Alejandro Aranda, Wade Cota and Laci Kaye Booth stun judges with flawless performances during Top 20 solos on 'American Idol' season 17
After reducing the contestants in half from the Top 40 to the Top 20 in Hawaii on Sunday, 'American Idol' season 17 was back on Monday night and showcased the Top 20 perform their solos. We saw contestants perform their best for the judges and the best part was that there were no eliminations.
But on the coming Sunday, the 20 will team up with celebrities and perform duets. And after that, the judges will take into consideration the solo and the duet performances and eliminate six contestants and the Top 14 will head on to the live shows where they will compete for America's votes.
On Monday during the Top 20 solos, we witnessed that more than the girls, it was the guys who were looking really strong this year. While we wait in anticipation for the All-Star duet episode to air Sunday, let's take a look at the performances that stood out during the Top 20 solos on Monday.
As usual, the one contestant that stood out the most is current frontrunner, Alejandro Aranda. He performed his version of “I Fall Apart” by Post Malone. He sure is one of the most talented contestants to walk through Idol doors. His solo performance was so delicate it felt effortless. After his performance, Luke Bryan revealed there was no one like him in the competition.
After Aranda, the next contestant to impress judges the most was Wade Cota. He performed his version of “All I Want” by Kodaline. This performance of his was next level, unlike any other we have seen of him. After his performance, the judges were nothing less than impressed as Bryan revealed "A star is born." He made a lasting impression no one would forget.
Laci Kaye Booth performed “I Want You to Want Me” by Cheap Trick. And she brought in her own tweaks to it with her guitar. Booth was already a fan-favorite and this performance would have surely gained her more fans because that's how flawless it was. “You just showed us a whole other level of confidence,” Katy Perry said.
Ashley Hess wasn't less flawless with her performance either. We might not have seen many of her performances to date, but we will surely get to see more of her if she continues to perform the same way. After her performance, Perry said, "I thought I was at your show. I was literally lost in your performance.”
One contestant that made his mark during the Top 40 performance in Hawaii rocked the stage once again during his Top 20 solo. That was none other than Uche. He performed “Figures” by Jessie Reyez and just like his previous performance, this was a fun one to watch as he showed his vocal range which was spellbound. “Just keep finessing it,” Katy Perry told Uche after his performance.
The final contestant who stood out was the contestant to perform first in the Top 20 solos. Madison VanDenburg performed her version of “Domino” by Jessie J. It was a really good song selection and after her performance, the judges once again compared her to Kelly Clarkson. What better remark to get than to be compared to a former Idol winner?
'American Idol' airs every Sunday and Monday on ABC. Check your local listings for more information.
