‘American Idol’s’ Dennis Lorenzo Bounces Back After Controversial Elimination
Reading Time: 3 minutes
Dennis Lorenzo was a promising contestant during Season 16 of American Idol. Viewers fell in love with the singer from West Philadelphia as he talked about his journey out of homelessness. Dennis impressed judges Katy Perry, Lionel Richie, and Luke Bryan during the first season of American Idol’s revamp. His rendition of Allen Stone’s “Unaware” earned him three yeses.
The singer showed what it meant to pursue the American dream with your head held high. The singer’s audition could be considered one of the best in recent memories. Dennis showed off his guitar skills while he hit every note. Bryan noticed the hole in the singer’s guitar and applauded him for still delivering a great audition.
“You just proved that it ain’t the equipment,” Richie said regarding Dennis’s guitar. “It is the absolute thing you use it for.”
The judges showed their excitement to send Dennis through to Hollywood, noting that his dedication to the craft shined during his performance. Throughout Hollywood week Dennis could be seen in the background in different groups and performances. He continued to show that he had what it takes and eventually the singer reached the Top 24.
During his audition Richie told Dennis that he checked “all of his boxes.” Richie and the other judges proved to have the singer’s back when they chose him to be a contestant in the Top 10. Dennis had a final shot at advancing during the Top 10’s Disney Night performance. Unfortunately, after singing “Can You Feel the Love Tonight” Dennis was eliminated.
Controversial Elimination
Dennis, like other great contestants, showed that there is so much more than having a great voice to win American Idol. Fans believed he was one of the better singers on Season 16. Still, not enough viewers voted to keep the singer on the show.
The singer’s exit did not come without controversy. Although he was saved from being in the bottom once by the judges, Idol’s new voting system did not make it an easy elimination process. Disney Night was the first time that American Idol held a live coast-to-coast episode. The new format meant fans who were impressed by Dennis’s performance only had a few minutes to vote for him before the polls closed.
Dennis also felt that his elimination was not fair. The singer went on interviews and expressed his thoughts about the voting system, although producers told contestants that they did not have anything to worry about. It was noted that fans of Dennis had over two hours to vote if they chose to. Still, many believe that there are fans who wait until the final singer to perform to place their vote.
Life After ‘American Idol’
The father of one may have taken his Idol elimination hard, but he kept his singing aspirations alive well after the show. Dennis has admitted that after Idol he had to figure out where he wanted to go next. Labels did reach out to him. The singer was also getting brand offers and requests for live shows. The pressure proved to be too much for Dennis and the singer shut down.
As luck would have it Dennis was introduced to rapper The Game while he had a session in a studio. The singer was able to work on a project with the West coast rapper. Since Idol the singer has been working on his craft. Dennis is now living in Los Angeles while working in the trap music genre.
The singer has also studied how to create more music outside of just being a great vocalist. Dennis often speaks to the technical side of producing music as he is becoming an expert on the equipment our favorite artists use.
In 2021 Dennis released his single “Doin the Most.” The video uses the singer’s Idol audition in the beginning as he goes into introducing fans to a new side of him. The song has Dennis stepping away from his powerful vocals as he has opted to enter the hip hop lane.
