American Idol
Christian Guardino Rules Disney Night on ‘American Idol’ With This ‘Lion King’ Classic: Watch
Christian Guardino definitely became the king of everything the light touches on American Idol Sunday night (May 1). Taking the stage for the show’s Disney-themed showcase, the 21-year-old singer chose the perfect song to show off the lion’s-roar power in his vocals — Elton John‘s “Circle of Life,” aka the iconic Lion King song. Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news Joined by a choir of backup singers and silhouetted by a radiant yellow sun backdrop, Guardino pulled out all the stops to ensure that he secured a place in this season’s top seven contestants. Smoke billowed around him as he built suspense at the beginning of the performance, while fire cannons sparked once he weaved his way to the song’s high point with intricate,...
‘American Idol’ Contestant Noah Thompson Brings Country to John Mayer Cover: Watch
American Idol has reached the pointy end of the season, when just 10 competitors stay in the game. One of those is Noah Thompson, the teen construction worker for Louisa, Kentucky. On Monday night’s (April 25) Top 10 Live reveal, Thompson delivered the goods with a country-flavored take on John Mayer’s “Heartbreak Warfare.” It was a dramatic night that saw Tristen Gressett eliminated and Lady K saved by the judges. There was no such drama for Thompson. “I’m such a private person,” Thompson told Billboard ahead of the live broadcast. “I think I’m always going to be shy. I’m the guy who stays in his room and does his own thing while everybody else goes out to eat.” Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news Shy or not, Thompson now has fans across A...
Meet 2022’s ‘American Idol’ Top 10
Just three days before the finalists on the current season of American Idol competed in a live broadcast to narrow the top 14 down to a top 11, they sat down with Billboard for their first in-depth interviews of their Idol run. One by one, over almost eight hours, they filed into dressing room 36G at CBS Television City in Los Angeles to be grilled about their lives, their hopes and dreams and their Idol journeys to date. Although each contestant was interviewed privately, they named many of the same series alums as their favorite Idols. Alejandro Aranda received the most mentions, with Kelly Clarkson right behind him. Last year, it was a three-way tie for first place among Fantasia, Jennifer Hudson and Katharine McPhee. With the revelation of who made the current top 10 now announced on t...
‘American Idol’ Contestant Turns Radiohead’s ‘Creep’ Into a Vocal Workout: Watch
A long time ago, in what feels like a galaxy far far away, Radiohead had a grunge-era breakthrough with “Creep,” a belter that sounds fresh as a daisy to this day. “Creep” allowed the Oxford alternative rockers to move away from On A Friday, their earlier incarnation, but it was a one-and-done. With their followup album, 1995’s The Bends, the Brits had sonically moved a light-year ahead. “Creep” is an iconic song in the band’s catalog, it’s rarely performed live and sounds like nothing that came from Thom Yorke and Co. before or since. Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news The version we heard Monday night (April 18) on ABC’s American Idol also sounded like nothing we heard before or since. Christian Guardino, the 21-year-old with the impressive...
‘American Idol’ Contestant Reworks a Blondie Classic: Watch
The tide was high, but Leah Marlene was more than holding on when American Idol witnessed its final round of Hawaii performances. The quirky Canada-born, Illinois-based singer performed a Blondie classic, a song with a deep connection to New York’s clubbing scene at the turn of the ’80s and hot, early Richard Gere films. On Monday night (April 11), Marlene made Blondie’s “Call Me” her very own, with an unrecognizable, chilled-out, acoustic rendition, retrofitted for the beach. The judges loved it. “You’re in a lane, all of your own, in this competition,” Lionel Richie enthused afterwards. “It’s endless where you can go.” Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news Katy Perry remarked, “you’re definitely one of a kind, from your song choices to your on...
‘American Idol’ Judges Give Nicolina Bozzo a Standing Ovation for Her Emotional Take on Sia
American Idol contestant Nicolina Bozzo delivered yet another show-stopping performance Sunday (April 10), only solidifying her place in the Top 24. The Canadian vocalist, who received mentorship from country star Jimmie Allen, powered through Sia‘s “Elastic Heart.” After her performance, which took place at Disney’s Aulani resort in Hawai’i, Bozzo received a standing ovation from the judges who were once again mesmerized by her vocal prowess and star quality. “I’ve always thought that you were one of — if not the best — singer in the competition. You always deliver,” said Luke Bryan. “We’re outside, we’re not getting sound necessarily like we would in a big theater, but you really, really delivered all of the emotions. It was one of those I could really sit back and enjoy the quality...
Noah Thompson Impresses With Rihanna Country Cover on ‘American Idol’: Watch
Noah Thompson clearly understands the true meaning of American Idol’s “Showstopper” round. On Monday night (April 5), Thompson, a 19-year-old construction worker from Louisa, Kentucky, took his turn to stop everyone in their tracks, by hitting a country cover of Rihanna’s “Stay.” Showcasing his mature, smoky tones, Thompson didn’t have a perfect outing. But it impressed those matter: the judges and everyone watching on at home. “You have a magic quality going on in your voice,” judge Luke Bryan said afterwards. “I’d love to just have 10 minutes with you, just to really fine-tune to where you have the magic from the top to the end of the song.” Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news Bryan delivered the good news in the most painful sort of way, but the...
Teen Contestant Emyrson Flora Impresses With Adele Cover on ‘American Idol’: Watch
Cleveland teen Emyrson Flora has made the leap from singing in her bedroom to performing on the national stage in the proverbial blink of an eye, and made it seem effortless. Flora has made it to Hollywood Week on American Idol, and for this stage in the journey she played a big hand, by performing an Adele cover. The young Idol hopeful showcased her self-taught piano skills as she performed a solo rendition of “Love In The Dark,” which appeared on Adele’s global hit album 25, from 2015. Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news Gutsy move. In her pre-recorded intro, the 16-year-old high school recounted how the judges took a chance on her, and how she wanted to repay that faith. She did just that with a tone-perfect effort that had judge Katy Perry on h...
Jay Copeland Scores ‘Platinum Ticket’ With Stevie Wonder Cover on ‘American Idol’: Watch
He’s only 23, but Jay Copeland has already faced the forks in the road of life. The Salisbury, Maryland native and American Idol hopeful had to make a tough decision. His grad school program gave two options: either choose music (Idol) or choose acting (grad school). “I was told I couldn’t have it all,” he explains at the top of his audition Monday (March 21). He chose Idol, and, as a result, lost funding through his fellowship. It was a big call, and, thankfully, he had a big audition on Idol. Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news Copeland hit a Stevie Wonder classic, “Signed, Sealed, Delivered (I’m Yours),” inserting his own style and personality into the performance. “You controlled it, you did it, you owned it, and on top of that you were h...
Douglas Mills Leaves ‘American Idol’ Judges Speechless With Powerful Audition: Watch
Remember the name Douglas Mills. You’ll hear it again. The 18-year-old from Houston, TX, is a recipient of American Idol’s “golden ticket,” or rather, the “VIP affiliate ticket pass” from ABC Houston, redeemable for a trip to the auditions. It comes in silver, but it’s potential gold for anyone who scores one. “Music is my life, basically,” he says in the pre-recorded bit. “It’s my safe place from doubters and haters. And people who just don’t like me in general.” The route to the American Idol auditions hasn’t been an easy one for Mills. “When I was younger, I was bullied because I look different,” he explains. The cruel name calling was “very painful.” Music has helped and healed. Explore See latest videos, charts and news His song Sunday night (March 2) was “especially chosen for the Bl...
Britney Spears Bares All, BLACKPINK’s Rosé Tests Positive for COVID & More Top Stories | Billboard News
Britney Spears bares all in steamy new pics, Rosé of BLACKPINK has a health scare and can ‘Encanto’ and “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” hold onto the top spots on the charts? Plus, Kygo teams up with Joe Jonas on a new track and a list of artists pulling out of tour dates in Russia. This is Billboard News for Tuesday, March 1. [flexi-common-toolbar] [flexi-form class=”flexi_form_style” title=”Submit to Flexi” name=”my_form” ajax=”true”][flexi-form-tag type=”post_title” class=”fl-input” title=”Title” value=”” required=”true”][flexi-form-tag type=”category” title=”Select category”][flexi-form-tag type=”tag” title=”Insert tag”][flexi-form-tag ...
Aretha Franklin’s Granddaughter Auditioned for American Idol… and the Judges Said No???
Hey, not everyone pops out of the womb a star. Grace Franklin, the 15-year-old granddaughter of Aretha Franklin, appeared on American Idol on Sunday (February 27th), but didn’t quite have the same chops as her mythological elder to allow her to advance to the singing program. “I feel like people expect me to sing exactly like her, but I am my own artist and I have my own voice,” the young Franklin said in a pre-recorded clip prior to her audition. Unfortunately, judges Lionel Ritchie, Katy Perry, and Luke Bryan weren’t exactly impressed with the voice she offered. Franklin opened her audition with a Lauryn Hill-inspired cover of Roberta Flack’s “Killing Me Softly,” but the performance proved more one-dimensional than the soulful original. “It was all just a little sleepy and subdued to me,...
