'American Idol' Season 17: Ashley Hess, Uché Ndubizu and Walker Burroughs stun judges with flawless duet performances in episode 10
On Sunday when 'American Idol' season 17 aired its All-Star Duets round we witnessed 10 contestants out of the Top 20 perform with celebrities like Pat Benatar, Jason Mraz, Brett Young, and Shaggy. Though the entire episode from start to end was very entertaining, in the end, the judges - Luke Bryan, Katy Perry, and Lionel Richie - were tasked with sending three contestants home and only seven advanced to the Top 14.
The series might be on thin ice right now because the ratings haven't been as good as its glory days, but that does not mean they are backing down easily as they have some really good talent this season. The Top 14 contestants selected will advance to the live shows where they will perform for America's vote. While the seven contestants who went through were exceptionally unique and good in their own way, there were three contestants who stood out with their duet performances compared to the other four who went through to the live shows.
Uché Ndubizu
Uche is no doubt among the frontrunners this season, starting from his audition round to his duet performance, he never failed to stun the judges and viewers with his impeccable talent. Lionel Richie named him Mr. Entertainment, and during the duets, he proved he is worthy of the title. Performing 'I Need Your Love' along with Shaggy, though their pairing was a good one, the vocals didn't sync as much. But Uche is known for the way he works the crowd and in no time, he had the judges and audience up on their feet dancing. The one reason Uche is one among the top 3 performers is because of his vocal range during his performance. His performance had ample energy and the singer didn't lose a beat.
Ashley Hess
Ashley Hess proved she is here to stay with her performance of 'I'm Yours' alongside Jason Mraz for her duet this week. Their pair was also a good selection because their voices are both mellow and sync well together. Though we might have heard 'I'm Yours' many time before, we have never heard it the way Hess and Mraz performed their duet on Sunday. They had amazing chemistry and their harmonies were on point. Hess also gets bonus points for her gutsy move to play the piano while she started singing. Her effort paid off and we cannot wait to see what the singer brings to the live shows.
Walker Burroughs
Walker Burroughs is at it again with his flawless performances, and he didn't fail to serve it to us with some dance moves during his duet performance with Jason Mraz. Performing 'Have It All' alongside Mraz, Burroughs did great. He managed to match Mraz's notes without missing a beat and that was quite surprising. Even though his dancing wasn't the best part of the performance, the chemistry the duo shared during their duet was the best. Mraz also revealed that Burroughs has many tricks inside his bag. “This guy can croon, he can rap and he can wail,” Mraz told Ryan Seacrest after their performance. Burroughs is surely out to get the title this season.