'American Idol' Season 18 Episode 7: Genavieve Linkowski and Travis Finlay set the bar in Hollywood Duet round
Both Genavieve Linkowski and Travis Finlay had something to prove during Sunday night's episode of 'American Idol'. Going into round two of Hollywood Week, the two young singers were still striving to properly showcase their talent, range and versatility in the singing competition.
And there are still arguably more than a handful of prime candidates, including them, that are left vying for that coveted top spot. Nevertheless, both Travis and Genavieve believe in their unquestioned innate gifts, their steely determination and in the power of good old fashioned hard work.
So when judges Katy Perry, Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie made the unprecedented decision to make this week a Hollywood Duets round, they realized they had to work with each other in order to stand out from the rest of the pack.
Teamwork is essential in a pre-planned duet — you have to successfully pick a partner who will both complement your voice and song choice, but at the same time, you can't let that partner outsing or outshine you.
The individual performances have to be perfectly calibrated and in sync with each other, or both singers risk being judged for a mediocre showing. The only thing that will make it work is a willingness to actively support and listen to your partner, and gel with them through each practice session, no matter the pressure at hand.
And Genavieve would certainly have been feeling the raw emotions — the returning 'American Idol' candidate had previously made it through to Hollywood in 2018, before getting eliminated in the solo rounds.
However, two seasons ago, she had the support and backup of her sister, Corrinn, who was her singing partner and ever-present sounding board. After Corrinn was tragically killed in a car crash in February 2019, Genavieve was even more determined to return to the show and make her late sister proud.
She needed a strong, responsive partner this time around, and thankfully for her, Travis had both talent and heart in abundance. The duo decided to sing 'The Prayer', previously made famous by Celine Dion and Josh Groban.
It's a tall order for anyone to sing a song of this power and magnitude, but the scintillating pair, who dubbed themselves "Ebony and Ivory" managed to pull it off with considerable aplomb.
In one of the best singing performances of the night, Travis and Genavieve combined their powers to give a masterclass on how to sing a duet with grace and fire. There were gorgeous vocal runs and falsettos, beautiful harmonies, strong individual melodies and their duet ultimately stood out as one of the most cohesive, delightful matchups we've ever heard on this competition.
The judges gave them a standing ovation and encouraged them to keep growing and make inspired choices like this in the weeks ahead.
Fans definitely agreed with the judges on this decision. "Their voices really complimented one another so well. That airy portion from both of them was nice, but his was kinda magical. I could listen to this over and over," gushed one excited viewer.
Another ardent admirer was effusive in her praise, saying "That was so freaking beautiful, holy cow... I have goosebumps. That was awesome."
We can't wait to see how these two talented youngsters progress in Hollywood either! Make sure you catch more of them on 'American Idol' which airs on Sunday and Monday nights on the ABC network at 8 pm ET.