American Idol fans voted their hearts out after Sunday’s (May 22) season 20 Grand Finale (Read our Recap) for their favorite Top 10 contestant outside of the final two to make an appearance on Live with Kelly and Ryan. And the winner of the American Idol Encore contest is…Fritz Hager!
A fan favorite, Fritz left American Idol the competition at the Top 5. He departed just short of making the Top 3 and competing in the finale. But then, his fans got to work. And after a “nationwide vote” that lasted throughout Monday and Tuesday, Fritz won the opportunity to debut “Hearts Align” on Live. The clip aired on the show Friday (May 27).
“It’s all I ever wanted”
Fritz performed a tender acoustic version of the song on stage, with only guitar accompaniment. Afterward, he admitted that he had rehearsed the song to perform in the competition before being eliminated. Idol host Ryan Seacrest recalled Fritz as a nervous and unconfident singer at first. “The first time we really talked was in Showstoppers, and I was just a wreck, in tears! It was pretty intense,” Fritz admitted.
“All this happening, Idol happening, and now…being able to keep the momentum going into the future,” Fritz added, “It’s all I ever wanted.”
The entire Top 7 recorded original songs with top-producers. “Hearts Align,” written by American Idol season 18 finalist Francisco Martin and Drew Pearson and produced by King Henry is available now to stream and download.
Live with Kelly and Ryan pre-taped Fritz’s episode earlier in the week. That’s a good thing, because the singer’s homecoming concert is Friday night, May 27 at the True Vine Brewing Company in Tyler, Texas. Click this link for tickets.
A week full of American Idol season 20 performances aired on Live after the finale. Noah Thompson sat for an interview and performed his chart topping single, “One Day Tonight” on Monday (May 23), the morning after voters crowned him the new American Idol. Runner-up HunterGirl performed her single “Red Bird” on Live Thursday May 26.
