State Champ Radio American Idol
Page: 7
ABBAmania is back in a big way. After a 40-year dormant spell, the Swedish pop foursome has laid on a smorgasbord of music, merch and events for fans to throw their money, from their 2021 comeback album Voyage to their “virtual” residency at a custom-built arena in London, which recently sold its one millionth ticket.
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
When Iam Tongi took his place on stage for American Idol on Sunday night (March 23), the teen hopeful created a little ABBAmania of his own.
The highschooler from Hawaii has had an incredible ride in this 21st season of Idol — and he’s taken millions with him on the journey.
Tongi has carried pain from the loss of his father throughout. On the latest episode, the youngster explained that he’s still grieving from the loss his dad, his musical companion and mentor. “When I sing,” he adds, “it’s so easy to express myself.”
Each step along the way, Tongi has impressed the heck out of the judges, and grown in confidence. On the latest, Top 20 edition, he did it again, this time with a stripped-back interpretation of ABBA’s “The Winner Takes It All”. Just guitar and Tongi’s warm, buttery vocals.
The lad’s mom was in the house, leading a standing ovation.
“I guess this is called the Iam Tongi Show now,” Katy Perry quipped in the wrap-up. “Can you believe what you’ve done. You’re 18. Your voice is timeless. What you’re giving us is transcending everything and hitting everyone in a certain spot. It doesn’t matter how old or young they are. Watching you become a star, feels like I’m watching a Disney movie.”
Keep watching, below.
Just because Katy Perry‘s on the American Idol judging panel doesn’t mean everyone’s going to agree with her. In fact, on Monday’s (April 17) episode, the competition show’s live audience in Hawaii went as far as to boo the pop star after she gave some harsh criticism to fan-favorite Nutsa Buzaladze.
Explore
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
Buzaladze, who’s already earned a reputation for delivering show-stopping, high-energy performances, sparkled during her live rendition of Grace Potter and the Nocturnals’ “Paris (Ooh La La).” But for Perry, there was a little too much sparkle.
“Nutsa, every time you take the stage, it’s like you glitter bomb the stage,” the “Firework” singer told the Top 26 hopeful. “Listen, I think one thing I personally would like to see from you is not one piece of glitter the next time. I know that’s gonna be hard.”
Fans in the audience, however, couldn’t have disagreed more. The crowd started booing loudly in response, causing fellow judge Luke Bryan to cheer, “Yes! Katy got booed. Katy got booed.”
Perry, however, was unfazed. “OK, first time in six seasons, woo hoo,” she dismissed the jeers. She then clarified to Buzaladze what she meant. “What I’m saying is that I’d like you to flip the script. I think we want to be pulled in by our hearts, too. I’d love to see that, and I think America might too.”
In Perry’s defense, Buzaladze herself has admitted she needs to learn how to dial it back a little. When the 25-year-old contestant first auditioned for Idol in Las Vegas, the “Roar” singer told her the energy was “turned up too hot.”
“My problem is, I feel always that I have a lot of energy,” the hopeful admitted a few weeks ago while preparing for the Hollywood Week solos round.
Watch Katy Perry get booed for the first time in six seasons above.
When Wé Ani rolled into Disney’s Aulani resort, she wasn’t there to chill and take snaps.
The Harlem native is, of course, one of the top 26 contestants in American Idol 2023. On Monday night (April 17), as the performances rolled on in Hawaii, Ani left nothing to chance.
With her dad watching on from the audience, Ani nailed her performance of “Edge Of Midnight,” Miley Cyrus’ Plastic Hearts number from 2020.
Explore
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
By fusing rock energy with her big, bluesy vocals, Ani had the house jumping.
Earlier in the season, Ani stunned the judges with her audition, when her high-pitched speaking voice turned to creme brulee with a performance of Demi Lovato’s “Anyone.”
“You are amazing,” Lionel Richie said afterwards. “This class is shaping up to be ridiculous. And I don’t want to put you into the ridiculous category, but that was ridiculous.”
With the element of surprise apparently gone, she caught judges off guard once more. During Hollywood Week, she hit an original song, “Good For”.
The 24-year-old singer has amassed a TikTok following upwards of 700,000, found a wave of supporters on Idol, and she’s already delivered moments of the sublime and ridiculous on this 21st season of Idol.
Watch her latest performance below.
There are hometown heroes, and there’s Iam Tongi.
The American Idol contestant was on home soil for Sunday night’s episode (April 16), when the top 26 delivered their goods from Hawaii.
Tongi had the audience (and judges) swaying along with his cover of Spawnbreezie’s 2011 number “Don’t Let Go”. Of course, the youngster’s family and friends made their presence felt.
Appearing relaxed and happy, the high schooler kicked back for a performance that was rootsier than a planation of coconut palms, mellower than Mr Stay Puft. And to be certain, it’s going viral on YouTube.
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
Tongi is the first Hawaiian to make it to his point in Idol, and he’s had to put tragedy to one side.
The teenager has overcome the recent loss of his dad, and some major technical issues, to glide into Idol’s Hollywood Week, and now Hawaii. If there’s a fan favorite in this 21st season, you’re looking at him.
Originally from Kahuka, Tongi impressed with a cover of James Blunt’s “Monsters” during the auditions round, and made his Hollywood Week one to remember with a performance of “I Can’t Make You Love Me” and then a duet with Oliver Steele on The Weeknd’s “Save Your Tears.”
Last week, he powered through Hollywood with a performance of “The Sound Of Silence” that was nothing short of “showstopping,” Katy Perry later remarked.
Watch his performance from Hawaii’s Disney Aulan below.
Iam Tongi is already a fan-favorite on this 21st season of ABC’s American Idol. After delivering another grade-A performance, as he did with a haunting cover of Simon & Garfunkel’s “The Sound Of Silence” on Monday night (April 10), the youngster is firming as a potential champion.
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
The high schooler has overcome the loss of his dad, and some major technical issues, to glide into Idol’s Hollywood Week.
Tongi’s vocals are both robust and sweet, with layers and angles few of us are gifted with. And when he’s at the mic, the spirit of Tongi’s father is never far.
Music and song was a force that connected the pair. “When Iam’s dad passed away,” the contestant’s mom says in a package, “he didn’t wanna sing anymore. He kept saying that every time he sings, he could hear his dad backing up. After talking to him… it’s a beautiful thing that he could hear his dad.”
On Monday’s episode, the teenage hopeful gave us another earful of his talents, this time with a reinterpretation of the Graduate classic.
The performance had Katy Perry reaching for the tissues. Later, during a sit down with all three judges, Perry told Tongi his “showstopping song” was a “brilliant pick. It made the room go silent. It gave more depth, more color, more layers to who you are.”
Flanked by Matt Wilson and Colin Stough, Tongi was reminded there’s only one more spot in the top 24. And he got it.
Plot twist. Perry had the honors of telling Matt Wilson and Colin Stough that Idol’s producers have blown up the 24-finalist format, and switched it to a contest for 26. And they’re both in.
The top 26 head through to Tongi’s homeland, for sessions with celebrity mentors and a concert at Hawaii’s Aulani Resort.
Watch below.
After a week of misunderstandings and onstage drama, American Idol hopeful Nutsa Buzaladze is redeeming herself. On the latest episode of the competition series, she tearfully apologized to Katy Perry — who last week told the 25-year-old singer to have more “grace” — and shared her take on what went down during her contentious duet rehearsals with Carina DeAngelo.
During last week’s duet round performances, DeAngelo threw Buzaladze under the bus by telling Perry and co-judges Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie that “some people wanted to sleep instead of working.” Buzaladze was visibly upset about the remark, but chose to keep silent — even as the “Firework” singer instructed her, “don’t forget about grace.”
“I wanted to tell my side of the story and I felt so bad, I was frozen,” she tearfully reflected in a sit-down with the judges that aired Sunday (April 9). “I didn’t want to bring negative energy, so that’s why I didn’t say nothing. I didn’t speak up because I didn’t want to cry on stage. After I left the stage I was just destroyed. So I wanted to apologize for that.”
Immediately, Perry stood up and hugged Buzaladze — who, in spite of the drama, moved forward to the next round while DeAngelo was sent home. “That is great,” Perry said. “That’s so wonderful and Nutsa, what I meant by grace is that it’s OK to be determined and ambitious and edgy and strong, but also with grace.”
“I really relate to you because I know what’s like to be a strong woman … to want to be strong and to never break and feel like nothing can ever get to me but that’s not real,” she added. “You’re a real person with a big heart and a big talent.”
In an April 4 Instagram post, Buzaladze — who this week proceeded to perform a show-stopping solo rendition of Tina Turner’s “Proud Mary” — explained in more detail what happened offstage between her and DeAngelo. “I want y’all to know that I took a 17-hour flight to get to LA, just 1.5 days before the shooting,” she wrote. “I did not know that we had additional vocal rehearsals, probably I missed this information , my bad. However, once Carina called me, I prepared myself and came back, as soon as I could, to rehearse even more.”
“I realized Carina was not feeling comfortable by that time and I did my best to rehearse as much as she wanted, I really wanted to make this experience unforgettable for both of us,” she continued. “She is a very talented girl, with strong vocals and I am sure she will achieve a lot in her career life and I wish her all the best.”
Watch Nutsa Buzaladze apologize to Katy Perry on American Idol below:
American Idol is just weeks into the competition, and has already seen its second resignation of the season. The Monday (April 3) episode of the show took a sudden turn when Kaya Stewart, daughter of Eurythmics‘ Dave Stewart, quit the competition during Hollywood Week after struggling with feeling sick.
Originally set to perform Adam Lambert’s “Whataya Want From Me” in a duet alongside fellow hopeful Fire, Kaya revealed that she was not feeling her best. “It’s duet day right now. I’m really sick, so it was a long night,” she told the camera crew.
In an aside, Fire added, “Everything was originally amazing when Kaya and I were rehearsing this morning and going through things and figuring out our plan, then throughout the day she started getting sicker and sicker and started getting a fever and she couldn’t remember the words. It was less and less progress. We were going in the opposite direction.”
Unsure of how to proceed, Kaya explained that she didn’t want to jeopardize Fire’s chances — as well as her own — with a less than stellar performance. “I always want to give my best, and I’m not giving my best here,” she said. “I don’t think it’s a fair representation of myself to do that or for Fire either. I don’t think it’s fair on her for me to not give 100 percent when she was giving 100 percent.”
Once it was time to perform in front of the judges Lionel Richie, Katy Perry and Luke Bryan, Kaya announced her decision. “I got sick at the beginning of Hollywood Week and I have been trying to push myself and keep going and during this performance. I got to work with Fire and it was such a great experience,” she said. “She’s so talented and so incredible and we bonded so much, but I realized I wasn’t able to give 100 percent, so I have decided to not perform, but Fire is going to perform and I’m really grateful that I got to be here.”
Perry asked for further clarification about what her lack of duet means for her status on the show. “Me not performing means I’m not longer going to be in the competition,” Kaya stated before tearfully running off stage.
Kaya is the second contestant on this season of Idol so far to quit. Her resignation comes after the exit of Sara Beth Liebe, who left the show to return home to her three kids; Liebe’s decision came after Perry’s “mom shaming” joke.
Fire also got emotional over Kaya’s exit, remarking that it had been a “stressful” series of events leading up to their performance. The singer, however, got a second chance when fellow contestant Jayna Elise offered to perform the song with her. Following a tearful finish and a standing ovation, Perry offered Fire a few words of encouragement.
“I’m proud of you. You’re growing, little by little. You can’t control a lot, but you can control yourself and you can control your future,” Perry told the contestant. “Thank you for standing up here and continuing to try. Thank you for swinging. Thank you for not forfeiting. Thank you for fighting. And in this moment, we get to control a little bit of your future. You’re going forward, Fire.”
Watch Kaya’s resignation and Fire’s performance of “Whataya Want From Me” in the video above.
Sara Beth Liebe just walked away from her chance at winning American Idol, after calling out judge Katy Perry for a “hurtful” “mom-shaming” joke.
According to the 25-year-old hopeful, however, it wasn’t the “Firework” singer’s remark that made her quit — but it did have to do with her children. “This opportunity is really rad, but this is actually going to be my last performance, because my heart’s at home,” Liebe told Perry and co-judges Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie after performing her first round Hollywood week song — “Roxanne” by the Police.
“So, I’m going get home to my babies,” she continued on the Sunday (April 2) episode before making her grand exit. “They kind of need me.”
Both the judges and the show’s producers were shocked. Bryan called the decision a “mistake” and Perry pleaded with her to change her mind, but the young mother of three stood her ground. “I don’t even know what show business is,” she said. “I’ve been a mom since I was 18. I’ve been married since I was 18. … I don’t think I realized quite how hard it would be to be away from my kids.”
“They’re all still really young,” Liebe told a producer backstage. “There is a lot of guilt when you leave your kids to do something completely selfish. … I feel like I’m not gonna win the show anyway, so I might as well go home.”
The decision aired just a few weeks after the aspiring singer addressed a joke made at her expense by Perry during her initial audition for the show. “Honey, you’ve been laying on the table too much,” the “Dark Horse” pop star had said after discovering that Liebe was 25 and a mother of three.
“It was hurtful and that’s that,” the contestant later said in a TikTok about the interaction. “I think that women supporting and uplifting other women is so cool, and I think that mom shaming is super lame and I think that it’s hard enough to be a mom and it’s hard enough to be a woman.”
Billboard previously reached out to Perry after Liebe’s comments, but did not receive a response.
Even though she won’t be continuing with Idol, it looks like Liebe will continue to practice music in other ways. She recently announced on TikTok that her original song “Bruises” would be arriving “very soon.”
Better yet, it looks like Perry’s “mom-shaming” comment is water under the bridge now, as far as Liebe is concerned. After Sunday’s episode aired, the former contestant posted another TikTok reflecting on her experience, adding in her caption, “Can we talk about how gooooood Katy looked in that shade of purple…?”
“Sometimes we are presented with big opportunities and situations and we have to make big decisions,” she also wrote. “I’m so GRATEFUL.”
@sarabethliebe Gratitude is the ONLY word that comes to mind. I can’t wait to continue supporting my new friends and to continue making music. 🤍 that’s what it’s all about afterall. Oh and also, can we talk about how gooooood Katy looked in that shade of purple and how Lionel SLAYED that orange jacket? 😩👌🏻😍 ♬ original sound – Sara Beth
Reminisce on Sara Beth’s short time on American Idol by re-watching her original audition below:
Lionel Richie may be 73 years old but he can still go “All Night Long”…well, kinda.
On Tuesday (March 28), the singer-songwriter stopped by The View with his fellow American Idol judges, Katy Perry and Luke Bryan. The Rock and Roll Hall of Famer joked about his Grammy-nominated 1983 hit after host Sara Haines brought up the track’s looming 40th anniversary. “I have to really, really say to you: when I wrote ‘All Night Long,’ it was truly all night long. Now my ‘All Night Long’ is down to a fierce 15 minutes. But don’t worry about it, we’ll talk about that later.”
“Is this show live? Is this show live?” a wide-eyed Perry asked over the hosts’ laughter before offering her co-star a handshake and adding, “15 minutes? That’s long, bud!”(Richie also got an uncertain congratulations from Bryan.)
Richie then leaned further into the joke, quipping, “And don’t you forget that, all right?” before Perry jumped into loudly add, “As long as it’s not four times a night, you know, seven days a week!”
Bedroom jokes aside, the trio of judges also opened up about the newest season of Idol, with Richie explaining that they’re never looking for “just another singer” during the audition rounds of the show. “We’re looking for characters, we’re looking for people who have unique qualities,” he continued. “Originality. For example, it’s not karaoke. We’re looking for, what’s the unique thing you have?”
American Idol is currently airing Sunday and Monday nights at 8 p.m. on ABC. Watch the entire interview below.
By this point, singers auditioning for American Idol understand that they need one of three things if they have any hope of making it through the early auditions rounds: unimpeachable talent, a great/moving backstory or an unexpected hook that makes for good TV.
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
What very few can do, however, is bring along a ringer to accompany them who has sold as many, or more, records as judges Katy Perry, Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie. Kaya Stewart ticked all those boxes and more on Sunday night (March 26), prompting Perry to exclaim, “Oh my God, blast from the past!” upon seeing Eurythmics co-founder Dave Stewart standing proudly next to his daughter.
Richie noted that he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame last year along with the Annie Lennox-fronted British new wave duo known for such hits as “Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This),” “Here Comes the Rain Again,” “Love is a Stranger” and “Missionary Man,” among many others. No big deal, but Kaya, 23, said she toured with the duo while her mom was pregnant with her and that music has always been part of her DNA. Go figure.
“Music has been a part of my life since before I was even born. My dad was in a group called the Eurythmics,” she told the judges. “When I was born, my dad was on tour, and I was going to shows when I was still in my mom’s tummy… The musician’s lifestyle has been something that’s just been a part of my life. There was never a question of what I wanted to do with my life. That was always going to be what I was going to do.”
Taking a chance, Kaya sang an original she wrote with her pops, “This Tattoo,” an emotional country pop break-up ballad featuring the refrain, “And I’ve got a feeling that it’s over/ And I couldn’t be any better/ And I’m gonna get this tattoo removed.” The judges were all impressed, with Perry subtly hinting at some potential nepo baby potholes along the way, suggesting that the panel may be “a bit more nitpicky with you” because of Kaya’s famous lineage and because the singer understands how the business works.
That said, they flagged Stewart through to the next round, with Richie calling the performance “great” while commending Kaya for presenting an original song, especially alongside her A-list dad. “In the midst of all this you slayed it,” he said, with Bryan adding that he could tell Stewart had grown up on stage and seemed comfortable performing for an audience.
Check out Stewart’s Idol audition below.
