Russell’s performance of “Want You” above, and see the post from Loretta Lynn’s Instagram below.
