American Idol Top 14: Luke Bryan said Abi Carter “Held the whole room” on Elton John ballad
The American Idol Top 14 performed on Sunday night (April 21) for a spot in the Top 12, and it was the first theme night as well as the first night of coast-to-coast live voting. The theme was Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with Kiss frontman Gene Simmons serving as the mentor. Ending the evening was Abi Carter, with a beautiful cover of Elton John’s “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road.” (Read our Recap)
The 21 year old from Indio, California tackled a classic which has become a more popular song choice on singing shows in the past few years. That is likely due to Sara Bareilles‘ popular cover of the song, which is the version Abi performed. The singer explained in rehearsal that she was nervous to meet Gene as she grew up in a religious household that didn’t allow rock music because it was considered “the devil’s music.” Gene asked her if she knows what the song means, and she responded that she thinks it means “to not let people put you in a place you don’t belong in.” She was happy that she had the support of Gene to be herself since rocking out isn’t really her thing.
The judges gave Abi a standing ovation
Abi started the performance with a gorgeous tone even if there were a few minor tuning issues. She showed a lot of emotion and hit a few beautiful runs right before the chorus. As the song went on, she found the sweet spot of her voice that I remember liking so much in her audition. This was her best vocal since then. She hit a few glory notes, and finished the performance on a high note.
All three judges give Abi a standing ovation. Luke Bryan said that Abi “held the whole room” with no band backing her. He called her a “pro.” Lionel Richie said, “if you can make Elton John’s lyrics your lyrics, you’ve got something.” Katy Perry said, “You sing with such an angelic frequency,” adding that “a lot of people are going to need that song.”
Abi moved on to the Top 12
It was a mixed bag of performances, with some stellar vocals and others not quite living up to the legends they sang. I get that the round is not a Rock genre round, but rather the music from Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame inductees, but I was hoping for some more diverse song choices, especially considering contestants sang three overdone Whitney Houston songs. I love Whitney, but most singers simply not do her songs justice.
At the end of the show, host Ryan Seacrest revealed that Abi moved on as a part of the top 12. She was one of the more deserving singers, so this was not a shock. She wasn’t the only one who had a standout performance tonight though. Jack Blocker also sounded flawless and right in his lane on “Don’t Think Twice, It’s Alright” by Bob Dylan, and Kaibrienne went uptempo and took a risk that paid off with “I Hate Myself For Loving You” by Joan Jett & the Blackhearts. Monday night the voting continues with Billboard Number One Hits where the Top 10 will be revealed. Season 7 standout David Archuleta returns to perform.
