'American Idol' Season 17: Alejandro Aranda, Wade Cota and Jeremiah Lloyd Harmon ace their All-Star duet performances in episode 11
On Monday night when the 11th episode of 'American Idol' aired, we weren't greeted by the same host we've been seeing for the past 17 seasons as Ryan Seacrest was missing. Seacrest called in sick for the final episode of the All-Star duets. So, to fill in his spot, season-mentor Bobby Bones hosted Monday's episode, while Luke Bryan, Katy Perry, and Lionel Richie judged the remaining 10 contestants performances from the Top 20.
During Monday's episode, the celebrities who performed with the contestants were, Julia Michaels, Chris Isaak, Lukas Graham, lovelytheband, Ben Harper and Cynthia Erivo. Only seven contestants made it to the Top 14 and will now perform in the live shows for America's vote. After watching the episode, it is fair to say the guys outshined the girls when it came to their performances. The seven contestants' who went through, earned their spots by performing exceptionally during their duets.
However, there were three contestants who stood out among the seven and gave higher-level performances compared to the other four. The three singers who stood out have been making a major impact with every performance of theirs since the audition. These singers also proved that they will stop at nothing till they reach the finals.
Alejandro Aranda
It is not surprising to see Alejandro Aranda in this list, because his performance of 'There Will Be a Light' alongside Ben Harper was nothing less than extraordinary. It was a simple performance, yet beautiful and what made it stand out was that it was Aranda's first time performing a duet. There was not a single thing to dislike about their performance. Both judges and the audience were stunned with their performance. If Aranda continues to mesmerize viewers and judges with every performance of his, there is no doubt he will make it to the finals.
Jeremiah Lloyd Harmon
Jeremiah Lloyd Harmon's performance of 'Time After Time' alongside Cynthia Erivo left everyone with goosebumps. It was an incredible duet and they shared perfect chemistry and harmonies without missing a beat. We also saw Harmon ace the high notes with ease making it look effortless. This was by far the best rendition of the Cyndi Lauper classic. Harmon upped his competition level with this performance putting him among the frontrunners this season. Even the judges were surprised with the way their voices synced. Richie said, "We just witnessed a masterful performance.”
Wade Cota
Wade Cota was paired with lovelytheband for his celebrity duet performance. Performing 'Broken' alongside the band, Cota's voice fit the song like a glove. It was good to see him loosen himself up and enjoy the song as he was performing. The judges were surprised with this pair and the way it turned out. His growling during the performance was the cherry on top. Cota, of late has been improving with each performance and has become a major fan-favorite after last week's episode. We cannot wait to see what Cota brings to the live shows, and we hope he enjoys performing just like he did during his duet performance.
'American Idol' airs every Sunday and Monday on ABC. Check your local listings for more information.