May was off to a good start for American Idol fans, who got to watch their favorite contestants sing for the second night in a row. Judges Lionel Richie, Katy Perry, and Luke Bryan were once again at their posts offering feedback to the contestants — and this week, they even chose the song each Idol contestant would sing.
A few stars stood out last night, but nobody seemed to have the impact that Wé Ani did when she took on Whitney Houston’s power ballad “I Have Nothing.”
Spoilers ahead!
Wé Ani blew away the crowd with her Whitney Houston cover on ‘American Idol’
Last night, the singers took on the judges’ picks, but there was once catch: Each judge chose a song they thought the contestants should sing, then once the contestants picked one of the three, they had to later guess which judge’s song recommendation they chose. Wé Ani opted for Whitney Houston’s “I Have Nothing,” which is no small feat to tackle. She wanted to do it justice, and based on the crowd’s reaction and the judges’ excitement, she absolutely nailed it.
Wé Ani hit every power note, wearing a long gown while standing solitary at a mic stand throughout her rendition. It was the type of performance where she didn’t need to engage the crowd; her voice did that for her.
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After the song concluded, Wé Ani attempted to guess who chose it for her, and she picked Lionel Richie. But to her surprise, Luke Bryan picked the ballad.
“It was your boy,” Bryan said with excitement, pointing at himself with both hands, when asked who had actually chosen it. He proceeded to get up and dance because he knew she’d absolutely done the song justice. “I’m so proud of you in that performance,” he continued. “It was one of the most elegant things I’ve ever seen.”
Another contestant was sent home on ‘American Idol’
Wé Ani made it through to the final eight with flying colors; votes were calculated throughout the show, and two people were eliminated at the show’s close. The bottom three came down to Oliver Steele, Mary Beth Byrd, and Tyson Venegas. Judge Katy Perry, who had “won” the judge’s choice competition with the most contestants choosing her recommended songs, had the final say in who made it through to the bottom eight. Mary Beth Byrd, who was in last week’s bottom three but ultimately made it through, was sent home this week. Alongside her was Tyson Venegas; Perry, who consulted with Richie and Bryan before making her final decision, chose to keep Oliver Steele.
Next week’s judge’s panel will look a bit different because both Perry and Richie will be in the United Kingdom performing at King Charles’ coronation. Instead, host Ryan Seacrest introduced both guest judges (and mentors) via videos from each; the guests are Alanis Morrissette and Ed Sheeran, who will both sit in the judging chairs alongside Luke Bryan after subsequently mentoring the contestants.
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