American Idol
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American Idol has a new champion.
Following months of auditions, solo highs, the goodbyes, duets, trips to California and Hawaii, all of it came to a head on Sunday night (May 21) as America chose its Idol.
For those who’ve been a passenger for this latest, 21st edition, the winner had announced himself months ago. The grand finale was confirmation of what many already knew.
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During the special on ABC, the three finalists – Iam Tongi, Megan Danielle, and Colin Stough – had their last chance to impress the viewers by way of solo performances and duets with the stars.
And, with millions watching on at home, the stars did come out. Keith Urban, Kylie Minogue, Ellie Goulding, Lionel Richie, TLC, REO Speedwagon, Pitbull & Lil Jon, and others filled the screens.
America chose Tongi and Danielle as the final two contestants.
There could be only one, and that was Tongi.
The Hawaii highschooler with the beautiful voice and the tragic story had captured the hearts of Idol obsessives in recent months. With each performance, Tongi’s legend grew.
On the final, he performed Keith Urban’s “Making Memories of Us,” “Cool Down,” got the tears flowing with a tribute to his own, late father, “I’ll Be Seeing You,” and teamed-up with James Blunt for a rendition of “Monsters.”
Tongi can now kick start his career with a recording contract, part of the spoils that come with winning the annual competition.
Get the winning feeling below.
As three talented American Idol finalists — Georgia native Megan Danielle, Mississippi native Colin Stough and Hawaii’s Iam Tongi — gear up for the three-hour season 21 finale Sunday on ABC, they will be mentored by one of country music’s leading artists: two-time CMA entertainer of the year Keith Urban.
Nearly seven years after serving as an American Idol judge from 2012-16 (seasons 12-15 on Fox, before the show moved to ABC), Urban will return to the Idol franchise as a guest mentor and will also perform his 2022 top five Country Airplay hit “Wild Hearts.”
“I had a great time as a judge and being on the show. Every season was a blast for me, so to come back and get to mentor and perform as well feels fantastic,” Urban tells Billboard.
Urban spoke with Billboard about the keys to mentoring rising artists, some unique upcoming collaborations he’s been working on, and when fans might expect a new album.
What stands out to you about each of the contestants?
I was telling [Idol host] Ryan Seacrest the other day that I think these top three are such great choices because they’re so individual and that’s what you hope for: that there’s strong individual artistry. For me to get to work with them one-on-one is going to be fun for me.
I think song choice has been key. Certainly, Iam has been making great song choices along the way. I am looking forward to working with him, particularly. I think what I am gonna try and do is find things that really play to their strengths. It’s such an interesting balancing act, with songs that you love but maybe they don’t play to your strengths, so trying to find something that’s going to really have them shine will be key for me.
During the finale, each of the three finalists will be performing one of your songs. How does that impact how you will approach mentoring them on these performances?
I love somebody doing their own interpretation of a song. I would be making sure that they don’t do a straight cover unless [that] version brings out the best in them. You just don’t want to be a cover singer. You want to show that you’re an artist with your own artistry. I’m gonna be interested to see what songs they choose. I think they’ve each chosen two or three songs of mine and we’ll narrow that down to the one that they’ll do.
Are there moments from early in your career that you look back on as you are mentoring artists?
I think a big part of growing as an artist is knowing what advice to take but also knowing what advice to completely discard, no matter who is saying it to you. Your path and creative expression may be something so incredibly unique that it just breaks every rule. So I’m a big believer in looking for the strength of an artist — the passion, hunger, curiosity and dedication to it. And at the end of the day, you have to believe in yourself and the journey that you are on. It’s the only thing that will navigate you through all of the shine blockers and the naysayers out there.
You have been in the studio quite a bit lately. Can you give an update?
I was in there a chunk of last year, recording tons of songs, and then I sort of narrowed it down to just a handful, which meant I had to get back to the drawing board and build a whole bunch of new ones — that’s what this year has been more about. I thought I would put an album out at the beginning of the year, but I wrote a few songs and they pointed toward a different balance of an album. I kept writing and recording and I think I’m probably doing the other half of the album. … I’ve got crazy ideas for certain things, and finding people to help me with that in the studio has been a lot of fun. And most of it’s been done here in Nashville and it’s just been great.
Is there anyone new that you’ve been collaborating with that you are excited about?
I’ve got one person that’s committed to singing on a track with me, an artist that I love here in town. I’m so looking forward to getting into the studio with her. And I’ve got another song with a wild idea to feature somebody who’s not a singer, so we’ll see what happens. They are an actor; it’s not my wife. It’s just a long-shot idea I’ve got, but if it happens, it will be crazy fun.
Could we see a new album release later this year?
I so wish it could be out this year, but I think more likely it’s gonna be early next year, but I’ll definitely have at least another new single out in the next few months and hopefully another song or two before the end of the year.
Katy Perry was more than prepared for American Idol‘s Disney Night on Sunday — and her costume was also a perfect fit for the Mother’s Day episode. “My secret identity is…. Mom. Katy Perry. Popstar. #Idol judge. But tonight I’m ELASTIGIRL,” she shared via Twitter, along with several photos in which she’s dressed as Helen […]
The countdown to Disney’s The Little Mermaid continues, and to celebrate, American Idol‘s Disney Night saw its top five contestants battle it out for the remaining three spots in the competition. As part of the night’s events, Halle Bailey performed the film’s beloved song “Part of Your World” live from Disneyland on Sunday (May 14). […]
After Sunday night’s (May 14) semi-final that cut the roster of American Idol hopefuls to just three — Colin Stough, Megan Danielle and Iam Tongi — season 21 of the series is gearing up for a major finale. Next Sunday’s (May 21) three-hour finale will air live coast-to-coast on ABC beginning at 8 p.m. ET […]
Season 21 of American Idol is in its final straight, as three contestants lived out their childhood fantasy on Sunday’s (May 14) Disney night. On the evening, five became three as America cast its votes. Going through to next week’s final is Iam Tongi, Megan Danielle and Colin Stough, while We Ani and Zachariah Smith […]
Keith Urban is heading back to American Idol. The country superstar, who served as an Idol judge from seasons 12 to 15, is returning to the singing competition show as a mentor for the season finale on Sunday (May 21). Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news The […]
American Idol contestant Iam Tongi gave a major performance of Alanis Morissette‘s song “Guardians” on the Sunday (May 7) episode, and it propelled him into the competition’s top five.
Tongi’s performance of the 2012 track was kept rather stripped, and featured him playing the guitar with the help of background instrumentalists to further flesh out his intimate and emotional rendition of the song.
“So why, why would you talk to me at all/ Such words were dishonorable and in vain/ Their promise as solid as a fog/ And where was your watchman then/ I’ll be your keeper for life as your guardian/ I’ll be your warrior of care your first warden/ I’ll be your angel on call, I’ll be on demand/The greatest honor of all, as your guardian,” Tongi sang. He concluded his performance with a sweet “Love you, Mom.”
“Guardian” was originally released by Morissette in 2012 as the first single from her eighth studio album, Havoc and Bright Lights. The track peaked at No. 27 on Billboard‘s Adult Pop Airplay chart, while the album spent peaked at No. 5 on the Billboard 200 and spent a total of five weeks on the tally.
Tongi also delivered a stunning duet of Ed Sheeran’s “Photograph” with Oliver Steele, who was later eliminated. Both tracks served as a subtle tribute to Sheeran and Morissette, who served as guest judges on the show while regular panel members Katy Perry and Lionel Richie were performing at King Charles III’s coronation concert.
Watch Tongi perform “Guardian” and “Photograph” in the videos below.
Katy Perry and Lionel Richie were absent from American Idol on Sunday (May 7) for very good reasons. The judges were busy performing at King Charles III’s coronation concert at Windsor Castle in London a day after England’s new monarch was seated in a ceremony rich with tradition and mega-charged pomp.
Some 20,000 people gathered at the Castle for the show that found Richie performing “All Night Long” and the Commodores’ “Easy” for the royals and their invited guests. The AP reported that Princess Charlotte and her mother, Kate, Princess of Wales sang along as Perry performed her hit “Roar” while decked out in a gold foil ball gown as drones formed into the shape of a lion to honor the new king’s coat of arms. Perry closed out the show with “Firework,” which she dedicated to the King, saying “Thank you for bringing out the firework in so many young people.”
There was even a fly-by from Tom Cruise, who appeared in a video message saying, “Pilot to pilot. Your Majesty, you can be my wingman any time.” The evening hosted by Downtown Abbey star Hugh Bonneville also featured performances from the Pussycat Dolls, British man band Take That, Paloma Faith, opera singer Andrea Bocelli and a global choir led by Steve Winwood singing a version of his hit “Higher Love.”
The new royals returned the favor on Sunday night’s live coast-to-coast broadcast of Idol during an episode featuring mentors Ed Sheeran and Alanis Morissette, appearing in a chat with Perry and Richie from Windsor Castle. “I just wanted to check how long you’ll be using this room for?” King Charles joked to Richie and Perry, as he walked into the shot with Queen Consort Camilla after the “Dancing on the Ceiling” star called the coronation “unbelievable.”
“We have to give the room up right away,” a nervous Richie said after the King’s bone-dry jape about whether the production would be using the room “all night long.”
“Thank you so much for your brilliant performance,” Charles said as Perry interrupted in a distinctly West Coast English accent to ask, “are we making too much noise?” There was then some scripted cross-talk about the coronation party they were all going to attend, with Perry curtsying as the royal couple made their exit.
Watch highlights from the concert and the Idol drop-in below.
Ed Sheeran capped an eventful week with a performance on American Idol – and the opportunity to show the remaining contestants how a pro gets about his work.
On Sunday night’s (May 7) Top 8 episode, the English singer and Idol mentor hit “Eyes Closed,” the lead single from − (subtract), the fifth and final album in his mathematics-themed collection.
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Sheeran is a big-stage animal, and, as he’s proved to millions in stadiums around the globe, he doesn’t need more than a mic, a guitar and a splash on digital effects behind him. And that’s all he had.
The Brit crammed more into his week than most of us do in, well, forever. The “Shape of You” singer won a copyright court case earlier in the week, released Subtract on Friday, and was on the ABC stage by week’s end. Watch his performance below.
Not to be outdone, fellow guest Idol judge and ‘90s icon Alanis Morissette performed “Thank U,” a rocking number from her fourth studio album Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie, the followup to her juggernaut Jagged Little Pill. Watch below.
Though Sheeran and Morissette are household names, the eight remaining contestants all harbor dreams of being the next big star. They all got another chance to get there, three were sent home.
The famous five are Colin Stough, Iam Tongi, Megan Danielle, Wé Ani, and Zachariah Smith. Leaving season 21 is Haven Madison, Oliver Steele and Warren Peay.Next Sunday (May 14) is Disney Night. For the occasion, multiplatinum singer-songwriter Sofia Carson will serve as the Idol mentor for the Top 5, and Halle Bailey will perform “Part of Your World” from Disney’s upcoming film The Little Mermaid, in which she portrays Ariel.