‘Idol’ Stars Adam Lambert And Jennifer Hudson To Perform At The Oscars: What Will They Sing?
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Two of American Idol‘s biggest success stories will be performing at the Oscars this weekend. Adam Lambert will take the stage with Queen, while Jennifer Hudson will perform her nominated song.
Adam Lambert & Queen
Queen is a big deal at this year’s Oscars ceremony because the film Bohemian Rhapsody — starring Rami Malek as Freddie Mercury — has five nominations, including Best Picture. Adam recently shared the news by tweeting a clip of himself performing with the band, set to “We Will Rock You.” He announced, “We will rock The Oscars.”
Adam has sung lead vocals for Queen since 2011, and will go on his third tour with the band this summer. Fittingly, Adam auditioned for Season 8 of American Idol by singing “Bohemian Rhapsody,” so this is a bit of a full circle moment. The band will reportedly open the show, making it even more exciting.
It’s not clear yet what song the band will perform, but it will more than likely be a Queen classic. Perhaps the title song itself, or “We Will Rock You” — based on the teaser. Of course, they could go for something more unexpected, in which case we can’t wait to watch and see.
Adam also just dropped his own new song, from his upcoming fourth album. It’s called “Feel Something.” His fans have been waiting over three years for new music, so it’s good to see him back in the solo game.
Jennifer Hudson
Meanwhile, Jennifer Hudson will be performing the song “I’ll Fight” from the film RBG. The documentary focuses on Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Songwriter Diane Warren is nominated in the Best Original Song category for the track, which Jennifer performed for the movie’s end credits.
“I loved the dichotomy of getting Jennifer Hudson to sing it, because [RBG] speaks so softly, but so powerfully,” Diane Warren said of the song. “It’s almost like Jennifer Hudson’s voice became her avatar – because that’s what she really sounds like to us. She’s a diva! She’s a notorious RBG. So I didn’t want it to be soft. I wanted it to have power.”
Of course, Jennifer has plenty of experience on the Oscars stage, as she won Best Supporting Actress in 2007 for her performance in the film adaptation of Dreamgirls.
A Preview Of American Idol
Adam and Jennifer aren’t only American Idol connection at this year’s Oscars. ABC will reportedly air a special called American Idol: A New Journey Begins, at 4 p.m. ET on Sunday, before the ceremony. Then, during the Oscars, contestants from the new season will apparently perform from a rooftop in “the heart of Hollywood,” with Ryan Seacrest also appearing.
According to Billboard, the rest of the Oscars performance lineup includes Bette Midler, who will perform “The Place Where Lost Things Go” from Mary Poppins Returns. Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper will also take the stage to sing “Shallow” from A Star Is Born, while Gillian Welch and David Rawlings will perform “When a Cowboy Trades His Spurs for Wings” from The Ballad of Buster Scruggs.
The 91st Academy Awards air this Sunday, February 24, at 8 p.m. ET on ABC. The new season of American Idol will premiere on ABC the following Sunday, March 3, at 8/7c.
