‘American Idol’ Recap: Hollywood Week Continues with Heartwarming Duets
ABC/Eric McCandless Reading Time: 3 minutes
American Idol Season 20 returned on Sunday night for another round of Hollywood week, as the remaining contestants were put into pairs for duets. Some of the pairings flourished, while others had a harder road behind the scenes.
‘American Idol’ Pairs Pregnant Singers for Duets Round
One of the most notable performances of the night came from Sam Moss and Haley Slaton. Haley revealed in her audition that she was pregnant, and Sam shared the news of her own pregnancy in the first round of Hollywood Week.
The show paired the two expectant moms for the Duets round. They bonded over their shared experience and worked through their tiredness during rehearsals. Judge Katy Perry chatted with them about her own experience as a mom, tearing up as she explained that she felt like she was “never enough” before having her daughter.
Sam and Haley called themselves the Watermelon Smugglers, performing “Dancing on My Own” by Robyn. Although the judges gave them a standing ovation, only Sam went through to the next round. However, Haley later sent a video introducing everyone to her new baby.
Singers Get Quirky with Their Performances
Some of the pairings seemed made for each other. For example, Fritz Hager and Leah Marlene both brought plenty of quirkiness to the stage, calling themselves Team Green because they both happened to be wearing the color.
They performed a stripped-down, folksy cover of “Locked Out of Heaven” by Bruno Mars, with both of them playing guitar. The judges were impressed, and they sent both Fritz and Leah through to the next round.
Another quirky pairing was Kevin Gullage and Yoli Mayor, who put on a funny skit to go along with their performance of “Anything You Can Do.” Kevin played the keyboard during the fun performance, which earned them both a spot in the next round.
SEE ALSO: WATCH ‘AMERICAN IDOL’ EARLY RELEASE OF CHRISTIAN GUARDINO, NICOLINA’S OUTSTANDING DUET
Some Singers Struggle with Their Duets
Not everyone meshed well with their duet partners. Scarlet got frustrated with her partner Douglas Mills Jr. when he had trouble remembering the words to “Rewrite the Stars.” At one point, she walked away, and Douglas had trouble finding her.
Scarlet and Douglas came back together to continue rehearsal, but their difficulties came through in their performance. Perry called it “death by song,” saying it was the wrong choice for them. However, both singers ended up going through to the next round.
Another tricky pairing was Kelsie Dolin and Betty Maxwell. Kelsie struggled with confidence, and Miss America winner Betty tried to help her come out of her shell. It didn’t seem to be going well at first, but Kelsie managed to pull it together for the final performance of Pink’s “Just Give Me a Reason.”
Judge Lionel Richie was brought to tears, and the judges gave the singers a standing ovation. Richie said Kelsie “broke through,” and she said she even surprised herself. Both singers went through to the next round.
All Three Platinum Ticket Holders Go Through
The three singers who earned a Platinum Ticket during the auditions got to skip the Genre Challenge and choose which contestant they wanted to duet with. Kenedi Anderson chose Jordan Chase. Their performance of “Lean on Me” earned a standing ovation, and they both went through.
Meanwhile, HunterGirl chose Cole Wesley Ritter as her partner. They performed “Dreams” by Fleetwood Mac, and they both went through. Jay Copeland and his chosen partner Morgan Gruber sang “Shallow.” Although the judges said they wanted more from Jay, both singers were sent through.
American Idol Season 20 returns Monday night as the remaining contestants enter the Showstopper round.
